This confusion works for those who are hateful and know what they are doing, it becomes a wedge issue to further divide: "see! They are hypocrites! They don't tolerate you while they speak of tolerance!"
So what's the solution.
Well I don't know. But there needs to be one.
Because we know what preceded WWII, and we see the parallels today. And we are doomed to repeat this loop forever, to monumental suffering, and possibly the death of civilization, unless we figure out a mechanism.
4/x
But I can say this:
Fascism is always stopped. With two mechanisms:
1. Fascism weakens itself as much as its enemies. An ingroup and an outgroup are established, but the ingroup is further subdivided such that lower classes of the ingroup become new outgroups, cannon fodder.
2. Fascism always must expand. Fascism doesn't exist without an other, an enemy, to deliver pain and suffering to. Eventually it bites off too much and after much much suffering for everyone else, it finally dies.
5/x
Many are familiar with Karl Popper's "The Paradox of Tolerance." If you're not: briefly, if we are tolerant of intolerance, intolerance will grow and kill tolerance.
But it's not really a paradox, it's simple logic: intolerance of intolerance is tolerance (a negative of a negative is a positive). The problem is many (not all) intolerant types don't understand they are intolerant. Their indecency and ignorance just "makes sense" so they are incensed when tolerant folk go after them.
3/x
This confusion works for those who are hateful and know what they are doing, it becomes a wedge issue to further divide: "see! They are hypocrites! They don't tolerate you while they speak of tolerance!"
So what's the solution.
Well I don't know. But there needs to be one.
Because we know what preceded WWII, and we see the parallels today. And we are doomed to repeat this loop forever, to monumental suffering, and possibly the death of civilization, unless we figure out a mechanism.
4/x
At one time in history every disagreement was settled violently. We've replaced that (officially, of course violent disagreements continue) with courts, the law. We didn't just decide to do this, it took much suffering to get to this better understanding of how to resolve things.
In the same way, we have to get a better mechanism to handle fascism in society. Job #1: we can't tolerate it. This is the biggest hurdle, because it's easy for fascists to go "hypocrite! you're intolerant of me!"
2/x
Many are familiar with Karl Popper's "The Paradox of Tolerance." If you're not: briefly, if we are tolerant of intolerance, intolerance will grow and kill tolerance.
But it's not really a paradox, it's simple logic: intolerance of intolerance is tolerance (a negative of a negative is a positive). The problem is many (not all) intolerant types don't understand they are intolerant. Their indecency and ignorance just "makes sense" so they are incensed when tolerant folk go after them.
3/x
Everyone lucid in the world is freaking out about the rise of #fascist thinking, well, everywhere.
Why? Didn't we defeat this obscenity 80 years ago after much suffering? Why is it resurging?
The problem is not that people don't learn from history (they don't but that's another issue), the problem is that #fascism is always with us. Since the dawn of time and forever more.
All fascism requires is:
1. ignorance
2. indecency
3. a demagogue to yoke the walnut brains and ride them to power
1/x
At one time in history every disagreement was settled violently. We've replaced that (officially, of course violent disagreements continue) with courts, the law. We didn't just decide to do this, it took much suffering to get to this better understanding of how to resolve things.
In the same way, we have to get a better mechanism to handle fascism in society. Job #1: we can't tolerate it. This is the biggest hurdle, because it's easy for fascists to go "hypocrite! you're intolerant of me!"
2/x
Everyone lucid in the world is freaking out about the rise of #fascist thinking, well, everywhere.
Why? Didn't we defeat this obscenity 80 years ago after much suffering? Why is it resurging?
The problem is not that people don't learn from history (they don't but that's another issue), the problem is that #fascism is always with us. Since the dawn of time and forever more.
All fascism requires is:
1. ignorance
2. indecency
3. a demagogue to yoke the walnut brains and ride them to power
1/x
I was told following a lot of people is a sign of inauthenticity
But I like the firehose of content
I'll wade into it and get swept away to parts unknown. Isn't that the point of social media, discovery?
And you can make a list for posters you don't want to miss
Someone says something funny... I feel like following them
Why not? Who cares? Are there magic rules here?
FUCK IT
I'M GOING TO FOLLOW EVERYONE!
(Unless you're a "both sides the same" troll/ idiot, then I'm blocking your ass)
#Voltaire's prescient quote on #Fascism and #SocialMedia #Disinfo
Ben Royce 🇺🇦
🇸🇩