Safe spaces for everyone?

All I can say is, it's a good thing you don't work for any real intelligence agency.
I'm very thankful for that, too, having to report to some authority about my torturous activities, and being bogged down by rules, would really hamper my progress.

You imagine that if we let him say all fourteen we'd find anything to surprise us?
We must secure the existence of beer and a future with fields of Hops.
 
I think it's beneficial to have a place where you can go and be by yourself and think through things without distraction. For me, that's my apartment, but for people who share living accommodations it might be somewhere else. But having somewhere you can retreat to when life circumstances are difficult is important.

Beyond that, I don't really get the safe spaces in public areas debate, and why what we had 15 years ago isn't sufficient. There are already social mores around what is appropriate in public and what is not, and if someone goes too far outside those, they often are confronted about it, if not explicitly than by being shunned or ignored.

I'm also very much a believer in the importance of freedom of speech (and believe "left-liberals" who don't support free speech are not true liberals, even if they may be economically leftist). Yes, I think it's a little over the top for the pro-gun-rights lobbyists to march with semi-automatic rifles in front of the statehouse, and no, I don't buy that the end times is coming as preached by a few Hebrew Israelites near my bus stop recently. But both groups (and others) should be allowed to discuss their beliefs, even if it may make some people uncomfortable. If I'd really felt intimidated, I could have always just crossed the street instead of walking by the militia, or walked on to the next bus stop rather than be somewhat distracted by the talk of fire and brimstone, and neither group would have tried to stop me.

Of course once you get into groups taking physical action against people, intentionally harassing someone (not just saying things that the other party disagrees with), etc., there is an issue, but that's where the part of the law about protecting people from each other comes into play, not before anyone says something potentially offensive.
 
Right-wingers champion freedom of speech and are anti-PC culture, but when their views are criticised, they often raise a stink and are quick to accuse critics of trying to shut down discussion.
Oh lol.

Right-wingers don't care about being "criticized". It's when you guys start shouting over people, attacking people, try to get events shut down, try to get people fired, try to doxx people, and try to get people arrested for "hate speech" that the problems come into play. Your attempt at equivalence here is pretty cute but you're not fooling anybody.
 
I too dream of a world where you can use slurs in public
The problem is not using slurs. I have no desire to use slurs against anybody, such behavior is juvenile and beneath me (this includes, btw, terms like "redneck" or "white trash").

The problem comes when any criticism of immigration policy becomes labelled as "hate speech", for example. This is much more sinister and has the effect of basically shutting down one side of the debate.
 
Right-wingers don't care about being "criticized".
Color me surprised given the fondness for allegations of "fake news" expressed when any mildly critical article comes out about His Trumpiness and his courtiers.

The problem comes when any criticism of immigration policy becomes labelled as "hate speech", for example. This is much more sinister and has the effect of basically shutting down one side of the debate.
I have some pretty strong criticisms of recent US immigration policy, but I have never had my opinions labeled as "hate speech". Now, it could be because I'm part of the Jewish globalist (gotta use the current dog whistles!) conspiracy and we all know each other instinctively, or more likely because statements along the lines of "we don't want your kind here" aren't looked upon fondly.
 
You guys bring up this supposed "Jewish" conspiracy in almost every post. Nobody else is talking about it except you. Do you have something to tell us? You clearly know much more about this than me.

Anyways.

Color me surprised given the fondness for allegations of "fake news" expressed when any mildly critical article comes out about His Trumpiness and his courtiers.
There's a huge difference between calling something "fake news" (a counter-criticism), and trying to shut down said news outlet.

I have some pretty strong criticisms of recent US immigration policy, but I have never had my opinions labeled as "hate speech". Now, it could be because I'm part of the Jewish globalist (gotta use the current dog whistles!) conspiracy and we all know each other instinctively, or more likely because statements along the lines of "we don't want your kind here" aren't looked upon fondly.
To be honest that's probably just because your criticisms aren't really all that strong.

I was more speaking of European countries where there are actual "hate speech" laws. I've read some pretty crazy stories about how they are used over there.
 
One hopes they're used to prevent the spread of genocidal Islamophobic ideologies, considering there was already one pretty horrible genocide in Europe.
 
One hopes they're used to prevent the spread of genocidal Islamophobic ideologies, considering there was already one pretty horrible genocide in Europe.
So you don't see any middle ground between criticizing immigration from Islamic countries and literally wanting to kill all Muslim people?
 
You guys bring up this supposed "Jewish" conspiracy in almost every post. Nobody else is talking about it except you. Do you have something to tell us? You clearly know much more about this than me.
I'm not the one claiming membership of, or at least being a fellow-traveler of, a group that held a tiki-torch nighttime march shouting "the Jews will not replace us" and the next day holding a rally with the hakenkreuz or SS runes.

There's a huge difference between calling something "fake news" (a counter-criticism), and trying to shut down said news outlet.
Again, color me unimpressed. The exchanges always seem to go:
Generally respected news agency: Information obtained through traditional investigative means indicates something negative about the Trump administration. Any comment?
Trump Administration: Fake News.

I'm also not sure what you are referring to with shutting down news outlets, at least here in America. Germany/the CDU/Merkel are doing that weird thing with trying to fine Facebook, which is going to go the ECHR faster than you can say whatever improbably long German word means "definitely unconstitutional".

I was more speaking of European countries where there are actual "hate speech" laws. I've read some pretty crazy stories about how they are used over there.
Given we have Europeans on here claiming that seeing a woman covering up at the beach constitutes some sort of existential assault on their ideology, and European politicians that the sight of Muslims praying is equivalent to Nazi occupation, I have long ago stopped looking to Europe for rationality.
 
I'm not the one claiming membership of, or at least being a fellow-traveler of, a group that held a tiki-torch nighttime march shouting "the Jews will not replace us" and the next day holding a rally with the hakenkreuz or SS runes.
You're the one who wants to constantly bring it up. It's just bizarre, frankly.

Again, color me unimpressed. The exchanges always seem to go:
Generally respected news agency: Information obtained through traditional investigative means indicates something negative about the Trump administration. Any comment?
Trump Administration: Fake News.

I'm also not sure what you are referring to with shutting down news outlets, at least here in America. Germany/the CDU/Merkel are doing that weird thing with trying to fine Facebook, which is going to go the ECHR faster than you can say whatever improbably long German word means "definitely unconstitutional".
My point is that when right-wingers complain about being "shut down" it is because they are literally being shut down, and aelf's attempt to frame it as "criticism" is incredibly dishonest. Calling something "fake news" is not even in the same universe.
 
You're the one who wants to constantly bring it up. It's just bizarre, frankly.
I'm confused. Are you saying you are not a self-professed member/fellow traveler of the "alt-right", or that the people holding nighttime tiki torch marches shouting "the Jews will not replace us" and carry flags with the hakenkreuz and SS runes aren't part of/fellow travelers of the "alt-right"?

My point is that when right-wingers complain about being "shut down" it is because they are literally being shut down, and aelf's attempt to frame it as "criticism" is incredibly dishonest. Calling something "fake news" is not even in the same universe.
I dread asking for examples for fear of a deluge of websites filled with comments filled with calling people [CFC doesn't like this word] and globalists, but examples?
EDIT: looks like I can't say that word. Sad!
 
I'm confused. Are you saying you are not a self-professed member/fellow traveler of the "alt-right", or that the people holding nighttime tiki torch marches shouting "the Jews will not replace us" and carry flags with the hakenkreuz and SS runes aren't part of/fellow travelers of the "alt-right"?
I'm not responsible for these people or the things they say. I'm not the one trying to talk about a Jewish conspiracy here, you are.

I dread asking for examples for fear of a deluge of websites filled with comments filled with calling people [CFC doesn't like this word] and globalists, but examples?
EDIT: looks like I can't say that word. Sad!
Examples of what..? Of leftists going to rallies to shut them down? Of leftists doxxing people and trying to get them fired? Are you seriously going to claim that this stuff doesn't happen?
 
I'm not responsible for these people or the things they say. I'm not the one trying to talk about a Jewish conspiracy here, you are.
If both groups consider themselves part of or fellow travelers to the "alt-right", it is valid to bring it up.

Examples of what..?
You mentioned right-wingers getting shut down so they couldn't speak.

Of leftists going to rallies to shut them down?
The world isn't a safe space where the so-called alt-right gets to hold their rallies free from counter-protests. I mean, Christ, you might have a point if it was like 1980's Britain where they were literally street riots involving the openly neo-Nazi British Movement and National Front. Some unkind signs at a counter-protest does not a shut-down make, any more than people holding signs saying "Gay Sex is Good" next to a Westboro Baptist Church rally are "shutting down" the WBC.

Of leftists doxxing people and trying to get them fired?
I seem to remember Milo "Pedo Sex is Good" Yian-can'tspellhislastname doxxing multiple individuals because he was throwing a temper tantrum. (Wouldn't he sustained campaign of harassment against a SNL actor count as doxxing?) But either way, I don't like doxxing.

Are you seriously going to claim that this stuff doesn't happen?
Some mean signs, counter-protests, and scummy internet behavior done by people claiming to be part of all sides does not comprise the sort of widespread "shut them down" you seem to be alleging, especially as I can turn on any cable news show and see some Trumpian brown-noser telling me how His Trumpiness is going to tweetstorm his way to greatness.
 
If both groups consider themselves part of or fellow travelers to the "alt-right", it is valid to bring it up.
My question is what are your motives here? Are you trying to spread antisemitism? I'm perfectly content to ignore the subject entirely, yet you are insistent that every discussion must revolve around them. It's just really weird dude.

The world isn't a safe space where the so-called alt-right gets to hold their rallies free from counter-protests. I mean, Christ, you might have a point if it was like 1980's Britain where they were literally street riots involving the openly neo-Nazi British Movement and National Front. Some unkind signs at a counter-protest does not a shut-down make, any more than people holding signs saying "Gay Sex is Good" next to a Westboro Baptist Church rally are "shutting down" the WBC.
I'm not making any allegations as to the scale of the "shutting down", just pointing out that shutting someone down does not amount to criticism. When right-wingers complain about being shut down they're not complaining about counter protestors peacefully holding signs.

Some mean signs, counter-protests, and scummy internet behavior done by people claiming to be part of all sides does not comprise the sort of widespread "shut them down" you seem to be alleging, especially as I can turn on any cable news show and see some Trumpian brown-noser telling me how His Trumpiness is going to tweetstorm his way to greatness.
Seriously? I would argue that almost every mainstream news network besides Fox has been actively trying to get Trump impeached since he got into office, or in some other way hamper his agenda. That's pretty hard to deny.
 
My question is what are your motives here? Are you trying to spread antisemitism? I'm perfectly content to ignore the subject entirely, yet you are insistent that every discussion must revolve around them. It's just really weird dude.
I suppose you would be happy to ignore the neo-Nazis and clear anti-Semitism of the nighttime tiki-torch march carried out by people who, as I have been lead to believe, are part of or fellow travelers of your ideology.
I'm emphatically not trying to turn this into a "Have you stopped beating your wife" situation. Rather, everything I have seen you post (and your user tag of "pro-white") leads me to believe you see nothing wrong with sharing a platform with actual neo-Nazis on the oh so morally courageous grounds of "I, personally, don't have anything against the Jews and Muslims, I just like their ideas about a lily white America".

I'm not making any allegations as to the scale of the "shutting down", just pointing out that shutting someone down does not amount to criticism. When right-wingers complain about being shut down they're not complaining about counter protestors peacefully holding signs.
Uh, yeah, you were making allegations to the scale of the "shutting down".
you said:
The problem comes when any criticism of immigration policy becomes labelled as "hate speech", for example. This is much more sinister and has the effect of basically shutting down one side of the debate.

Seriously? I would argue that almost every mainstream news network besides Fox has been actively trying to get Trump impeached since he got into office, or in some other way hamper his agenda. That's pretty hard to deny.
Pffft, don't look at me to defend the actions of major US corporate media. They chase after profit like a cheap hooker. Now we just see the Trumpian right on the firing line instead of the unimaginative left. I've been critical of major US corporate media since before it was cool.
 
I suppose you would be happy to ignore the neo-Nazis and clear anti-Semitism of the nighttime tiki-torch march carried out by people who, as I have been lead to believe, are part of or fellow travelers of your ideology.
I'm emphatically not trying to turn this into a "Have you stopped beating your wife" situation. Rather, everything I have seen you post (and your user tag of "pro-white") leads me to believe you see nothing wrong with sharing a platform with actual neo-Nazis on the oh so morally courageous grounds of "I, personally, don't have anything against the Jews and Muslims, I just like their ideas about a lily white America".
I don't have anything against anybody for who they are, that's silly. It is also not my agenda to discuss Jewish conspiracy theories here, but it definitely seem to be yours.

As to your "sharing a platform with neo-Nazis" -- please. Calling your opponent a Nazi is so overplayed, and is so juvenile. Why don't you just come out and say it? "Yes civver_764 I think you that you personally want to gas six million Jews". Is this really the level of discourse I can expect from you?

Pffft, don't look at me to defend the actions of major US corporate media. They chase after profit like a cheap hooker. Now we just see the Trumpian right on the firing line instead of the unimaginative left. I've been critical of major US corporate media since before it was cool.
Same here. Don't you then think it's awesome that Trump is standing up to them? You can disagree with Trump's politics, but still be happy that he calls out our corporate media.
 
There's a huge difference between calling something "fake news" (a counter-criticism), and trying to shut down said news outlet.
There's a difference between Trump's version of "fake news" in which we know full well that what he claims is fake really isn't, because it's right there on tape or in photographs and the fantasies that he makes up that are not supported by the evidence, but which he keeps repeating because they bolster his fragile, childish ego.

This behavior is infesting other countries, and it would be really nice if it would stop. We've got a senator here, Lynn Beyak, who has been scampering around saying verifiably false things about the residential schools the native kids were forced to attend, and when she was called on this, she whined that she'd never said those things, that it was "fake news." Well, no, it's not. She's on tape, saying them. The evidence is also there, on her own webpage and Twitter feed. In this instance, it's a shame that the only way to get rid of a senator here is for them to die or turn 75, and this racist has a way to go before she's 75. The most that can be done is she can be kicked out of the party caucus and have to sit as an independent. That'll lower her salary and perks, but that's about it.
 
As to your "sharing a platform with neo-Nazis" -- please. Calling your opponent a Nazi is so overplayed, and is so juvenile.
Why don't you just come out and say it? "Yes civver_764 I think you that you personally want to gas six million Jews". Is this really the level of discourse I can expect from you?
Did you not read what I posted?
I explicitly said that you don't -as far as I am aware- mass murder on an industrial scale to eliminate and entire race of people. However, you seem to be just fine sharing a platform with them and saying "I, too, agree that we need America for the Americans" and using explicitly neo-Nazi rhetoric, like "defending our culture" as if it were under attack my some alien and destructive 'other' or that a nebulous cabal of "globalists" and "cosmopolitans" are trying to destroy honest, upright Americans/white people. .

Same here. Don't you then think it's awesome that Trump is standing up to them? You can disagree with Trump's politics, but still be happy that he calls out our corporate media.
No, because in no way shape or form can crude insults and boorish behavior be construed as "standing up to" a group. The US media is notoriously bad at self-reflection or even questioning the "accepted" narrative. For example, a couple years ago I posted to Facebook an article from the Telegraph about how ISIS is trying to eliminate the "grey zone", the ISIS concept that Muslims can live peacefully in non-Muslim majority countries, that different religions and cultures can exist side by side. A friend commented that the Telegraph must be some sort of radical rag because he had never heard this idea before - never mind that the Torygraph is a solidly boring, right wing well established British newspaper. American centrists and self-appointed "intelligentsia" in the media have this obsession with centrist technocratic government, that the consensus should not be questioned because it is established by people who have a proper command of the facts and knowledge. Socially liberal, economic free market with open, global trade. There is a subcurrent that the "people" can't really be trusted to know what's best for them. In along come His Trumpiness who, in rhetoric at least, throws bombs at that concept of social and economic relations. What better way to prevent any questioning of their assumptions - we need to be involved in wars around the world, that free trade is good, that "the people" can't really be trusted to know what is right, than to equate any opposition to that worldview with the booring, hateful, small minded, morally and intellectual bankrupt "populism" that Trump insists on smearing across his entire sordid administration. Populism = Trump! Anti-Trump = Technocratic administration! Woe to any prospective American Tony Benn or Robert Fisk that will get smeared with the same slimy brush that the Trumpists wallow in.
 
Back
Top Bottom