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Comment by Alupis | Hacker News Reader

How about in the last 100 years then?

In the 50's-70's, the US tried it's hardest to censor/hide/destroy Marxism, it's ideals, and derivatives (Socialism) - yet it still exists today.

You cannot disappear ideas by silencing the individuals that believe them. Instead of trying to hide them away, the ideas need to be exposed publicly and discussed openly. If one side truly is righteous, it will prevail through open discussion and logic.

Just like in the 50's - what we have today is a weaponized notion of censorship to destroy our political enemies and those who do not think the same way we do. That's certainly not what "Good Guys" do.

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> If one side truly is righteous, it will prevail through open discussion and logic.

Unfortunately that is not always how it works out.

In Germany in the 1930s the idea that Jews/non-Arians have conspired against Germany and should be retaliated against was discussed openly - and accepted. Obviously it was not righteous.

In several US states in the 1980s the idea that homo sapiens was created by God and creationism should replace evolution in school textbooks was discussed openly - and accepted. Was it righteous?

These are two very different examples, but both ask the same question: What do we do in the case where truly righteous ideas do not prevail?

The righteous ideals prevailed in the end, in both examples you provided - no?

Nobody pretends Nazism never happened - that would be Censorship. Instead, you can buy, find, read about Nazism - including Mein Kumpf and more.

Creationism is not a dominating idea in the US either - nobody censored Creationism (even to this day you can find private schools that teach it!). Instead, Creationism was defeated by questioning it's teachings, and exposing it's logical flaws.

I do believe you have very eloquently proven my point. Censorship never works.

The allied forces did not storm Omaha beach on D-Day to openly discuss Nazism, in case you weren't aware

Winning the war destroyed the Nazi regime - not the Nazi ideas.

That's not how ideas work... (see US Civil War and racism, as just one clear example)

So what you are saying is that it may take a lot of time, bloodshed or decline before the righteous ideas prevail.

Now, let me ask you this - are you okay to sacrifice your life for a righteous idea? So why should 10 million Jews, Polish, Czechs, Russians, gays, disabled etc.?

Unless you are willing to do so, there is no point to be proven here. History has shown again and again that the righteous ideas do not always prevail (you could even argue that it's a defining human quality).

Every single democratic society is built upon common beliefs of what should/should not be censored. Claiming "censorship never works" is running away from a difficult conversation and not face human reality.

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