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Comment by Veen | Hacker News Reader

Yes, mob justice and public humiliation are very useful when people do and think things you don't like. Just what we need to deeply heal our damaged society.

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Except there was no "mob justice" here; you are overreacting and using terms that should be reserved for violent consequences in situations that do not justify such words.

I understand why you have to exaggerate, though.

And I can understand why you have to minimize. Although, I don't understand how anyone fails to fear the consequences of "people being held accountable by society for their conduct"—an idea that gladdens the hearts of authoritarians, sectarians, and zealots who are absolutely convinced of their righteousness and moral superiority. It will not result in healing, but in deeper division and ever greater polarization. Healing starts with forgiveness and compassion, not with insults, firings, banishments, purity spirals, and language policing.

I would say that a compromise position can be found.

Certainly I join in your healthy fears of some misguided actions which have been attributed to "cancel culture". And I also concede that there have been quite a few such actions.

However, I'd also ask that you recognize that many of the reactions and consequences attributed to "cancel culture" have been entirely justified, and appropriate, and have resulted in overall good outcomes to society.

You don't wait for a violent consequence you prevent it. In classical realism or game theory you prepare your defenses according to what your adversary COULD do, not what you think they're going to do. Any and all pushback against giving tech companies the power to do something awful they haven't done yet and may never do is justified. You don't just roll over and say "oh, don't worry, it'll be fine they'd never do that."

There is nothing useful or healing about it. You can do that to a single person, not to a half of your country.

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