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38 pointstomohawk6 comments

The author talks about how we are quick to criticize some non-western infringements on rights, but when western countries (like Australia and now Canada) violate people's rights we pretend its different. I'm not disputing this, just want to add that I think internal criticism is harder for most people, especially blind adherents to whatever system. For example, I bet Iranians that support their government probably look at western countries and have all kinds of criticisms, but have a hard time applying that same critique to Iran and its allies (just a made up example, I don't know anything about Iran really). So it's more about human nature. We need more questioning an less blind conformance generally.

I had an interesting conversation with a Bahraini supporter of Iran's government, regarding democracy.

He pointed at flaws in the US system. I defended them. I pointed at flaws in the Iranian system. He defended them.

We both had good points. F.ex. in his version, the Guardian Council's vetting and required approval of candidates was because "You couldn't have a goat herder be elected president."

Which, valid point! It sucks for everyone when democracies elect incompetent people. It's a tension between purer democracy (risking bad winners, but increasing freedom) and more restricted democracy (decreasing risk, but also freedom).

There's a reason Kant defined the categorical imperative [0] to cut all ways: because right must be right everywhere, for everyone. "Right for me", but "wrong for you" is indefensible.

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categorical_imperative

I am assuming you’re not Australian or Canadian.

In both countries the focus is on society and community over the individual.

So a person’s individual rights are actually quite limited and the overwhelming majority are perfectly fine with this. For example, Victoria had the longest and harshest lockdown in the world and the government is still massively popular.

Well it's not about self criticism is harder. It's about rejecting self criticism at all. If you think today the media have a shred of self criticism in the true sense, I.e., they demand things to be changed based on their criticism of the said system, let's say, for example, on the liberal ideology. You will find none. The so-called criticism is nothing more than a quick trigger to release the emotional tension of the viewers.

What the author pointed out as a symptom, is the result of the systematic dumbdown of the population by our comparative overload, who might or might not have been conscious about it.

(Skipping straight to Godwin)

There were recently some neo-Nazi parades in Orlando, FL [0]. Hate banners on overpasses. Slurs. Shouting things at people walking past. Physically assaulting a student.

It was a mess, and there was a lot to unpack.

But as I was listening to the local NPR, during a call-in show, callers were consistently using a phrasing of "We cannot tolerate this."

Which... seemed interesting to me. As far as I'm aware, US law does not make it illegal to be a racist, immoral shitbag. It doesn't even make it illegal to parade through the middle of town shouting racist, immoral shit*.

I hate Nazis (and neo-Nazis), but I don't believe it's a threatening enough movement (in numbers or capability) that we should make it illegal to be a neo-Nazi, or say neo-Nazi stuff.

Granted, in this particular case, if the facts were accurate, they should have been liable under assault and perhaps obscenity charges.

But thought-crime? Even terrible thoughts? That leads to a darker place than neo-Nazis in the street.

As an aside, the call in show also had someone from the ACLU as a guest, who took the nuanced position supporting the act of speech but denouncing its content.

* With some fuzzy exceptions, among which, if you are causing terror in the people around you, in an attempt to coerce their behavior.

[0] https://www.newsweek.com/videos-show-neo-nazis-waving-flags-...

Why is this stuff on HN?

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