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What can I say, I’m an optimist. I think a lot of folks are intelligent and perhaps overly trusting and were dragged along for the ride. That will at least make it easier to get popular support for impeachment. I think Trump has to play how he handles public relations around the well known hate groups or he’ll turn more of his supporters against him. As for the alt-right, I think most people don’t understand what it is or what they represent and there is likely nothing Trump has to do different in handling that faction.
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So, folks in Texas here is your chance to use this manual:
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There’s a big rally planned for Boston this weekend, with Austus Invictus (a former Florida Senate candidate who killed a goat and drank its blood) and Based Stickman (a guy arrested for frequent violent acts) as its featured guests. I’m predicting that it will not go well.
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I came up with All-Trite, but that really only works in print, the pronunciation is too similar to alt-right.
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unfortunately, Boston doesn’t have the best track record racially speaking.
(I say this as a life long new englander).
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“I don’t understand, according to National Socialist theory, this bicycle should work better than all other bicycles. Maybe we try the ones with Hitler-shaped wheels next.”
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“Free speech”. . .
In a democracy Nazis complain about any infringement on their free speech rights.
But Nazis in power crush everyone’s free speech rights as a matter of policy.
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Despite the image that some of our celebrities and sports teams have given this city, Boston citizens do not like Nazis on Boston Common. I think we have a pretty good track record of punching Nazis.
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I’m frankly tired of this politically correct nonsense. Lets stop beating around the bush:
See a nazi
Say a nazi
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ISWYDT
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Violence begets violence!
You cant beat extreme hate with violence or debate but you can pull the rug from under it with debate.
If we keep on playing the dividing game “us” and “them” then we are no better than they are! It is mass ignorance that supports these attitudes but we only hear about the angry self deluded few.
They should have the right to say stupid things and if we continue to try and stop them then they will continue to use the powerful concept of “freedom” against us. It was the civil rights student advocates who were chanting “freedom” in the '60’s and the left gave it over to the libertarians. “Freedom” is subjective but also the centre of western civilisation. Without it we would have no democracy or any form of social mobility. We need to rescue freedom back from libertarian economics and alt right hate mongers. It deserves to be in better hands.
Whoever sells the idea of freedom best will be the one in power!
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Nope.
I disagree.
There is no “debate” to be had with actual Nazis.
There’s no discussion or middle grounds to be found.
There’s no chance of productive, constructive dialogue when one group’s stated goal is the eradication of a race, full stop.
White supremacists are not welcome. They should not be permitted to speak, to gather, or to exist.
I am not advocating violence. I’m advocating not allowing them to be in any city in the United States under any circumstance and the symbols and actions of their movement to be made illegal.
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I think the main problem with fascism is that their speeches are a means to an end. Actually believing what they say is irrelevant to them. It’s designed to divide and conquer. To attack specific minorities as the source of all woes, then gradually widen the net until there’s no one left to stand up to the fascists. They’re simply paving a way to totalitarianism and their supporters are the useful idiots who will end up worse off than they were before once their usefulness is expended.
The best counter is to stand up for the people they attack, because we’re all minorities in some fashion or another and we’re stronger together and terribly vulnerable when isolated. If you stand up for your fellow human beings, they will gain no power and you’ll have stopped fascism in its tracks.
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Worked pretty well 70 years ago tbh.
We shouldn’t pretend that punching a nazi and a nazi punching a jew are morally equivalent acts.
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They’re basically weaponized trolls. I can see the wisdom in not giving them ways to become worse. It sure seems like a narrow path to navigate - not inadvertently helping them look like heroes to people of similar ilk, while also not allowing them to terrorize people.
I like the idea of joyful celebrations that don’t include them. I also like the idea of people being ready and willing to physically defeat them if the alt-right or any sympathizers physically come at them.
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Yes.
Right now the far right are going after the easy targets (me included, as well as many other people here on BBS). It’s pretty much a replay of the early 1930s (socialists, trans people and people of colour), except some of them are trying to be quiet about Jewish people because that would make it too obvious. Next it will be LGB people and the remaining social liberals.
If you can do that then go ahead. Some of us don’t have that privilege. My experiences of trying peaceful debate with fascists have pretty much started (and ended) with me getting their fist in my stomach or face, or being spat on by the more restrained ones.
They do not want to debate with people like me, they want to exterminate people like me. There is no middle ground worth fighting for in this situation, it’s all or nothing.
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