Matt Gemmell 🏴Here's what's going to happen, as more from Twitter come to Mastodon. Most will be basically decent and good, because most are — but there will be others too. They'll say they're exercising freedom of speech, and when censured, they'll accuse their own accusers of prejudice, and intolerance, and fragility. They will say that their freedom of speech is being curtailed. They will use our own language, but in service of themselves.
I'm left-wing, democratic, pretty socialist, rationalist, atheist, and largely pacifist. I believe in tolerance and education, and above all in communication. I think that communication, especially between disparate groups, is the one big thing that can save us. I think that freedom of speech is the lynchpin of communication, and of constructive and civil discourse. Without it, I think we have little hope.
Now let me tell you this: freedom of speech doesn't apply to fascism. Freedom of speech doesn't apply to trolling, and to repression, and to intolerance itself. They must all be ripped down, crushed, and destroyed at first visibility, now and forever. The Paradox of Tolerance tells us that our own principles cannot survive if we tolerate those who are intolerant, because they won't play by the same rules, and they will eliminate our own freedom.
So they will come, and they will use our own pleasant words, but they must fail every single time. There is no room for the tolerance of intolerance. Challenge, censure, block, report, silence, remove, destroy — at the very first opportunity, by any and all means available. And if you don't, this thing that has value to you is the thing that you'll lose.
Brandon@mattgemmell my favorite way of clarifying this is that "freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences, and it does not mean you are entitled to a platform."
Wesley Fryer
Bruce« freedom of speech doesn't apply to fascism »
The tricky part is defining “facism”. I guess everybody thinks they know it when they see it, but some people’s definitions are quite broad.
Alacity's_Alt@mattgemmell it's a double-edged blade; we relied on basic rules imprinted upon us from birth, and reinforced in a variety in ways thereafter, that there were lines one simply did not cross. you don't enflame or incite, you don't insult, but respect, you carry the weight of all to share the burden instead of allowing another to fall.
we lost our way long, long ago.
jaanus@mattgemmell and: “freedom of speech” originally means the government cannot suppress you. These servers are not government. They’re private spaces created and run by private people. Who have every bit of right to create and enforce rules that result in a supportive environment.
JojoFromPE@mattgemmell I’m libertarian and believe the world is a better place with smaller government.
Let’s get government out of deciding who can marry, woman’s bodies and deciding where children can use the toilet.