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guest_
· 4 years ago
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“Cancel culture” is a complex thing. Should anyone and everyone who’s ever made a mistake or done something willfully or ignorantly problematic be made to pay for it their whole lives? No. But when people talk of “silencing differing opinions...” a differing opinion is “I think the current welfare system actually HURTS more than it helps...” not: “the Jews/lizard people/whoever are secretly responsible for 9/11...” or “Gay people should be locked up...” some opinions go so far into blatantly ridiculous that they are dangerous- some things are based on complete provable fabrication and lies. Letting this sort of thing spread IS - form or repression of freedom- but you also can’t shout “fire!” In a crowded movie theater. At some point- free speech is going to be regulated by society. Maybe not the government- but either the government does it orderly, or we let the “mob” doll out in the court of public opinion. The latter has some serious flaws.
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guest_
· 4 years ago
Both arguments are paradoxical. Tolerant society must at some point not tolerate intolerance. But the other argument- that regardless of what the message or act is- people have a right to express themselves and others shouldn’t react to that... well... that completely ignores that of people are free and should be free to their opinions and actions even if others don’t like them, that the same argument would protect the right of people to label someone an asshole for something they say or do, and refuse to have anything to do with them right?
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guest_
· 4 years ago
Even just saying that people may debate but not “cancel” or “boycott” is STILL saying that people should be limited in how they express themselves. You’re asking for people to socially shame people into not socially shaming people basically.
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guest_
· 4 years ago
A major problem with “cancel culture” is that it is a form of mob justice. Mobs are stupid. People are boycotting Wendy’s because a guy that owns a Wendy’s said something they don’t like. Thousands of Wendy’s employees had nothing to do with that.
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guest_
· 4 years ago
We saw Johnny Depp go from an abusing villain to a gas lighted hero in the span of a voice mail- and all this BEFORE he even got a chance to stand trial and have all the details examined- leaving out the possibility that BOTH parties could have been terrible and abusive to each other, there could be no “good guy” or “bad guy.”
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guest_
· 4 years ago
It’s important we protect the rights of people to say things we don’t like. Let’s not forget that modern science has been set back countless times- scientists killed or ruined- for trying to bring actual, straight up science that people just didn’t like. Politics are fickle. The message that society wants to silence could go from the one you support silencing, to the one you think needs heard- like that.
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guest_
· 4 years ago
But in the end- there has to be something of a mechanism- we can’t just expect the world to shrug off heinous and red handed acts. Wearing black face 30 years ago? Not great- but a lot changes in 30 years. But some things, more recent things or heinous things- you can’t expect people to just forget- not of no one ever tries to make amends or right the wrongs.
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guest_
· 4 years ago
“Cancel culture” or social shaming or whatever you want to call it- shouldn’t be involved hastily and emotionally. It shouldn’t seek to get revenge or be used as a tool on those we just don’t like or agree with. It shouldn’t be something used to make people feel like someone didn’t “get away with” something. Of course- neither should our justice and prison systems and yet- when we start talking about amnesty and lighter punishment for prisoners many of the same folks against “cancel culture” will say they deserve it. They have to pay.
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Edited 4 years ago
guest_
· 4 years ago
Funny isn’t that? When an otherwise “regular joe” gets convicted of rape or child molestation- many people shout they should be killed, tortured. NO MERCY. But... someone songs a song you like or makes a news show you agree with and all of a sudden... they should be accepted with open arms? Kinda shows some people’s priorities and motivators no? One wonders if it was your wife or daughter, mother, father, husband etc who was effected by these people- would you be out to cancel them?
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guest_
· 4 years ago
We don’t know I suppose. Different for everyone. But... there’s more to this. Mob justice is generally a bad thing- bad most of all because it is inconsistent. The burden of proof, the severity of punishment, what constitutes a crime- no one is ever safe, ever able to know if they are staying in the lines or will be next on the chopping block. We don’t want that. But we also can’t simply continue to allow people to flagrantly and blatantly spread hate, lies, ignorance, and believe that they are above all consequence.
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guest_
· 4 years ago
By 2050 the USA is projected to have more “minority” citizens than “white.” It will be an historic turning point wherein the majority of the population is not “white.” Other people’s will have a larger presence in society and in government and democracy. Historically- these groups votes have largely not been heard- their outrage has fallen on deaf ears. People are pissed and they are using the tools they have in society that allow them to show their strength. You an suppress people at the polls but not at the register.
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guest_
· 4 years ago
So in a large way- “cancel culture” is the inevitable result of allowing well known and documented dissatisfaction and disenfranchisement to go on for generations. People have been telling America they wanted changes since before any of us were born- and in 2020 we are having the same debates about police and race as 1990, 1970, 1950. But you’re hearing them not aren’t you? Likely gonna be feeling them soon too. We made this. If we want to fix it- we have to start taking out our own trash and start listening and including people more.
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guest_
· 4 years ago
We have to switch from a system of “I have the votes so I get my way..” to a system of compromises that different groups can at least begrudgingly love with and feel like they were heard and represented.
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xvarnah
· 4 years ago
What the heck does this have to do with cancel culture?
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mrfahrenheit
· 4 years ago
The rain rapped the n-word 20 years ago and got cancelled
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