I am not targeting any group, race or religion or whatever, just an observation why does it seem that freedom of speech appears to invoke an image of a defence to be an asshole?

I get it, free to speak your mind and all and sometimes hard truths need to be said that but is the concept so out of whack that people have less empathy for others that they don’t agree with that they antagonise another to the point of disrespecting the right to dignity?

It seems like humanity is hard wired for conflict and if it isn’t actively trying to kill itself it seems to find an outlet for violence some way somehow. Maybe it is social conditioning or just some primal urge that makes humans human.

I don’t even know where else I could ask it, and it seems kind of stupid to think about so… have at thee

  • WhoRoger@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It invokes any number of people from all around the spectrum to be an arse.

    If you’re trying to be neutral or just don’t much care for some particular political issue (what’s political or not is an interesting question in itself, but nowadays anything is), you see just as much toxicity from all the ends of the spectrum.

    I still can’t believe all the fights that were ensuing regarding wearing masks. But once something becomes a symbol…

    I’d even argue the “left” is faster to call names and dump baseless accusations on anyone quite at random, to be honest.

    I mean, just watch the downvotes on this comment from the “if you’re not with us, you’re a nazi” crowd.

    I won’t be getting into it more in public. It’s just hard for me to leave posts like this alone.

    • Raphael@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If you’re trying to be neutral or just don’t much care for some particular political issue

      There is no such thing, if you’re “neutral” you’re merely defending the status quo. The right defends the status quo, the left opposes it.

      Read this quote by one of the greatest heroes of the world, Martin Luther King:

      I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice […]

      • WhoRoger@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I guess that’s not wrong, but I can passionately care about some other matter where the status quo is borked, and I can choose to fight that, and not some other random thing you care about. That doesn’t make me an ass or something other.

        It’s a really interesting thing how the so-called “left” and “right” have chosen to fight over a handful of random things, and just as randomly chose to support one or the other side of the argument.

        Almost as if, I dunno, these things weren’t even all that divisive in the first place, but it just might be in someone’s interest for people to fight over and not notice potentially worse things that are going on.

        • Raphael@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          and just as randomly chose to support one or the other side of the argument.

          Randomly? This has never happened even once in the entire history of the human race.

          But I see it where you’re coming from, neoliberal propaganda convinces its viewers that politics is something out of touch for the masses, it’s their way of taking your out of the fight because you educate yourself, you’d become their enemy.

          • WhoRoger@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Sometimes it does feel pretty random to be honest. There are lots of cases where a political issue has become reversed as to which side is supposed to support it (support for unions in the US, as an example that comes to mind).

            It’s also way too often the case that one side starts support for some issue, and the other side begins to vehemently oppose it, frankly for no good reason than just because they can’t be seen agreeing in public. This is really the main reason why I stopped giving a fuck about politics, as it’s really almost all about just who’s a top dog and not much else.

            • Raphael@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Without public support there can’t be any big changes, you’re the reason why the conservatives stays in power. You’re a conservative by proxy.

              • WhoRoger@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware there’s a conservative party in our parliament, much less in power. My bad I guess? Or are you just proving my point about accusing someone of something random without knowing anything?

                • Raphael@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  There either is or someone else did your job for you. Thank them!

                  The good part about democracy is that not everybody is clueless like you.

      • JayEchoRay@lemmy.worldOP
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        1 year ago

        Bleh, it seems ideology is unavoidable😂, seems that can be applied to the world over actually if it examined where countries try not to rock the boat too much to ensure their best interests are not disrupted too much

    • JayEchoRay@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Not an American, so the whole America politica is not my thing

      My personal opinion or stance if I had to take one is one has the freedom to express themselves, but to also take into to try respect another’s beliefs and reasoning

      So in this case, you have the right to express your opinions, you have made some assumptions, but still showed some level of restraint. Therefore I am, personally, going to respect your right to expression - seems sanctimonious for me to write that case but yeah… I do not know I am trying not to get into any ideology facets just trying to explore a question that has been bubbling in my mind.

      ( if you want my take on masks and you are free to disagree, is that during covid masks would lessen viral aerosol load… so not foolproof but I find dealing with a 10000 viral load easier to deal with than 100000000 viral load)

    • Djtecha@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Meh, confirmation bias here anecdotal notions. As someone on the left I can say I argue with people all the damn time without calling them nazis Assuming of course they aren’t pushing for the genocide of a people.

      • bluGill@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        A lot of people in both the left and the right argue with the other side all the time withour abusing the other of being a Nazi. However there are a number on both sides that assume anyone not in perfect agreement with them must be a Nazi. (Hint there are now two people on earth 100% agreed on everything, so such people tend to accuse a lot of people of being a Nazi)