Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo
by Aloha on Monday August 07, 2017 @11:06PM
(#14953676)
It's nice to hear that I'm not the only one with a growing sense of unease at the current trend for every disagreement turning into an 'us' versus 'them' dichotomy.
Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo
by james-mcelwain on Tuesday August 08, 2017 @09:35AM
(#14957641)
Doesn't this memo create an "us" vs "them" dichotomy in itself?
Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo
by Aloha on Tuesday August 08, 2017 @12:04PM
(#14959238)
I don't really think so - why do you think it does?
Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo
by chrissnell on Tuesday August 08, 2017 @01:50AM
(#14954810)
This is happening so often these days and I've struggled to confront it. I'm taken aback when people equate conservatism with violence or hate; it's an instant conversation-ender for me and it's irrational enough that I'm almost never interested in picking the argument apart.
It's not just a feature of social media comments. This line of thinking is heavily promoted by once-respectable newspapers like the Washington Post in their opinion sections. I raised my eyebrows the first time I ever heard Trump refer to WaPo as "fake news" but two years of daily reading later, I tend to agree with him.
Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo
by jimejim on Monday August 07, 2017 @11:40PM
(#14953937)
Having a dumb opinion is fine, but enacting laws that force others to abide by your stupid opinions is not. There's a huge difference.
It's fine to argue about where the line should be drawn, but pretending the line doesn't exist is just as dangerous.
Your view that an opinion can be equated with violence is unethical, but I'm convinced a stronger historical reading would make you blush. It's a terrible and thin rationization. It's so easy to do, here are examples from right and left, with varying degrees of extremeness, quite like yours.
Not your or my opinions, but historical (if abstracted) examples:
- Your opinion that the military in this country should be replaced with an elected government is counter-revolutionary, and your poisonous ideas should be ceased before the imperialist hordes ruin our independence.
- Your opinion that our military intervention was wrong in such and such country is unpatriotic, and therefore illegal.
- Your opinion that God doesn't exist deeply offends religious people and therefore you should not say it, and people like you should be prevented from these deeply offensive opinions.
- Your opinion that drugs should be legalized is illegal because children can view it as a condoning and get hurt.
- Your opinion that this first world war is wrong is sedition, and will lead to prison time. It's harmful to this country and the war.
I hope I illustrated my point. The last was the Sedition Act, the others are more than just one incident.
I've been Left all my life and I'm deeply, deeply ashamed and nervous about the new generation's disregard of free speech and opinions that contrast their own. It's due to a lack of historical knowledge. I am convinced.