"Intolerance is Tolerance" Double Speak is Total BS
Tuesday, November 12th, 2024
Dear Readers,
I’m headed to surgery, but I wanted to get this message out while the “meme” seems to be trending, in hopes we can stop it cold.
I’m seeing a LOT of the “No, we can not still be friends,” messaging in my social media feeds — have you?
Here are my thoughts:
There is one huge crack in this attempt at logic.
Who can hold a strong opinion and not immediately be at risk of intolerance toward other opinions?
The concept of propaganda hasn't always been as it is today. In the past, propaganda was often blatant forced conformity with whoever held the most power in a society.
When Edward Bernays developed the modern concept of propaganda, he borrowed directly from his uncle (Sigmund Freud) and the expanding concepts of psychological manipulation.
Since then, the field of human manipulation through psychological means has literally exploded, with billions upon billions of dollars invested through governmental, private, and military / CIA funded projects and studies.
Hence, what we see here. A casual level concept that ignores the massive "fly in the ointment."
People promoting this concept are consistently unwilling to acknowledge or admit that they are quite intolerant themselves.
In other words, "Let he who is without sin throw the first stone."
What people actually need to be asking is this:
"What are the legal expectations we want to have of everyone, with regard to their outward behavior towards others, when faced with someone for whom they hold intolerant views?"
We have laws saying you cannot physically assault someone for holding a contrary viewpoint that you find intolerable. You must restrain yourself and communicate your concerns with basic respect OR you can walk away.
Right?
RATHER THAN giving in to the chaos-makers seeking to further divide Americans into tribalism and increasingly narrow sub-societies that have "cast out" those who are "unbelievers" -- how about we ask these questions:
"What can I do to keep as many of my neighbors, friends and family in a good and loving relationship with myself and our fellow Americans?"
"How can I build bridges vs banishing good people with viewpoints differing from my own?"
"Do I truly have nothing to learn?"
"Am I that bad at sharing my own thoughts, that I should give up trying and simply throw holistic and complete humans out like yesterday's trash?"
Something to think about, when comfortable, self-righteous "black and white" acts of moral superiority toward others become -- less appealing?
SURGERY UPDATE:
I’ll be recovering over the next few weeks. I hope to get caught up on Substack Drafts needing to be polished and published. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and start to the Holiday Season! XOXO
Indeed.
The true logic is as follows:
To be intolerant of intolerance is itself a kind of intolerance.
If this intolerance is not allowed, we should therefore tolerate intolerance.
If intolerance is now permitted, it is acceptable to be intolerant in general, tolerant in general, intolerant of intolerance and tolerant of intolerance.
Everything is acceptable.
And what this leaves us with is that tolerance in itself is neither a good thing nor a bad thing.
What matters is that each person uses their capacity for reason to decide what's good or bad in their view and promote it or oppose it respectively.
As you've noted, it doesn't take a genius to see that if we imprison people for holding extreme or controversial political views, it will result in a dystopia.
And ironically, arresting political opponents is itself an extreme position to take.
It only takes three seconds of casual thought to realise that tolerance isn't always good, and intolerance isn't always bad.
That it makes no sense to try and fight intolerance, the very thing which for all of human history has been crucial to keeping everyone healthy and safe.
Let's not tolerate poisonous flora growing near our children thank you.