• UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Unfortunately, the solution to the paradox boils down to “Might Makes Right”. The bounds of tolerance aren’t set by a consensus, but by whomever has the Power to Yeet.

      And while this game seems satisfying early on (Yeet the Nazis! Yeet the Tankies! Yeet the Radical Centrists!) you do get into a cycle of purity where you’re yeeting anyone who questions whether the last guy who got yeeted deserved it.

      That leaves us with the age-old Martin Niemöller verse:

      “And then they came to Yeet me - and there was no one left to Yeet back on my behalf”.

      What is the appropriate degree of tolerance? How do you prevent it from expanding to include people who would dissolve the institution? How do you prevent it from collapsing into a state of cult-like obedience to authority? It’s a balancing act and one that the individuals with the power to silence fringe communities rarely have an interest in performing.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          The Intolerance Paradox posits the risk that these institutions are infiltrated by intolerant agents.

          Florida has laws, courts, and an electoral system. None of those seem to be holding the fascists back. Many are being employed by fascists to legitimize their violence.

          • deaf_fish@lemm.ee
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            2 months ago

            If the USA had better laws, the news media would not be free from getting sued or fined for spreading lies. If the USA has a stronger democracy, where we didn’t have to deal with this elector nonsense, then we’d have federal laws that prevent fascists from getting into power.

            We don’t/didn’t have that, so now we get to hope that the fascists don’t win.

            The only way we get out of this is by charging some of these fascists with treason and putting them in jail.

            I’m curious what your take is on using governmental violence against fascists? For example, throwing them in jail.

            • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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              2 months ago

              we’d have federal laws that prevent fascists from getting into power.

              A country riddled with fascists isn’t going to pass laws against themselves. You (paradoxically) need to get rid of the fascists first, before you get rid of the fascist policy.

              That’s why we couldn’t have pass the civil rights amendments until after secession. And why we didn’t pass the Equal Rights (for women) amendment at all.

              now we get to hope that the fascists don’t win.

              Unfortunately, we’ve embraced fascism in both parties as the donor elites have tacked rightward. Harris striking common cause with the Cheneys might as well be a stake through the heart of American liberalism.

                  • deaf_fish@lemm.ee
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                    2 months ago

                    What the heck does that mean? You do your best, every step of the way. If you don’t have a democracy, do a revolution. If the people don’t know how badly they’re getting screwed, educate them. Being doomer is not useful. Keep trying to improve the situation.