Memories of the 28th Century

"I wholly disapprove of what you say and will defend to the death your right to say it"
Voltaire


Today I have seen a few things suggesting that NAZI's should be muzzled. Voltaire gave my response to that. When we start banning totalitarianists, we agree with them, because they want everything banned except what they like.

In an ideal world everyone would agree with me, not because I would have forced them, but because they would have seen that I was right. This world isn't ideal, so there are many people who think that banning those people, ideas, etc. that they don't like will make things better, but history has shown us that allowing people to be what they are is easiest for everyone. If there is something that offends you, then look away.

Just because something is legal doesn't mean that it is required. I don't know exactly what issues the NAZI's in Charlottesville were parading about, but they were ineffective, but all demonstrations are ineffective. I remember learning that during one of the big anti-war demonstrations in D.C. during the Vietnam War that Nixon simply ignored what was going on just down the street and watched a football game.

With the NAZI's it isn't simply being boring, but they go out of their ways to be offensive. Only a few decades ago, the U.S.A. and some allies spent years defeating Nazism at its source at a great cost in money and people, and many Americans still feel antipathy against the NAZI's and their symbols. Waving those symbols in public is an excellent way to make many people think very lowly of them.

I don't know what issues the people in Charlottesville were trying to push, if there were specific issues that interested them, but they would have done much better to drop the term NAZI. Just as some of the positions that the original NAZI's took were perfectly reasonable, these Charlottesville NAZI's may have some legitimate issues. If so, then they should have concentrated on the issues and left the widely hated name and set of symbols in the trashbin.

Apparently, the specific issue was the plan to rename a park from 'Lee' to 'Emancipation', which consider a pointless act. But many people don't know much about Lee. One person suggested that Lee committed treason by fighting against the U.S.A., ignoring that Lee ceased to be a resident or citizen of the U.S. when Virginia seceded, and the Lee was perfectly loyal to his country, Virginia. But there are many other related issues involved, and some of those issues have still not been settled.

One issue related that I have seen nothing on is why Trump didn't condemn the NAZI's. The obvious answer is that he largely agrees with them. While Trump seems not to be anti-Semitic, he may be a white supremist, but it's hard to tell. But his opinions are of no importance, unless he tries to put them into law.

Unfortunately, some of the argument about racism has been taken over by people who are enthusiastic racists and demand that everyone embrace "diversity", which is a variety of racism. "Diversity" is a divisive issue; it seeks to separate groups that are fundamentally the same. Similarly, other 'isms have been redefined to suit some small group, and to separate some people from humanity. One example is the renaming of American Indians that the American Indian Movement tried to make a few decades ago. The American Indian Movement wanted American Indians to be called "native Americans". While the Indians are native Americans, so are all other people who happen to have been born in America, and the change in terms was so important that the American Indian Movement didn't change its name. I don't care that Indians think of themselves as natives, but I am also a native. The difference is whether one is separating or uniting.

Everyone should express what they wish to, but effective communication requires considering the attitudes of the audience. If one wishes to attract followers, then one does not use words that are widely hated. On the other hand, if you want a fight, then be as offensive as possible. It depends on your goal.