Freedom of Speech (did I miss something?)

[Archon_Wing]

Well, Gandhi certainly has his points and success and inspired others. He is right that often times pursuing justice at any cost is often not the best cause. Causing destruction so we can feel good at night is selfish and often conflict yields only losers. So going out screaming in the name of justice and breaking stuff is not something I can ever approve of. Allowing people to die because of your ideals is why I find many "Prime Directive" episodes of Star Trek disheartening. And it is for that reason, that the quote "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer" gets tossed around.

But you know, he was kinda wrong on Hitler I believe.

How should I put it? We certainly need our Gandhis because they are the ones that will make the world better in the end, but we need to protect them to a certain degree too from aggression, as their defeat would be too much.

[kandrathe]

The trouble with finding a Gandhi as peaceful leader is not the pacifism, or the bravery to take the punishment without flinching. It is in finding that person who represents your cause, and in whom your own side is motivated to not be allowed to die. People cared, so Gandhi lived.

Pedro Luis Boitel died.

Gandhi wrote cordial letters to Hitler to potentially coerce him to steer away from war. in hindsight, one can see it as naive, although, had it worked (unlikely) we'd maybe have a different viewpoint. At that time, it was also ironic as Hitlers advice to Britain on dealing with the Indian independence movement was to kill Gandhi, and continue to kill activists till the movement ends.

Another book I need to read is Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism which is suddenly apropos again. The crux of an idea I have that people project their fears and anxieties into socio-political thought and action, and thus are driven by an innate biological admiration and preference for domination with an eventual expression of totalitarianism. It is the genesis of the anti-intellectual rejection of science, or even mere thoughtful discussion, in favor of a grunting tribalism that degenerates into factions ready for a blood letting.

Totalitarianism in the age of Trump: lessons from Hannah Arendt.

Then, regarding nihilism...

[kandrathe]

I'm merely pointing out the fallacy of 'that' road once we step foot on the path of censorship and squashing our liberties.

Dr. Frankenstein regrets building the monster...
Black Lives Matter Protests American Civil Liberties Union

William & Mary has a powerful commitment to the free play of ideas. We have a campus where respectful dialogue, especially in disagreement, is encouraged so that we can listen and learn from views that differ from our own, so that we can freely express our own views, and so that debate can occur. Unfortunately, that type of exchange was unable to take place Wednesday night when an event to discuss a very important matter – the meaning of the First Amendment — could not be held as planned. …

Silencing certain voices in order to advance the cause of others is not acceptable in our community. This stifles debate and prevents those who've come to hear a speaker, our students in particular, from asking questions, often hard questions, and from engaging in debate where the strength of ideas, not the power of shouting, is the currency. William & Mary must be a campus that welcomes difficult conversations, honest debate and civil dialogue.

Next up, Antifa beats up peace activists... http://bit.ly/2wFLAu7