Freedom of Speech (did I miss something?)

[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...