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Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

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Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#231

Post by striking »

legodt wrote: post #209
striking wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They are an extremist group that luckily has been waning in recent years. That's plainly wrong. https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/hate_group_bre... NoI and black separatist groups like it have only been growing in number since 2005. > unlike white people, they have never held a monopoly on power A monopoly means exclusive control, by one group . Excuse me, do we not have an African-American president? A…

A black president does not absolve the racist elements of America. Full stop. Do you think having a black president suddenly stops racist governors, judges, or prosecutors from existing?

Do you think having black governors, judges, or prosecutors will suddenly stop racism? I'll remind you that black people can be racist too (indeed, the New Black Panther Party is incredibly antisemitic)

I'll repeat a few sentences from my above comment:

> And many other people of color in power everywhere else? Your claim reads as if every white person oppresses every black person, all the time. And that's just offensive.

I didn't just say "yeah we have a black president, job's done", and I acknowledge that we face racial issues today in America. That being said, there is not a wholesale monopoly on power where all black people are always oppressed by all white people.

As of 2015, (just as a random and tiny example, off the top of my head) our Congress has been as diverse as it has ever been: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/01/12/114th-congre....

And what else do you suggest we do to combat racism? I am honestly open to discussion.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#232

Post by Mithaldu »

cmdrfred wrote: post #191
jinfiesto wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's painting one group as a whole at all. No one is suggesting that all or most Trump supporters are racist. Only that many alt-right figure heads are. It's not a heavy claim. With Steve Bannon being appointed to the upcoming White House staff, there's been a parade of examples illustrating the blatant racism of alt-right figureheads. While I appreciate the sentiment that Democrats lost the election by…

"No one is suggesting that all or most Trump supporters are racist." I have seen that claim hundreds of times in the past few days.

There's a difference between being intentionally and accidentally racist. That is often dropped in conversation, which is why you see different sides disagreeing on that.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#233

Post by psyc »

legodt wrote: post #149
altaway wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they are posting anti-white bigotry and threats to kill the President. Twitters "cultural background training" for its new mods surely contains the progressive stance that you can't be racist against white people.

How can you be racist against the ruling, privileged class? Sure, white people can have it bad too, but we still have all the privilige and automatic perks. It isn't bigotry as much as self defense against how many white people are still deeply entrenched in racism. As a whole, white people are still oppressors.

It's extremely convenient when the major labels that you use to demonize your political opponents cannot apply to you, even when you do the exact same behavior, based on definitions that your side made up. Extremely convenient.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#234

Post by cmdrfred »

adam12 wrote: post #84
arkitaip wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But these alt-right figureheads aren't your average trump voters. They actually are racist and nasty people and we shouldn't group them together with other conservative/right/trump voters.

> They actually are racist and nasty people and we shouldn't group them together with other conservative/right/trump voters. This sounds like stereotyping to me.

We should have hearings to deal with this problem, and then blacklist anyone who might be a racist sympathizer. If only good old Joe Mccarthy was still around.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#236

Post by FilterSweep »

duncanawoods wrote: post #203
FilterSweep wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The particular situation with pepe the frog is a bit more nuanced than news sources let on. He went from "Feels Bad, Man" comics to being very frequently photoshopped with 3rd reich / swastikas / other neo-nazi logos. Pepe is an interesting case because it brings up the discrepancy between trolling (messing with others in "bad fun") and actual people who vehemently support and push aggressively hateful messages.

>> very frequently photoshopped with 3rd reich This really is one of the more ridiculous Clinton campaign talking points that just made them look very out of touch. Pepe is a common meme template. Of the thousands of Pepes that I have unwillingly seen, none were neo-nazi except those in articles accusing Pepe of being a neo-nazi symbol. However, if you go to a deliberately offensive chan then sure, you will find ever…

> Of the thousands of Pepes that I have unwillingly seen, none were neo-nazi except those in articles accusing Pepe of being a neo-nazi symbol.

YMMV. In the circles I browse, they are frequently used, but they were only used to troll. They are certainly used for more aggressive hate in other places, including on Twitter.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#238

Post by vonklaus »

soundwave106 wrote: post #169
tajen wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reddit is in a much less monopolistic situation. Twitter is a mandatory medium for public communication. That's which censorship on Twitter is worse than in a subreddit. Besides, it's a long stretch to imagine that right-wing media convinces people to become right-wing. In my case it's rather the opposite: I've been super-over-surcovered with left-wing pro-women communication until my 30s (whether in media or in prog…

Twitter IMHO is a very poor medium for public communication. It is very difficult to discuss complex issues like gender relations or the dynamics of immigration in a sober, thoughtful, nuanced manner via streams of 140 characters. In the former in particular I actually feel there's a definite case where Twitter amplified division; the notorious "SJW vs MRA" storm advanced little if any productive discussion and merel…

I don't want to presume to tell you how to use twitter but to me, it seems to be clearly geared as a one to many broadcast channel. It is much more akin to a protocol that allows people to subscribe to events/ideas/movements/news and get succinct updates about them. It is a terrible place for discussion objectively, but I believe this was by design-- and a feature.

Re: Twitter suspends alt-right figureheads

#240

Post by Taek »

118 points in 1 hour, page 3 of HN? This story is writing itself.

The alt-right is not a small number of people. 50 million went to the polls and voted for Trump. And with things like this, you're giving them ammunition. You just told 50 million people that their views are not accepted in society. You just told the electoral majority that they are not allowed in one of the most common forums for political discourse.

It's not a good thing. The nation is deeply divided, and the actions of the liberals are giving the alt-right more strength. Tactics like this only work if you apply them to small groups, and even then it only works if the vast majority are not sympathetic to the cause.

That's not the situation in America. You are covering your ears and telling the bully he doesn't matter, and that he's not allowed to play with you. Except you're telling that to half the classroom, not just one bully. And you've got control of the soccer field, and most of the balls. You've become the bully. And you've given the rest of the class a lot of ammunition to dislike you.

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