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Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

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Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#901

As dis-heartening as this story is, compared to a couple of years ago, it is encouraging to see lots of comments from people beginning to wake up to what is going on with this craziness and not being modded here. Free speech is about protecting the right of the un-popular and views that some may find utterly repugnant. Why? because, as we are seeing with all of the woke craziness, when you don't stand up for everyone…

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from responsibility when your speech offends someone. Progressives aren’t stopping you from reading racist books to your children.... just don’t expect most people to want to sell them to you or pat you on the back for making the next generation toxic against fellow citizens.

"making the next generation toxic against fellow citizens." - Dr Seuss probably

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#902
I'm thinking about making some kind of "Cancel Cancel Culture" browser extension that would automatically block sites that are known to engage in this kind of totalitarian behavior. I would make it open source and try to raise money with donations. It's not exactly the ideal solution, but I see no way to stop this madness unless we "fight fire with fire" so to speak.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#903

As dis-heartening as this story is, compared to a couple of years ago, it is encouraging to see lots of comments from people beginning to wake up to what is going on with this craziness and not being modded here. Free speech is about protecting the right of the un-popular and views that some may find utterly repugnant. Why? because, as we are seeing with all of the woke craziness, when you don't stand up for everyone…

If you believe in liberty as a principle don't you have to support ebay's decision to decide whether or not they want to sell a particular book?

I don't understand their decision here, but so what? It's their store, why should you or I tell or anyone else them what to sell?

Woke crazies try to impose their ideology on others by complaining and shaming on the Internet. I think you're doing the same thing here. The difference are the specifics of the ideology. If you support liberty only for things you agree with, you don't support liberty.

I get worried when people promote the idea that compelling others speech is pro free speech. It's the modern newspeak.

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#904
post #468
post #6

The thing seems a bit silly. Curious what was offensive I found the books are on youtube and I'm guessing it's drawing Chinese https://youtu.be/Vl6wD6EGOVk?t=228 and tribal Africans https://youtu.be/Vl6wD6EGOVk?t=519 looking like cartoon versions of those. Does this means cartoon caricatures are only acceptable if they are of white westerners? I mean I can understand the publishers thinking they may get in trouble an…

> Does this means cartoon caricatures are only acceptable if they are of white westerners? They cancelled Apu from the Simpson’s without understanding that his presence on the show demonstrated a mainstreaming of Indian immigrants, in a similar way that the uncanceled Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, and McBain demonstrate the mainstream acceptance of Scottish, Irish, and Austrian immigrants.

> They cancelled Apu from the Simpson’s without understanding that his presence on the show demonstrated a mainstreaming of Indian immigrants, in a similar way that the uncanceled Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, and McBain demonstrate the mainstream acceptance of Scottish, Irish, and Austrian immigrants.

The guy who voiced Apu, Hank Azaria, decided to stop doing it. Nobody "cancelled" him. He is an articulate guy and describes why he reached the decision in this interview:

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/29/962031274/hank-azaria-on-broc...

The whole interview, not just the Apu-related stuff, is quite interesting.

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#905
post #903

As dis-heartening as this story is, compared to a couple of years ago, it is encouraging to see lots of comments from people beginning to wake up to what is going on with this craziness and not being modded here. Free speech is about protecting the right of the un-popular and views that some may find utterly repugnant. Why? because, as we are seeing with all of the woke craziness, when you don't stand up for everyone…

If you believe in liberty as a principle don't you have to support ebay's decision to decide whether or not they want to sell a particular book? I don't understand their decision here, but so what? It's their store, why should you or I tell or anyone else them what to sell? Woke crazies try to impose their ideology on others by complaining and shaming on the Internet. I think you're doing the same thing here. The dif…

You can support the right to be a Nazi while strongly criticising it.

People can say that they really think eBay is doing the wrong thing, and maybe even boycott them, without necessarily saying they should be forced by law to stock children's books that became out of fashion thirty seconds ago.

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#906
post #903

As dis-heartening as this story is, compared to a couple of years ago, it is encouraging to see lots of comments from people beginning to wake up to what is going on with this craziness and not being modded here. Free speech is about protecting the right of the un-popular and views that some may find utterly repugnant. Why? because, as we are seeing with all of the woke craziness, when you don't stand up for everyone…

If you believe in liberty as a principle don't you have to support ebay's decision to decide whether or not they want to sell a particular book? I don't understand their decision here, but so what? It's their store, why should you or I tell or anyone else them what to sell? Woke crazies try to impose their ideology on others by complaining and shaming on the Internet. I think you're doing the same thing here. The dif…

> Woke crazies try to impose their ideology on others by complaining and shaming on the Internet.

I would argue that what ebay is doing is simply a permutation of this idea. Woke companies deciding what is and what is not suitable for you to spend your money on (shaming you for not spending your earned value on something 'worthy'). Meanwhile they don't seem to have a problem with mein kempf or however its spelled.

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#907

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The word you are referring to is nigger. It’s a bad word that can be very offensive. It’s horrible to use it in a derogatory way, but I feel that it’s ridiculous in at least halfway intelligent conversation no one white even dare ever write it, let alone say it. As if white people have enforced themselves to just pretend the word has magic powers and it is the one who shall not be named. That’s giving an enormous amo…

> your skin color determines your ability to say a word To illustrate your point: https://youtu.be/VsJIUJjQ4OA Jackie Chan, in Rush Hour - an innocent tourist, trying to be friendly, and following the rules of „When in Rome...“

Want to bet that scene would be entirely different today with Chan taking a sensitivity class instead of smashing up a black business and beating the crap out of black people who attacked him for his innocent but now “problematic” cultural mistake?

“His cultural appropriation of “that“ word was an act of violence itself, in the movie they were initially defending themselves from Chan. This must be canceled and never aired again. This 24 year old movie is clearly reflective of Chan’s personal beliefs and he must apologize with a sizable donation to “the cause” which conveniently are all ActBlue affiliated charities”

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#908
post #73

If you want to send a clear message to eBay you can close your account here. https://www.ebay.com.au/help/account/changing-account-settin... It should not be up to them what is and isn't offensive. I did the same to Netflix last year. Money talks at the end of the day.

and thus, the cancel cold war escalates another step

I mean what's the alternative? The language companies speak is that of money. How are you supposed to combat this without "fighting fire with fire"?

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#909
post #639

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The word you are referring to is nigger. It’s a bad word that can be very offensive. It’s horrible to use it in a derogatory way, but I feel that it’s ridiculous in at least halfway intelligent conversation no one white even dare ever write it, let alone say it. As if white people have enforced themselves to just pretend the word has magic powers and it is the one who shall not be named. That’s giving an enormous amo…

There are two things I can't quite comprehend as someone who's not from the US. * Why exactly the n-word is exclusive to black people. In my mind, either no one uses the word if it's offensive, or everyone can use it in a neutral way. I don't know of any other single word which is gatekept. I mean, I never want to use it, so it's not about that. I guess it has to do with pride and being able to use a word which was o…

I don’t need to go point by point, but just know that you get it exactly. It’s exactly here what it seems there. It only “makes sense” to a specific subgroup of people with a specific intention.

Re: Dr. Seuss books deemed offensive will be delisted from eBay

#910

Now this part is getting a little too carried away. It is one thing for libraries and bookstores to decide not to offer for borrowing or sale things that they disagree with. It is another (and overstepping imo) for Ebay to restrict individual people from selling to others goods that are not illegal or in violation of their other practical rules (no selling jewelry, monetary equivalents, etc). This falls into the cate…

> It is one thing for libraries and bookstores to decide not to offer for borrowing or sale things that they disagree with. Private libraries can do whatever they like. Public ones should be required to carry even the most offensive book.

Im going to picket my library until it lends me a copy on mein kampf /s
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