Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism • Hacker News Board

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#31

Post by stormqloud » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:12 PM UTC

it wrote: post #23

Interesting how the article doesn't mention any game of whac-a-mole to root out leftist extremism.

Leftist extremism doesn't exist. Look how many years they spent telling us Islam is a religion of peace and calling every islamic attach on society a lone wolf attack.

Cognitive dissonance. Populations doesn't know what to think anymore if they think at all.

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#32

Post by emodendroket » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:13 PM UTC

newsclues wrote: post #29

emodendroket wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This used to be more or less exactly my attitude but then my mom got really into QAnon nonsense and the whole Capitol raid thing unfolded and I've become a lot more sympathetic to just banning people raving about Chinese Manchurian candidates from social media. Honestly, even when alternative news sources are easily accessible nobody reads them.

My mom got sucked into the RussiaGate hoax, so we should look into shutting down CNN and other propaganda outlets

Russiagate has its similarities but there are obvious limitations to trying to shut down any false or exaggerated narrative being promoted by people with federal power. But hey if you've got a plan I'm listening.

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#33

Post by emodendroket » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:16 PM UTC

it wrote: post #23

Interesting how the article doesn't mention any game of whac-a-mole to root out leftist extremism.

Because there's no serious left-wing insurgency anybody is worried about. There are people who like posting guillotine images on Twitter but little real-world impact.

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#34

Post by betterunix2 » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:18 PM UTC

leesalminen wrote: post #18

betterunix2 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average American in 2008 was not walking into a synagogue and murdering people. Let's not pretend that far-right extremism is something other than what it actually is.

The average American in 2008 wasn't setting fire to courthouses. Let's not pretend that far-left extremism is something other than what it actually is.

That is classic, soviet-style whataboutism. Yes, there are some left-wing extremists who have committed terrorist acts in recent years, but no, it is not the same as right-wing extremism. There are no left-wing militias running drills and planning to kidnap governors. Right-wing extremists exist in greater numbers, are more organized, and have been responsible for more violence in recent years than left-wing extremists.

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#35

Post by seneca » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:19 PM UTC

emodendroket wrote: post #33

it wrote: post #23

Interesting how the article doesn't mention any game of whac-a-mole to root out leftist extremism.

Because there's no serious left-wing insurgency anybody is worried about. There are people who like posting guillotine images on Twitter but little real-world impact.

There were left wing rioters burning down buildings all summer and pushing for extreme policies to be instituted in our government. I'm quite worried about that, and the fact that many power centers fell in line to pretend it wasn't happening.

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#36

Post by jtdev » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:21 PM UTC

emodendroket wrote: post #11

waterheater wrote: post #8

Mirriam-Webster defines "extremism" [1] as "advocacy of extreme measures or views : radicalism" By this definition, extremism and radicalism are equivocated. However, I know many people on the "left" presently identify as radicals ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_left ). The article differentiates between the terms "extremism" and "radicalism" by assigning a "political-right" label to "extremists" and a "polit…

I think you have to play pretty fast and loose with the groups involved to come to these conclusions.

Please explain what you mean by this.

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#37

Post by twiclo » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:21 PM UTC

guscost wrote: post #21

leesalminen wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average American in 2008 wasn't setting fire to courthouses. Let's not pretend that far-left extremism is something other than what it actually is.

Oh and also, nearly killing a US representative with a semiautomatic rifle.

Every rifle is semiautomatic

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#38

Post by bitdizzy » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:22 PM UTC

fatsdomino001 wrote: post #25

spazrunaway wrote: post #5

Extremism is relative. The opinions of an average American in 2008 would be labelled "far-right" today (see: opposition to gay marriage, transgenderism, support for colorblindness, I could go on). Sooner or later, people will see that it's a fool's errand keeping up with this runaway train of an overton window.

Support for colour-blindness is far-right? Who knew MLK was such a far right extremist eh?

MLK was not by any means color blind. The only way you could come to that conclusion is if your entire understanding of his politics were a single sound bite.

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#39

Post by betterunix2 » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:23 PM UTC

freeflight wrote: post #30

betterunix2 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average American in 2008 was not walking into a synagogue and murdering people. Let's not pretend that far-right extremism is something other than what it actually is.

FYI: In 2009 a 88-year-old white supremacist started murdering people in the Holocaust Memorial Museum [0] That period was also heavily dominated by Islamophobia in the US with firebomb attacks on Islamic Centers and random brown people getting assaulted and called "terrorists". Heck, a mere 4 days after 9/11 happened a Sikh was shot for being mistaken as an Arab Muslim due to his turban [1]. Which actually makes no…

Again, the average American was not out doing these things. I am not denying that there was a problem then, I am only saying that it is not representative of the average.

Re: Across the Internet, a Game of Whac-a-Mole Is Underway to Root Out Extremism

#40

Post by 2lwxxtj » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 2:23 PM UTC

fatsdomino001 wrote: post #25

spazrunaway wrote: post #5

Extremism is relative. The opinions of an average American in 2008 would be labelled "far-right" today (see: opposition to gay marriage, transgenderism, support for colorblindness, I could go on). Sooner or later, people will see that it's a fool's errand keeping up with this runaway train of an overton window.

Support for colour-blindness is far-right? Who knew MLK was such a far right extremist eh?

Anti-racism, which is explicitly non-color-blind, is now accepted ideology among the center right in the US. See for instance Mitt Romney marching in the "Black Lives Matter" protest: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/07/politics/mitt-romney-black-li...