6 ms·

The post you replied to described "bitter, spiteful, demanding, insecure, Us-vs-Them types." I think there are people in various leftist movements that can fair

The post you replied to described "bitter, spiteful, demanding, insecure, Us-vs-Them types." I think there are people in various leftist movements that can fairly be described in that way. But I also think it's a good description for anyone who describes a desire for social justice as a cancer.

pjscott 11y ago
There's a small confusion in terms here: the "social justice movement" and "a desire for social justice" are not even close to synonymous.
venomsnake 11y ago
Here is a good litmus test if someone is hurting the society with the participation in said society - they have seriously written or said the phrase - "I support free speech, but ..." I hear that phrase more on the left lately than right. Which says a lot ...
Double_Cast 11y ago
Temporal was referencing what's remembered as the Whale Cancer post [0]. The metaphor is meant to (rather than insult) describe a social dynamic by analogy of a biological mechanism. [0] http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/06/14/living-by-the-sword/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/06/14/living-by-the-sword/
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  Yes, I was referencing that post; the phrasing of "cancer getting cancer" stuck with me. I admit that I might have sprinkled a little bit of hidden insult, because it's hard to filter out the feeling of anger at uncivil behaviour so that it doesn't show up in writing. But I mean cancer mostly in the same way Scott Alexander used it - uncontrolled growth by "all means necessary", not an insult. Cancer happens when some cells eschew cooperation and start promoting their interests at the cost to everyone else. As it grows in size it grows in complexity, and given that it's made of components who tend to disregard cooperation, Scott argues that instead of self-organizing it tends to develop a cancer of its own, which slows the overall growth. Similarly, if the group gains voice by using every dirty trick in the book and then some because it's most effective, they should not be surprised that - as their movement grows in size - they end up fighting each other at some point.

pjscott 11y ago

There's a small confusion in terms here: the "social justice movement" and "a desire for social justice" are not even close to synonymous.

venomsnake 11y ago

Here is a good litmus test if someone is hurting the society with the participation in said society - they have seriously written or said the phrase - "I support free speech, but ..." I hear that phrase more on the left lately than right. Which says a lot ...

Double_Cast 11y ago

Temporal was referencing what's remembered as the Whale Cancer post [0]. The metaphor is meant to (rather than insult) describe a social dynamic by analogy of a biological mechanism. [0] http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/06/14/living-by-the-sword/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/06/14/living-by-the-sword/

TeMPOraL 11y ago
Yes, I was referencing that post; the phrasing of "cancer getting cancer" stuck with me. I admit that I might have sprinkled a little bit of hidden insult, because it's hard to filter out the feeling of anger at uncivil behaviour so that it doesn't show up in writing. But I mean cancer mostly in the same way Scott Alexander used it - uncontrolled growth by "all means necessary", not an insult. Cancer happens when some cells eschew cooperation and start promoting their interests at the cost to everyone else. As it grows in size it grows in complexity, and given that it's made of components who tend to disregard cooperation, Scott argues that instead of self-organizing it tends to develop a cancer of its own, which slows the overall growth. Similarly, if the group gains voice by using every dirty trick in the book and then some because it's most effective, they should not be surprised that - as their movement grows in size - they end up fighting each other at some point.