4 ms·

Because the word "tolerant" means something, and that something includes tolerating opinions you disagree with, otherwise the term is empty of meaning. The peop

Because the word "tolerant" means something, and that something includes tolerating opinions you disagree with, otherwise the term is empty of meaning. The people who call for a boycott of Starbucks aren't tolerant, and people demanding Thiel be ostracised aren't either. If you want to wear the label "tolerant" you have to tolerate. If you don't want to wear it, well, you still have to tolerate, because that's what civilised people do, but if you don't, at least you're not a hypocrite.

untog 10y ago
But no-one on the left claims to be tolerant of everything, that's just a straw man applied to them by the right. No-one can be. How can you be tolerant of gay marriage and also be tolerant of homophobia? How can you be tolerant of racial diversity and also tolerant of racism? They're in direct competition with each other. It shouldn't surprise anyone when people take a side. When people on the left describe themselves as "tolerant" it's because they are typically tolerant of more individual things, not because their tolerance is equally spread among all things.
- mseebach 10y ago
  Again, not what "tolerant" means. showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behaviour that one does not necessarily agree with. You don't get to pick and choose individual things to be tolerant of, you don't get to pick a side and then not be tolerant of the other side, that's just not tolerance. (What you can to, is to pick one side and then be tolerant, to show willingness to accept the existence of the other side, while seeking to change minds on the other side)
geofft 10y ago
When did anyone say they wanted to wear the label "tolerant"? As far as I can tell, it's a label applied by the right to the left to make the left feel guilty. (And that tactic works, is the sad thing.) If you Google 'tolerant left', you'll find only right-wing folks upset at the left's intolerance. But did the left ever say they wanted to be tolerant?
- mseebach 10y ago
  Perhaps you're right. Perhaps it's a straw man that the left considers itself tolerant. I'm not convinced that a poll asking people to self-label would return that result, but I have no data, so I'm not going to try to defend that beyond stating a gut-feeling. But for the purposes of this particular thread, the GGP said the left are tolerant, and the GP accepted that premise.

untog 10y ago

But no-one on the left claims to be tolerant of everything, that's just a straw man applied to them by the right. No-one can be. How can you be tolerant of gay marriage and also be tolerant of homophobia? How can you be tolerant of racial diversity and also tolerant of racism? They're in direct competition with each other. It shouldn't surprise anyone when people take a side. When people on the left describe themselves as "tolerant" it's because they are typically tolerant of more individual things, not because their tolerance is equally spread among all things.

mseebach 10y ago
Again, not what "tolerant" means. showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behaviour that one does not necessarily agree with. You don't get to pick and choose individual things to be tolerant of, you don't get to pick a side and then not be tolerant of the other side, that's just not tolerance. (What you can to, is to pick one side and then be tolerant, to show willingness to accept the existence of the other side, while seeking to change minds on the other side)

geofft 10y ago

When did anyone say they wanted to wear the label "tolerant"? As far as I can tell, it's a label applied by the right to the left to make the left feel guilty. (And that tactic works, is the sad thing.) If you Google 'tolerant left', you'll find only right-wing folks upset at the left's intolerance. But did the left ever say they wanted to be tolerant?

mseebach 10y ago
Perhaps you're right. Perhaps it's a straw man that the left considers itself tolerant. I'm not convinced that a poll asking people to self-label would return that result, but I have no data, so I'm not going to try to defend that beyond stating a gut-feeling. But for the purposes of this particular thread, the GGP said the left are tolerant, and the GP accepted that premise.