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>I feel that people have gotten more and more binary and we need more shades of gray What about people who think we need more binary thinking and fewer shades

by fnovd 10y ago

>I feel that people have gotten more and more binary and we need more shades of gray What about people who think we need more binary thinking and fewer shades of gray? How do you even form a nuanced (gray) argument against that kind of dogmatism? Where do you draw the line against line-drawing without being hypocritical? This isn't just rhetorical: this is a problem we're struggling with as a society. People are intellectually exhausted and are drawn to ideologies that answer their questions for them in a clear, unambiguous way. We're in an ideological arms race, becoming more polarized and less rational merely as a survival mechanism.

VLM 10y ago
The hidden lesson of 1984 is there is no answer once identity politics are in play. "Four legs good, two legs bad." is already past the point of no return and there is no "a society" as you quote but two battling for supremacy. Historically we have little evidence of solutions other than civil wars. Asking how to roll back identity politics without a physical war is like debating strategies to avoid nuclear war after the missiles have launched but before the mushroom clouds form. Its a little too late for that and there really isn't any point in wasting limited time in trying to roll back or blamestorming in circular firing squads.
- SolaceQuantum 10y ago
  Could you clarify what you mean by identity politics? I'm mostly used to see them in that gay people, trans people exist are considered identity politics. It's confusing that they are considered a politics that demands for more binary. Wouldn't the acceptance of sexual and gender diversity actually be less Binary than the total rejection of any sexuality and gender identity besides cis and hetereo?
tremon 10y ago
Where do you draw the line against line-drawing without being hypocritical? You challenge their support. Continue to push them to draw more lines, until they've drawn so many lines that they're all alone inside their fence. Try to convince them that no one matches up to their worldview, not even their family and not even themselves.

by fnovd 10y ago

VLM 10y ago

The hidden lesson of 1984 is there is no answer once identity politics are in play. "Four legs good, two legs bad." is already past the point of no return and there is no "a society" as you quote but two battling for supremacy. Historically we have little evidence of solutions other than civil wars. Asking how to roll back identity politics without a physical war is like debating strategies to avoid nuclear war after the missiles have launched but before the mushroom clouds form. Its a little too late for that and there really isn't any point in wasting limited time in trying to roll back or blamestorming in circular firing squads.

SolaceQuantum 10y ago
Could you clarify what you mean by identity politics? I'm mostly used to see them in that gay people, trans people exist are considered identity politics. It's confusing that they are considered a politics that demands for more binary. Wouldn't the acceptance of sexual and gender diversity actually be less Binary than the total rejection of any sexuality and gender identity besides cis and hetereo?

tremon 10y ago

Where do you draw the line against line-drawing without being hypocritical? You challenge their support. Continue to push them to draw more lines, until they've drawn so many lines that they're all alone inside their fence. Try to convince them that no one matches up to their worldview, not even their family and not even themselves.