5 ms·

On the other hand, I have seen a coworker strongly imply that someone is a white nationalist for suggesting that it’s possible to be a non-racist republican.

cagenut 9y ago
it is not
enraged_camel 9y ago
One can be a non-racist conservative, in the sense of wanting a smaller government and less regulation. However, today’s Republican Party is undeniably racist, and supporting them also makes one racist in my opinion. This is especially true since today’s Republican Party is not actually conservative. One cannot want smaller government while simultaneously supporting a drastic increase in immigration and border security and a whopping $25 billion for a 2000-mile long wall.
- Pxtl 9y ago
  You don't have to be racist to support the modern Republicans, but you do have to decide that racism really isn't a deal-breaker for you.
  - s2g 9y ago
    Which is pretty much the same thing.
  - Daishiman 9y ago
    If racism isn't a deal-breaker for you...
    - berberous 9y ago
      In a multi-party system, I would agree with your implication. But when you have a system with only two realistic choices, it is possible to vote for a candidate because you think the other one is even worse, without endorsing the candidate you voted for.
- fouric 9y ago
  "undeniably racist"? I'm curious. Do tell more.
- samiru 9y ago
  And you sound like a populist. How one can have a meaningful debate when nothing you say is strictly true?
- dang 9y ago
  Please keep standard political talking points off HN. If you repeat something stock, it will get stock responses. That makes it off-topic on a site dedicated to curiosity. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - tessierashpool 9y ago
    how is the entire topic of this discussion not a standard political talking point?
    - dang 9y ago
      For one thing, many people are talking about their personal experiences, from many angles. Comments like "blood on the hands of $movement", by contrast, are battle fodder. Irrespective of your politics, that's the sort of thing that provokes worse from others and leads to all-out war, which we're trying to avoid on this site. So if you'd please not post like that here, we'd appreciate it. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
      - tessierashpool 9y ago
        ok, I'll try again. how is this notion that conservatives are not free to express their opinions not a standard political talking point? there's an entire genre of such articles in the mainstream media. it's a popular argument with white supremacists who are attempting to normalize fascism. you're permitting a standard political talking point to be an entire topic of discussion, and then screening out some individual replies because they invoke additional standard political talking points. you're allowing some standard political talking points and disallowing others. if you're doing that, it would be convenient for your users if you were to specify which standard political talking points are valid topics of discussion, and which other standard political talking points will get your comments banned.
        dang 9y ago
cgag 9y ago
Lmao at people acting like people are insane for feeling right wing people are alienated and there being not one but two comments in this thread saying being a republican makes you a racist.
- sho 9y ago
  You really "LMAO"? Because you should be "fearing your ass off" when people are afraid to express their legitimate political views. This has all happened before and it wasn't pretty. update: come on downvoters. At least give me a clue.
  - cgag 9y ago
    It's funny in the fact that it's so obviously absurd but the people doing it don't see it. It's both funny and scary depending on how much I think about it.
greglindahl 9y ago
Thanks for the anecdote. Was a reminder of "let's be respectful, now!" good enough to solve the problem?
- ameister14 9y ago
  nice, pointing out that he used an anecdote to respond to a person also basing their opinion on anecdotes
  - greglindahl 9y ago
    Oh, I'm fine with anecdotes responding to anecdotes. I was just wondering what happened next.
- tomsthumb 9y ago
  It took many more words, several days and a lot of listening from both sides for a more reasonable position to emerge.
crdoconnor 9y ago
I noticed a similar view appearing more than once in the UK: "if you voted for Brexit you're probably a racist". I think people like this were ironically and unwittingly recruiting people to the other side. Which is unfortunate.
- Chris2048 9y ago
  Had a friend who mused (not sure if serious, but tone somewhat suggested it) that'd he'd travel in such a way to "avoid the racist counties" (i.e. majority brexit)...
- abusoufiyan 9y ago
  >I think people like this were ironically and unwittingly recruiting people to the other side. Which is unfortunate. If you're dumb enough to switch how you vote on something that is unquestionably going to change your personal economic, social, and political future because someone went a little overboard in calling people racists, then you deserve to have your country decline.

cagenut 9y ago

it is not

enraged_camel 9y ago

One can be a non-racist conservative, in the sense of wanting a smaller government and less regulation. However, today’s Republican Party is undeniably racist, and supporting them also makes one racist in my opinion. This is especially true since today’s Republican Party is not actually conservative. One cannot want smaller government while simultaneously supporting a drastic increase in immigration and border security and a whopping $25 billion for a 2000-mile long wall.

Pxtl 9y ago
You don't have to be racist to support the modern Republicans, but you do have to decide that racism really isn't a deal-breaker for you.
- s2g 9y ago
  Which is pretty much the same thing.
- Daishiman 9y ago
  If racism isn't a deal-breaker for you...
  - berberous 9y ago
    In a multi-party system, I would agree with your implication. But when you have a system with only two realistic choices, it is possible to vote for a candidate because you think the other one is even worse, without endorsing the candidate you voted for.
fouric 9y ago
"undeniably racist"? I'm curious. Do tell more.
samiru 9y ago
And you sound like a populist. How one can have a meaningful debate when nothing you say is strictly true?
dang 9y ago
Please keep standard political talking points off HN. If you repeat something stock, it will get stock responses. That makes it off-topic on a site dedicated to curiosity. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- tessierashpool 9y ago
  how is the entire topic of this discussion not a standard political talking point?
  - dang 9y ago
    For one thing, many people are talking about their personal experiences, from many angles. Comments like "blood on the hands of $movement", by contrast, are battle fodder. Irrespective of your politics, that's the sort of thing that provokes worse from others and leads to all-out war, which we're trying to avoid on this site. So if you'd please not post like that here, we'd appreciate it. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
    - tessierashpool 9y ago
      ok, I'll try again. how is this notion that conservatives are not free to express their opinions not a standard political talking point? there's an entire genre of such articles in the mainstream media. it's a popular argument with white supremacists who are attempting to normalize fascism. you're permitting a standard political talking point to be an entire topic of discussion, and then screening out some individual replies because they invoke additional standard political talking points. you're allowing some standard political talking points and disallowing others. if you're doing that, it would be convenient for your users if you were to specify which standard political talking points are valid topics of discussion, and which other standard political talking points will get your comments banned.
      - dang 9y ago

cgag 9y ago

Lmao at people acting like people are insane for feeling right wing people are alienated and there being not one but two comments in this thread saying being a republican makes you a racist.

sho 9y ago
You really "LMAO"? Because you should be "fearing your ass off" when people are afraid to express their legitimate political views. This has all happened before and it wasn't pretty. update: come on downvoters. At least give me a clue.
- cgag 9y ago
  It's funny in the fact that it's so obviously absurd but the people doing it don't see it. It's both funny and scary depending on how much I think about it.

greglindahl 9y ago

Thanks for the anecdote. Was a reminder of "let's be respectful, now!" good enough to solve the problem?

ameister14 9y ago
nice, pointing out that he used an anecdote to respond to a person also basing their opinion on anecdotes
- greglindahl 9y ago
  Oh, I'm fine with anecdotes responding to anecdotes. I was just wondering what happened next.
tomsthumb 9y ago
It took many more words, several days and a lot of listening from both sides for a more reasonable position to emerge.

crdoconnor 9y ago

I noticed a similar view appearing more than once in the UK: "if you voted for Brexit you're probably a racist". I think people like this were ironically and unwittingly recruiting people to the other side. Which is unfortunate.

Chris2048 9y ago
Had a friend who mused (not sure if serious, but tone somewhat suggested it) that'd he'd travel in such a way to "avoid the racist counties" (i.e. majority brexit)...
abusoufiyan 9y ago
>I think people like this were ironically and unwittingly recruiting people to the other side. Which is unfortunate. If you're dumb enough to switch how you vote on something that is unquestionably going to change your personal economic, social, and political future because someone went a little overboard in calling people racists, then you deserve to have your country decline.