2 ms·

This post will just bring down the level of discussion here rather than be interesting, helpful or informative. I don't think it should exist.

patentatt 7y ago
I think it’s important in that someone may read the comment above and start to think “hey, maybe that guy is on to something.” My snarky reply may remind them that it’s a ridiculous proposition in the greater context. Maybe? But I will agree, I come to hn for a higher level of discourse. And the whole comment thread doesn’t belong here. As long as it is, however, I think it’s important to rebut absurdity.
- concordDance 7y ago
  The only people who will think "this guy is on to something" will be those who already agree with you. Strawmanning and mockery may silence people, but it will very rarely change their views. (Do you really think a racist who is on hackernews hasn't already read a hundred variations on your post?) Also, it would have been pretty easy to communicate your point without the mockery.
- growlist 7y ago
  A white master/black slave dichotomy is poorly supported by history: it's thought that enslavement goes back before recorded history, and apparently appeared almost everywhere at one time or another, and as such involved a rainbow of ethnicities at its top levels, and moreover, it still goes on today, and the people at the top are still very diverse.
kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
The best way to have an open mindest is to never contemplate different viewpoints?
- skellera 7y ago
  No. It’s to not mock someone for their side of the argument. That person may have never once been racist or shitty to someone yet they have society telling them they are terrible. Blaming whole groups of people for the actions of portions of that group is not how things are going to change. You lose allies from people within those groups because they begin to get attacked. And if you’re thinking “who cares about those people,” think if equality really is your goal or is it really something else. It seems like people are more about bringing the other side down instead of bringing everyone up.
  - growlist 7y ago
    > It seems like people are more about bringing the other side down instead of bringing everyone up. There are groups of people that see it as being in their interests to sow division.
non-entity 7y ago
Threads like this in general will always have poor levels of discussion, regardless.

patentatt 7y ago

I think it’s important in that someone may read the comment above and start to think “hey, maybe that guy is on to something.” My snarky reply may remind them that it’s a ridiculous proposition in the greater context. Maybe? But I will agree, I come to hn for a higher level of discourse. And the whole comment thread doesn’t belong here. As long as it is, however, I think it’s important to rebut absurdity.

concordDance 7y ago
The only people who will think "this guy is on to something" will be those who already agree with you. Strawmanning and mockery may silence people, but it will very rarely change their views. (Do you really think a racist who is on hackernews hasn't already read a hundred variations on your post?) Also, it would have been pretty easy to communicate your point without the mockery.
growlist 7y ago
A white master/black slave dichotomy is poorly supported by history: it's thought that enslavement goes back before recorded history, and apparently appeared almost everywhere at one time or another, and as such involved a rainbow of ethnicities at its top levels, and moreover, it still goes on today, and the people at the top are still very diverse.

kevin_thibedeau 7y ago

The best way to have an open mindest is to never contemplate different viewpoints?

skellera 7y ago
No. It’s to not mock someone for their side of the argument. That person may have never once been racist or shitty to someone yet they have society telling them they are terrible. Blaming whole groups of people for the actions of portions of that group is not how things are going to change. You lose allies from people within those groups because they begin to get attacked. And if you’re thinking “who cares about those people,” think if equality really is your goal or is it really something else. It seems like people are more about bringing the other side down instead of bringing everyone up.
- growlist 7y ago
  > It seems like people are more about bringing the other side down instead of bringing everyone up. There are groups of people that see it as being in their interests to sow division.

non-entity 7y ago

Threads like this in general will always have poor levels of discussion, regardless.