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> Folks who shout they are being silenced Many aren't arguing that they themselves are being silenced. They are arguing that others are being silenced either o

> Folks who shout they are being silenced Many aren't arguing that they themselves are being silenced. They are arguing that others are being silenced either out of sympathy for those being silenced or recognition that the force silencing the less powerful may one they have the power to silence the person speaking out. Those of us that still have a voice should be pro-active in speaking out for those that don't lest we one day find ourselves without a voice as well. "They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up." – Martin Niemöller https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_...

philwelch 6y ago
I think a lot of people’s reaction today might be more like: “First they came for the communists, and because a lot of people spoke out about it, I assumed they didn’t actually come for the communists and I got sick of hearing all of their dumb communist whining, and that’s why it’s actually a good thing that we came for the communists.”
- pjc50 6y ago
  First they came for the Nazis, because the Nazis were coming for black people, and I said .. sure, go ahead, we don't want those Nazis around.
  - dane-pgp 6y ago
    Did you check that the people they came for really were Nazis, or did you just believe the accusations?
    - malandrew 6y ago
      “ne chital, no osuzhdayu” https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/american-soviet-mentality https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/american-so...
  - philwelch 6y ago
    It’s kind of funny since before the Nazis, Communists were the original archetype of a violent fringe political movement that had lots of people murdered for no good reason. People were terrified of Communists and resolutely devoted themselves to making sure to stop Communism as fervently as possible, by any means necessary. Considering the millions of people murdered by Communists this is even a completely understandable and justifiable impulse. This is exactly why the Nazis exploited this fear.
duxup 6y ago
I gotta say I really don't see a lot of 'arguing other people are being silenced' as much as alluding to it, and then citing their own circumstances, so that's still kinda Group 1. As far as 'they came first for the communists'... I just don't see that as a situation ... at least not generally in the geography or areas I'm thinking of outside big state sponsored acts. Not at scale, and not anything more than people disagreeing or wanting to host someone else's content ... and frankly when you dive into it, it's often not just some banal content, or just someone with a new idea. It just never pans out that way... I'm not sure I buy into any friction anywhere being 'orthodox privilege' or persecution.

philwelch 6y ago

I think a lot of people’s reaction today might be more like: “First they came for the communists, and because a lot of people spoke out about it, I assumed they didn’t actually come for the communists and I got sick of hearing all of their dumb communist whining, and that’s why it’s actually a good thing that we came for the communists.”

pjc50 6y ago
First they came for the Nazis, because the Nazis were coming for black people, and I said .. sure, go ahead, we don't want those Nazis around.
- dane-pgp 6y ago
  Did you check that the people they came for really were Nazis, or did you just believe the accusations?
  - malandrew 6y ago
    “ne chital, no osuzhdayu” https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/american-soviet-mentality https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/american-so...
- philwelch 6y ago
  It’s kind of funny since before the Nazis, Communists were the original archetype of a violent fringe political movement that had lots of people murdered for no good reason. People were terrified of Communists and resolutely devoted themselves to making sure to stop Communism as fervently as possible, by any means necessary. Considering the millions of people murdered by Communists this is even a completely understandable and justifiable impulse. This is exactly why the Nazis exploited this fear.

duxup 6y ago

I gotta say I really don't see a lot of 'arguing other people are being silenced' as much as alluding to it, and then citing their own circumstances, so that's still kinda Group 1. As far as 'they came first for the communists'... I just don't see that as a situation ... at least not generally in the geography or areas I'm thinking of outside big state sponsored acts. Not at scale, and not anything more than people disagreeing or wanting to host someone else's content ... and frankly when you dive into it, it's often not just some banal content, or just someone with a new idea. It just never pans out that way... I'm not sure I buy into any friction anywhere being 'orthodox privilege' or persecution.