'Ignore the assholes' is an emotional reaction that simply does not work. It's not like school, where you can (somewhat) rely on a (quasi-) objective educator t

'Ignore the assholes' is an emotional reaction that simply does not work. It's not like school, where you can (somewhat) rely on a (quasi-) objective educator to sideline intellectual disruptors and focus on the important material. Power, like violence, is its own argument. You can't cause an authoritarian government to wilt by ignoring it any more than you can demoralize a mugger by saying 'ha ha your punches don't bother me at all because resorting to violence means you have failed.' I do agree with a lot of your observations, especially the general fecklessness of the nominal opposition party.