4 ms·

It's the the word, it's the use of the category that I object to. Imagine a person who says "everything from the holocaust, the the weathermen, to Obamacare is

It's the the word, it's the use of the category that I object to. Imagine a person who says "everything from the holocaust, the the weathermen, to Obamacare is possible once we accept collectivism". The problem with statement is not that there is no such notion as collectivism, but that the different manifestations of it are in no way comparable in terms of their relationship to these forms of violence. The person I was replying to was ignoring the important, immediate causes of this event (which are described in the article), and focussing on the least important factor, i.e. superstition in general.

jlgreco 13y ago
Why would you say they are burning women as witches, if not superstition? "Why could they believe that witches even exist?" seems like a pretty damn important question to ask, but I suppose that is just my opinion. Superstition must be fought with education if we are to fix these problems. There are other ways to fight superstition, but they are almost universally not palatable.
- mc-lovin 13y ago
  You are asking the wrong question. Superstition was one factor, but what about instances where superstition does not cause violence? Or instances (like lynchings) where mob violence is not triggered by superstition. Did you understand my analogy earlier? It seems like you are not addressing all of my argument. Let me ask you a question this time: How would donating to any of the causes that the post I replied to advocated, help the situation in PNG. And "magic" is not an acceptable answer here.
  - jlgreco 13y ago
    So what do you propose we do, if not fight superstition with education? Convert them all to a religion that you find more pleasant? I think I would file that under "not palatable", to put it mildly. Fighting superstition by providing education is the only solution that we can embrace. > what about instances where superstition does not cause violence? What about it? Why should we clinge to it just because it can be benign? I cannot mourn the loss of benign superstition killed by education. > Or instances (like lynchings) where mob violence is not triggered by superstition. We shouldn't fight superstition because doing so is not a silver bullet for all the worlds problems?
- ceol 13y ago
  "Superstition" is just an outlet for these peoples' troubles, their fears, and their anger. Coupled with truly despicable individuals who would take advantage of this situation for power and pleasure, you can have such a mob mentality in any of the "enlightened" communities. Education certainly helps, and I'm not saying it wouldn't, but blaming this on superstition as though that's the true cause is woefully misguided.
  - jlgreco 13y ago
    Despicable people will exist without superstition, but superstition has an unprecedented ability to allow good people to feel okay about doing horrible things. If superstition can be said to be a tool of the truly despicable, then we must remove it. Perhaps without superstition those men would find another way to rile up a crowd into burning more women, but taking that tool from them is sure as hell worth a shot. What is there to lose?

jlgreco 13y ago

Why would you say they are burning women as witches, if not superstition? "Why could they believe that witches even exist?" seems like a pretty damn important question to ask, but I suppose that is just my opinion. Superstition must be fought with education if we are to fix these problems. There are other ways to fight superstition, but they are almost universally not palatable.

mc-lovin 13y ago
You are asking the wrong question. Superstition was one factor, but what about instances where superstition does not cause violence? Or instances (like lynchings) where mob violence is not triggered by superstition. Did you understand my analogy earlier? It seems like you are not addressing all of my argument. Let me ask you a question this time: How would donating to any of the causes that the post I replied to advocated, help the situation in PNG. And "magic" is not an acceptable answer here.
- jlgreco 13y ago
  So what do you propose we do, if not fight superstition with education? Convert them all to a religion that you find more pleasant? I think I would file that under "not palatable", to put it mildly. Fighting superstition by providing education is the only solution that we can embrace. > what about instances where superstition does not cause violence? What about it? Why should we clinge to it just because it can be benign? I cannot mourn the loss of benign superstition killed by education. > Or instances (like lynchings) where mob violence is not triggered by superstition. We shouldn't fight superstition because doing so is not a silver bullet for all the worlds problems?
ceol 13y ago
"Superstition" is just an outlet for these peoples' troubles, their fears, and their anger. Coupled with truly despicable individuals who would take advantage of this situation for power and pleasure, you can have such a mob mentality in any of the "enlightened" communities. Education certainly helps, and I'm not saying it wouldn't, but blaming this on superstition as though that's the true cause is woefully misguided.
- jlgreco 13y ago
  Despicable people will exist without superstition, but superstition has an unprecedented ability to allow good people to feel okay about doing horrible things. If superstition can be said to be a tool of the truly despicable, then we must remove it. Perhaps without superstition those men would find another way to rile up a crowd into burning more women, but taking that tool from them is sure as hell worth a shot. What is there to lose?