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>> If everyone is shouting that you're bad, the most basic human instinct is to shout back even louder. Citation needed. Even if this is the case, then it is l

>> If everyone is shouting that you're bad, the most basic human instinct is to shout back even louder. Citation needed. Even if this is the case, then it is lucky that we developed cognitive tools that allow us to reflect on our actions and try to comprehend why those people are shouting at us in a civilised society.

stingraycharles 12y ago
Well this is basically part of how you try to convince someone of your opinion. If you only shout "you are bad", you are going to get shouts back. It's all about the way how to have a decent discussion. If you first acknowledge that the other party has some good points (for example, acknowledge the need for the government to acquire intelligence), and use that as a basis for further discussion, you have a much better chance to get rid of that instinct and have a reasonable discussion. Right now, as we did/do with the people of wallstreet, it's a kind of "you are either with us, or against us" discussion. No good ever comes from that.
- copsarebastards 12y ago
  If it gets to the point where someone is hacking into my personal communications I no longer am interested in conversing that person. Our differences are too fundamental for a conversation to be productive. My interests at this point are seeing that this person is stripped of power and brought to justice (the knowledgeable members of the NSA should be put in jail, just as any other group conspiring to commit a felony would be). No conversation is going to result in them agreeing that they should be stripped of power and jailed, so discussion is pointless. The discussions I'm having are not with members of the NSA, they're with other people who might potentially be able to help at least prevent further criminal activity by the NSA.
- amyjess 12y ago
  > Right now, as we did/do with the people of wallstreet, it's a kind of "you are either with us, or against us" discussion. No good ever comes from that. It also doesn't help that most anti-Wall Street rhetoric has much in common, either intentionally or unintentionally, with antisemitic dogwhistles. Enough of Wall Street's population is Jewish that they recognize the dogwhistling and tune out.

stingraycharles 12y ago

Well this is basically part of how you try to convince someone of your opinion. If you only shout "you are bad", you are going to get shouts back. It's all about the way how to have a decent discussion. If you first acknowledge that the other party has some good points (for example, acknowledge the need for the government to acquire intelligence), and use that as a basis for further discussion, you have a much better chance to get rid of that instinct and have a reasonable discussion. Right now, as we did/do with the people of wallstreet, it's a kind of "you are either with us, or against us" discussion. No good ever comes from that.

copsarebastards 12y ago
If it gets to the point where someone is hacking into my personal communications I no longer am interested in conversing that person. Our differences are too fundamental for a conversation to be productive. My interests at this point are seeing that this person is stripped of power and brought to justice (the knowledgeable members of the NSA should be put in jail, just as any other group conspiring to commit a felony would be). No conversation is going to result in them agreeing that they should be stripped of power and jailed, so discussion is pointless. The discussions I'm having are not with members of the NSA, they're with other people who might potentially be able to help at least prevent further criminal activity by the NSA.
amyjess 12y ago
> Right now, as we did/do with the people of wallstreet, it's a kind of "you are either with us, or against us" discussion. No good ever comes from that. It also doesn't help that most anti-Wall Street rhetoric has much in common, either intentionally or unintentionally, with antisemitic dogwhistles. Enough of Wall Street's population is Jewish that they recognize the dogwhistling and tune out.