egerlach

joined 2 years ago
[–] egerlach 3 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Hard agree.

I love this article on the topic: https://www.newsweek.com/trans-man-broken-men-1817169

Thoughts for non-toxic male role models:

  • Bernie Sanders
  • Zohran Mamdani (looks good so far)
  • Jean-Luc Picard
  • Tong from Raya and the Last Dragon (watched this with my daughter recently)
  • Mr. Rogers
  • Aragorn
[–] egerlach 1 points 16 hours ago

I recognise that no one here was antagonizing this person, but this genre of Schadenfreude is getting quite popular. While it is satisfying, it isn't effective at achieving the goal of change. (I'm assuming that we agree that change is a more important goal than satisfaction).

If you only antagonize the worst of the worst and your filter for that is perfect my comment wasn't directed at you.

I also agree that if you can establish that they are unrepentant/shameless, then the tactics you refer to (social othering, etc.) are more likely to be effective.

I think your final paragraph makes my point, though. Even in the relative electoral college "landslide" of the 2024 election, a small percentage of votes in the right states would have changed the outcome of the presidential election. If we target that small fraction of regretful voters and welcome them to the side of justice (without absolving them of their prior transgression, but also without mockery), that can tip the scales.

I am trying to encourage you and others here to keep the eyes on the prize: change. We do that by winning hearts and minds. We can't win hearts and minds when we ostracize as our FIRST move.

(Once you find out that they're shameless, no argument from me)

[–] egerlach 1 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Careful here… while I agree with your anger, you're using the same language used to dehumanize vulnerable populations. Everyone, including horrible people like Steven Miller, deserve basic human dignity. They deserve fairness, due process, and every human right. But unrepentant fascists don't deserve our attention, our sympathy, forgiveness, or reprieve from justice (repentant ones are more complex and not addressed here).

To treat them as less than human is to risk becoming like them. When you fight monsters, you must take extra care to avoid becoming a monster yourself, after all.

[–] egerlach 1 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Not everyone has the luxury of the free time and effort to pay enough attention, and those people vote. I'm not suggesting absolving them of their individual responsibility. They contributed and they have to reckon with that. I'm suggesting that we recognise the role that the system they exist in plays, too. And that they're human which means they have all the failings that come along with that.

Do we hold Oppenheimer responsible for all the deaths the Manhatten Project caused? I argue we shouldn't, but he still had to personally reckon with the moral weight of it.

Two things can both be true: someone can have been part of the cause of injustice and join the fight for justice. We can both hold them accountable; and encourage their growth, offer them grace, and welcome them to the right side of history. We don't have to forgive, but mocking (at first) doesn't help IMO.

(As I've said elsewhere, no reservations about mocking the unrepentant)

[–] egerlach 2 points 2 days ago

FDR, Churchill, and Stalin made it work...

[–] egerlach 2 points 2 days ago (3 children)

The right wing is using propaganda tactics that are known to brainwash and dupe many people, and you're not going to treat those who got brainwashed and duped like victims too? Yes, they're adults, and that means that they have to take responsibility for their vote. Once they do, admit they were conned, and express willingness to join the fight, it's important we accept them with open arms so they know our side is better than the other side.

As long as they're doubling down on fascism? Hard agree, they can kick rocks. Once they see what's really going on and are willing to fight it? Welcome to the team, sorry about what happened to your dad, let's see if we can get him back.

Every person like this is an opportunity to gain an ally. It's an opportunity to find out if this person was conned or is selfish. We lose that opportunity if we mock them instead of offering a hand in solidarity.

[–] egerlach 9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

But there's a difference between allowing someone the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions and change, and antagonizing them.

"Hey, sorry this happened to you and your family. We are going to fight to stop these policies. Will you join us in our fight against Republicans, the people who did this to you?"

If yes, you get an ally.

If no, then fuck 'em is an appropriate response.

Resistance to fascism needs all the help it can get. Including those who fucked up and are now willing to join the fight, as long as the scales have really fallen from their eyes. Most people like this got duped. They're victims too.

If you go straight to "fuck 'em", they disengage, which is a win for fascism. They want the populous afraid and disengaged.

But yeah, if they're like the business owners who complained about the tariffs and said they'd still vote for Trump again? Fuck 'em.

[–] egerlach 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It depends if you view the X-Y plane as the camera/viewport/screen or the ground. If X-Y is the ground, then Z is either up or down.

[–] egerlach 1 points 1 week ago

That makes more sense. Simple explanation of my error. Thank you.

[–] egerlach 10 points 1 week ago (15 children)

Okay, am I understanding this correctly? In Y-up right-hand, positive X is "to the left"?

I personally think that right-hand Z-up makes the most sense, but it makes sense to move to where most of the industry is going.

[–] egerlach 1 points 2 weeks ago

I can't wait for next week's BTS...

Episode ending spoilersI want to know if this is something that they riffed on Nebula's The Getaway for, or what. I think Dropout and Nebula get along well, so I wouldn't be surprised if they asked the Wendover crew for advice. OTOH, maybe this was planned or even filmed before The Getaway's release?

[–] egerlach 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

No, Bastard (Operators from Hell).

Hopefully that checks out, even though it's an old reference.

(Also, agree with the original expression of the negative systemic evaluation of the US policing system, even if I don't love the crude expression; and even though I'm contributing in a humourous satire of the expression)

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