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Small town Republican thoughts on refuting the alt-right. In The Republican Journal:
I want to make one thing very clear: The Waldo County Republican Committee absolutely, unequivocally condemns Nazi and KKK ideologies and actions, as well as any other kind of bigotry, and we encourage all of our voters and the community at large to do the same.
For fellow Republicans out there, worry not, we don't like Antifa's ideology and actions either, but we need to clean our own house; we need to worry about our own responsibilities.
Such honesty, and clarity of thought!
The most dangerous part of politics today is identity politics, trolling, pathos and a severe lack of critical thinking. You cannot defeat the insidious hatred of bigoted politics with more hate. By doing so, you morph the conversation away from policy and ideology to silly label syntax, eventually devolving completely into back and forth verbal gymnastics. Make no mistake, these trolls are ready for you as you stoop to their level, and they beat you up with mountains of experience.
So what do we do? Very simple. Stay neighborly by controlling your reaction. Seek out those with whom you disagree, try to understand them first, and politely offer your counter argument.
And it looks like the Republicans in Maine, if not in Illinois, are rejecting the alt-right.
The way to defeat Mr. Kawczynski is not by attacking him, but by attacking his ideas. Here are some flaws in his thinking: His immigration ideas are antithetical to the Maine Republican party platform, a section of which states, "We support the assimilation of legal immigrants into Maine society."
Kawczynski's ideas stand in contrast to Maine history and culture; in fact, it is white folks with racist ideologies who pose the greatest threat to Maine's foundation, not other races of people.
Another brilliant tidbit:
Ultimately, all you have to do is walk outside with your eyes open in this state to see that Kawczynski's fearmongering about "white genocide" is completely laughable.
Entire guest column is well worth a read.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 09 2018, @09:47PM (17 children)
This country is also authoritarian as fuck, or at least accepting of authoritarianism. How many people vehemently oppose the NSA's mass surveillance, the TSA, the drug war, our 7+ unjustifiable foreign interventions, etc.? If anything, many support authoritarianism as long as it's done in the name of safety, indicating that they do not value liberty more than security. Yeah, 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'. Right. But other countries are worse, so ignore all this.
Merely using the word "nigger" is neither necessarily concerning nor indicative of racism; it depends entirely on the person's intent and the context. I've seen people say horribly racist things without ever using words like that. No word is inherently bad and no word is immune from the fact that language evolves, regardless of any history it may have.
So whether that trend is concerning depends entirely on how those people are using the word, which you didn't really elaborate on.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 09 2018, @11:23PM (16 children)
Think in smaller terms, than you have used above. Seat belt laws. Anti-smoking laws. Car seat laws. OSHA and MSHA regulations. Insurance company mandates or all sorts, that dictate how you will build your home if you want to insure it. The federal mandate that you WILL have health insurance, or be punished - financially or otherwise. We are surrounded by a myriad of authoritarian nonsense rules, regulations, and laws - but few can even recognize them.
Argue seat belt laws, and every brainwashed product of our school system will argue that you must be stupid to resist wearing a seat belt. Stupid or not - they don't understand what freedom is. They've bartered away freedom, for some fancied assurance that obedience will keep them safe. And, I thumb my nose at the whole broken system.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 10 2018, @12:10AM (5 children)
No shit society is authoritarian, otherwise we would not be calling it society really and anarchy would rule. Laws against murder? Authoritarian dickbags!!! *cough*
Seat belt and helmet laws? Yes they are authoritarian, same with laws against speeding and reckless driving. As a society we have to determine what measures we find reasonable, and you'll be hard pressed to find people who would be OK with repealing those laws. Since personal responsibility is probably a big thing for you maybe you should take a minute to consider all the emergency personnel who would have to clean up a lot more dead bodies and endure the emotional burden of knowing that many died because they chose not to wear a seatbelt / helmet. It wouldn't be only you that suffers for your stupid decision.
Again, as a society we choose the levels of authoritarianism and there is no such thing as zero of it, even in ancient times.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 10 2018, @12:13AM
There. FTFY.
(Score: 2, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Saturday February 10 2018, @12:53AM (2 children)
And - some people around here dare to call ME "authoritarian". I'll bet you're a progressive, aren't you?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 10 2018, @06:50AM (1 child)
Wow, I try and point out reality and all you can do is cry "muh oppression". Pathetic. What you propose is anarchy, but I know that isn't what you actually want. I left the door open for "society must decide". Do you want murder to be legal? I'm not being hyperbolic here, there are simply some things we decide as a society are not OK and yes WE authoritatively apply these judgments.
As usual when you've got your panties in a twist you can't see reason. If I'm being callously honest I wouldn't terribly mind if seat belt and helmet laws were repealed, let the Darwin awards rid us of idiots. I'm not an EMT so the effect on me and my friends / family would be pretty much nothing. Then I second guess myself and realize that there are children of idiots like you who might not wear seatbelts cause they think they are fighting "the man" and flaunting their bravery in front of liberal sissies. I would worry for such kids, not old enough to realize their parents are morons. They might die before they can figure out their parents are idiots.
Would you ride a roller coaster with no safety restraints? Moron.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday February 10 2018, @11:04AM
I suppose that you ride roller coasters?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 10 2018, @09:15PM
Making it illegal to violate others' fundamental rights is not an example of authoritarianism. Try again.
Then I suggest you move to North Korea, because people like you are not the right fit for a country that's supposed to be 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'.
Or, more accurately, especially in ancient times.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday February 10 2018, @06:29AM (9 children)
Seat belt laws and building codes are not authoritarian oppressive overreach you complete fucking child. How dare you compare that to something like the NSA's surveillance? What the fuck is wrong with you?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 10 2018, @06:53AM
It is so strange to see Runaway occasionally show some common sense, then he devolves into lunacy like this. I honestly don't understand it.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday February 10 2018, @11:14AM (7 children)
In a police state, the police may stop you on any pretext, to examine you, and to incarcerate you, if they don't like what they see. In a non-police state, the cops keep away from you, unless they observe you committing a felony.
In most jurisdictions in the US, police presume to have some right to interfere with you, if they can't see your compliance with a seat belt law.
Again - you are the product of our progressive "education" system. The "educators" did well with you.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 10 2018, @04:27PM
Nope I agree with your sentiment about police having too much power. I just don't agree that seatbelt laws are the smoking gun of a fascist / authoritarian gov.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday February 10 2018, @05:30PM (5 children)
Hey, dipshit, what you have a problem with is LEO overreach, not the actual seatbelt laws. Fucking SAY that instead of sounding like another one of those toothless sister-fuckers who goes "Ah shud be able t' stockpile grenades on muh own Got-dayum PROPPITY!' types. Precision is important. We are of a like mind on police overreach.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday February 10 2018, @09:20PM (4 children)
Call it overreach - fine. Fact is, it isn't just the police. It's your insurance company, and mine. It's the federal government, NPO's, state and local governments, and the education system. Hammer, hammer, hammer, on and on it goes, right on down to your own idiot neighbors who "think of the children" more than is healthy. "If you've done nothing wrong, why should you worry?" Well - people get shot to death during routine traffic stops that shouldn't even be, let alone routine.
The best policy would be to prevent police stops unless the cop witnessed a felony. Of course, if that were a policy, the gubbermint could create more felonies - such as possession of a gun, or possession of drugs or alcohol. Improper lane changes could become felonies, as well.
Remember that the executive only gets away with whatever the legislative and judicial allows them to get away with. If you representatives were as horrified of routine traffic stops as the average inner city poor black kid, then your representatives would be outlawing those traffic stops.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday February 10 2018, @10:36PM (3 children)
Finally you're starting to talk some sense.
Okay, so you've identified a major structural problem with the US government: executive overreach and, to at least some extent, capture of the legislative and judicial branches. Now...what do we do about this?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Saturday February 10 2018, @11:18PM (2 children)
Vote every damned democrat and republican out of office, and send some fresh blood to Washington to clean the mess up. Clean up the Supreme Court, and TELL those 9 dumb bastards that the citizen takes priority over the state. And elect a responsible president to clean up the executive branch.
Sounds like some damned fantasy story, huh?
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday February 11 2018, @03:24AM (1 child)
Yeah, it does. Sounds, though, like if you wanted this, you ought to have voted Sanders in the '16 primary. Because he's the only one of them who's even close to "clean."
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Monday February 12 2018, @08:37PM
I voted for Paul. At the end of the day Sanders still sold out his morals by backing Hillary and giving her his money. Then got a sweet sweet vacation home and sports car out of it. Now there is the whole trial about his wife and him abusing his position to secure loans for her employer, it is of course all alleged but interesting. I work with a lot of Bernie guys who were completely devastated, and still are, that he turned on them.
If someone like Democrat Peter Defazio ran for executive office I might just support him as he seems to be an honest character. Although I am pretty libertarian, I have voted for him a number of times and will do so in the future.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam