I have read plenty of essays and comments over the past 6-12 months that extremist groups, left, right, and whatever, would not have so much power if people just ignored them. Richard B. Spencer is speaking somewhere and they expect not only protests, but protests that turn violent. I don't know much about him, BTW. Sometimes such figures make relatively mild comments that get over-interpreted and made into monsters. But as I haven't read anyone coming to his defense, except a defense of his right to speak, I have to assume that whatever he says it must be legitimately offensive. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.
I have written in favor of the "just ignore them" strategy for years, though I haven't had to do it much... because folks were actually mostly ignoring them. But the cry has gone up from many corners this year. Stop paying them any attention. Their numbers are small. I keep telling myself, well, they just can't ignore them. They can't let it go for some reason. They have to show up to say "shut up." Some people are just convinced that there's whole lots of dangerous folks out there.
They don't want them to go away. They believe there are thousands or millions more in hiding, waiting to come out and wreak violence on the republic. I have a brother who essentially believes that. Because he is convinced that there are plenty of quiet racists spread about like dry tinder among the population, people who could be ignited at any moment and cause a lot of destruction, he is also convinced that antifa and black groups organising to be ready for violence just in case is understandable, and maybe even justified, though he is not a violent person himself.
I don't know what we say instead, but "just ignore them" is no longer likely to work, if it ever was.
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I think it was a lot easier for certain people to ignore these guys when they felt their side was in power, and the tide of history was on their side. Small potatoes, nothing to bother with. Though they probably won't admit it publicly they are a lot less sure about this now, and the threat feels a lot more significant even if it's considered to be a short term one. I'm guessing that's what your brother say.
Spencer's pretty terrible. He's the real deal on racism, not doing the cagey "am I doing this ironically" style of a Milo. He also was/is somewhat handsome, so got some fawning press generally about him because of that. Which is a sad commentary on the state of our media in general. He's now gained weight and is being treated more negatively, but that's also conflated with the fact that he started getting more attention. Fun thread making fun of him: https://twitter.com/CuffyMeh/status/863788542677450756
We have seen in the news that Antifa and #BLM are ready and spoiling for a fight and/or a riot.
They don't want them to go away. They believe there are thousands or millions more in hiding, waiting to come out and wreak violence on the republic. I have a brother who essentially believes that.
Which illustrates one reason why the progs/lefties chafe me.Before I got out of high school, I concluded that bigotry/prejudice is not something that is outside me and not inside me, but is something that is inside all of us. I get the impression that a substantial number of progs/lefties do not agree with me. That helps explain why I left the left.
Like it or not, I need to deal with those who do not agree with me.
@ Richard Johnson - denominational and Christian publications do have liberals who find such prejudices within themselves. They just find much less of it than occurs among all you others. They have little anecdotes about going to the store at Christmas and seeing a black person, or a homeless woman, or whatever they want to club us with this month and recount some significant incident. Likely embellished, if not outright false. It allows them to virtue-signal and say "I, even I, find this in myself, and I heartily repent." The implication that you other bastards who can't even see what racist/sexist/rich young rulers you are should also repent is not always explicitly stated, but it's not hard to read into the text. Though they do sometimes assert that "we" should repent (as Christians, as a denomination).
I am ranting a bit more than usual. The Lindquist family superiority has been prominent lately.
@AVI - I'm not entirely sure. I think there's definitely some of that. But I think they also do honestly believe that most white people are racist/sexist/etc and so try to ferret out examples and embellish things to show themselves they're sinful as well. I'm not sure how to take that- is it worse to see sin in yourself that's not really there and potentially miss larger issues of pride, wrath, etc? It reminds me of hairshirts really- constantly suffering to remove a sin.
Why not listen to what he says and respond to his arguments? Take the mystery out of them, point out weak logic, look for evidence or its lack, consider alternative theories.
If it is safe to ignore these kinds of people, what is the raison d'etre for antifa? It is so very fulfilling to have a vital purpose in life, and even more pleasant when it gives you the right to exercise justified violence and beat up people everybody is supposed to hate.
That's baked into the cake.
As to whether they "really believe" it or not--I'm not perfectly sure what that means. Did the average German really believe the Jews were the biggest source of evil in the world? Does an alcoholic really believe one more drink won't be a problem?
"They don't want them to go away."
Perhaps they need them to stay. And to appear bigger than they are. Not exactly a strawman. But if the bogeyman's influence isn't exaggerated, it makes the response look out of proportion, even sillier than it is.
They have a NEED for an enemy, James. For justification.
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