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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
Oh please, anyone with the slightest sense of self-preservation can understand the language of violence. It's pretty simple: "If someone punches me, I get to punch them in turn. If I can't punch them back, then I should stop doing whatever it is that motivates them to punch me if I want to not be punched."
Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.As a Jewish man and a former Black Belt in Taekwondo, I feel I'm uniquely qualified to provide input on the potential morality of Nazi punching. My Taekwondo teachers always taught me to never, under any circumstances, throw the first punch, both for spiritual reasons, and because throwing the first punch in a fight gets you in more trouble with the law, since you assaulted first, regardless of how aggravated it was (anyone who's uniquely qualified to correct me and them on that is welcome to). I live by that code, though I do get a rush from fighting, I will absolutely never throw the first punch, but in the presence of a literal Nazi, I probably would do everything in my power to make him angry enough to give me an excuse to throw the last punch.
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One counterexample: Palestinians. Another: Communists. Yet another: the War on Terror.
Speakers of violence do not speak a clear language, and they get misunderstood. Deterrence is treated as a challenge. Humiliation begets resentment and revenge. A dog biting back is considered evidence that the dog needs to be kicked harder.
So choose your approach wisely.
@Mr.Taek Won Do: what if you lose? Does it prove you're wrong? Would it shut you up?
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.I think it's especially important that minorities don't throw the first punch (or any) because that's what the assholes want, to justify their bullshit and get the brown people in trouble. Plus I get the feeling the judicial system won't be in the puncher's favor.
So, as a straight white male who also learned martial arts, I feel like I'm in a position to do some punching for those who cannot. But now I'm beginning to sound extreme. Regardless, I think these racists might not be so tough if legitimately tough guys step forth to oppose them.
They pick on women and LGBT people because they think they're too weak to fight back, and mess with minorities because they assume that the law will be on their side even if they do throw the first punch. What needs to happen is for their "own kind" to turn on them. So yeah, I'm glad that Nazi got socked in the jaw. If you're serious about openly being a white supremacist in this day and age, you better better be ready for some pain. If you think you're better than the black people who died for their rights, then prove it and take a punch for your beliefs.
But a racist who really believes in his superiority and in social darwinism, who genuinely truly believes his race is the best and stands on its own merits and doesn't need cheating and suppression to keep others down... He's wrong and delusional, but he's authentic.
Most racists are hateful entitled cowards clinging to privilege out of insecurity.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.@The Handle: If I'm in a fight and I lose, that doesn't mean what I was fighting for is wrong. That just means that my opponent was physically superior, and that's it.
Or that he got lucky. Or that he snuck a cheap shot in. You know real fights aren't just about physical superiority.
So, the Nazi beating you up proves nothing. What does your "throwing the last punch" prove, then?
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
What's important is being willing to face the pain and potential humiliation with dignity. It shows the opposition that what your fighting for is worth it. Even if you lose the battle, what matters is never giving in no matter how bad you're beaten. That's what non-violent resistance is all about, and I respect that even if I won't necessarily follow it. In the end, that's how progressive movements have found success. The protesters didn't stop just because they were beaten, and they wouldn't stop until things changed. It's a matter of resolve, and most bigots have little of that.
So in the span of a day, Trump gave us a preview of what to expect from his entire term:
After basking in his win, he gets ready to go on vacation despite leaving his briefings unread and his administration badly understaffed. He only pauses to push legislation that screws over people who aren't rich (via messing with the ACA and reversing mortgage interest rate cuts). He also has the WH redecorated with tacky gold and removes all the info from the WH's site that he doesn't like.
His term is going to be spent lazing around, attacking good taste, dismantling Obama's legacy, and robbing from the poor to give to the rich.
Disgusted, but not surprisedSo just so you know, a pro-Trump essayist invited on a french newscast for commenting Crazy Toupee's inauguration got kicked out of the set for spouting "Obama is a non-american muslim" bullshit.
(Link's in french, sorry ; I'm trying to find one in English)
In case you were wondering if non-american Trump supporters were saner.
edited 21st Jan '17 4:49:12 AM by purplefishman
Trump's supporters often forget who he was before the campaign. Everyone I've actually heard try to support him has always said "If he just does what he said he'd do" in regards to jobs and whatnot, we'd be fine. They forget that's he's flopped around on everything, that he's from old money and is among the educated elites people despise so fucking much (that's why full luxury communism is a dead end, by the way) and that he has overwhelmingly outsourced his jobs to other countries, beyond what he hires for his American businesses like Trump Tower and The Apprentice.
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Good on them. Let's just hope they do the same to their own rising fascists.
edited 21st Jan '17 5:00:16 AM by MarqFJA
Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.![]()
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Brazil has a scary amount of Trump supporters because they see Obama and Hillary as leftists.
My reaction to that so far has been wondering if they are mentally challenged, because everything I hear from them isn't different from Fox News fed republicans. Apparently the levels of stupidity associated with the US political system leaked to other countries.
Trump: the poster child of Nouveau Riche
edited 21st Jan '17 5:08:13 AM by AngelusNox
Inter arma enim silent legesSo this list of things named after the evil dog
has existed for a long time. Dude really is inclined to put his name on everything and the kitchen sink, yeah?
Sooo...Canadians attempting to cross into the US to join the Women's March are being turned away at the border.
Upon telling border agents that they were anti-Trump (which was the first question they were asked) and they intended to join the rally, they were stopped, their cars were searched, their phones examined, and their fingerprints and photographs taken. Then they were refused entry, and told that if they tried to cross the border again they would be arrested.
Things are certainly progressing quickly, aren't they.
"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."Since we got anti-vaccine idiots in the government, I'd just like to drop this here.

I personally would find it incredibly difficult to harm another human being.
But I'm not about to cry any tears for a man whose entire system of ethics argues that might makes right and empathy is weakness.
Let him get a taste of his own medicine. If the only language he understands is violence, let him hear it.
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.