
A Witch-Hunt on Instagram - mastazi
https://quillette.com/2019/02/17/a-witch-hunt-on-instagram/
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mhuffman
Outrage culture is a cancer.

You can find offense in literally any statement. Try to think of any statement
that can't be twisted into offense.

The fact that it can now (thanks to both SJWs and Alt-Right) be weaponized is
perhaps only second to the complete archiving of everyone's personal data, as
the worst thing about the Internet.

"Boycotts" consist not of refusing to buy something from a company, but
systematically harassing every element in a company's supply chain until they
just give in and do what you want to stop the drama.

"Witch-hunts" ruin lives and have driven people to suicide.

Some people say, "well you shouldn't say things if you don't want the
response", and I think TFA shows a great example of that not being the case at
all. You could be (from your perspective) talking or sharing with friends, and
offend someone (as established above, this is impossible not to do) and now
you are off to the races!

Others claim it is a powerful tool to stop racists and bigots. I would say
that a nuclear bomb would also stop racists and bigots, but like this cancer,
it will also destroy everyone else in the process.

People should be called out on this shit, even if they are doing it for a
noble reason.

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sanxiyn
It is indeed comical when people object to so-called cultural appropriation,
say Japan, when those who are supposed to be appropriated have no objection at
all.

~~~
tomp
What's even funnier is it's often people (who are not British nor their
descendants) raising this objection in the English language...

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PostOnce
You don't have to humor every opinion, nor rebut them, and it's quite okay to
tell people that you don't care about their opinions at all. They can go
seethe and sulk somewhere else.

It's also okay to publicly laugh at people who demand the world revolve around
them, or insist that you can't wear a certain hat or eat a certain food or
travel to a certain place for fun.

Be a little less afraid of opinions.

edit: and maybe a little more vicious in your own defense, lest this all get
worse.

~~~
zimablue
Except that in cases like this, the people objecting aren't just "voicing an
opinion", they're what amount to keen amateur oppo research/reputation and
business destruction operatives.

Read the article, they go straight to how do we destroy this person's
sponsors, purchasers, kill their following.

~~~
PostOnce
In the end you have two options, give in, or don't -- and if you give in, they
may still say "not good enough" or "I don't believe you".

If you negotiate with hostage takers, you encourage hostage taking.

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georgiecasey
all these witch hunts can be boiled down to the fact that everybody loves
drama, it's just entertaining

~~~
zimablue
It's not drama that people love, it's a group identity based on perceived
injustice, gives one like a thrill of self righteousness. If it was drama, it
wouldn't be all about the identity politics we'd be reading some gossip mag to
find out who is sleeping with whose ex.

~~~
PurpleRamen
Basicslly a modern version of
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wave_(novel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wave_\(novel\))
?

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bitbang
I can picture them all with rocks and knitted beards...

Now look, no one is to stone anyone until I blow this whistle. _Even_...and I
want to make this absolutely clear... _even_ if they _do_ say "White."

------
darkpuma
When accusations of 'isms become a sport, it's a wonder there's anybody left
using their real name online to say anything but the most mundane.

------
nickpp
Late-stage socialism: when what creators look like, think and say matters more
than their actual creations.

~~~
darkpuma
These "late-stage" memes strike me as very optimistic; things could get a lot
worse than they are today.

