• snek_boi@lemmy.ml
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    12 days ago

    I’m glad we’re on the same page.

    I do agree that lots of people on Lemmy have been inoculated against the fascism disease. So much so that, if something smells like fascist arson, Lemmy immediately grabs the fire extinguisher. Extinguish the fire first. Ask questions later. It seems like this is the price to pay if a community is to defend itself against fascism, if a community is to defend tolerance from fascism, if a community is to protect democracy from fascists. If that is the price to pay, I very much think it’s worth it.

    But that doesn’t mean that it’s not frustrating to hear your story, where it sounds as if the anti-fascist fire extinguisher was deployed and released upon you, even though you are explicitly not pro-fascist and even anti-fascist (to the extent that supporting workers is anti-fascism). I can see how this could seem unfair, annoying, or frustrating.

    My comments are not perfect, given the inaccuracy I implied before. However, would it be out of place for me to recommend a way of approaching fascist or conservative stories in the future to avoid the fire extinguisher? If not, maybe it’s worthwhile checking out what George Lakoff has to say about conservative and progressive framing. He proposes a way of facing the facts, much in the same way that you seem to think that it is important to understand conservatives, but doing so in a way that doesn’t feed the fascist fire. He proposes a way of understanding reality, with the feet firmly planted on the ground, taking well-placed step after step, without losing sight of the goal: a future where we all contribute to the welfare of everyone.