I'm #curious about something...
I've been getting a fair amount of #connection #requests here on #Mastodon from people on the far far far left, and almost none from the right, or the far right, or even the far far right.
Now, I'm pretty clear (or so I think, anyway) that I do not care to associate with extremists from either side.
#Fiscally, I'm #conservative - in the sense that I don't believe we should spend money we don't have.
#Regarding #people, I'm pretty #center-of-the-road, maybe #leaning a bit #left. I believe that everyone, regardless of their choices (or not-choices), should have the same rights as everyone else, and be able to live in peace, as long as they're not causing direct harm to anyone else.
I am, therefore, confused as to why people whose default mode of #communication involves #NameCalling, #VirtueSignaling, #condmenation of #otherism, and #looking for #fights would want to connect with me. I do not wish to associate with people who only wish to further divide this country with their #shortsighted #selfimportant #diatribe and #hatemongering .
If I have ideas that are different from theirs, or try to ask questions about their stance and point of view, all that will happen is they will turn around and block me, then report me for doing <InsertEvilThingHere> when all I was doing was clarifying their position so I know how to continue consideration of their position.
It's happened far too many times in the past.
Fist off, #Folks, #Mastodon isn't #Birdsite or #Twitter. Your hate-filled rants really belong here, in my opinion. That's what #Twitter and #FaceBook and #Instagram are for.
This is supposed to be a place where ideas can be exchanged, discussed, and mulled without fear of condemnation - where someone isn't attacked for their thoughts, or for asking questions.
There's a Mister Badger (with a number after it) who is an example of this. This person's obvious hatred of anyone who isn't as far Left (I believe they call it "progressive", but that's for another post and another time) as they are. I'm NOT that far left, and would almost certainly be grouped in with Nazis and Klansjerks by this person.
So why did they reach out with a connection request? I don't know. Maybe they're looking for a new victim to browbeat so they can feel morally superior? Maybe they think that if I see enough hatred of <insert any group here> I'll start to feel the same? (That's the same tactic used by WS groups, Nazis, and the Klan, by the way...)
I'm just unsure of the motives, there, and that's why I rejected that connection. I've rejected others for similar reasons.
Perhaps I need to re-visit my profile and make it clear that I don't support hate, no matter which side of which aisle it comes from.

@gilduran this has really been bothering me lately.

They have made caring about other people - having empathy - a bad thing.

I understand how this is an extension of the beliefs around individualism being more important than collective well being, but hard to believe that so many have easily fallen into the trap under the simplicity of #otherism

So sad by this, and now ESG is getting hit too... ugh

Opinion: Perhaps a more fun read than it ought to be, and would contend it goes back beyond Nietzsche or the Old West; it's still chock full of critical cultural icons and ideas that reflect our de-evolution as a species back to the ultra-violent roots of tribal Sodom and the Antediluvian Period.

"American Culture Is Returning to the Old West"

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/fargo-creator-american-culture-politics-wild-west/672237/ #NoahHawley #society #culture #violence #otherism #othering #tribalism @theatlantic

#sexism #otherism #stereotypes

This stereotype still angers my French mum and other French women in my family. 🇫🇷 🤬

The #French #FemmeFataleTrope: Debunking #NonFrenchPopCulturesFantasy | #Amplified

#documentary #documentaire #film

#françaises #femmes

Put the word ‘French’ before #woman’ and who do you see? The ‘chic’ ideal of fashion and beauty campaigns, the female protagonist of a #Frenchfilm, or the wo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5394KiRU9Ec

#sexism #otherism #stereotypes

This stereotype still angers my French mum and other French women in my family.

The #French #FemmeFataleTrope: Debunking #Non-French Pop Culture's Fantasy | #Amplified

Put the word ‘French’ before #woman’ and who do you see? The ‘chic’ ideal of fashion and beauty campaigns, the female protagonist of a French film, or the wo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5394KiRU9Ec

@ogtrekker I just love that this article (five years old now) brought in the logic (Yay Vulcans) to simply explain why #IDIC does not encompass #bigotry #racism #sexism #TERF ideology #homophobia #antisemitism and various toxic forms of #otherism that it has been used to justify in the past.

I had been looking for a way to explain the the difference between "infinite" and "all inclusive" and this article states it so aptly. Feels current for today's #fediverse

@martinb @r_mccormack @Sultans_Seal
I agree. Also with the idea that #otherism and #racism existed the world over. But it seems to me that the industrial scale of #colonialism by European countries of African, Asian, and S. American peoples, including *ownership* of people as livestock for financial gain, was a very particular low point which engendered a revolting, protectionist response when challenged, just as news media was also expanding..

#sexism #otherism #stereotypes

This stuff still angers my mum and other women in my family.

The #French #FemmeFataleTrope: Debunking #Non-French Pop Culture's Fantasy | #Amplified

Put the word ‘French’ before #woman’ and who do you see? The ‘chic’ ideal of fashion and beauty campaigns, the female protagonist of a French film, or the wo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5394KiRU9Ec