The actual number of neo-Nazis is very small but we hear more about them because they're the greatest troublemakers and because of history.
There are many disgruntled conservatives and former lefists who are also upset about authoritarism on the left. The neo-Nazis are using their sentiment as fuel, so to speak.
We can see a similar thing happening with Antifa emboldend by the current clout of social Marxism.
It is not a matter of "being afraid", it is a matter of those people propagating an ideology based on the subjugation and extermination of minorities, and calling for violence and direct action against said minorities.
When one side is literally Nazis, there is no middle ground and reasoned dialogue, because they've already shown countless times that they cannot be reasoned with. They simply use any talking time to further spread their hate.
Have you considered that we see the growing use of Nazi lingo because the amount of violence being committed by neo-nazis is rising?
You can say 'believe whatever you want', but what we've clearly seen is that belief turning into action. This in turn is why platforms are taking action against them.
I disagree. I may be wrong, but it would appear that you feel personally attacked. I am not sure how people storming capital AND fighting cops AND leaving pipe bombs in said building want to kill you specifically. I do not see the connection. Are you a staffer/lawmaker/cop there or something?
I recognize that tensions are high, but shouting "literally neo Nazis" is not a great argument in US for a variety of reasons ( not completely unlike antisemitism, it lost some of its punch ).
You need to lay off yourself. People didn't just point out that something is not good. They are claiming that it's the same as Nazi Germany and that you shouldn't even be allowed to discuss it or protest.
oh, come on. Frankly, I think demonizing each other is the real damage being done online and in the media lately.
I'm happy to admit I downvoted the above comment because it's jumping to conclusions and charged with hyperbole.
I think what's more concerning is the decisive language and open calls for conflict I've seen on social media. ...and I think we need to really pause for a moment and remember back, maybe 5-6 years ago to see how we got here...
When Obama was President, the ADL reported that there were, maybe 2000, Nazis and KKK members in the US. Tho THOUSAND. That's it. No one talked about the KKK or Nazis. How did we go from that to people accusing anyone who disagrees with them of being a Nazi?
At first, I was surprised that certain things became more mainstream on Reddit - like the open disdain for the concept of "compromise", the acceptance that their own news sources are biased, and the downward spiral of political posts to simply posting insults - there isn't even an effort to make an argument anymore.
Initially, I chalked it up to the extremist tendency of the two-party system - but I'm starting to think there is something more sinister going on. There are too many new accounts demanding violence. Too many international posters with no skin in the game voting for the worst responses. Too many threads where people refuse to discuss and talk only about punitive, and often violent, actions. This is conveniently exactly what the FBI reported Russian online teams were doing4 years ago. Maybe they're still at it?
I hope you'll join me in not throwing name calling around. Encouraging more intelligent discourse - at least on HN? ...and try to believe me when I say that I honestly believe(d) some idiot intern just posted an upside-down red triangle.
No, I don't. Neo-nazis have always existed, have always killed people, and have always been very few. Same for any other group you care to name. Violence overall is on a down trend.
What is wrong with these people? Why do they treat people like this? Why is it these people always seem to jump to the big three [0] in protest of something they don't like? Are they that childish they can't express themselves in a more humane and intelligent way?
One hears about this seemingly regularly. It needs to stop.
Damned right. It is very scary. Fortunately, more people are starting to fight back. I've got a ready army of supporters, but they are Nazis and I'm not sure how helpful they will be.
The ACLU and EFF are busy right now. But they are on my side. They put up announcements but aren't able to do much. So, I keep doing what I have been doing.
I get two or three converts each time. I watch the karma change. I see the replies.
If you're not supporting free speech, stand over there and let us do it. When it finally clicks in, come join us - but you will be defending horrible speech. Horrible...
I go and immerse myself in this speech. I make it know on that I am not one of them. I go to voat and tell them my race and political views. I tell them that I'm there to fight for free speech. They actually accept me. Mostly... I've got a few to move out of their white nationalist gangs and one is getting a tattoo removed. So, it's a start.
Neonazis on social media is an ACTUAL PROBLEM that is relevant in a lot of contexts today, for example one of Putin's absurd false justifications for his invasion is to 'clean nazis out'. Don't just see the word 'nazi' and flip out. Nazis are back and making real strides in many countries and spaces.
Neo-nazis and their ideology directly threatens the very lives of a lot of people, and it's basically impossible to argue against them because they already understand these ir position and just don't care about any of the myriad reasons why they're wrong.
This is where the "punch a nazi" thing comes from. They're a very real personal threat to people, and they can't be convinced to change their mind, so all you can really do is get them to shut up and go away, and the way you do that is by punching them. If you can make them afraid to express their neo-nazi ideas, then that's a win.
Yeah, it's not like we have actual Neo Nazis marching in our streets chanting things like "The Jews will not replace us!". It's just a bunch of SJW calling everyone intolerant so they can be intolerant themselves.
It is a problem, but not the way you are exaggerating it to be. You act as if there is a nazi army ready to march on the nation, but that's not happening. We do have pockets of bigots and racists and god knows what else, but they don't have huge bases of support unless we act like they do. Nazis want to feel important, they want people to get riled up and fight them. That's what the actual nazis did.
ordinary Nazi running around and slapping PoC
There are a lot of bigots and racists doing thaT, but unless we're being really loose with the term nazi, we don't actually have that many nazis running around.
Their worst acts were in the mid 1990s (OKC). Hell, in 1999 in Jasper, some racists lynched a man. 1999! Those people have always been around, they always will be around. There's always going to be some number of incidents. That does not mean they have real power nor should people act like they do.
Can't we just acknowledge the situation as a bunch of angry kids saying hurtful things for attention ("I wish you were DEAD!")?
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