> you should not try to discredit anyone for holding a set of beliefs
You should discredit the beliefs (if they are not factual), and discredit people who knowingly spread misinformation. AND you you should question at least privately whether they truly hold those beliefs or merely say they do.
Rumors. Think why spreading rumors is considered bad and unethical? It is because many people will believe them and thus get mislead. And whoever spreads the rumors typically somehow gains from doing so, perhaps simply by getting the attention of other people. When you get people to listen to you, and "believe" you, you are in a good position.
> The whole thing seems calculated for maximum drama.
We live in a culture where people have been primed to go nuclear, not just at the tiniest slight against them, but at the faintest media-driven rumor that some other person somewhere, who may not even exist, may have in theory been slighted. If those people cause drama, it is the fault of those people, not anyone else.
> As a general rule, when you’re proven right, don’t claim loudly through your open office: “I told you so, you miserable pig! I was right! Therefore, I curse you and all your family on three generations!”
Yes, and only if the words come from the mouths of trusted friends. Everything else is probably tainted by monetary incentives and should be taken with several grains of salt.
> but I can imagine many people would see telling a noble lie (of omission) to defer that inevitability for as long as possible as the right call.
Whatever the benefits of that “noble” lie are have to be weighed against entire generations of people learning that there government has no qualms about lying to them.
> Taking rumours and innuendo at face value, on the other hand, is guaranteed to hand more power to abusive people.
There are people who are very good at detecting these kind of weaknesses and exploiting them. Whenever a system of power or control is overreacting or is irrational about something, let's say terrorism, there will be people who will report their neighbors for "bomb making" or anti-government propaganda knowing the government will overreact and ruin that person's life. Instead of terrorism and government it could be a company's HR and this sexual harassment rumor network, or reporting someone for neglecting their children (playing on the "think of the children" irrationality) to the police if they cut the lawn too close to the your fence and so on.
Always a great thing to base policy on.
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