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Vivienne Schell

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Posts posted by Vivienne Schell

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, Jackson Redstar said:

    "Fascism - can be characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition" Deplatforming and outing everyone who supported or voted for a position/person that the party in power doesn't approve of is also know as Fascism

    Unfortunately the word "fascism" has been widely abused by the far left and the soviet dictatorships to label their opponents. So it lost it´s orginal meaning in the public attention.  Unfortunately fascism still is fascism. I find Eco´s definition from 1996 very helpful.

    1. "The Cult of Tradition", characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction. When all truth has already been revealed by Tradition, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement.
    2. "The Rejection of modernism", which views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. Eco distinguishes this from a rejection of superficial technological advancement, as many fascist regimes cite their industrial potency as proof of the vitality of their system.
    3. "The Cult of Action for Action's Sake", which dictates that action is of value in itself, and should be taken without intellectual reflection. This, says Eco, is connected with anti-intellectualism and irrationalism, and often manifests in attacks on modern culture and science.
    4. "Disagreement Is Treason" – Fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical reasoning as barriers to action, as well as out of fear that such analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith.
    5. "Fear of Difference", which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners and immigrants.
    6. "Appeal to a Frustrated Middle Class", fearing economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of lower social groups.
    7. "Obsession with a Plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society (such as the German elite's 'fear' of the 1930s Jewish populace's businesses and well-doings; see also anti-Semitism). Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession.
    8. Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak." On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will.
    9. "Pacifism is Trafficking with the Enemy" because "Life is Permanent Warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to not build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war.
    10. "Contempt for the Weak", which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fascist polities, as they encourage leaders to despise their underlings, up to the ultimate Leader who holds the whole country in contempt for having allowed him to overtake it by force.
    11. "Everybody is Educated to Become a Hero", which leads to the embrace of a cult of death. As Eco observes, "[t]he Ur-Fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he more frequently sends other people to death."
    12. "Machismo", which sublimates the difficult work of permanent war and heroism into the sexual sphere. Fascists thus hold "both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality."
    13. "Selective Populism" – The People, conceived monolithically, have a Common Will, distinct from and superior to the viewpoint of any individual. As no mass of people can ever be truly unanimous, the Leader holds himself out as the interpreter of the popular will (though truly he dictates it). Fascists use this concept to delegitimize democratic institutions they accuse of "no longer represent[ing] the Voice of the People."
    14. "Newspeak" – Fascism employs and promotes an impoverished vocabulary in order to limit critical reasoning.
    • Like 5

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Arielle Popstar said:

    Because maybe you might learn something new. It is what you learn after you know it all that is important. When a readily available medicine has been proven to be able to flatten the covid 19 death curve, then there is something grossly wrong with your "science" when you continue to promote the idea that only an expensive and mostly unproven vaccine is the only salvation. 100,000's of thousands of unnecessary deaths because you don't like the political figure who first mentioned it. Yay you.

    Let me summarise your breathtaking enlightment.

    You basically say that every government on the planet, every "mainstream" scientist on the planet as well as the the "left" and whomever you dislike has the intention to let 100,000´s of thousand people die unnecessarily?

    Really? Why should they do that? Explain.

     

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted · Edited by Vivienne Schell

    3 hours ago, Arielle Popstar said:

    But at the end of the day is there any real difference between blocking people and their ideas or articles on websites you don't like? I see it time and again where an idea presented on a Right wing site or even one non political but challenging of what is considered to be mainstream science is brushed off without consideration. No dialogue, no discussion, closed minded to a different perspective or new information.

    To me this is treading very close to the pot and kettle syndrome.

    Science does not challenge  1+1=2. And if some people at so called "altenative" (ahem) websites claim that 1+1=3 in the headline, why bother to read the rest? Why should i have a dialogue with someone who either has no brain or is a cynic psycho?

     

    • Like 2

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

    To a degree, YES.  

    The founding fathers did believe that power corrupts and that if you get too much power in one place, it will cause trouble.  Thus the need for checks and balances - part of why we have the 3 different branches of government:  to help limit how much the power hurts us.

    So even corrupt politicians earn some credits, occasionally, hehe.

    Anyways, there´s as much idiocy, stupidity, criminal energy and corruption in politics as there is anywhere else. and the very most neither are corrupt nor criminals nor "leeches" but they try to do what the souvereign ordered them to to. Which usually is a damned tough job.

    • Like 1

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted · Edited by Vivienne Schell

    4 minutes ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

    There is no such thing as a "true democracy". The term is <insert appropriate word here*> . Maybe you are thinking of a pure democracy, a form of government which is doomed to failure like all pure forms of government.

    People tend to think the US is a pure democracy. It isn't. It is a democratic republic. 

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_republic

    Unfortunately a democratic republic always offers the option to get voted out of business. At least theoretically.

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

    Political speeches are held to trigger voting a particular way.  They are trying to influence thinking, which is really what all 'call to action' speeches are attempting -- and commercials.

    We cannot ban speech just because we don't want anyone else to think the same way.

    No one wants to ban speeches. But it´s illusional to think that the content of each and any speech is following a constitutional path.

    Also, voting or not doesn´t matter. Stalin didn´t hold speeches to enocurage people to vote.

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

    No, I don't agree that a PUBLICLY funded place can deny any group the ability to hold rallies and speak what they believe.

    Private institutions can, but the government is restricted by the constitution and that trickles down to publicly funded places as well.

    The phrase is "While I might hate what you have to say, I will defend your right to say it".  

    Exactly my opinion. And then show up there and express disagreement - in huge numbers.

    • Like 2

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    9 minutes ago, Garnet Psaltery said:

    [Disclaimer]  I am not American.  I believe both sides are as corrupt as each other.

    I've been trying to find a video on YouTube of a hearing concerning the counting of votes after Republican observers and most others were told to go as counting was 'stopped for the night'.  The counting continued until after 1 am.  It has been deleted from YouTube and from a private message to a friend on Facebook.  I find this a matter for concern.

    Apparently the courts disagree with you. If you are unsure, file a case at your local court, if you are so entitled, and add one more number to the row of thrown out, baseless claims.

    • Like 1

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted · Edited by Vivienne Schell

    4 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

    Yes, I want everyone to have free speech, because if only certain groups are allowed free speech, eventually that will come down to "only my group is allowed free speech".

    I define 'free speech' as spouting your opinions on things, excluding a call to kill folks.

    Unfortunately fascism kills people. It´s it´s nature.

    • Like 2

    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    43 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

     

    Fascism as many understand it now, is an alt left movement.

    Mussolini nationalised 75 percent of the italian economy over the years. The Nazis did not do the same in germany, while Hitler originally had much more pseudo-socialist approach than Mussolini.

    As Luna said, fascism can move either way and also adapts to local circumstances in order to secure it´s power. Same on the other side, Stalin was not like Lenin, and Lenin was not like Gorbatchov. But they all were declared commmunists.

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    Protecting Second Life From Hate Groups Hiding & Organizing Here

    in General Discussion Forum

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, Drayke Newall said:

    Over reacting like the left are doing in mass banning's, removing platforms, threatening to remove the president before his time is up (which is asking for trouble imo) etc is not 'crisis mode' it is 'there goes the chicken without his head mode'.

    Since when are straight out capitalist companies and corporations labeled "left"?

    There must be something wrong with your idea of what "left" and "right" is. Or has Twitter been nationalised by the deep state? Did imiss something?

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