Lately I see a lot of calls do have specific instances defederated for a particular subset of reasons:

  • Don’t like their content
  • Dont like their political leaning
  • Dont like their free speech approach
  • General feeling of being offended
  • I want a safe space!
  • This instance if hurting vulnerable people

I personally find each and every one of these arguments invalid. Everybody has the right to live in an echo chamber, but mandating it for everyone else is something that goes a bit too far.

Has humanity really developed into a situation where words and thoughts are more hurtful than sticks and stones?

Edit: Original context https://slrpnk.net/post/554148

Controversial topic, feel free to discuss!

  • Lovstuhagen_EH@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    01·
    1 year ago

    Exploding Heads guy here…

    I’d like to say that the Exploding Heads admin, Kapow, is first & foremost anti-censorship. He’s going to let anyone post things - there are lines in the sand not to be crossed, but the general belief of Kapow and many of the core contributors is that free speech doesn’t hurt anyone.

    Kapow is not far right. Many of the EH members are just Libertarians. Another large amount are Trump-type “populist right.” Call them fascists, I don’t care. It’s fine. A rose by any other name… But there aren’t any Nazis on Exploding Heads. We banned one just the other day.

    The topic here is free speech & the marketplace of ideas and I can tell you that… man changes and grows throughout his life, and that people grow and change more through education, free exchange of ideas, exposure to the truth, than they do through isolation, shame, hatred…

    In fact, the quickest way to make an asshole act like an asshole and become incapable of change is to treat him like an asshole.

    I think if you are actually pro-peace, you must be pro-liberty, beause you would deny yourself the ability to coerce.

    I think if you are actually pro-democracy, you are 100% supportive of free speech, because you would not use coercion and censorship to manufacture consensus and have a stranglehold on society.

    I think anyone who believes in any value we can call “progressive” must first believe in the right of the individual to express themselves freely, and they should be secure enough in who they are to allow themselves to be challenged and to be ready to interact in good faith with others.