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Guttermouth's avatar

I'm not sure what all the permission-granting for me to speak is in aid of.

You explicitly stated the situations are comparable. I argue that the absence of coercion of any kind makes them quite incomparable. I don't care what people think of me if I'm not being coerced.

The matter is not simply scale. One was global systematic oppression, the other was free bottled water that didn't hurt anyone that you were allowed not to take.

I also don't care what others do if they aren't coercing me. I don't become aggressive and belligerent. If I am being coerced, I do.

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Ivo Bakota's avatar

I see your point but I think you may have missed mine. What I see is one bunch of loud mouths on a cat's website criticizing another loud mouth for his actions and taking themselves a little bit too seriously. I just found that funny, even a bit hypocritical. As someone that goes by the name Guttermouth and someone that wrote an article titled "He who smelt it dealt it" and "I'm sorry you're an asshole, Part 1", I thought you might also find it funny, it wasn't meant as an attack on you personally or on your values. Sorry, if it didn't come across that way.

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Guttermouth's avatar

I don't take it as an attack. It's just an argument. Don't worry.

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Ivo Bakota's avatar

No problem. I hadn't seen your substack before, I just looked you up to see if you had a sense of humour. You obviously do. You just don't share my view, or think it's funny. That's cool.

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TIOK's avatar

Thanks kids - you've made my point.

A discussion. A debate. Different points of view. No censorship or curation needed to protect the two of you from each other. No need to agree but still able to enjoy each other's contribution.

Don't try this in some other forums (like any university in the US, Canada or Europe!).

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