Comment by trimethylpurine
4 days ago
I didn't say I don't care. I vote locally, in every election. And I often speak with lobbyists that are friends and acquaintances.
You think people pointing out problems in a broken system are the problem.
Respectfully then, YOU'RE the problem. Before you decide to fix something, you ought to stop and ask what people have already tried.
That's called team work.
> You think people pointing out problems in a broken system are the problem.
Not what I said, nor does it follow from what I said. Also, not really what you were doing. There's a difference between pointing out problems, or using the existence of problems to trash the reputation of something or someone. Problems are easy to find. It's a convenient excuse to hide behind. But in the end, you can tell from how things are being presented and contextualized, and from what conclusion is actually being promoted.
I'm not going to keep discussing this with you. I think I've done enough to counter this corrosive narrative, no matter where it comes from.
If you're genuine and you do in fact care, you might want to ponder what you're doing, and if it's making things better or worse.
Have a nice day.
I've provided an opinion, you've insulted me. Then told me to have a nice day.
I'm sorry to tell you, you're simply in the wrong. It's you causing the problems. Self reflect.
Read again, and honestly self reflect.
You're pointing at everyone but yourself and spreading discord. Ask yourself if that's what peace looks like.
Okay, I've reflected on our conversation. Please let me try to explain my position. At the end, you'll have my answer to what you wanted me to ask myself.
You have your opinion, and you're free to express it. However, you chose to express it in a way commonly used by the enemies of democracy and liberty. That does not make you one of them, not at all. But it should give you pause. Why do they say the things they do? They are after a certain effect. Is this the effect that you also want?
They use it, have used it, are using it, because they know it's effective in undermining trust in the system and because it helps their agenda of replacing it with something much worse. This has worked in the past, and we can see it working in the present. Yes, the system is flawed, but your way of expressing opinions about it is demonstrably not helping to make it better, on the contrary.
As I tried to make clear, there are constructive and destructive ways to "point out problems". That's why I asked you to consider the danger of your words. So, of course you can provide opinions, but you are also responsible for their effect, and if you do care, you should be mindful of it. Criticism is fine and necessary, but a I said before, what conclusion it promotes matters a great deal.
My goal in this conversations was mainly to not let your position stand undisputed, to show up how unfairly reductive it is, and how much that only serves to undermine what we should all care for.
I did not intend to insult you. I did point out what I perceive as flaws and real-life consequences of your position, and I turned your heavy insinuation of naivete back at you. I stand by the stance that comments like yours above are problematic, for the reasons given.
I do realize you feel insulted nonetheless. I also realize that my comments were lacking empathy for your position. In the end, I do care more about pushing back this narrative than about how you feel, but maybe that's the wrong way to go about it. My words were harsh, and you must have felt bad. For that, I feel bad, and I'm sorry.
Differences of opinion exist, and discussing them and their consequences is a necessary part of dealing with them. This is in fact what peace looks like, and how you defend and preserve it: by talking it out. And having said that, I again wish you a nice day.
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