ESR's Anti-Idiotarian Manifesto

[Kutz]

Originally posted by Undertoad
X, just a quick request, is there any way you could present your argument without being such a complete and total ass about it? Thanks.

X's posts were just fine - no more belligerent than, say, MaggieL's posts. Unless anyone with an opposing argument happens to be an ass.

Originally posted by MaggieL
I think their evilness is already well-understood; will this additional study yield some new enlightenment as to their goals, means, or anything else for that matter? Or is it just what it appears to be: a bid for mindshare at gunpoint? Since you're such an exponent for this, do share with us some of the insights you've gained from your own broadminded inquiry.

Understanding the dissenting viewpoint is necessary not merely in combatting the terrorists but in ensuring greater safety of innocent people. The masses are the ones with the most power when it comes to making sure that innocent people are not killed, but its precisely the masses who are most endangering innocents of dissenting viewpoint by proclaiming them to be evil and ignoring their pain.

People don't commit terrorist acts just because they're bored or because the Great Satan needs some bleeding, they commit the acts because something is fundamentally wrong in their society. And societal troubles are important. If we're doing something to endanger a society but refuse to recognize how it hurts others, we only hinder ourselves in solving the terrorist problem. You don't punch a man in the teeth and then act suprised when he punches back.