Re: META: Banning Iraq discussion

From: Hubert Mania (humania@t-online.de)
Date: Wed Feb 19 2003 - 00:22:01 MST

  • Next message: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky: "META/IRAQ: Placing IRAQ keyword in subject lines"

    Lee Corbin wrote:

    > Oh, Avatar, you should ignore those calls for "no more
    > talk about X". For one thing, it violates the spirit
    > of openness. But that's a minor point compared to:
    >
    > WHY DON'T PEOPLE MERELY SKIP THREADS AND POSTERS
    > THAT DON'T INTEREST THEM?

    Exactly! Why on earth don't you just IGNORE these threads instead of
    implanting scissors into the brains of your community members? Though I
    hated the gun dicussions of the past years I nevertheless got infuriated
    when they were banned. And I feel the same when it comes to this new kind of
    mild censorship.

    I can tell you, the Iraq discussions cost a lot of nerve cells. I never
    expected to have to deal with people here on the list who end every email
    with a quote from Richard Nixon and use a George Orwell impression from the
    1940s to push pacifist into the circle of fascists. Or people who say they
    passed a place where massive violations of democratic rights took place
    (Chicago 1968/9?) twice a day and did not notice anything wrong. This always
    leaves me speechless . . .

    BUT....

    now that an imbecile US President who believes he is God sent wants to set
    the world on fire it would be remote from reality to ban such a vital topic.
    Despite some flame mails I still believe in the rational mindset behind all
    the stirred up emotions and I still regard a conservative, patriotic and
    war supporting transhumanist as a member of this community. So I want to
    listen to what he says because in the end I do have trust in them and
    believe that we have very important common goals that I would not find in
    the majority of my like minded pacifist friends. And anyway...it always
    sharpens your intellectual tools to deal with those who oppose you stance.
    Always receiving applause is getting boring.

    So please, all you wannabe banners: simply ignore the Iraq threads and let
    us in "peace", with our war.



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