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Punching up is good, hurting others isn't? How does that work?
Might be a cultural translation issue here :)
'Punching up' means its OK to question and protest/argue with those perceived to have more power than you - i.e. laws you don't agree with, overly powerful/shitty politicians etc. 'Punching down' is by contrast attacking people who might have less power than you in a particular situation i.e. you never report someone stealing baby food in a supermarket etc.
I don't quite understand the significance of the perceived level of power in this context. Shouldn't it be acceptable to criticize virtually anything you disagree with? I get the sentiment, but it seems to break down when you consider the edge cases. To me, it sounds like this would justify the most underprivileged individuals acting poorly towards everyone else, while someone like the president couldn't criticize even the most fringe extremists.
Downvoted for literally questioning the highest voted response...