I have been struggling with this lately. I am staunchly anti violence and anti war, and yet, I am conflicted on how far I truly would be willing to go to cull classism, fascism, racism, transphobia , homophobia, misogyny, and pedophilia from the world.

These things are abhorrent to me, and I wonder how much of my humanity I'd be willing to sacrifice in exchange for even one of these to no longer being in existence amongst the ranks of humanity.

How much good does pacifism give to the world in promoting the better angels of our nature? How much harm does it do when those same principles allow the worst among us to march down our roads and drag away our loved ones in the night?

Two scenes from media I consume have lately continually resurfaced in my mind. One is this scene from Vinland Saga, where the main character's father confronts him when he finds his sword. The father is about to go off to war, and somberly asks his son who he wants to kill with his father's sword. This culminates with the father, who again, is about to go off to war, emphatically declaring to his son that he has no enemies, that there is no such thing as enemies.

The other is this scene from Star Wars Andor, in which a high level spy of a burgeoning Rebellion is asked by a compatriot (who wishes to quit fighting the Empire due to possibly being found out), asks what he sacrifices for the fight against the Empire. The monologue he delivers is chilling, acknowledging he sacrifices all things that make him human, he becomes like his enemy in order to defeat them. When he reflects on the question, and asks, "So what do I sacrifice? Everything!"

That...is what I believe I will have to give up in order for there to be a sunrise for the people I love tomorrow. I'll have to give up my humanity, everything. And I am afraid. I am selfish. I don't want to. But I don't know any other way.

The feelings that scene stir up in me resonate because that is how I feel when I think on the fascist cancer that has once again metastasized in America. Having no enemies... if only. Truly. Having enemies robs me of my humanity, because in fighting them I must bury my humanity. And I know that once I do that, there's no going back. There will be no redemption.

The thing I am struggling with is... am I the one who makes them my enemies? Or are they? And if the only thing we can agree on is that we are enemies...then what choice do we have when they come for me and those I claim as my kin?

No. Some people want to control other people because of their various sky daddies or a simple greed. And those are the ones fucking up your life. Everyone else could more or less get along, but fanatics, billionaires and other people hungry for control of others are actively make sure we don't.

If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?

Some are fascists. Some are not. That's a pretty big distinction.

I'm not sure that's true. One side has empathy. The other does not. I don't want to be friends with someone who doesn't have empathy.

You make this argument and it immediately falls apart because people revert to "Well they want to do this, this, and this, so they actually are an enemy"

You see it here in these very comments. If you are different from the "normal" you will eventually be hated, regardless of whoever is in power. It is human nature. It has not changed, it will not change.

People, families, tribes, nations have risen to power and subsequently lost power. It's cyclical and will continue until we are inevitably wiped out by ourselves or the universe.

Actually, I'm special. The right told me my parents told me so.

Yup we're all idiots

Paradox of tolerance

I think of people who vote for bad politicans as useful idiots.

The average voter actually believe trump will make things better. There are people to somehow still believe trump isnt a racist. I don't know whats going on with their brains.

Like, of course there are those who are bigots and want more bigotry in government, but there are also many who are not exactly hateful racists or misogynists, they simply aren't that smart and easily get swayed by social media posts.

Think of them as victims of a scam (well, except that this is a on a much bigger scale and have more serious consequences 🙁)

I mean I don't expect people to forgive them for what they voted for, I mean I personally would have a hard time being around those types of people, but like, would you tell your grandparents: "It's your fault you got scammed"

I feel like a hypocrite for saying this, because on an emotional level, I hate hate everyone who voted for the fascist. But then when I think about the situation with my rational part of my brain, I realize people are just idiots and fall victim to the fascist scam. Its not necessary the person, but its that this is what our species is. A biological machine that although capable of rational thought, can still be easily manipulated.

Yelling at a person and telling them that they are stupid isnt gonna get them out of the scam, but talking to them might.

We aren't in a civil war yet, there might still time for dialogue.

Relevant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_universal

This is true, but some of us are actually very different. That's not always a bad thing, either.

Yes, it gets problematic as soon as extreme positions and mentalities enter the equation. All extrem positions are toxic, extreme left, extreme right, extreme religious (any religion), extreme fans of a sports club, extreme anything doesn't matter.

If we could find some kind of balance, some true middle ground without huge extremes, then the world would be a much nicer place.