Will Shetterly's Blog, page 33

Things shared on Dec 14ths

To support the death penalty you have to believe the American justice system never makes mistakes or that it's okay to kill some innocent people in order to kill guilty ones. - Procrastination: The fine art of doing things at the worst possible moment. - When you become a socialist, some questions asked by fans of capitalism seem bizarre. They make me imagine fans of feudalism asking, "But if

Things shared on Dec 13ths

"The movement for racial justice has shifted its focus from inequality to “disparity,” while neatly evading any critique of the structures that produce inequality." —Adolph Reed Jr. - You can't convince people to treat others with respect by treating them with disrespect.

Things shared on Dec 12ths

“there is a gap between the black middle and the black lower classes as wide as that between the black and white races.” —Henry Louis Gates in 1998 The gap between rich and poor has only grown greater since then. - Centrism is misnamed for many reasons, not the least of which is that it is not about uniting the right and left. It's about attacking them. - “Institutional racism” is how

Things shared on Nov 11ths

Insults are like gifts. If you don't accept them, they belong to the person who offers them. - Tyrants think the truth is treason. - Old justice: Trial by combat New justice: Trial by social media - #EasyDeliciousSandwich Mix 1 can tuna with spicy guacamole, put on favorite bread. (Today, a toasted ciabatta roll.) Devour. - The easiest way to recognize classist Democrats: Do they

Things shared on Dec 10ths

Gossip shows how editing works: characters are merged, explanations are cut, and drama is heightened. - Thanks to the Electoral College, you can't blame anyone in a blue state for Trump. Bonus: you can blame everyone in a red state. - If we talked about the race of the poor, would identitarians oppose the race of the rich? - Capitalists say communism is responsible for the worst things done

Things shared on Dec 9ths

"You're not funny" may mean "We have different senses of humor" but usually means "I'm a humorless prig." - "If I wasn't studying psychopaths in prison, I'd do it at the stock exchange" -Robert Hare - If we have to have capitalism, can we at least nationalize Patreon?

Things shared on Dec 8ths

Why Americans talk constantly about race and gender, and rarely about class: "The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum ...That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on." —Noam Chomsky - I don't understand people who only share things they completely agree with.

Things shared on Dec 7ths

People in District 1 love thinking the problem with District 12 is racism and sexism. - Interviewer: What happens to people of independent mind? Noam Chomsky: They become taxi drivers. - My friending policy: I friend anyone who makes a request who doesn’t look like a spammer. I don’t friend anyone who is suggested because I already can’t keep up with my FB friends, so I‘d feel funny asking

Martin Luther King never supported reparations—his "check" referred to job programs and universal basic income

Identitarians claim Martin Luther King supported reparations and quote him saying, "We are coming to get our check." But when they do, they erase the context. The full quote is "Now, when we come to Washington in this campaign, we are coming to get our check." The campaign was the Poor People's Campaign, and the check was for all poor people. King was a democratic socialist. He wanted to help

Things shared on Dec 6ths

If your solution hurts innocent people, it is a bad solution. #ThingsThatShouldBeObvious - Why modern feminism’s “Believe the victim” slogan seems so juvenile: Believing women never lie or are mistaken and men do not deserve the presumption of innocence is the next step from believing girls are made of sugar and spice, but boys are made of puppydog tails. - “When truth is replaced by silence,