My book reading club does not seem interested in that though, which is sad.
This, right here, is a sign of stupidity.
If one downplays or denigrates the importance of understanding opponents’ arguments or positions, that is a person incapable of critical thought. They’re not capable of informed decisions, and their opinions on the subjects or opponents in question are worthless.
They aren’t against reading these things on your own time, that would be stupid as fuck. That’s just not really why we started the club, as it’s a leftist theory reading club. That’s the argument I’ve been given anyway. But whatever I don’t care, I can read on my own time anyway as well.
It’s similar to conspiracy debunkers and how they sometimes fall prey to the conspiracies they debunk. If you read enough of their shit, your mind fills with shit.
Sometimes it takes hold.
It shouldn’t be required reading, and bluntly, isn’t necessary are to read Mein Kampf to understand hitler, and giving broad platform is only going to normalize hitler’s rationalizations.
(And let’s be clear. The rhetoric may not be entirely how he thought. It was propaganda to play up people’s fear- especially fear of the Other.)
Banning Mein Kampf and other politically taboo books will never stop people from becoming authoritarian monsters. This pearl clutching about reading material seems to be endless.
Of course, it shouldn’t be required reading for an average person. It should for someone who claims to be an expert on subjects that are directly related to it.
If a counter-terrorism intelligence analyst doesn’t read the manifestos of their targets, they can’t do their jobs effectively and should be fired. Doesn’t mean that they secretly harbor a yearning for a “global caliphate” or bombing more federal buildings.
Normal folks shouldn’t have to read “taboo” material, or anything for that matter (I had to read it for History class), but if they don’t and claim to be experts or pass themselves as authorities on said material, then they’re wannabe know-it-alls whose opinion about it is next to worthless.
Why? Because they didn’t do the homework related to primary source material and are uninformed about the nature of what they purport to fight against. If reading only Mein Kampf turns you into a national socialist, then you were already a weak-minded idiot. And yes, Nazi Germany was a nation of millions of weak-minded idiots.
This, right here, is a sign of stupidity.
If one downplays or denigrates the importance of understanding opponents’ arguments or positions, that is a person incapable of critical thought. They’re not capable of informed decisions, and their opinions on the subjects or opponents in question are worthless.
They aren’t against reading these things on your own time, that would be stupid as fuck. That’s just not really why we started the club, as it’s a leftist theory reading club. That’s the argument I’ve been given anyway. But whatever I don’t care, I can read on my own time anyway as well.
So… Mein Kampf is required reading?
You know. So we can all learn that fascism is bad?
I think reading Mussolini would be more beneficial to what we are trying to achieve understanding wise. Also Ayn Rand.
Yes. Understand the enemy if you wish to defeat them.
You’re pretty freaking naive.
It’s similar to conspiracy debunkers and how they sometimes fall prey to the conspiracies they debunk. If you read enough of their shit, your mind fills with shit.
Sometimes it takes hold.
It shouldn’t be required reading, and bluntly, isn’t necessary are to read Mein Kampf to understand hitler, and giving broad platform is only going to normalize hitler’s rationalizations.
(And let’s be clear. The rhetoric may not be entirely how he thought. It was propaganda to play up people’s fear- especially fear of the Other.)
Banning Mein Kampf and other politically taboo books will never stop people from becoming authoritarian monsters. This pearl clutching about reading material seems to be endless.
Of course, it shouldn’t be required reading for an average person. It should for someone who claims to be an expert on subjects that are directly related to it.
If a counter-terrorism intelligence analyst doesn’t read the manifestos of their targets, they can’t do their jobs effectively and should be fired. Doesn’t mean that they secretly harbor a yearning for a “global caliphate” or bombing more federal buildings.
Normal folks shouldn’t have to read “taboo” material, or anything for that matter (I had to read it for History class), but if they don’t and claim to be experts or pass themselves as authorities on said material, then they’re wannabe know-it-alls whose opinion about it is next to worthless.
Why? Because they didn’t do the homework related to primary source material and are uninformed about the nature of what they purport to fight against. If reading only Mein Kampf turns you into a national socialist, then you were already a weak-minded idiot. And yes, Nazi Germany was a nation of millions of weak-minded idiots.