This. The only people who deserve the protections of a social contract are the parties who agree to it and are bound by it. Tolerance, safety, property, freedom; these are all social contracts that are under attack right now and those who would violate them of others do not deserve protection under them from the rest of us.
Trying to say someone on the left calling out or censuring a Nazi is like saying that someone can’t sue you because they signed an indemnity contract with your neighbor.
I hate people who say shit like “if you’re glad a nazi died, you’re as bad as they are”. Even something phrased in a more inflammatory manner, like “all Nazis must die” still wouldn’t make me anything like them. The crux of the matter is that people like me, who the Nazis would prefer to be dead, will always be a target for their bigotry; I will always be a queer cripple. Whereas a Nazi can grow the hell up, recognise our shared humanity and stop being a bloody Nazi. Depending on how much harm they caused as a Nazi, it might take a fair bit of work to redeem themselves in the eyes of their community (and some people may never feel okay associating with them), but ultimately it’s their choice — they’re actively opting out of the social contract and they’re welcome at any point to opt back in (if they’re willing to do the work that involves)
This. The only people who deserve the protections of a social contract are the parties who agree to it and are bound by it. Tolerance, safety, property, freedom; these are all social contracts that are under attack right now and those who would violate them of others do not deserve protection under them from the rest of us.
Trying to say someone on the left calling out or censuring a Nazi is like saying that someone can’t sue you because they signed an indemnity contract with your neighbor.
I hate people who say shit like “if you’re glad a nazi died, you’re as bad as they are”. Even something phrased in a more inflammatory manner, like “all Nazis must die” still wouldn’t make me anything like them. The crux of the matter is that people like me, who the Nazis would prefer to be dead, will always be a target for their bigotry; I will always be a queer cripple. Whereas a Nazi can grow the hell up, recognise our shared humanity and stop being a bloody Nazi. Depending on how much harm they caused as a Nazi, it might take a fair bit of work to redeem themselves in the eyes of their community (and some people may never feel okay associating with them), but ultimately it’s their choice — they’re actively opting out of the social contract and they’re welcome at any point to opt back in (if they’re willing to do the work that involves)
This is really really well put!