I am worried we are currently headed down a similar terrible path.
In another thread about Ireland's new law to jail people for "hateful content" on their personal devices, when I said that I believed future measures could go further, sliding towards mass murder, due to the ideologues believing hate speech is literally violence and genocide (because the logical conclusion is to then allow violence to be used to stop the ill defined "hate speech"), I got 1 comment supporting consequences for free speech, citing the common anti-free-speech strawman "you are wrong in that free speech doesn't have consequences" and another comment supporting "the removal of bigots from society, violently if necessary" [1]
Read it for yourself, maybe I am misinterpreting it? I don't want to feed into some culture war flame war thing, but this is extremely disturbing to me. It's not about the comments, it is about the underlying beliefs of these ideologues in power, and the logical conclusion of their beliefs. Historically, it seems to me that peoples' behavior can be predicted by taking their beliefs to their logical conclusions.
I believe you are correct, but I would encourage you to not worry. Instead put it in God's hands to be your protector.
There is only one solution to "hate speech" and that is not making it taboo and subjecting it to censure. The solution is more better speech. That being said one must define "hate" and it's opposite corollary, love. The modern misconception is love is nice. That has and always will be incorrect. Love is not nice, but love is kind. Kindness will always warn a person away from destruction, even if they don't like or welcome it. Hate is "nice" to the person that hates and only tolerates a person. It does not hold inherent value in the person but only in their status and ability to serve the desires of the hater.
Warning others in kindness and love can only be achieved when our speech is free.
Well stated. I will try not to worry about this and to trust God. It makes sense that that would be the antidote to that which is caused by a lack of God. Thank you.
Rwanda's dictatorship relies on accusing everyone who disagrees with Kagame of being genocide deniers or planning genocide. In the end, hate speech/bullying laws becomes lèse majesté; it's the introduction of thoughtcrime. It ain't for the sake of minorities.
Solzhenitsyn is a good example of how a regime creates a consensus among its enemies where they begin to think they share a common philosophy.
Countries like Russia and Iran can (and at least in Putin's case do ¹) claim philosophical connection with him because they use God as tool against others, in a way similar to the gulags he describes.
He is exactly correct and that is the warning of the ages.