A Facebook group I was recently added to, with "libertarian" in the name, seems to mostly be a hangout for "white supremacists/nationalists" who want to pretend their stance is somehow "libertarian".
One recent post in the group claimed that since "94% of libertarians" are "white", a libertarian best serves his/her own interests by making sure to only do business with "white-owned" businesses.
I confessed in a comment that I have never once chosen to do business with a place based upon the "race" of the business' owner. I usually don't even know it, anyway, and I'm not going to waste time and effort finding out.
I'm much more concerned about whether or not the business owner supports individual liberty. If they have a "no guns" sign, or proclaim that they "support law enforcement" then I know they are anti-liberty and spending money with them only hurts my interests. The "color" of the owners never even crosses my mind, and it never would have had I not seen the post in that group.
But, the guy who made the post LOLed at me and said "Sure you haven't" and "^not a business owner" in reply to my response. Seriously.
I foolishly fed the troll and said that no, I really had never chosen a business based on the "race" of the owner-- I was only concerned with whether I could get what I wanted at a price I was willing to pay, and mentioned that I had owned a few businesses in the past and that I technically had a couple going on right now. (And I still don't care about the "race" of those I trade with.) I'm sure he believes I'm a liar, seeing his world-view is what it is.
I said I thought his was the most pointless, self-defeating criteria for choosing whom to trade with I had ever heard anyone admit to. He would be embarrassed if he had any sense. But he doesn't so he isn't.
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Reminder: I could really use some help.
People are people are people. And rights are universal, regardless of race. If they disagree, they aren't libertarian.
ReplyDeleteThe genetic difference among races is very little, no more significant than things like eye or hair color, freckles, etc. Believing one or another race is "better" based on genes is ignorant.
However, you have a right to be racist and express it. It probably won't serve you well, but you do have a right to think for yourself and share your ideas with whoever is willing or interested, to freely associate with other racists.
You also have a right to not associate with racists.
Hi Kent,
ReplyDeleteTrying to figure out why you used the passive voice here: "A Facebook group I was recently added to ..."
Did someone else add you to this group without your consent?
I would immediately unsubscribe to a Facebook group if they were mostly white nationalists (or black nationalists, or any other racist group). If I was on Facebook, which I unsubscribed to several years ago, even though Facebook won't let you entirely scrub your stuff from public view. Which right there is a dealbreaker for me -- if I can't unsubscribe, don't want anything to do with a site.
Yes, I was added to the group without my consent-- originally. I went ahead and then consented to be in the group, based on some of the people and posts I saw in the group. But soon the trolls started posting more than the libertarians. I haven't yet quit the group, hoping (probably pointlessly) that the trolls will get tired and go away. But I won't stay in the group for long if that doesn't happen soon.
Deletewhat is this "fake book" you speak of ? arr they that openly racist commie business opposed to guns and speech, and is in support of book burning??
ReplyDelete(a) suggest not choosing businesses that are evil.
(b) MeWe could use libertarian groups...
I've dropped just about all social media from my life. Including MeWe, Liberty.me, Twitter, G+, and probably some others I'm forgetting.
DeleteThe only reason I still use FB is it allows me to stay in touch with people I can't stay in touch with otherwise-- people I want to stay in touch with for one reason or another. And cat groups. But I don't spend hardly any time on FB anymore. It may go away soon, too.
so reddit, and blogs. ?
Deletei keep looking for more options, and more varied and resilient tech
options, anyone ?
DeleteI don't use Reddit-- never did.
DeleteI do have a stack of blogs I read. But even that has shrunk... partly because bloggers have died or stopped blogging, or in a few cases, gone statist.