The Tolerance Wars part 1: the trouble with tolerance – Deep
Now let’s talk about why we can’t have this nice thing – at least, not without a struggle.
There are certain cultures who insist on trying to impose their own ways on everyone else. If one of these should manage to take over the world and stamp out all other ways of life, there will be endless war between conformists and nonconformists – with no outside to flee to.
These value systems must be resisted harshly and forcefully, or there is no hope for peace. Tolerance does not work without reciprocity. To this end, all cultures who are willing to tolerate each other must band together for mutual self defense against the totalitarians. This must by necessity be a bottom-up, ad hoc organization. An alliance, or – at most – a federation. Otherwise, we’re the totalitarians.
And we must each of us agree to these core cultural values:
1. I will tolerate everyone who leaves us be.
2. I will tolerate no one who does not tolerate me.
3. I will render assistance to any one of us who, being unjustly attacked, fights back.
Straw Man Objector: “So, shall we attack the totalitarians?”
Not aggressively. When they attack us – and they will, because that’s who they are and what they do – we will beat them back. But we do not start fights.
In fact, that’s what defines us. We are those who don’t start fights, but don’t back off from them when they come.
SMO: “So, you would stand idly by when a bully attacks someone who isn’t your kind?”
You mean someone who can’t be bothered to fight back?
SMO: “First, they came for the…”
When they come for you, make them regret it.
SMO: “We’re all in this together!”
Who’s we?
SMO: “We can’t stand alone!”
We can’t stand with the cowardly or the masochistic, either. That’s suicide. I choose to stand with those who fight back:
Beyond Trust part 2: Seeding the future. – Deep, Dark Though
SMO: “What about those who can’t fight back?”
Attack that problem on the level at which it originates…
Strengthen the weak. – Deep, Dark Thoughts
SMO: “Where will all this take us in the end?”
It’s never been tried in its absolute, pure form. But history does give us approximations. Usually, they end in a more tolerant and open society that lasts for a while.
Everyone has some intolerance in his heart. But some are much, much less intolerant than others. Generally, these don’t go talking about how tolerant they are. When someone loudly proclaims how he’s all about tolerance, it’s usually either an aspirational statement or a flat-out lie.
SMO: “Aren’t you talking a big game about tolerance yourself?”
The difference is I’m defining my terms with some precision and self consistency.
Deep, Dark Thoughts 