Ask Lemmy

I am a pacifist. I would not punch anybody unprovoked. Provocation would mean a situation in which I have to physically protect myself or someone else.

If you're punching with you fist, you are probably punching wrong.

I'm convinced a lot of those "punch a Nazi" people just wanted an excuse to be violent, and just joined the movement because it gave them an excuse to be violent. In another universe they are joining those three percenter militias.

I've been called a nazi on here for suggesting precisely that we shouldn't punch nazis solely for being nazis so I'm assuming it's serious for at least some people.

I see some of that rhetoric and I think it's mostly the younger folks. The virility of youth combined with the challenges they are faced with leave everyone more on edge. There are other factors of course, lack of wisdom, Internet anonymity, etc

I don't think violence is a useful tool when fighting against hate groups. It's what they want. Then they have a claim that they are oppressed. You let them make the first move.

That being said, I'm ready to fight back against them at a moment's notice and will use all means. I see the luxuries most of us enjoy (food, electricity, clean water) and hope it never comes to that for all our sake. Our just-in-time economy depends on stability and COVID showed us how easily it can all get fucked up. Out of control violence is one of those ways.

I think people saying that stuff are serious about advocating for political violence. I can't imagine how it wouldn't make things worse. Violence is a core element of fascist ideology, there's clear utility in using the attention it brings for recruiting, the trauma it inflicts for hazing, the experience for training. I remember when I saw a particular famous clip of a nazi speaking in public and being punched in the face by a masked assailant, I had never even heard his name before then, but after that clip was all over the internet that changed for a lot of people, and it definitely didn't get him to shut up. Maybe there's situations where people need to be defended, or there is need for someone acting as a bouncer, but I suspect in many cases it's some combination of useful idiots giving them what they want, or extremists on the other side who share their goals of agitating for armed revolution giving them what they want.

They are not jokes. People here really don't see a problem with violence, unless it against "the bad guys". It's sickening.