The world, according to Facebook, is composed of intellectuals and monsters. As anyone can see, no moral or philosophical nuances surround such issues as immigrant vetting, abortion, gay marriage, the role of government, macroeconomics, parenting methods, foreign policy agendas, this week's bad-guy sports star, or literally anything else.
Issues aren't complex. People who disagree with you don't come to their conclusions thoughtfully. They are either evil, stupid, or emotionally compromised (and therefore stupid). Scholarly debate doesn't exist.
Abraham Lincoln never debated anyone, and he freed the slaves. Eisenhower never needed diplomacy to keep the Allies together, and he freed France from the Nazis. And no one—not any person in history—has ever changed his or her mind after careful consideration.
So what should you do, knowing that roughly half the population despises everything good? Why, the bravest thing you can: tweet. Hashtag those monsters back to their caves, and fence them in with "likes." Don't give them the opportunity to spew their vitriolic disagreement.
Most importantly, you must deride the monsters' motives. While Aunt Sue may have been a darling in every interaction you've had in person, when she shares that mildly controversial political/religious/cultural meme, you see it was all pretense. Expose her. She is part of the problem and must be called out.
When you're done, change your profile picture to show you're on the side of justice. It may feel a little self-righteous, but hey, you deserve some credit for your hard work. No false humility, please.
Thank you for your powerful stance against barbarism. We can protect the freedom of speech only by squashing all dissent.
Conner Armstrong
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Thank you, Conner Armstrong, for your timely, insightful and subtly complex observations. The old social mores regarding the proper context and manner for publicly discussing "taboo" topics such as personal opinions on politics and religion apparently no longer apply. They've been seemingly replaced with a new imperative. I never knew how Aunt Sue really felt about those people. Should I pass on the casserole she always brings to the family Christmas gathering?
Her meme may demonstrate the democratization of the media, but the medium and the message are now the same. Anybody can do it, so let's blithely advance. Mobile technology's reach allows each of us to participate in push-button, hashtag debate from just about anywhere without even thinking about it.
Precisely.
Will Taylor