Cracker is used on here all the time; it’s not exclusively directed at reactionaries. And of course one of the big problems with race-based insults (or insults based on any other group characteristic) is that even if the intent is only to insult someone deserving of insult, comrades who are also in the group hear it, too.

I prefer to give them the stick to deter behaviour they demonstrated in this conversation so that there is a greater chance of them engaging in a better way for a future comrade.

That’s a great strategy, and way to think about interacting with people.

The idea that we have to only use the carrot in all situations because that is the sole interaction that will determine whether the other person becomes a comrade or a fascist, is, besides being silly, a lot of pressure to place on an individual.

also; i do think the carrot and stick is a good heuristic, it really makes a clear distinction i think to like, how to frame one’s responses & engagements

ah that’s fair and it makes sense. you’d say something like my confusion would be a consequence of not knowing or being familiar with your engagement philosophy and history, right? it feels like it would be difficult for others maybe to know that as well which may also explain some reticence on others’ part.

i also don’t see things in rather short slices, and don’t think my internal presumptions–i.e. inherently containing a tendency towards non-scientific positivist thinking; it lacks peer-review or the broader phenomena of explicit social critique of which all have the reference materials available which in this case are categorically excluded from such folks, for good reason of course and, holistically, it would be amiss i think to ignore its lack of presence.

i think i honestly got super excited and really did not read the room well vis-à-vis the original poster. after rereading your prior comment and other comrades i think i severely misunderstood and misconstrued what the OP was saying… it honestly kinda reminds me of dronerights a bit and my interactions at that time.

I’m not sure the trolley problem nor Russel’s Teapot are legitimate either; I think the value is in the very clear and specificity of the thought experiment.

(unless thought experiments are bourgeois decadence, if so I will show myself out…)

Where are these socialist orgs that these people are going to show up at and be called crackers right away?

There are some pretty weird Maoist groups out there…

It doesn’t happen in real life because in person everyone understands that you don’t insult people you’re trying to work with.

“I can’t imagine people saying this face-to-face” is a sign that we should ask why we’re saying it at all.

that’s absolutely true, but im pretty sure the commenter was talking about the site