For me, the radical Left is completely different from the radical Right.
On the Right, there's a not-insignificant number of people who want an evangelical white supremacist state. People who, quite literally, would be overjoyed to see blacks, latinos, asians, atheists, Jews, Muslims, gays, lesbians, trans, disabled, women, etc. 'put in their place', whether that's in a lower social/legal standing, deported/sent away, or outright killed. And these people are emboldened by a President and GOP who have tacitly given their approval through both actual policy and statements (some shrouded with dog whistles, some not). For example, I don't think Charlottesville would've happened 5-10 years ago, but the cultural landscape has shifted so quickly that, suddenly, virulent racist assholes feel comfortable marching the streets without masks.
On the Left, there's the standard assortment of eco-terrorists, anti-capitalists, anarchists, and general anti-establishment forces, who have been around forever, and Antifa which, in this country, has largely been a reaction to the above.
So, from where I sit, there's no real equivalence. One side is about wanting to imprison/deport/torture/kill people like me and my friends, the other isn't. And I'll be damned if I'm going to respond to the people who, deep down inside, would like to hurt me with kindness.
Regarding online encounters/arguments, I'll simply point to this:
![[Image: i-mHzvgPv.jpg]](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-mHzvgPv/2/66bff040/O/i-mHzvgPv.jpg)
People, as a mass entity, are dumb. The average Facebook and/or Twitter user who has Very Strong Political Opinions™ is at least an order of magnitude dumber than the average IRL person. The problem is, again, these people think that just because they can share their opinion, that they should. So, social media is awash with idiots who turn off what little tact they have in the real world while spouting ignorant bullshit (or, even better, fire hose sharing incorrect and/or unfunny memes to everyone they know every 5-15 minutes). I very carefully curate my social media feeds so I can avoid most of it, and I recommend that everyone else on social media does the same.
On the Right, there's a not-insignificant number of people who want an evangelical white supremacist state. People who, quite literally, would be overjoyed to see blacks, latinos, asians, atheists, Jews, Muslims, gays, lesbians, trans, disabled, women, etc. 'put in their place', whether that's in a lower social/legal standing, deported/sent away, or outright killed. And these people are emboldened by a President and GOP who have tacitly given their approval through both actual policy and statements (some shrouded with dog whistles, some not). For example, I don't think Charlottesville would've happened 5-10 years ago, but the cultural landscape has shifted so quickly that, suddenly, virulent racist assholes feel comfortable marching the streets without masks.
On the Left, there's the standard assortment of eco-terrorists, anti-capitalists, anarchists, and general anti-establishment forces, who have been around forever, and Antifa which, in this country, has largely been a reaction to the above.
So, from where I sit, there's no real equivalence. One side is about wanting to imprison/deport/torture/kill people like me and my friends, the other isn't. And I'll be damned if I'm going to respond to the people who, deep down inside, would like to hurt me with kindness.
Regarding online encounters/arguments, I'll simply point to this:
People, as a mass entity, are dumb. The average Facebook and/or Twitter user who has Very Strong Political Opinions™ is at least an order of magnitude dumber than the average IRL person. The problem is, again, these people think that just because they can share their opinion, that they should. So, social media is awash with idiots who turn off what little tact they have in the real world while spouting ignorant bullshit (or, even better, fire hose sharing incorrect and/or unfunny memes to everyone they know every 5-15 minutes). I very carefully curate my social media feeds so I can avoid most of it, and I recommend that everyone else on social media does the same.
"I was thirsty for everything, but blood wasn't my style" - Live, "Voodoo Lady"
