this post was submitted on 29 Mar 2026
94 points (98.0% liked)

Technology

42361 readers
573 users here now

This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.


Ask in DM before posting product reviews or ads. All such posts otherwise are subject to removal.


Rules:

1: All Lemmy rules apply

2: Do not post low effort posts

3: NEVER post naziped*gore stuff

4: Always post article URLs or their archived version URLs as sources, NOT screenshots. Help the blind users.

5: personal rants of Big Tech CEOs like Elon Musk are unwelcome (does not include posts about their companies affecting wide range of people)

6: no advertisement posts unless verified as legitimate and non-exploitative/non-consumerist

7: crypto related posts, unless essential, are disallowed

founded 7 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You can't focus entirely on the base and utterly ignore the superstructure of society, otherwise you leave society open to reverting to capitalism and the disaster that becomes. Further, you cannot simply abolish class overnight, and the process of collectivization itself takes time, in both cases you must still employ forcible means to oppress the bourgeoisie while supporting proletarian science and culture.

Allowing fascist press does not weaken fascism, it strengthens it, and allows for manipulation that kicks off counter-revolution as was seen in history provoked by outlets like Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia (which you also linked). What this amounts to is you not taking fascism seriously at all.

Again, what have you read of Marx that leads you to believe these ideas that Marx would have supported fascist speech? Is it just that one article advocating for less censorship under capitalism, so that the working classes may more freely spread their ideas?

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Censorship is a structural failure of the superstructure itself. I provided earlier a list of reasons of why I think this.

When we 'oppress' the bourgeoisie by silencing them, the censor’s hand is eventually covering the worker’s mouth & ears.

I’m not relying in just one specific article like it's a bible... I’m applying a scientific approach and relying on Marx’s belief that the dictatorship of the proletariat is the self-government of the producers. You cannot govern yourself if you are wearing a blindfold.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You explained your reasoning, I just disagree with it entirely for reasons I have given. You depend on a false understanding of how ideas are spread in society in order to defend the presence of fascist press in socialism. The bourgeoisie need to be silenced because otherwise they use the press to spread misinformation and disinformation to incite counter-revolution, again, see how Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia are used historically.

You aren't applying a scientific approach, you're erasing concrete reality in order to appeal to how you want society to function, ie you want for open debate of fascist ideas to prevent their spread, but that's not how ideas work and that's not how debate works. You're proceding from a false premise and trying to justify it by erasing the context of a single article by Marx.

The working classes know well why fascist ideas should be shut down, rather than legitimized, that's why the working classes have shut down fascist press in socialist societies using the state. That's the dictatorship of the proletariat in action.

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You are misunderstanding me and it has become clear that I'm not gonna get through you. We are talking in circles.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't believe I'm misunderstanding you at all, though I agree we are speaking in circles. I think that adds to my point, the marketplace of ideas is a fantasy.

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Science is not a fantasy, and wanting to call it a "marketplace" is proof of the misunderstanding. We have historic proof of the damage to the power of the workers that dogmatic censorship, "political correctness" (ie. hiding truth) and manipulation of public perception causes, we are seeing it right now first person in the west. Doing the same thing (and more overtly) is fighting dogma with dogma, even if the ideals from one of them were fully benevolent and made people happy.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Political correctness isn't "hiding the truth," you're implying that racism, homophobia, etc. are "the truth." You're caping for fascism and bigotry.

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

What? it's hard to tell what did you interpret this time ...but I hope you are not implying that politically correct language like "military operation" shows the whole truth, that "pacification" is the whole truth, that "terrorism" is the whole truth, that "re-education camps" are the whole truth, that "voluntary relocation" is the whole truth, that "austerity measures" are the whole truth.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

"Political correctness" has often been a dogwhistle for censoring bigotry:

Political correctness (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language,[1][2][3] policies,[4] or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society.[5][6][7] Since the late 1980s, the term has been used to describe a preference for inclusive language and avoidance of language or behavior that can be seen as excluding, marginalizing, or insulting to groups of people disadvantaged or discriminated against, particularly groups defined by ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. In public discourse and the media,[4][8][9] the term's use is generally pejorative, with an implication that these policies are excessive or unwarranted.[10][11] It can also be humorous, or ironic in nature.

You're referring to instead how political figures massage words.

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Since its inception the term has been about adherence to party lines and enforcing ideological purity. The right wants to pretend they don't do it, so they want to attribute it to particular instances from the left, but they do the same thing all the time.

See the next paragraph on that same article you quote (Wikipedia, btw):

The phrase politically correct first appeared in the 1930s, when it was used to describe dogmatic adherence to ideology in totalitarian regimes, such as Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.[5] Early usage of the term politically correct by leftists in the 1970s and 1980s was as self-critical satire;[8] usage was ironic, rather than a name for a serious political movement.[12][13][14] It was considered an in-joke among leftists used to satirise those who were too rigid in their adherence to political orthodoxy.[15] The modern pejorative usage of the term emerged from conservative criticism of the New Left in the late 20th century, with many describing it as a form of censorship.[16]

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Sure, but considering this entire speech you've been talking about how you want to protect the rights of fascists to spew fascist bullshit, talking negatively about political correctness is almost assuredly about the modern usage. You can't fault me for reading this as you yet again arguing for fascist speech to be protected.

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I agree that your previous misunderstandings lead you to this one.

Fascist speech is to be exposed and criticised scientifically, not dogmatically. Your use of "protected" here implies something I do not defend.

I want to attack fascist speech, you want to hide it.. from my point of view I could also say you are the one protecting it.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

You can expose the problems of fascist speech without legally protecting the right of fascists to spread disinformation and misinformation, which you've been arguing for. I don't want to "hide" it, I want to eliminate it from public discourse and study it academically so as to prevent it from rising.