view the rest of the comments
MeanwhileOnGrad
"Oh, this is calamity! Calamity! Oh no, he's on the floor!"
Welcome to MoG!
Meanwhile On Grad
Documenting hate-speech, conspiracy theories, apologia/revisionism, and general tankie behaviour across the fediverse
What is a Tankie?
Alternatively, a detailed blog post about Tankies.
(caution of bias)
Basic Rules:
Sh.itjust.works Instance rules apply! If you are from other instances, please be mindful of the rules. — Basically, don't be a dick.
Hate-Speech — You should be familiar with this one already; practically all instances have the same rules on hate speech.
Apologia — (Using the Modern terminology for Apologia) No Defending, Denying, Justifying, Bolstering, or Differentiating authoritarian acts or endeavours, whether be a Pro-CCP viewpoint, Stalinism or any variation of Tankie Ideology. There is no justifying Genocide.
Revisionism — Downplaying or denying atrocities past and present will result in an immediate ban.
If you're violating instance rules, you'll typically be warned. Continuing poor behaviour after being warned will result in a ban or removal of your comments. Bans typically only last seven days, but repeat infractions will have longer sentences. You may ask to be unbanned.
ahaha, god that's so pathetic
If they think they’re having any real effect on anything then they majorly need to touch some grass.
This is the reality of their “dunking on user bases”![](https://i.imgur.com/RJnqBRn.jpg)
There's plenty of correct ways to criticize them, you don't need to resort to ableist slurs my dude. We can be better than that.
I'm autistic, and I don't need you to be offended for my sake.
im autistic and i would rather we do not use ableist slurs
What would you suggest instead? The word idiot? That has connotations for the intellectually disabled. Stupid? Same thing.
i prefer vague connotations over explicit slurs that folks actually register as kicking down on disabled folks
It's very possible to offer constructive criticism without having been offended.
Absolutely!
but in this case, I don't see the use of retard offensive. If it was directed at people with actual learning disabilities, then yeah, definitely.
You don't really want to encourage the idea that disabled = bad, and you can use it as an insult. It's still racist to insult a white person with the n-word, because even if it's not offensive to them, it carries on the cultural attitude that black people are inferior. The idea is to foster a culture that is inclusive to disabled people.
Are you disabled? Since if you're not, you're not in a position to be lecturing if disabilities are good or bad.
It's subjective of course. Some people choose to believe that disabilities are bad, and can be used as an insult.
I choose to believe that abled and disabled people are equal, that belief is a core tenent of my value system, and I will lecture on it regardless of how it makes you feel.
Being disabled is objectively not equal.
What do you mean? Like do you deserve fewer rights?
They are inherently not equal—those disabled lack abled bodies and minds. I know it's semantic, but the word you're looking for is equity, not equality.
I still don't find offence to the word retard, I use it all the time. I don't need you, someone who is presumably able-bodied, to lecture me if the word is acceptable or not. Are you going to lecture a minority not to use particular slurs? You're in no position to do any of this, and I certainly don't need you to defend me from words. I can stand up for myself, thank you.
You didn't answer my question.
you asked two questions, my guy. but obviously disabled people deserve rights
Right, so when talk about "equality", literally not even able-bodied people are equal at jobs or outcomes. Some people can lift heavier weights, some people do better on IQ tests, some people run faster, some people sing better. When we talk about equality, it's never referring to ability to achieve something, because that equality does not exist.
When we speak of equality, we speak of the level of rights you deserve.
And not that it's any of your business, but I was diagnosed with Asperger's in 2002. I don't bring it up in internet conversations partially because the TikTok self diagnosis wave has made it meaningless.
And what does this have to do with retard?
"Retard" is a slur that is mean to dehumanize - the association that a developmental disability makes you less than full human.
So is idiot. So is stupid. So is every single other insult.
Stupid and idiot do not target disabilities.
Oh, but they do! Look into the historical usage of these words. Both were used for the intellectually disabled.
Are you going to cancel the usage of idiot and stupid? Or are you going to accept that, like idiot and stupid, words change their meaning over time, and retard is one such word going under a change.
You are correct on "idiot", you are wrong on "stupid".
The evidence in the meme that started this conversation is that it is not undergoing a change.
Idiot is not longer used to refer to actual mental disability, the r-slur is. Maybe eventually the r-slur meaning will change. I don't see any point in hypothesizing about the fuzzy future possibility of a words meaning, the only thing that matters is what the word means right now, in real life. Your position has no standing.
Hey, hold on now. You're the only one who is making the connection that retard is explicitly referring to those with intellectual disabilities. Everyone else is using it in the meaning of they are stupid.
No, it is in fact likening the person that you're insulting to someone with intellectual disabilities. Sorry goat, you don't have a leg to stand on in this one. Best to just not.
I'm not offended by it. I don't think you should be either
Nobody is offended, we're just letting you know that you look like a bad person and ruining the your credibility of your character.
that's fine
It's subjective of course. Some people choose to believe that disabilities are bad, and can be used as an insult.p
I choose to believe that abled and disabled people are equal, that belief is a core tenent of my value system, and I will lecture on it regardless of how it makes you feel.
Man, I have physical disabilities and mental illness. It's not equal. It fucking sucks.
I've tried to purge 'retard' from my vocabulary simply because it has been used terribly, but the point of view that is "All deficiencies are equal and must never be said to be bad" will lead to no criticism, much less hyperbole or humor, being able to be levied at all. I imagine that, should such sentiments take root in the common consciousness, they would snap back before long rather than create some doomsday newspeak scenario, but it's terribly annoying to deal with it nonetheless.
That being said, I do respect you standing up for your point of view unapologetically.
Its to call people retards when theyre being retards. Its only an issue if they are actually cognitively challenged
Calm down
No u
clutches pearls well I never!