Stifling debate.

Story: Free software, you've been framedTotal Replies: 0
Author Content
salparadise

May 04, 2006
12:52 AM EDT
This is a common thing these days. The trick works like this; let's take Immigration as an example. Anyone who says "I am concerned about immigration" is instantly branded a racist. This is semantic misdirection. It creates in the mind of the listener the thought that to be concerned about immigration is indeed racism so best not think those thoughts. It makes any debate impossible because the standard response is to take whatever argument is given and take it to its most absurd extreme and hand it back as "what you really said was not "I am concerned about immigration" but was "I hate all people who don't look like me and I won't tolerate any of them in my country". Thus, anyone who is concerned about DRM is really saying "I support wide spread piracy and theft".

It's narrow minded and betrays the fear at the heart of the "official line". Any one who can't stand to hear opposing opinions must be secretly convinced of the transparency of their own.

We don't have to play by these rules.

With patience and politeness we should point out the flaw in any argument that refuses to consider alternate explanations or possibilities. And in particular we should point out the hysteria and the vested interests that underpin this refusal to debate.

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