LogFAQs > #884690518

Mal_Fet posted...

The only places where society regresses invariably happens in places where only certain viewpoints are tolerated and the rest are harshly penalized. See: Iran after Khomeni, The Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Post-Ottoman Middle East, etc etc etc.

I don't disagree, but it could be argued that it's a sort of chicken and egg thing.

To take Nazi Germany as an example: did certain viewpoints being cracked down on lead to society regressing or were certain viewpoints cracked down on *because* society had regressed (as a result of hateful viewpoints being given room to grow)? I'd argue that it was the latter.

The Nazi viewpoints spread when they were tolerated, *then* came the crackdown on speech. As certain people were seen as sub-human (under Nazism), their views were not seen as equal, and any views going against that were policed.

So although I agree with you for the most part, I can see why people would be wary of allowing these views to be spread, as they fear the marginalization of certain corners of society (and *their* views being cracked down on).