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1. Embed this notice
   Jeff, Cat Herder (catdad@mas.to)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 01:57:32 JST Jeff, Cat Herder

   • Thomas 🔭🕹️

   @thomasfuchs “When they go low we go high” was the worst approach when dealing with fascists. Stop being playing nice with them.

   • Embed this notice
     Kyle Montanio (fantasticaleconomics@geekdom.social)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 02:15:32 JST Kyle Montanio

     in reply to

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️
     • Zee

     @zspencer

     100%. Yes, we should mock, criticize, and ostricize those on the right. Call them out; make them uncomfortable.

     But I refuse to use the word "weird" in this context. I'm proudly weird and am not going to dirty the word by associating it with creeps and psycopaths and delusional idiots.

     Keep weird weird, in all it's wonderful, glorious ways.

     @thomasfuchs

   • Embed this notice
     Zee (zspencer@sfba.social)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 02:15:33 JST Zee

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️

     @thomasfuchs While I agree we should socially ostracize them, I wish we didn't make "weird" a synonym for "cruel", "immature", "incoherent"

     I am _weird_ (by which I mean, socially awkward and anxious, not particularly snappy dresser, neurodivergent on a number of axis) it doesn't feel great to be lumped in with fascists as a joke.

   • Embed this notice
     Dan Hulton (danhulton@hachyderm.io)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 02:34:40 JST Dan Hulton

     in reply to

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️
     • Zee

     @zspencer @thomasfuchs Oh, we don't need to use "weird." "Creepy" is RIGHT THERE, and it's accurate, and there's nobody good out there self-identifying as such!

     I'm keeping "weird" for us, but "creepy", that they can have!

   • Embed this notice
     Canecittadino (canecittadino@mastodon.world)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 02:50:01 JST Canecittadino

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️
     • Wilfried Klaebe

     @thomasfuchs @wonka In the case of these die-hard Trumpistas, isn’t “weirdo” Just a polite way of saying “vicious imbecile?” (If so, I have to ask, why bother being polite? Why not just call a spade a spade? They’re not gonna vote for anyone reasonable anyway.)

   • Embed this notice
     Andrew (shivviness@beige.party)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 03:13:08 JST Andrew

     in reply to

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️
     • Kyle Montanio

     @FantasticalEconomics @thomasfuchs

     There are so many better words than "weird", speaking as yet another weird person in this thread. Fascist, cruel, evil, psychopathic etc are all so much better.
     This isn't a 1980s Highschool movie. It's actually okay to be weird these days

   • Embed this notice
     Kyle Montanio (fantasticaleconomics@geekdom.social)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 03:13:10 JST Kyle Montanio

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️

     @thomasfuchs

     I'm not sure these things are mutually exclusive. I fully agree fighting fascism is more important than worrying about harming the neurodiverse community, and others, who identify as weird.

     If folk think "weird" is disproportionately better to shame and humiliate those on the right who deserve such mockery than other words, have at it.

     But I'm pretty sure we can get the same effect without the damage to our allies by substituting in "creep" or something similar, almost always.

   • Embed this notice
     Spinner (lane@dice.camp)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 04:02:36 JST Spinner

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️

     @thomasfuchs

     Calling them weird is a nod to ostracism, without establishing an adversarial tone. The open invitation for them to act normal is implied.

   • Embed this notice
     acb (acb@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 04:04:46 JST acb

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️

     @thomasfuchs Hey, don’t bring the weirdo community into this. Creeps, not weirdos, are the problem

   • Embed this notice
     Moto :rainbowinfinity: (cmdrmoto@hachyderm.io)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 05:38:35 JST Moto :rainbowinfinity:

     • acb
     • Thomas 🔭🕹️

     @thomasfuchs @acb The thing which makes the campaign against “weird” republicans such a magic bullet is: the people who think themselves “weird” mostly already Get It. Weird is not an insult to us.

     But to a republican? It’s a call-out of their deepest-rooted insecurity.

     *The same insecurity which drives so many of their fascist impulses.*

   • Embed this notice
     Molly Cantrell-Kraig 🇺🇦 (mckra1g@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 05:58:36 JST Molly Cantrell-Kraig 🇺🇦

     in reply to

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️
     • Bruce Heerssen
     • Kyle Montanio
     • Andrew

     @bruce @thomasfuchs @Shivviness @FantasticalEconomics

     As a writer I’d like to point something out to those taking umbrage at the use of “weird.” You’re missing the point. You must be secure enough in your weirdness to understand that it has a disconcerting effect on those who are NOT okay w their weirdness. This effect weakens those who would dismantle democracies acx the globe. It’s not abt you. Words have power. Leveraging this power is a tool. #NotAllWeirdos

   • Embed this notice
     Bruce Heerssen (bruce@darkmoon.social)'s status on Monday, 29-Jul-2024 05:58:37 JST Bruce Heerssen

     • Thomas 🔭🕹️
     • Kyle Montanio
     • Andrew

     @thomasfuchs @Shivviness @FantasticalEconomics
     That's exactly right. Words can have multiple meanings and connotations depending on context. Tone policing or insisting on overly narrow definitions of a word is unhelpful.

     (Edit: and there you are making this exact point one reply down. 😅)