I was feeling grouchy after not quite keeping my cool during a chat today.
Essentially, a Canadian with whom I've discussed far right movements *for years* asked me: "You seem interested in the topic of white nationalism: can you tell me what that is and how it differs from Black nationalism?"
It's just frustrating to be asked questions that aren't trolling, but which still come from comfortable ignorance and have to be unpacked on multiple levels.
Brings back "fun" memories of life in KW. 🙃
The problem in that tricity was its two tiers of comfortable ignorance: your garden variety white folk, most working lower class jobs or maybe even unhoused, who found comfort in hard circumstances by holding that they were at least better than non-white persons, and believed themselves the greater social victims.
Then there was the academic equivalent: folks of means who loved nothing more than tacitly defending hateful white conduct via "intellectual" hypotheticals about marginalized people.
Anyway, bedtime now, but here's a laugh from reddit that made me feel a bit better.
It's a perfect reminder that all learning can be weaponized to defend against real personal growth, if you want it to be. 🙃
work friend, vietnam navy vet, invited me to dinner, where he showed me his prized tropical fish aquarium. a few days later he blamed me for killing 1 of his fish, 'cause i was the only factor that changed before his fish transitioned. i said sorry, knowing how people put 2 and 2 together. but reminded him that i had also met pigs, fainting goats, chickens, ducks, cats, as well as the other fish, who were all still alive. he said "yeah can't be you, but it must've been you."
In this case the person did an unnecessary tank change incorrectly, killing all the fish. But the funny/ridiculous part here is his trying to lean on a philosophical concept to escape responsibility.
Sorry that happened to you, though.
just a memory triggered by your story.
my apology had nothing to do with the fish, but everything to do with responsibility for whatever hurt my friend felt. we remained friends.
your stoic's problem seems to me to be with 'feeling' right or wrong. a feeling of guilt might lead him to double down on denial and seek refuge in philosophy.