Is "hating liberals" actually a form of discrimination?

[bobweaver]

In my mind I'm comparing other types of discrimination, such as being anti-semitic, for example, to being anti-liberal. Being Jewish means to ascribe to a particular set of beliefs, and so does being liberal. If you're liberal you subscribe to a set of beliefs about how society should be constructed and arranged, particularly about how the flow of power and money should be distributed. So, if it's discrimination to hate someone simply because of their religious beliefs, then why is it not discrimination to hate someone because of their political beliefs?

And how does this compare to other kinds of discrimination - if you hate me because I am black, or because I am asian, or because I am gay, or because I am female, or because I am muslim, or because I am buddhist, or because I am old, or because I am handicapped, or because I am poor, or because I am fat, then that is discrimination. If you hate me because I am liberal, then why is that not also discrimination?

[latteromden]

1. Figure, because it's politics, and politics is a strange world.

[Stop_the_War]

2. It's called political discrimination...n/t

[Just Me]

19. Precisely. I agree. It's been going on for quite sometime, too. n/t

[GoldfingerE]

3. Well, if you really think about it...

It would be too open-ended to try to classify, and everybody would use it to their advantage. Political beliefs are very, very hard to pin down. As all of us on this web-site should know, there is much strife, even between 'democrats'. Everybody disagrees on some topics, so you can't really discriminate on 'Liberal' or 'Conservative'. There's just too many issues that would have to be factored in.



-E!

[newyawker99]

13. Hi GoldfingerE!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[bobweaver]

15. The RWs seem to have no problem "pinning down" and pigeonholing liberals

[nebraska007]

4. come on now

This comparison really diminishes the horrible things that have been done in the name anti-semitism.

[bobweaver]

16. No it doesn't diminsh them at all. In fact you're falling into the trap of

...thinking that one type of hate is acceptable and another type is not.

[RandomKoolzip]

5. Try as I may to be egalitarian about this.....

"Discrimination," as I see it, cannot hold weight on the heinousness scale unless the person(s) doing the discriminating are capable of excersizing some sort of political power over the discriminated. Thus, it's hard to sympathize with white guys claiming discrimination because that evil ol' Affirmative Action dashed their chances of attending some great college (Aw gee...poor baby) that they and any member of their social class would have no difficulty entering under any other circumstance, but whose channels in providing attendance are sytematically denied to members of a minority class. Affirmative Action helps level the playing field for a group that is traditionally not allowed into the power club...that a single legacy member of that club might possibly give up a little bit of his power to remove the stones in the passway of the powerless doesn't strike me as some great tragedy, because blacks as a whole do not hold the reins of power.

And it's also hard to feel bad about males being "discriminated" against, because they're usually physically larger and, again, allowed access to economic/social/whatever realms that women aren't, earn more than women, and have historically had a headstart, heirarchically (Systematic discrimination again) Saying you hate someone because they're Jewish isn't discrimination, it's prejudice....UNLESS you, the hater, has the power to economically, socially, etc. adversely affect Jews as a group. Maybe my definition is faulty (I'm open to differing opinions on this, as well as blatant flames)...if you think so, tell me.

What we're seeing in the RW vs. LW debate is not discrimination, unless, say, a RW employer demands that his employees register as republicans lest they lose their jobs, for example.....or the GOP-controlled govt. passes a law outlawing registering as a Democrat.....or they open the secret camps out in northeastern Nevada and start filling up the buses with schlubs like us. The cold hard truth in this is that the republicans are simply better at organizing, making money, and erecting financial/media infrastructures. That's not discrimination, it's Social Darwinism....unfortunately. (They got the guns, but we got the numbers.)

After the RW coup of 2000, you might be allowed to drift into this line of thinking because their power grab has been so successful that it seems to be permanent. And we might be seeing the beginnings of systematic discrimination based on political persuasion, i.e. the media lockout on liberal perspective or the corporate domination of the culture (what some might call encraching fascism, and they'd be right). But it's not here yet. (That's why we're fighting, remember?)

In short: no. But thanks for bringing this idea up.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[tkmorris]

10. Hi there

You're new here, so I suppose some patience is in order, but you should know that personal insults are verboten on DU.

Furthermore I don't think he was trying to say that women CAN'T do anything men can, merely that sex discrimination still is rampant in some (most?) areas of the country. Thus, men crying about discrimination against them seems somewhat hypocritical, since they enjoy still an advantage they do not deserve.

Still, it is good to meet someone who defends women so strongly. That is a value I share and I look forward to future conversations with you. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[AuntiBush]

7. Don't allow yourself to be a slave to other's views.

I'm at an age where I no longer allow myself to be a slave to what other's think of me, though I respect their opinions, if someone tries to condemn me, I turn the other cheek every so proudly.

But neocons, and the brainwashed side "love to hate" Democrats. Lacking in vocabulary, the only label they can come up with time and time again is "Commi" "Radical" and "Liberal."

Me. I say, "bring um' on." We're only discriminated against if we allow their words to harm us. Hold your head up. I can think of plenty of worse things then being called a Liberal...

Murder, Liar, Killer, Thief, Bigot, Arrogant, Conceited, Tyrant, NeoCon, Extremist, and the list goes on and on. Think about it.

[EC]

9. It is in my mind, and if violence comes of it, I'm thinking it's a hate

crime....

On edit: some are getting to be pretty visceral and there is plenty of incitement with the likes of Rush, Hannity and especially Colter.

[rman]

11. hate is a state of mind, discrimination is in actions

so, no "hating liberals" is not a form of discrimination, not is hating repubs, for that matter.
though i'd say both is a waste spiritual energy.

[wickerwoman]

12. Discrimination isn't synonymous with hate.

It's not against the law to hate people only to act on that hate (i.e. discriminate).

So again, it's not discrimination to hate liberals. But at the point where you are denying services, homes, jobs, etc. to liberals for no other reason than their political beliefs then it is discrimination.

Should that discrimination be criminalized? I don't see how it can be without legislating morality, which I strongly oppose. Would you want to pay a fine for refusing to hire a fundie whackjob?

Some discrimination is necessary, after all. :-)

[sellitman]

14. I discriminate against Repugnicans

I hate them. I guess they can do the same.

Here's to all the Repukes reading this post:

[bobweaver]

17. I still don't see any difference between someone saying, "Let's kill all

...the blacks" and "Let's kill all the liberals." If someone typed in "Let's kill all the blacks," they would be immediately denounced as a racist. But "Let's kill all the liberals" seems to be perfectly passable. Rush Limbaugh et. al. consistently roast liberals alive (verbally) on a daily basis, but if they make one anti-black remark, or anti-semitic remark, for example, they themselves get grilled even in the MSM. But they can spend all day long every day hating and discriminating against liberals, and nobody seems to mind! What's wrong with this picture???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KharmaTrain]

18. A Matter Of Trust

I don't ferret out people by their affiliations. I like to see people as people; especially when we're doing business. If they're a flying monkey Repugnican and keeps it to themselves, then I don't have a problem and I keep my views/thoughts to myself.

Having grown up Jewish and been the "lone Democrat" in many small Repugnican towns in the Midwest in my life, I learned the nuances of where to speak freely and when to hold one's powder.

However, someone crosses the line when they start to introduce their politics or religion or other personal beliefs into a relationship. While it's great when it's someone who I have a lot of common cause with (usually the case), if I get offended by some dittohead remark or find out the person supports this regime, I no longer remain silent.

Call it discrimination, I see it as wasting time. While I love debating these losers and use it for therapy to dump a ton of my angst on them, I immediately lose trust and respect for these people and the relationship all but deteriorates...even on a business level. I've withdrawn thousands of dollars from companies I've found are heavy GOOP contributors and refuse to expand my business into any red states. I'm not hurting in the least.

In my book, anyone who voted for this regime knowing this war was a lie are immoral. By their actions they condone the ongoing slaughter and the further fracturing of this country. That's immoral.

[Darkhawk32]

20. Whenever some schmuck calls me a liberal, I ask them...

So what's bad about being a liberal?

Usually shuts them down and I laugh in their face.