Yesterday a fairly new user here at steemit.com wrote an excellent article on meritocracy being dead. There were some things that were stated that really resonated with me. One of these in particular was the concept that SJW is often no longer actually seeking any justice. Instead it is based upon revenge. If you don't understand the difference then you should take some time to find out. Revenge is not about justice. Revenge perpetuates wrong doing, and it doesn't actually have a lot to do with justice.
Since I read this idea it has been rising in my mind from time to time. It makes a lot of sense. I started thinking about this and what I think these Social Revenge Warriors are perhaps too naive to realize is that they are setting precedent.
Martin Niemoller has a quote which I believe illustrates the dangers of precedent.
If you decide something petty is truly so important that you would attack someone, you are setting precedent for someone to decide something YOU are doing that is petty is to be condemned. This is what is known as a slippery slope. Once you begin down this petty path of revenge and control it becomes difficult to stop the slide down the slope.
A thing about weapons whether they are physical, mental, or legal is that if you USE them aggressively then at some point they are likely to be used aggressively against you.
If you are seeking justice then you will be seeking to stop a problem. If instead you are targeting people with the same activities you are condemning then that becomes hypocritical and becomes an act of revenge, not justice.
If you are condemning for example the fact a woman can't get a certain job, then justice would be to institute equality and make that so that is no longer the case. What we are often instead seeing is that a job may become women only need apply. That is not justice, that is revenge. It didn't fix anything it just shifted the target of the injustice.
If you are condemning for example the fact that a person of some skin color is not being allowed to do something, then justice would be to institute equality and make it so the person of some skin color is permitted to do the same as other people. Revenge is making it so that skin color can now do it, and making it so some other skin color cannot.
If you are condemning people who have called for the genocide of one race, ethnicity, etc then justice would be to stop such advocacy. Revenge would be allowing people to start calling for genocide of another race, ethnicity, etc.
You cannot solve problems by doing the same thing that is causing the problem.
You cannot solve bigotry by being a bigot.
You cannot solve racism by being racist.
You cannot solve slavery by enslaving others.
You cannot be considered tolerant when you are intolerant.
You cannot have free speech if you only believe certain things should be allowed to be said.
You cannot have freedom of religion if you only permit specific religious beliefs.
You cannot have gender equality by giving one gender special treatment.
Are wrongs done? Yes. What is the solution? Stop doing wrong. A big part of the problem is in this concept of reparations. Rather than being satisfied with the fact the problem is solved, people will go on to demand reparation which is giving someone special treatment and/or consideration. That is not equality. That just turns the entire affair into a pendulum, a teeter totter, a see saw. It solves nothing it just moves the goal post.
The problem with Social Revenge Warriors is they are setting precedent. I am starting to view them as Lemmings rushing after the other lemmings as they prepare to jump off the cliff together. That precedent can in a long term sense of things be almost suicidal in nature.
