Read on Twitter
It’s sort of surprising how rare it is given the prevalence of the tactic in practice, but it truly is rare: here’s someone just flatly laying out exactly the sort of deliberately time-wasting contemptuous, bad-faith interaction that almost all right-wing “debate” rests upon. https://twitter.com/ConceptualJames/status/1273080584437407746
The invitation to explain obvious observable truths to someone demonstrating an unwillingness to observe obvious truths is a deliberate malicious attempt to sabotage the transmission of truth.
What’s most extraordinary about James’ performative outrage at having his bad faith tactics pointed out is that he just got done explaining—at length, in detail, proudly—how he advises people to utilize bad faith tactics to sabotage discourse.
https://twitter.com/conceptualjames/status/1273609022558670849?s=21 https://twitter.com/ConceptualJames/status/1273609022558670849
https://twitter.com/conceptualjames/status/1273609022558670849?s=21 https://twitter.com/ConceptualJames/status/1273609022558670849
Some people want discourse. Others want to utilize discourse to waste people’s time. When you refuse to have your time wasted, they quickly become hostile. The briefest glance at my mentions right now demonstrates this.
Use wisdom and discernment.
https://twitter.com/juliusgoat/status/1023166565917892608?s=21 https://twitter.com/JuliusGoat/status/1023166565917892608
Use wisdom and discernment.
https://twitter.com/juliusgoat/status/1023166565917892608?s=21 https://twitter.com/JuliusGoat/status/1023166565917892608
The reactions here from Lindsay and his followers are something I may return to; bad-faith discourse fascinates me & it's rare to see such an intact specimen.
But for now I must point out—and this actually is important—that this is the image he chose to represent himself.
But for now I must point out—and this actually is important—that this is the image he chose to represent himself.
The whole project can be found in what that image is communicating.
"They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words."
"They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words."
"They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert."
-Jean Paul Sartre
-Jean Paul Sartre
I got hundreds of replies from his followers, most angry, many aggrieved, many wishing to debate, many to deflect.
None of them addressing that what I was critiquing was somebody who had already admitted he deliberately acts in bad faith specifically to waste people's time.
None of them addressing that what I was critiquing was somebody who had already admitted he deliberately acts in bad faith specifically to waste people's time.
A request to explain oneself to someone who has demonstrated an unwillingness to understand is an expression of contempt, and should be rejected as the waste of time it is designed to be.
I really do hope to come back and dissect it a bit more, but in case I don't, I'll sign off with this quote from Toni Morrison, which explains exactly what JL and crew are—very consciously—up to. https://twitter.com/CamusYarari/status/1273586623243001857?s=20
I just spent an hour blocking most. I'll get the rest tomorrow. I think when I do, I'll ponder systemic racism, and what it would be like to have to repeatedly mentally 'block' people, all day, every day, my whole life, simply to assert myself as human. https://twitter.com/CallMeMisterD/status/1273939271213150210?s=20
