#I don't know how else we're supposed to fight any -ism and -phobia out there if this is now considered dehumanization

[hazbinbabbling4ever]

I mean, a very close relative who up until that moment I had thought was a decent person, even if they were a little bit too christian and preachy at times, once told me with the biggest smile that they knew they had chosen the right path, and their soul would be saved, that following god is what free will is about. People like me? Atheists or agnostics? They *chose* to distance themselves from god, so I'm going to hell of my own free will, and isn't free will a beautiful thing, the only person you can thank for the consequences of your own action is yourself! Dehumanization is key to fascism and other radicalized people: they're the first and only ones doing it, I don't care if it comes from a "place of care" (which also ignores all the narcissists and people who do harm because they like it or think they're in the right to do so). I don't care if people discriminate, maim, kill, hurt others "out of care". Becoming a doormat to these people definitely is not in my plans. I don't need to dehumanize anyone, but recognizing the harm they're doing is harming others and they must be stopped, recognizing they're being evil because they're doing evil things, is the root of anti fascism. And why are people insisting that calling other people horrible monsters for doing serious harm to others is the road to doing harm yourself? You can be deeply disgusted by someone like, say, JKR or NG, without wanting to kill them or harm them. You can use them as a cautionary tale for yourself, to never become what they've become. Not everyone who is deeply disgusted is automatically dehumanizing someone. Recognizing anyone can do harm out of a misplaced sense of superiority =/= becoming a doormat and twiddling your thumbs while evil people bring democracy down and take away all the rights gained in the last 70 years (evil because they're doing evil things). It's more about a misplaced sense of being Right: they don't do it out of a sense of "care for others", they do it because they want to destroy others. There's no love or care in their agenda, maybe towards the people in their circles, but that doesn't make them any less evil when they do evil things? Recognizing what's the catalyst of those evil actions may help disinnescate radicalized people, but you can't do that by becoming a doormat either. Also, targeted minorities shouldn't be expected to do this, or to coddle the people who hurt them. The first and foremost aim should be protecting people from harm.

i wish left-leaning understood that most right-wing people don't have bad intentions. most conservative apologists for fascists or even fascists themselves don't wake up with the desire to be harmful. nor do they even have the full awareness of the evil they commit. sure, there are some people who are knowingly morally bankrupt and have no shame in the matter, but this is relatively rare (more people are apathetic than malicious).

but good intentions can still hurt others. good intentions can and does lead to violence. even fascism is rooted in a desire for "purity and goodness," which sounds nice without any of the context of what fascism actually entails. this is why everyone is susceptible to believing fascist ideology. though admittedly, some are more susceptible than others due to, usually, their material conditions.