#fascism cloaked in virtue signaling

[sarahowritesostucky]

"Censor-shipping"

Thing that pro-censorship people have told me I'm not "allowed" to write, because reasons:

m/m

a/b/o

rape

dub/con

infidelity

drug use

religions

self harm

violent crime

polyamory

abortion

underage

polygamy

slavery

incest

crossovers

cannibalism

Guess how many I decided to not write about?

(Hey, you guys! I invented a new term: it's "censorshipping" 😂)

OOH, one of the trolls came out from her bridge as soon as the above post came off my queue:

I HAVE to imagine it is either a relatively unintelligent teenager, or else god help us if it calls itself an adult 😳

I don't think it understands that books are constantly being written with horrible things that happen in the plots. Including each and every one of its personal squicks.

Does it ever go to the library??

Does it belong to Moms for Liberty? I bet it's a card carrying member of Moms for Liberty 😂

Ignorant cowards hide their hate behind anons 🥱

[critical-skeptic]

The Death Knell of Democracy: How Apathy and Faux Virtue Enable Fascism

As the dust settles after what could very well be the final free and fair election in the United States, the collective mood of the populace is disturbingly clear: apathy dressed as optimism, distraction masquerading as joy, and a deliberate refusal to acknowledge the abyss we stand on the edge of. Democracy does not die with a bang—it dies in silence, with a weary shrug from the masses too desensitized or disengaged to care. In this silence, both active fascists and the cheerleaders of apathy thrive, feeding off a society too blind or too self-absorbed to see the rot setting in.

Apathy: The Fertile Soil for Fascism

Apathy is not harmless. It is not neutral. It is the lifeblood of authoritarianism. The disengaged, the indifferent, and the self-proclaimed "above it all" types are the unintentional architects of their own oppression. By refusing to act, they grease the wheels for those who will act—fascists, demagogues, and authoritarians—who are not indifferent but are laser-focused on dismantling democracy brick by brick. Apathy may not pull the trigger, but it holds the door open for the executioner.

What’s worse, apathy has been twisted into a badge of honor. Some proudly declare, “I don’t care about politics,” as if that’s a sign of moral superiority. Others trivialize engagement, treating it as something to be mocked or dismissed. “Oh, you’re into that political stuff?” they say with a sneer, as if taking an interest in the survival of democracy is a frivolous hobby. This attitude, whether intentional or not, plays right into the hands of fascists. It signals that resistance will be weak, scattered, and easily crushed.

The Cult of Desensitization

Fascists understand the power of desensitization better than anyone. They know that by overwhelming the populace with chaos, misinformation, and constant crises, people will eventually tune out. Exhaustion becomes apathy. Apathy becomes complicity. And complicity becomes the silent assent that allows authoritarians to take the reins without meaningful opposition.

This tactic isn’t new; it’s a time-tested strategy. Saturate the public consciousness with so much noise that the line between fact and fiction blurs. Make people feel powerless to discern truth from propaganda. Then, sit back and watch as they retreat into escapism and indifference. The populace becomes numb, resigned to its fate, and authoritarianism takes root in the void left by civic engagement.

The Cheerleaders of Apathy: Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Perhaps even more dangerous than apathy itself are those who romanticize, trivialize, or defend it. They say things like, “Let’s not talk about politics; it’s too divisive.” Or, “Let’s just focus on what makes us happy.” Or, “Why can’t we all just get along?” These platitudes, often cloaked in the language of peace and unity, are poison. They frame engagement as inherently negative, as though caring deeply about democracy is a character flaw. They shame those who raise the alarm, dismissing them as hysterical or overly dramatic.

The most insidious part? These cheerleaders of apathy often believe they’re doing good. They genuinely think they’re promoting harmony, when in reality they’re smoothing the path for destruction. By discouraging confrontation and prioritizing a false sense of unity, they silence dissent and foster the illusion that everything is fine. But in times of crisis, “getting along” is the last thing society needs. Unity without accountability is not peace; it’s surrender. Harmony without justice is complicity.

The Danger of Distraction

Compounding the problem is the widespread addiction to distraction. Many would rather bury their heads in entertainment, consumerism, or superficial joys than confront the uncomfortable reality of what’s happening. This is not to say that joy and celebration have no place—they do—but when people prioritize their personal comfort over collective responsibility during times of existential crisis, it becomes a problem. Fascists count on this. They know that a distracted populace is a powerless one.

This isn’t just about individuals choosing to disengage; it’s about a culture that valorizes disengagement. The "let's just have fun" mentality, when pervasive, becomes a societal norm. It signals to those in power that the populace is more interested in Netflix and sports than in preserving their own freedoms. This is exactly what fascists want: a docile, entertained public too preoccupied to resist.

The False Virtue of Civility

Then there’s the obsession with civility, as if being polite to oppressors is some kind of moral high ground. The idea that “we shouldn’t be divided” or “we need to find common ground” ignores the reality that not all divisions are bad. Some divisions—between democracy and authoritarianism, between equality and oppression—are necessary. Calling for civility in the face of fascism is not noble; it’s cowardly. It prioritizes decorum over justice and silence over truth.

This fetishization of civility has a chilling effect on those who dare to speak out. It reframes resistance as “too aggressive” or “unhelpfully divisive.” But democracy has never been maintained through politeness. It has been maintained through struggle, confrontation, and an unrelenting refusal to accept oppression.

The Consequences of Inaction

The sum of all this—apathy, desensitization, distraction, and the worship of civility—is the erosion of democracy. Fascism doesn’t rise in a vacuum; it rises in the fertile soil of silence and complicity. It feeds on the inaction of those who could resist but choose not to. And when it takes hold, it is almost impossible to dislodge without immense suffering.

We are at a precipice. The cracks in democracy are widening, and the forces that seek to exploit those cracks are growing bolder. Yet many people act as though nothing is wrong. They tune out, they look away, they tell themselves it’s not their problem. But it is their problem—it’s everyone’s problem.

The Call to Action

If democracy is to survive, this culture of apathy must be shattered. People must reject the false virtue of disengagement and recognize that caring is not optional—it’s mandatory. They must resist the urge to retreat into distractions and confront the uncomfortable truths staring them in the face. And they must reject the platitudes of those who trivialize engagement as “divisive” or “negative.”

There is no middle ground in a fight for democracy. There is no virtue in staying silent while the world burns. The time for politeness, for unity without purpose, for apathy disguised as peace, is over. What’s at stake is too important. Those who refuse to act, who cling to their illusions of normalcy, are not just bystanders—they are enablers. And history will remember them as such.

[anthonybialy]

Still Sick

Being correct about the virus took nothing more than disagreeing with liberals.  It’s not to boast, but the trend is consistent enough to be considered confirmed.  Now, there’s some science.

Reviewing the particulars would’ve worked, as well.  But chronicling how a disease ignored barriers placed by superstitious contemporary troglodytes would just show that arrogant twits who smirk at amendments got life as wrong as usual.

Your sicko betters decided we didn’t need trifling things like rights.  The only thing worse than relinquishing them for an a red alert was when coercion exacerbated the problem.  An emergency was an excuse.  Their dream of confiscating autonomy just needs a bit of panic about current events to move it.  Aspiring tyrants had to pretend not to enjoy it.

Masks were useful if you count signaling virtue.  The whole shielding from spreading an infection worked significantly less effectively.  But giving professional preeners a wearable talisman that showed just how much they cared made them feel better, which is way more important than whether both the alleged protection and definite infiltration helped at all.  Science’s ironic enemies pretended they couldn’t hear us through face filters.

Tan lines from face cloaks may fade, but the stain remains.  A useless talisman allowed those who flaunted wearing them to self-identify as self-important.  Frightened cravers of autocracy gave away everything that makes this country what it is all to keep everyone unwell.  A contagious illness’s action plan was so crucial that enlightened bullies couldn’t bother with your niceties like checks and balances.  Make sure results aren’t awful if you’re keen on circumventing legislatures.

Shutdowns showed politicians continuing the tradition of deciding what was best for you.  Was relief forthcoming?  The pushy process is merely a bit more indirect now.  Turning supplies for making dinner into a fantasy item for lottery winners is an inadvertently perfect representation of alleged help you’re not allowed to decline.

Bitching about the economy like cruel capitalists were keeping infections thriving displays as much ignorance about economics as it does epidemiology.  Wondering where Democrats thought things would come from is like trying to figure out why they thought printing money faster would make everyone wealthy.  Stuff is distributed by politicians, silly.  As for who would produce them and why, we’ll just have to print a little more.

Suspicion especially applies to the Chinese government, a bumbling totalitarian monstrosity that it turns out might be a bit unsavory.  Unfortunately in these sensitive times, it’s racist to notice diabolical commies may not have had the best intentions or lab protocol.  Hall monitors who silenced dissent claiming it was in opposition to science not only don’t grasp how the process works but were the ones who got facts wrong.  I’m sure prolonging sadness by enforcing de facto house arrest for the crime of breathing is the only example of such ironic fascism ever happening.

Presume Washington distributes everything from truth to goods before wondering where everything went.  They may not be correct about everything, or anything.  Invasive putzes so bad at life that they had to run for office might not be the ultimate arbiters of facts.  Wait long enough and everything Democrats foist will be disproven.  Ruining society for a couple years so an infection could spread as it wished confirmed the axiom yet again.

We’re not getting our time back, at least according to current scientific theories.  They’re in line with how effective breathing through cloth is for halting illness.  Another squandered resource makes it like all the other horrible incursions made into our hours on our alleged behalf.  The absence remains intangible like money and opportunities never seen because they’re pre-emptively confiscated.  But we felt it.

Science is about noticing if coincidences are linked.  Take a couple consecutive miserable years that happened to coincide with unfettered political rule where benevolent despots imposed policies for communal health that shut down free markets.  The agony was even more acute than under conventional liberal rule.  A concentrated dose provided the opposite of a cure.

Victims who warned of useless violations won’t even get an apology, naturally.  Why would it be different from the ruling faction getting anything else wrong?  Oafish goons who aren’t about to feel contrite about abusing authority might appear weak upon conceding their lust to control humans makes everyone as miserable as them.

Those discredited by existence’s experiment could finally actually show their commitment to the scientific process by responding to clear information.  But admitting they were incorrect about every last thing violates their predetermined conclusion.

The precedent of deciding they can decide for everyone else would be threatened by conceding it ruined life from 2020 forward.  Our dumb and awful government is framed as a lifesaver by its zealous devotees, which is why we’re at the point where liberty is not even about what you can’t do but rather the few things you can.

Life’s most perilous location was a New York nursing home.  The worst sort of cult didn’t even serve refreshments.  Jim Jones was a piker compared to Anthony Fauci.  Worshiping the epitome of false prophets while claiming they believed in science should constitute heresy.  Such a sin would be blasphemers’ nicest offense.

Scoffing at people who couldn’t get haircuts while posturing that the economy was not more important than life created the worst of all worlds.  Fear connoisseurs made everyone ill and broke to prove it.