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Comment by powerslacker | Hacker News Reader

> ...the fact is, hate speech is profitable. It’s killing our society and our planet...

Source? Hate speech has been part of every major society since at least the time of the Egyptians. The opposite could easily be true. Hate speech might be an integral part of society. Its also not very profitable. That's why companies police their own content. No reasonable company wants their advertisement associated with the Klan. As for hate speech's effect on the planet -- I don't think the Earth cares who hates who.

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By a broader definition it makes sense. People insulting and mocking each other, talking past other. Even the president.. Did we used to do that IRL in the 70's and 80's?

Humans used to resort to physical violence as well as name calling. Rome had a series of senators brutally murdered in session, even before Cesar. Andrew Jackson used to physically attack opponents. The whole Aaron Burr story.

My unsupport theory is that we've pacified to the point where anyone can say anything without getting beat up or killed, which allows people to push the envelope.

I'm not suggesting we should go back to violence, but i think the lack of direct violence in a person-to-person setting have enabled more and more wild speech.

It may not be the pain of violence that was more effective a deterrent than the pain of social ostracism, which bubbles and anonymity prevent.

To add, maybe pacification has led more speech to be deemed "wild" whereas before the same speech may have registered as a 2-out-of-10 on "will this get me beheaded?" scale.

> Did we used to do that IRL in the 70's and 80's?

Some did, and the vast majority of the population viewed those people as extremists and/or nutcases to be avoided.

Look up "mink coat riot"--early 60s.

As for "talking past each other", I was astonished in college to see how much of that goes on among college students sitting around a table to discuss an apparently well-scoped topic.

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