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Comment by wolverine876 | Hacker News Reader

A step like this one establishes the precedent. In a few years, the WSJ will be advocating locking up people they don't like, making they case that they are ipso facto mentally unstable, a threat to society, etc. How about protesters? Left-wing ones, of course.

Many people in business arguably belong in an asylum - how about the wealthiest person in the world? how about some WSJ op-ed writers? crypto bros? some SV VCs? - and mentally unstable people with power are far more threat than the person on the subway.

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How often do you ride public transit? Experiences in the past month include being threatened with horrific assault for just saying I didn't have cash on me and a bus ride where a guy talked to me the whole ride about how he was about to murder the bus driver. That's just recent.

Often for many years, in major cities, including in poorer neighborhoods. I've never had one experience like that. It's so placid I can sleep; I see people helping each other, etc. I also see people commonly keeping to themselves - it's not all rainbows and unicorns.

I don't believe that so many have had so many extreme experiences as they report, though of course I don't know you personally.

> In a few years, the WSJ will be advocating locking up people they don't like

Okay but if we need to fear the opinion of the WSJ, we're already screwed. What's stopping them from advocating for locking up people they don't like right now? How does the existence of asylums suddenly turn this frightening power of mind-control that you seem to imply that the WSJ has into a real threat?

I'm not sure what you mean. Obviously the WSJ is influential but not to the extreme of mind control. Also, advocating a half-step forward is easier than advocating 2 or 3 steps forward. I think you know those things, but I'm not sure what you are saying.

> half-step forward is easier than advocating 2 or 3 steps forward

Walking up to a brick wall is easy, walking through the brick wall is hard (and painful). And yet I walk up to brick walls all the time, and don't fear that I'll accidentally go too far.

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