always just the fucking first lines:
> Less well known [than other paradoxes] is the paradox of tolerance: Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.
never the rest
> In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant. We should claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the law and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as criminal, in the same way as we should consider incitement to murder, or to kidnapping, or to the revival of the slave trade, as criminal.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance)
judging by how intolerant and immune to reason and discussion the new "left" (for lack of a better term) is, i have the vague suspicion that exactly those who misquote him all the time are who he meant.
@bonifartius To me even the whole quote still sounds stupid and vague.
I'm not really a free speech absolutist but i don't see some fundamental mechanism by which legally unlimited tolerance of speech must inevitably under any and all possible circumstances lead to oppression. It kind of counts on critical percentage of people being not able to grow intellectually beyond complete stupidity. Not that the state of discourse everywhere doesn't support such claim, but i think the jury is still out.
@retroartdt sorry for b0rken english ;)
@bonifartius
No problem, broken is english what i speak. Just don't you appropriate my broken englishe! ๐