Dealing with Difference - A few thoughts

Been pondering the great mysteries again, this time on difference. Difference in thought, appearance, sexuality, religion etc.

You look at the world today, and it seems like there is less tolerance of difference due to all social media posts and claims of de platforming, censorship etc.

But I wonder if that is really true. There has always been difference throughout history. Slavery, Civil War, Religion, world wars, politics, economics...i mean the examples are legion about how society has been split about big issues. So I don't think we are living in times when there is more change.

In regards to de-platforming, again, I'm not sure. If anything, the media has less of a role in being the thought Gatekeepers than they used to be. Now anyone can post and attract followers, from all over the world.

I think its more that social media and the internet has the power to create debates immediately, and have them published whereas previously these issues would take years to be addressed.

In regards to the big issues being debated at the moment, it is clear that Climate Change and Trans-sexism are the two topics of note. Lots of debate going on because these issues are relatively new. But again, its no different to the civil rights debates of the 60's.

I think the big difference today is that thought has been democratized. Social media has made opinions more equal. There is less reliance and acceptance of experts and insiders to be the arbitrators of what is "right and just" than there used to be. Other opinions, like religious views, social justice views and political views are also being aired. I think that might be the case in regards to Climate Change, where appeals to scientific authority are being met by appeals to political authority (i.e the election of Trump and Morrison who ran on neutral climate change policies). And its a danger that the Trans movement might have to be wary of. There is a lot of appeal to the medical authority in these cases about medical interventions, yet those authorities are often trans themselves, so are hardly unbiased in their view.

And just on the trans movement, I think there is a war going on at the moment between the trans movement, feminist movement and same sex movement. Gender dysphoria in the young is effectively early onset homosexuality and the idea that lesbianism is effectively being replaced by the trans movement is going to give the same sex movement some issues after their hard fought gains. And the triviality of people moving genders at a whim will impact the feminists as we have seen already through Germaine Greer's attacks on the trans movement.

So it will be interesting to see where these two issues end up. But talking and debating about issues is the answer to everything. More dialogue, even if it is unpleasant, is far better than less.