Why does 'tolerance' only apply to certain points of view?

Question

For example we are told to be tolerant to all opinions & then we are told that groups like the BNP shouldn't be tolerated.

Well, shouldn't tolerance cover ALL opinions and beliefs? whether you find them distasteful or not, if it doesn't it really isn't true tolerance at all is it?

Answer 1

Quite. Tolerance doesn't really mean tolerance any more. It's been hijacked by the liberal majority, and rebranded to mean: 'total accordance with the views we proscribe'. It's a attempt to abuse freedom of speech - but not only that, to re-direct thought thereby programming an entire population to propound and believe in certain strictly delineated ideas. 'New Tolerance' is basically a political ideology, no less than was Nazism. It's amazing to see the extreme, aggressive reactions among some people to views that are outside the bounds of 'tolerance'. I've probably done it myself - the brainwashing is insidious.

Answer 2

Bottom line, you can't be tolerant to all points of view. On the other hand, you can't pass laws against the free exchange of ideas. When ordinary people have a sense of what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil, the crazies are kept on the margins. When people lose their sense of morality, the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong, the crazies gain influence. It's misdirected to look at ideology as having power of its own. Evil gains power when good people do nothing. For instance, if a man rapes a baby, and gets only five years, with half that taken off because he is really and truly sorry,
and people just shrug their shoulders, evil acts become commonplace. And certain types say we must be more tolerant. May I refer you to Cameron's "Hug a Hoodie" proposition. As people grow more "tolerant" things get worse. It won't long before YOU get raped or stabbed or shot.

Answer 3

We should be tolerant of everything except intolerance. That may sound like an oxymoron, but actually it's a defining condition of the whole concept of human rights. 'I recognise that you have respect for me, therefore I respect you'. It's a mutual respect club. Fail to respect those who would otherwise be perfectly willing to respect you, and you're out of the club.

It's a matter of unconditional tolerance vs conditional tolerance. Unconditional tolerance is a weak sort of tolerance that will utlimately be crushed by those it can't bring itself to defend itself against.

Answer 4

Society is developing, and you could say bits of it are way behind other bits. I think it was Toffler who did a short presentation on Change, describing technology as a long time ahead of what we are socially. Socially we are partly in the 'up for grabs' scenario, partly arranged (or a lot), and I'm not sure what else. Greed accumulates and does common things helps only certain groups.

Answer 5

That's life - i think everyone dislikes something or someone. I would say I'm tolerant - but having said that - I can't stomach the BNP - cause they would attack me (why should I like people who would hate me cause I'm disabled)

I dislike people who take up disabled spaces without being disabled.

I dislike the way in which organised religion covers up sexual crimes.

So everyone dislikes something - that's life.

Answer 6

Tolerance can be afforded to those cultures/people/things that do not harm us.

Thats your answer.

The B.N.P are hateful and wish to harm people... even if it's not physically they wish to impose their views and move a certain ethinc minoritys away from the places they were born.

If it doesn't harm, you can tolerate it.

At the end of the day you want to be wary of any ABSOLUTE rules.

Life is not black or white.

Answer 7

I am tolerant and would defend every-ones right to freedom of speech but that must be tempered by the social responsibility that comes with it. Those that preach hatred and intolerance forego that right in any civilised society.

Answer 8

What is tolerance when the native people are told to hate themselves for being European.