The problem
I cut this out of the other thread. I want to take a moment here to really look at the phenomenon of hypocrisy in action. It crosses all those areas where people have identified themselves by their enemies. When they have no rallying cry but their own perceived oppression. The result is common and obvious – they wish to demand special treatment for themselves, but deny it to others. This moral insanity needs to be justified – and that justification is usually a perceived need for redress.
Among geeks…
Among geeks this is often manifested as “open source” zealotry and piracy. They claim that they should have the right to use the works of others in anyway they see fit (piracy, cracking) but they demand that their own works be protected (the GPL, frequent lawsuits). Their claim is simple – they should be free to do anything they wish, but if a perceived enemy wishes freedom it should be denied them int he name of punishment. It is this silliness that lets them defend an attempt to undercut Microsoft by a competitor but if MS responds they go crazy.
Among radicals…
Similarly we see this among radicals of all stripes. They will trespass on the land of a target and claim themselves to a fence (for instance) then claim that their persons are sovereign and that it is wrong for the police to remove them bodily. What they do not understand is that ownership of ones self DEMANDS that one also be able to own land. They violate the rights of others while demanding their own be protected.
For instance, radical feminists will demand that their daughters be allowed to enter any group, club or venue there is – specifically making it a moral crime to have a male only space. Then they will turn around and scream blue bloody murder if they are not allowed to have “women only space”.
It’s all insane.