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Are racism and hate speech permitted on Similar Worlds?

A post was recently made referring to Russians as "barbarians," adding that Russian tennis players who are playing at Wimbledon are "contaminating" it. These players are all neutral, and most of them live outside of Russia. Some of them have dual citizenships and live in Kazakhstan, Spain, Italy, USA and other countries, but the user responsible for this hatred and racism still objects to them playing at Wimbledon.

This has led me to question whether racism and hate speech are permitted on this website? Is it acceptable or encouraged to say vile things about a nationality or ethnic group? Or is it only acceptable or encouraged when the nationality or ethnic group is Russian?
helenS · 36-40, F
Russians, of course, are no "barbarians". Who could possibly insult innocent Russians in such an outrageous way??



Picture postcards from Ukraine
@SW-User
Given that Russia recently had a terrorist attack within. Suppose Russia suggests the terrorists came from. ... Poland...they ought to just go in and do as they please then yeah?

No. Now if the Polish government agreed to work with Russia, sure.

Show where they welcomed US NATO forces conducting military action on the ground.

😆

Show where Afghanistan exists. Show where the president waved at NATO.
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sree251 · 41-45, M
@helenS Do you have any pictures on US bombing in Vietnam and Cambodia for comparison?
redredred · M
I just want the killing to stop. Zelenskyy is, at best, a tiny bit better than Putin but to the average Ukrainian it can’t matter much which of these two is in charge.

Get a neutral party, Japan,Peru, Canada or somebody to organize peace talks and stop shooting.
Kwek00 · 41-45, M
@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow What ever you say Sunsporter
@Kwek00 Nope. Sunstroke is a nazi supporter like you.
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MarkPaul · 26-30, M
Take things with a grain of salt and regulate your own feelings. Being nice is encouraged, but if every statement needs a disclaimer, a trigger warning, or a censor, there can't be much of a public forum. Of course, outright hate and threats posing is not permitted, but calling out a nation-state like Russia for its warmongering dictatorship is in bounds.

If the athletes you claim are pure and innocent are representing Russia they should not be allowed to participate no matter where they reside because Russia should not be represented. That's not racism or hate; that's common sense.

Be brave instead of allowing your feelings to get so hurt, so fast, and so frequently.
newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
@emiliya
Russians are very good at tennis

and they are russians...

Liudmila Samsonova... not representing Italy
Daria Kasatkina... not representing Spain
Victoria Azarenka... not representing USA
Mirra Andreea... not representing France
Daniil Medvedev... not representing France
emiliya · 22-25, F
@newjaninev2 They are tennis players who are representing the country of their birth. As you have been told, they have declared their neutrality. If there are issues with them being able to represent other countries, it is not their fault. They are not in the Russian army; they do not support the war and have in several cases spoken out against the war; they reside in other countries, and they have nothing to do with Putin.
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SumKindaMunster · 51-55, M
I saw that post. That person was utterly indoctrinated by the Slava Ukrani propaganda movement by the West and NATO.

She lives in New Zealand but clearly fears and hates Russians perhaps due to her acceptance of said propaganda campaign.

However, I'd just like to note that you clearly created this account to call out and shame this person.

Perhaps you have some personal history here and you are hiding behind a new account to obscure your bad behavior regarding this poster and her post.

Finally, I'd like to point out SW is US based and the US doesn't have hate speech laws.

So my suggestion is to block this person, or confront her directly and not make it some sort of phony moral thing where you involve the admins and community here for a personal beef.
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SumKindaMunster · 51-55, M
DeWayfarer · 61-69, M
FYI Russians are Caucasians! Look up where the Caucasus mountain range is!

That's their race including all of Europe!

I have no love for China in the Olympics. Yet have no problem with other Asians, like Japan, going!

Does that make me a racist? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Third point. And as much I dislike it. Name calling isn't considered hate speech.

By Roman standards I'm a barbarian! My parents where born in what was considered Gaul!
DeWayfarer · 61-69, M
@emiliya I'm not narcissistic. In fact this site hid your reply because of the language. And didn't notify me!

They are punishing you!


The definition you gave is the legal definition. Which is wishy washy. They joined the two definitions because they refuse to make a distinction.

In no way in archeology is a race a ethnicity!
emiliya · 22-25, F
@DeWayfarer It is a definition that is widely accepted and not limited. Why don't you stop making foolish comments?

Why have you raised the subject of archaeology? Do you think there is a difference between someone from Syria or Lebanon between someone from France or Belgium? We know that ethnic groups exist because of what we see. People have different skin tones, different facial features, different types of hair, and different body types. This can all be tested in their blood and saliva. A skeleton in archaeology reveals nothing compared to what we see and what we can test in a living body. Caucasians are very diverse as they include Middle Easterners and North Africans, but that is not going to be very visible to an archaeologist when they are long dead.
DeWayfarer · 61-69, M
@emiliya I specifically did not say biologically because biology doesn't involve culture at all! Which ethnicity does.

That is the difference between the two! There are many cultures in each race. Race is the bigger group! Hense RACISM!

You are insisting there is no difference by that definition, when there distinctly is a difference. Racism is not ethnicity!

Heck there are many ethnic cultures even each country! You named a few yourself. Where a race crosses many countries, even continents.

ALL OF EUROPE AND BEYOND even into Russia and Ukraine is Caucasian!

I mentioned above that my mother side is likely from Ukraine! That still makes me 100% Caucasian!

That is my race!

To insult my race is to insult all Caucasians! That is racism.

Yet my culture on my mother's side is gypsy! A conglomerate of cultures! There is no such thing as gypsy ethnicity because of the conglomerate of cultures. Yet even my mother was gypsy because she traveled throughout all of Europe!

This is why Hitler never was considered a racist against gypsies! Despite him slaughtering them worse than Jews! Jews were considered better than gypsies by Hitler. Often gypsies were shot on the spot! Not even taken into prison camps!

The only thing worse than a jew by Hitler WAS GYPSIES!

Why do I know this? Because my great grandfather on my father's side was mistaken for a gypsy and shot on the spot by the Germans in Czechoslovakia! He was Czech! My father went to prison camp though. As a political prisoner!

Racism is absolutely not ethnicity! My family's story on both sides is the reason why!

Your racist definition doesn't include Gypsies! They traveled Everywhere, including Russia itself!

My grandmother on my mother's side was born in Ukraine. My mother was born in Romania, my oldest half sister was born there as well. My next oldest half sister was born in Germany, my half brother was born in Czechoslovakia, my two younger half sisters were born and died in Hungary!

All this was during and before WWII! I state this to prove my mother was gypsy.

The whole family traveled EVERYWHERE! Yet the Germans tortured my mother with experimental operations. Because she was Gypsy! She escaped them. Don't ask me how. Definitely not on her own.

Yet she showed me the scar herself, over her left kidney! I wasn't supposed to be born because of that operation. Her kidney was still roving!

Why wasn't this prosecuted after WWII? Because it wasn't considered racism! Genocide of gypsies wasn't RACIST!

Yet genocide of the Jewish people was racist!
Alababy · 36-40, F
they are jealous of Russians.
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pdxlinux · 41-45, M
@Alababy BINGO
Therealsteve · 31-35, M
I'm British, and I've been called a "scone scoffing sod" and told "run back to your queen...oh wait, she dead!"
helenS · 36-40, F
@Therealsteve The Tatra Mountains must be amazing!
Therealsteve · 31-35, M
@helenS I've still got to go! So far I've visited a couple of castles. I've only been here a few weeks and waiting to start my job to earn trip money.
newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
@MissyChrissy I see your generation finally rejecting the shame that Germans carried for 80 years, and that's excellent.
It's against the TOS, but the mods don't usually do anything. I take it upon myself to roast the racists here.
Jackaloftheazuresand · 26-30, M
not technically so feel free to report them. They won't be banned though
Jake966 · 56-60, M
Hate speech is apparently welcome here because if you have different views of someone else, they can call you all kinds of names in order to try and prove their point
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
@Jake966 No, Jake, you're addressing rudeness based on your past intolerance.
Jake966 · 56-60, M
@LordShadowfire no I see it done to others also
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Selective hate speech and racism, yes.
You can basically say anything without consequences here. I reported a user here who would sign off all his posts with a nazi slogan and nothing was ever done.

And well because you are Russian dehumanization is arguably encouraged here by many.
This message was deleted by its author.
pdxlinux · 41-45, M
i think that you nailed it and it also applies to the united states in general. yes, defamation of a group if it is european or russian is not only permissible, it is encouraged as justice.
Your best bet is to report anything you consider "hate speech." That's what the flag in the upper right is for.
emiliya · 22-25, F
@ElwoodBlues Maybe I did. I can also make a post about it.
Kwek00 · 41-45, M
@ElwoodBlues Sometimes SW Does something about it, and sometimes SW just uses the block option for you without telling you about it.
Matt85 · 36-40, M
Andrew is black so I dont think so.
Fentonisfree · 51-55, M
I think it’s important to support Ukraine, that being said lot of Russians, don’t support Putin,
Can you imagine Farage getting in to power in the UK?

Reform are an extreme right wing party similar to Nazi Germany.
I would never support them but what if they were the government scary isn’t it?
Fentonisfree · 51-55, M
@emiliya https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/reform-candidates-nigel-farage-election-clacton-b1167353.html
emiliya · 22-25, F
@Fentonisfree The article features this comment from Nigel Farage: "In some cases one or two people let us down and we let them go."

If Nigel Farage believes that Reform are "let down" by unfortunate comments, and sees it fit to remove those who say them, how is his party similar to the Nazi Party? The Nazi Party or a party similar to the Nazi Party would embrace such members.

You need to think about this critically.
Fentonisfree · 51-55, M
@emiliya [media=https://youtu.be/z_aVqQ_ru0U]
4meAndyou · F
This is a very free website. I suggest you block the person who posted something offensive to you.
dale74 · M
I'm not sure that hate speech is permitted or discouraged but speech is free it's not there not to offend. Everybody is entitled to their opinion no matter how ignorant it is. I'm at an awesome person when I was in Taiwan he was from Russia we met at a convenience store 711 had some of the best conversations with him while I was there he offered me some vodka before I left. Not wanting to be rude I accepted the Vodka even though I don't normally drink.
SW-User
The admin don't really seem to care about racism or homophobia on this site, sadly.
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
@SW-User It's a little complicated, but they actually do. I'll let them explain it if they see fit, because I don't want to do their job for them.
SumKindaMunster · 51-55, M
@emiliya @newjaninev2

Glad you too were able to hash it out instead of making it an admin or community problem.
Adstar · 56-60, M
If you cannot handle what someone here says then the easy solution is to block them..
MissyChrissy · 18-21, F
Neither, Miss.
Its never acceptable.
MissyChrissy · 18-21, F
@newjaninev2 Thank you very much Ma'am. But guys like this british hater prefer to remind us on the shame our forefathers are responsible for, so that the hate never ends.
MissyChrissy · 18-21, F
@newjaninev2 Btw, Ma'am, I messaged you twice a while ago but you never answered. Maybe they went to the requests folder?
Please lets chat in private. I will prove my identity and explain anything.
AngelKrish · 26-30, M
Rasicim is should not be encouraged by anyone here.... Indians will never leave Russians whether whole world will turn against it!
Long live Russians -Indians friendship 🫂
Sidewinder · 36-40, M
Hate, as a concept in and of itself is a vast area, as there are so many things, and concepts that one can hate.

I however have an intense hatred of unfairness, inequality and double standards.
smiler2012 · 56-60
@emiliya 🤔sadly siomilar worlds has a core of vindictive people and politics seems too fuel there hatred
Thevy29 · 41-45, M
No. You can report the post for it. Them if they keep doing it or block them if you want.
Nitedoc · 51-55, M
I got a warning from admin. once for telling someone to speak American.
CountScrofula · 41-45, M
No but it has to be reported and the admins have to decide it counts.
MasterLee · 56-60, M
Of course. If it is against whites or conservatives.
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ViciDraco · 36-40, M
Not really permitted. I don't like painting all Russians that way.

I do agree it is valid to exclude them from international peacetime activities. But the barbarians are the people in the Kremlin, not the everyday citizen of Russia. And the person calling all Russians as barbarians is engaging in hate speech.

Passions over the aggressive invasion of Ukraine are high, and that emotional outrage has people willing to look the other way. It's terrible, but history is full of this same behavior.
SW-User
Meh. Victory to Russia 🇷🇺😁
This message was deleted by its author.
Yeah. It is unfortunate but in the West people have been trained from toddlers to hate Russians since 1917.
Sidewinder · 36-40, M
@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow And yet, the Russians were allies to the British and Americans up until 1945.
@Sidewinder Only because they were happy to let Russians die for European empires. You don't have to like a nation to offer them up as cannon fodder. In fact it is better if you don't.

Now it is Ukraine's turn to die for western empires.
Greyjedi · M
Yes, otherwise republicans would rage saying there is no free speech and threatened to sue the creators or worse.
Khenpal1 · M
lol, category 3, sub humans ..Not going to argue with the painter. 😂
LandOfOz · 61-69, M
NO NOT PERMITTED
swirlie · 31-35, F
Technically speaking, Racism and hate speech are not permitted on SW as evidenced by what's clearly written in this website's Terms of Service.

The way Racism and hate speech flagging is handled by the Admins however, is to block the offending user from YOUR username. This means that others on this site still get to listen to the offender from one post to the next.

The reason the Admins block YOU and the offender from each other after you've flagged them, is because Racism and hate speech are subjective perceptions.

Subjective means, that what I think about someone's comments isn't necessarily what someone else thinks he meant nor is what I think he said necessarily what the alleged offender had intended to imply in the first place.

Therefore, to block me from the offender satisfies my perception of having the person flagged and blocked from the website because their posts are no longer visible in my feed.
swirlie · 31-35, F
@LordShadowfire
No you're not! You said that last time, yet here you are still!
emiliya · 22-25, F
@LordShadowfire You said: “If I flag something as such, it's because that was clearly the intent. And I don't want this person to just be blocked, I want them to have a little warning on their profile. In fact, I'd prefer not to block that person, because there's a couple of people I know and otherwise get along with who like to use words and phrases that are objectively hate speech.”

Maybe they are not your friends, but you say you get along with them. If that is true, why do you want their account to be limited? This is what happens when you have a warning on your profile. It is supposed to be a punishment. Why do you want that for someone you get along with?
swirlie · 31-35, F
@emiliya

LordShadowfire, You said: - “If I flag something as such, it's because that was clearly the intent. And I don't want this person to just be blocked, I want them to have a little warning on their profile. In fact, I'd prefer not to block that person, because there's a couple of people I know and otherwise get along with who like to use words and phrases that are objectively hate speech.”


Maybe they are not your friends, but you say you get along with them. If that is true, why do you want their account to be limited? This is what happens when you have a warning on your profile. It is supposed to be a punishment. Why do you want that for someone you get along with?

Emiliya, let me tell you a little bit of history about LordShadowfire. First of all, he just blocked me today because I called him out for spreading lies and making false rumors about me in your thread here, none of which he could prove.

Secondly and to your question quoted above, LordShadowfire has a very long history on this website of 'flagging' people with the intent of having them banned from this website for making Racist comments or for encouraging pedophilia.

The thing is however, there are actual 'groups' on SW which the Admins of this site created themselves regarding Racism and pedophilia for the express purpose of the SW membership entering into a discussion with other members with, involving either of those two approved discussion groups.

However, even if you are having a very objective anti-Racist, anti-pedophilia discussion with another member of SW and LordShadowfire happens to stumble into the conversation at hand and joins in without warning or invitation, he will flag ALL participants of that discussion and go to great lengths to convince the Admins that the members involved were PROMOTING Racism and pedophilia on Similar Worlds.

The very first thing the Admins will do before checking the authenticity of his complaint, will be to SUSPEND all flagged users from this website for upwards of 8 months!

That is what LordShadowfire has done to dozens of members of this website, including long-time VIP members who paid money to be here but got banned from SW because of the false claims that LordShadowfire had made against them involving Racism and pedophilia.

That's who LordShadowfire is, nothing but an absolute low-life internet troll who's only intent in being here on SW is to set the world straight as he sees it by flagging everyone whom he doesn't agree with in principle, to then make false claims against them for the express purpose of putting a 'little warning on their profile' at least, or more preferably, to have them banned from SW entirely.

Do not waste your time trying to ask LordShadowfire why he does what he does because you'll never get a straight answer from him.

What I know for sure about this clown is that he's almost 50 years old, he still lives with his parents, he never leaves their house, he spends 90% of his day sitting in front of his computer playing video games and loitering on SW. He has significant mental health problems which he brings to this website, none of which he has ever been called-out for by the Admins for his extremely caustic, antisocial behavior.
But it's not racist when we do it!
pancakeslam · 41-45, M
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
They aren't supposed to be. If somebody is posting that kind of trash, and reporting it doesn't help, open up a help ticket.
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
https://similarworlds.com/culture-race/racism-discrimination/disliking-racism/5073794-Imagine-being-such-a-horrible-person-that-you-defend-the
swirlie · 31-35, F
The short answer to your question is 'no', the Terms of Service of this website prohibit racist comments and other hate speech.
It's not permitted one bit, it must have been someone I blocked.
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@emiliya
Gorbachev helped the Soviet Union collapse, and introduced reforms that hurt Russia. When Yeltsin took power, Russians became poorer and the country was less stable. The lives of people became more unpredictable and less secure. Jobs were lost, and crime increased.

Yeah, it's basically what happened with East Germany. When the Berlin Wall came down, East Germany was now in competition with West Germany and other European countries that were doing much better economically. There was a massive brain drain, which also happened with Russia.

However, there are two things to consider. First, the reason those countries were so poor in the first place is because of the command economics they were living under as part of the Eastern Bloc. Secondly, we have to look at the overall timespans here. It would be unfair to only look at Stalinism and say the Soviet Union was always that bad, or only look at Russia under Yeltsin. But if we do look at the entire history of the Soviet Union and compare it to the Russian Federation up until Putin became dictator, the Russian Federation was generally a lot better with every metric.

He is not respected because his policies were harmful to Russia, and the leadership that followed his was harmful to Russia.

So how come he's respected in other countries of the former Soviet Union?
It seems more likely that he's disliked in Russia because the media is currently controlled by an administration that wants to rebuild the empire.

the West is only interested in a compliant Russia. A weakened Russia does benefit the West, and post Soviet Russia was weakened.

Sure, but that's because Russia is a dictatorship that keeps invading other countries. If Russia became democratic again and stopped with the imperialism, the West would embrace Russia.
emiliya · 22-25, F
@BohemianBabe Russians never wanted to leave Russia. There were skilled people who lost their jobs, and either became unemployed for long periods or had to work more menial jobs. Some became impoverished and could no longer afford necessities like food. The 1990s was not a good time in Russia. My grandfather was happy because he got to make money in business, and made a lot. Many others, most of the population, were not happy.

"So how come he's respected in other countries of the former Soviet Union?"

He is respected in these countries because he did nothing to subdue the nationalist sentiments growing in them while leader, and along with Yeltsin he helped them become independent nations. Russia lost, and they gained. I recall seeing an interview where Gorbachev said he had wanted the Soviet Union to collapse and for these countries to be independent. What did he want to do for Russia?

"It seems more likely that he's disliked in Russia because the media is currently controlled by an administration that wants to rebuild the empire."

It has nothing to do with media. This is how most Russians who lived through the 90s feel. Putin is not looking to rebuild an empire. The West has been interfering in Ukraine and other countries surrounding Russia. Donetsk and Lugansk have many Russians living in them, and they have been led by a pro Russian government, separate from Kiev, since 2014.

"Sure, but that's because Russia is a dictatorship that keeps invading other countries. If Russia became democratic again and stopped with the imperialism, the West would embrace Russia."

What does democracy mean in the West? The West is still imperialist. They help fund wars in other countries, and they are importing their ideologies abroad.
@emiliya
Russians never wanted to leave Russia. There were skilled people who lost their jobs, and either became unemployed for long periods or had to work more menial jobs. Some became impoverished and could no longer afford necessities like food. The 1990s was not a good time in Russia. My grandfather was happy because he got to make money in business, and made a lot. Many others, most of the population, were not happy.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying happened in East Germany too. It was an inevitability under Capitalism that people would lose their jobs as there was now a much more successful market to compete with. But again, it was the policies of the Soviet Union that held the Eastern Bloc countries back from being as successful as those other countries. And despite all of that, Russia and East Germany were still doing better than they were under authoritarian governments. I'm not saying they were doing great, the situation I just described is one of the reasons I'm against Capitalism. But Western Capitalism is much better than State Capitalism.

Putin is not looking to rebuild an empire. The West has been interfering in Ukraine and other countries surrounding Russia. Donetsk and Lugansk have many Russians living in them, and they have been led by a pro Russian government, separate from Kiev, since 2014.

All countries interfere with each other's business. That's completely different from Russia invading and occupying other countries.

What does democracy mean in the West? The West is still imperialist. They help fund wars in other countries, and they are importing their ideologies abroad.

America and most European countries are still Democracies, even if their governments sometimes do bad things. The invasion of Iraq was a terrible move by one of the worst American president. But that doesn't mean we don't have democracy. We were able to vote for Obama to clean up Bush's mess.
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specman · 51-55, M
@SW-User you seem so happy to be on the losing side!
SW-User
@specman Losing? 😂 Russia is going to collapse any day now yeah?

So your argument is pretty much might makes right yeah?
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LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
Oh, look. @strictdadhusbandanduncleinpa is once again lying for the KKK.

 
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