Quote:
Originally Posted by Legbreaker
The same concepts can be applied to smaller groups such as an online forum for example. If nobody is willing to speak up with an opposing point of view because of the belief those in power will shut them down, then the end is in sight.
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Delivery still matters. There's a difference between dissenting opinion and pub smack talk. Dissent can contribute or dissent can detract. When dissent is oriented towards making a superior product, dissent is constructive. When dissent is oriented towards self-assertion, dissent detracts. I don't know how things are in other countries, but here in the US dissent is oriented towards self-assertion more than improving outcomes. One of the great tragedies of our time is the end of dueling. There'd be less obnoxious running of the mouth if folks believed that freedom of speech came with some sort of consequences. I'd love to see Rush, O'Reilly, or Ann Coulter with long blades in their hands, albeit briefly.