Rich Lowry seemed to have used the racial slur in place of the term "migrants" while speaking to Megyn Kelly on her SiriusXM show. He's now claimed he didn't.

My thoughts: this was not an accident. This was testing the waters.

I wonder what the person who absolutely insisted to me yesterday that this wasn’t about black people in general would have to say about this…

  • Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.winEnglish
    27·
    2 months ago

    Based on your whole ‘principle of charity’ idea, isn’t it your duty to believe him?

    No. The duty is to argue against the best version of his argument. For example: “Uttering the N-word in a racist manner is evidence I am a racist, I didn’t say the N-word, so this is not evidence I am a racist” fairly (side note: this may not be the best version of the argument so if someone concocts a better one I would attack that instead).

    In this example I would (and already did elsewhere) say “I listened to the tape and heard a hard-N so the premise ‘I didn’t say the N-word’ is false” so the rest of the argument collapses and the argument concludes “he said the N-word, so this IS evidence he is racist”.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      102·
      2 months ago

      Ah, I see, the “principle of charity” includes “I know when to be charitable and it’s when I feel like it.”

      Interesting how you didn’t argue against the “best version” of “she became black.”

      • Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.winEnglish
        36·
        2 months ago

        Again, you’re a mod. Do better. Nowhere did I even imply ‘when I feel like it’.

        You argue against the best version of the opponent’s argument. My argument transcends any accusations of racism, but does not preclude them which makes it the better form. You refusing to get that is sea-lioning at this point. Figureidout or let it go.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
          72·
          2 months ago

          I am not a mod in this community either. I know you keep wanting to make that somehow relevant, but it isn’t. In the communities I moderate, it’s my job to enforce the rules. It’s certainly not my job to listen to someone excuse overt racism and not say “no, it’s racism.”

          And the best version of Trump’s “she became black” claim was the one you made- that it wasn’t racist. You didn’t argue against it, you made it.

          • Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.winEnglish
            24·
            2 months ago

            Are you trying to argue that in the forums you actually moderate you suddenly smarten up and start thinking rationally? What changes in you from one link to another that performs this miraculous change?

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
              51·
              2 months ago

              Nope, I’m not trying to argue that. But keep bringing up how I moderate communities other than this one as if it’s relevant to you excusing Trump’s racism.

              • Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.winEnglish
                34·
                2 months ago

                Your seeming inability to comprehend the tenets of basic rational argumentation and outright refusal to accept what anyone says to you that you disagree with, supported or not, are glaring flaws in someone whose job it is to evaluate what people are saying in their forums and arbitrate fairly.

                Did I not expressly agree that Trump is racist? Show me where I “excuse racism”. All I have done is simply (to some) state that “racism accusations are an unnecessary complication to successfully counter Trumps core argument”. As I’ve said already: if someone like MLK jr, or Al Sharpton, or Maya Angelou said “Kamala was pandering to her heritage” your ‘that person is racist!’ counter would be laughed at. It is besides the point. Nobody disagrees that Trump is racist. Let it go as it doesn’t matter for the best counter-argument.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
                  5·
                  2 months ago
                  1. Again, my job as a moderator is to enforce community rules. That’s it. If you see me do that incorrectly, report it to the administrators.
                  2. He didn’t say, “Kamala was pandering to her heritage.” He said, “she became black.” You just decided he was talking about pandering. That is excusing his racism.