# How does Milo Yiannopoulos exist, exactly? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 19, 2016, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298 "2016-07-19T08:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/141 "2017-02-02T15:30:55Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Call it what you want, it’s still free speech. Well, you need to distinguish the legal limits of speech from the fundamental principles of free speech. It might (depending on exactly how you go about it) be within your legal free speech rights to keep yelling at someone or protesting against them until they give up and decide not to speak at all, but it violates the basic free speech principles that the legal protections are designed to uphold. The reason that we have laws protecting free expression is that we believe in the principle that people have a right to speak, that more speech is a good thing, and that the airing of different opinions contributes to the betterment of society. If a protest aims to explain why a particular person’s ideas are wrong or stupid or misguided or dangerous, or if it attempts to convince others not to listen to a particular person, then it’s in line with the principles of free speech; if its aim is simply to stop that person’s speech from happening, or to shout over the top of it when it does so that it can’t be heard, then it doesn’t, in any meaningful sense of the term, uphold the fundamental principle of free speech. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/142 "2017-02-02T15:46:12Z")
The Cheeto in Chief, demonstrating his solid grasp of the issues, and his well-known penchant for thoughtful consideration, [tweeted](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/827112633224544256) in response to the protest: > [@](#): > > If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS? Of course, there’s no evidence (so far, at least) that any of the violent protestors were even connected with the university, and a university spokesperson, as well as the UC Chancellor, have spoken out against the protest and called for the protection of free speech. Even among the protestors themselves, most were there holding signs and protesting peacefully; as usual, the violence was committed by a small minority of idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/143 "2017-02-02T15:48:25Z")
Milo Yiannopoulos wasn’t even there. It was a protest against his presence on the campus. Milo Yiannopoulos can speak anywhere he wants as long as people aren’t throwing rocks at him. We’re not talking about the government stopping him from giving his speech because of his racist hate ideology. This is exactly the opposite; the people have spoken! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/144 "2017-02-02T15:49:23Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Milo Yiannopoulos wasn’t even there. It was a protest against his presence on the campus. Milo Yiannopoulos can speak anywhere he wants as long as people aren’t throwing rocks at him. We’re not talking about the government stopping him from giving his speech because of his racist hate ideology. This is exactly the opposite; the people have spoken! Here’s some free speech for you: You are an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/145 "2017-02-02T15:58:28Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Milo Yiannopoulos wasn’t even there. It was a protest against his presence on the campus. Milo Yiannopoulos can speak anywhere he wants as long as people aren’t throwing rocks at him. We’re not talking about the government stopping him from giving his speech because of his racist hate ideology. This is exactly the opposite; the people have spoken! The protest was fine; the violence wasn’t. It shouldn’t be hard for liberals and other opponents of bigotry to say this. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/146 "2017-02-02T16:05:30Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > show up to every protest to wear masks You’d think somebody was paying them to stir the shit… ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/147 "2017-02-02T16:19:26Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Here’s some free speech for you: > > You are an idiot. How does this advance this discussion of freedom of speech? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/148 "2017-02-02T17:41:07Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Milo Yiannopoulos wasn’t even there. It was a protest against his presence on the campus. Milo Yiannopoulos can speak anywhere he wants as long as people aren’t throwing rocks at him. We’re not talking about the government stopping him from giving his speech because of his racist hate ideology. This is exactly the opposite; the people have spoken! A violent riot by the emotional retarded is not speech. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/149 "2017-02-02T17:46:02Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Call it what you want, it’s still free speech. Beating people in the streets, spraying a woman with pepper spray, arson, rioting, and assault with deadly weapons are not speech my simple co-poster. These are felonies. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/150 "2017-02-02T17:54:20Z")
Dudes a fucking provocateur. He makes outrageous comments and waits for the inevitable explosion. He thrives on conflict, trolling and attention. Ignore the arsewipe. He is probably creamed his pants in delight at the outcome in Berkeley. Its international News and everyone, including my office assistant half a world away have heard of him now. If they had ignored him, this would have been covered only on his YouTube channel and Brietbart. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/151 "2017-02-02T17:55:17Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Dudes a fucking provocateur. He makes outrageous comments and waits for the inevitable explosion. > > He thrives on conflict, trolling and attention. Ignore the arsewipe. He is probably creamed his pants in delight at the outcome in Berkeley. Its international News and everyone, including my office assistant half a world away have heard of him now. If they had ignored him, this would have been covered only on his YouTube channel and Brietbart. Yep. Protesting, peacefully, is fine, but violence is a gift to assholes like this one. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/152 "2017-02-02T17:57:59Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > No, that’s not entirely correct. > > If your protest literally shuts down my opportunity to speak, then the goals of the free speech ideal are not met. And from a legal perspective, when your protest morphs from peaceful to the use of [Molotov cocktails](http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/01/us/milo-yiannopoulos-berkeley/), your protest is NOT included under the rubric of “freedom of speech.” > > This is known as a “heckler’s veto.” It’s NOT part of free speech. He’s such a snowflake. [CNN Report](http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/01/us/milo-yiannopoulos-berkeley/index.html) > [@](#): > > Black-clad protesters wearing masks threw commercial-grade fireworks and rocks at police. Some even hurled Molotov cocktails that ignited fires. They also smashed windows of the student union center on the Berkeley campus where the Yiannopoulos event was to be held. > > At least six people were injured. Some were attacked by the agitators – who are a part of an anarchist group known as the “Black Bloc” that has been causing problems in Oakland for years, said Dan Mogulof, UC Berkeley spokesman. Importantly, it was not the students. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/153 "2017-02-02T18:08:44Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The protest was fine; the violence wasn’t. It shouldn’t be hard for liberals and other opponents of bigotry to say this. Yeah, it should. Reflexive non-violence is a bad thing, and ignores history. We have a long, long history of the oppressed needing to use violence to fight their oppressors. It still pisses me off how the Civil Rights Movement had it history removed to make it all due to non-violence. A liberal and opponent of bigotry needs to actually stop and take stock of what happened. They have to remember the cultural bias towards non-violence. They have to actually stop and think about why these people are being violent, and not just dismiss them because violence==bad. I’m not saying you can’t decide this was just a bunch of hooligans fucking shit up. (Though, personally, I wonder if the protest would have worked otherwise–guess we’ll never know.) But it should definitely not be an easy decision. We are privileged as fuck to be in a position where we can reflexively condemn all violence. We need to check our privilege. We need to show empathy even for those who are doing things that are horrible, and try to see things through their point of view. And, frankly, given how things are going, we may need to revisit our assumptions. The oppressed will always have to break the rules that the oppressed try to use to keep us down. The oppressors always create rules to keep the oppressed from fighting back. And, FYI (for people other than **iiandyiiii** ), if you just want to call me stupid or other names, save it. Regardless of my intelligence, I at least know that these things do not in any way refute anything, and suggests you can’t refute what I have to say. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/154 "2017-02-02T18:11:50Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yeah, it should. Reflexive non-violence is a bad thing, and ignores history. We have a long, long history of the oppressed needing to use violence to fight their oppressors. It still pisses me off how the Civil Rights Movement had it history removed to make it all due to non-violence. > > A liberal and opponent of bigotry needs to actually stop and take stock of what happened. They have to remember the cultural bias towards non-violence. They have to actually stop and think about why these people are being violent, and not just dismiss them because violence==bad. > > I’m not saying you can’t decide this was just a bunch of hooligans fucking shit up. (Though, personally, I wonder if the protest would have worked otherwise–guess we’ll never know.) But it should definitely not be an easy decision. > > We are privileged as fuck to be in a position where we can reflexively condemn all violence. We need to check our privilege. We need to show empathy even for those who are doing things that are horrible, and try to see things through their point of view. > > And, frankly, given how things are going, we may need to revisit our assumptions. The oppressed will always have to break the rules that the oppressed try to use to keep us down. The oppressors always create rules to keep the oppressed from fighting back. > > And, FYI (for people other than **iiandyiiii** ), if you just want to call me stupid or other names, save it. Regardless of my intelligence, I at least know that these things do not in any way refute anything, and suggests you can’t refute what I have to say. I’m not talking about every single instance of violence by oppressed or downtrodden people ever; I’m talking about this specific instance. It shouldn’t be hard to criticize this specific instance of violence, especially since it _helps_, rather than hurts, assholes like Milo Yiannopolous. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/155 "2017-02-02T18:12:03Z")
Yeah. The groups of apparently itinerant extreme agitators that seem to hitch rides with whatever protest is up (be it about trade, about race, about asshat guest speakers) just makes it harder for the legit protesters. Would not blame the latter for calling “false flag” on the violent factions. As to Milo The Despicable, picketing and marching and calling him names online are free speech, if under that sort of pressure the event gets cancelled then big deal. He’s a big boy and must know the world’s not fair. Threats or acts of violence, OTOH, now there’s a problem. And as to the T-man’s twittering, what does he want? For the school to contain the vandalism themselves? Give Milo an honorary doctorate? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/156 "2017-02-02T18:14:08Z")
Big boy? As I said up thread he probably had a shattering orgasm at the amount of coverage he has received, by doing sweet fuck all. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/157 "2017-02-02T18:18:41Z")
Don’t discount the possibility that Milo was behind the violent protests. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/158 "2017-02-02T18:18:50Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Call it what you want, it’s still free speech. Not in the sense that the conduct is protected under the First Amendment. So beyond that, I’m not interested in dueling definitions. You call it CIB Free Speech, if it suits you. Speech plus arson equals Channing Idaho Banks Free Speech – all the words, plus property damage! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/159 "2017-02-02T18:20:05Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > As to Milo The Despicable, picketing and marching and calling him names online are free speech, if under that sort of pressure the event gets cancelled then big deal. He’s a big boy and must know the world’s not fair. Threats or acts of violence, OTOH, now there’s a problem. As long as you’re equally sanguine when an opposing side shuts down a speaker you like with such tactics, then I’m ok with it. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/160 "2017-02-02T18:21:00Z")
There are plenty on the right that think he is a douchebag. There is a difference between the right and the alt-right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298.md?page=9)