# 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:** 9
**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, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/161 "2017-02-02T18:24:19Z")
> [@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. Check our privilege? Oh boy, listen BigT, your simpleminded advocation of violence employed against those exercising fundamental rights is stupid and shortsighted. Do you want a violent response to the violent protest? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/162 "2017-02-02T18:33:49Z")
> [@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. Our BigT is dumber than President BigT. When, say, the KKK want to protest violently, you have enabled them. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/163 "2017-02-02T18:53:56Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > There are plenty on the right that think he is a douchebag. > > There is a difference between the right and the alt-right. Until “the right” starts standing up and denouncing these alt-right shitbags LOUDLY, I will simply continue to believe that they are one and the same. The silence and acceptance of Trump’s recent lunacy among the establishment right commentators and politicians is simply proof that they love and accept his actions. ---
**Author:** ![Blinkyandpinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@Blinkyandpinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blinkyandpinky)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/164 "2017-02-02T18:56:42Z")
Once again, the anti-free speech, anti-intellectual, anti-American pro-violence left and anarchists show what they truly believe in and stand for, and they just can’t stand that a gay man with views that they don’t like is allowed to speak. I have a feeling that such terrorism will not be tolerated for much longer and the consequences will be pretty swift and harsh. ---
**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, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/165 "2017-02-02T18:59:22Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Until “the right” starts standing up and denouncing these alt-right shitbags LOUDLY, I will simply continue to believe that they are one and the same. > > The silence and acceptance of Trump’s recent lunacy among the establishment right commentators and politicians is simply proof that they love and accept his actions. Also, it was the campus Republican students’ organization, the Berkeley College Republicans, that invited him to campus. At just about every political level, it’s getting increasingly difficult to distinguish right from alt-right. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/166 "2017-02-02T19:00:45Z")
If he’s such a troll, isn’t the prudent thing to do is not go listen to him speak? Let him spout off to an empty room or a small crowd? Ignore his very existence? Seems like this played right into his hands. ---
**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, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/167 "2017-02-02T19:04:15Z")
> [@Blinkyandpinky](#): > > Once again, the anti-free speech, **anti-intellectual** , anti-American pro-violence left… Emphasis mine. For a Trump supporter to use that term demonstrates the most stunning lack of self-awareness that i can possibly imagine. Whether you like his politics or dislike them, Trump’s campaign, his election win, his ascendancy and, so far, his presidency, constitute the very definition of anti-intellectual. He makes George W. Bush look like a combination of Pulitzer prize winner and Nobel laureate. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/168 "2017-02-02T19:06:11Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Until “the right” starts standing up and denouncing these alt-right shitbags LOUDLY, I will simply continue to believe that they are one and the same. > > The silence and acceptance of Trump’s recent lunacy among the establishment right commentators and politicians is simply proof that they love and accept his actions. The problem here is that you can then equate ‘the left’ with violent unlawful anarchist protesters rather than understand that both are outliers. ---
**Author:** ![Blinkyandpinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@Blinkyandpinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blinkyandpinky)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/169 "2017-02-02T19:10:10Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Emphasis mine. > > For a Trump supporter to use that term demonstrates the most stunning lack of self-awareness that i can possibly imagine. Whether you like his politics or dislike them, Trump’s campaign, his election win, his ascendancy and, so far, his presidency, constitute the very definition of anti-intellectual. He makes George W. Bush look like a combination of Pulitzer prize winner and Nobel laureate. I am referring to Milo. It is the anti-intellectual left that is terrified of debating him, so they smash ATMs instead, they set fires, they pepper spray women, they assault people with pipes, they roam around like a pack of hyenas assaulting people. Is there not a single leftist around that has the intellect to debate somebody like Milo? Apparently not. It is because the left has realized that they can not win in the arena of ideas and discussion, so they resort to what comes naturally for such people, and that is of course extreme violence inspired by Nazis and others. ---
**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, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/170 "2017-02-02T19:11:32Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > The problem here is that you can then equate ‘the left’ with violent unlawful anarchist protesters rather than understand that both are outliers. When campus Democrats start inviting (and paying; these speeches are rarely given for free) Black Bloc members to speak at sponsored events, this will be a reasonable comparison. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/171 "2017-02-02T19:15:23Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > When campus Democrats start inviting (and paying; these speeches are rarely given for free) Black Bloc members to speak at sponsored events, this will be a reasonable comparison. Isn’t the purpose of higher education to explore all ideas? Even odious ones? Then to deconstruct them? Silencing speech in an educational setting is always wrong imo. ---
**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, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/172 "2017-02-02T19:17:08Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Isn’t the purpose of higher education to explore all ideas? Even odious ones? Then to deconstruct them? > > Silencing speech in an educational setting is always wrong imo. That can be done without inviting bigots to speak (not that I am advocating a law against this, just that I think it’s wrong for campus organizations to invite bigots to speak). Ideas can be explored without handing megaphones to bigots. ---
**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, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/173 "2017-02-02T19:22:18Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Isn’t the purpose of higher education to explore all ideas? Even odious ones? Then to deconstruct them? > > Silencing speech in an educational setting is always wrong imo. What **iiandyiiii** said. There are important differences between “silencing speech” and simply declining to invite someone to give a paid speech. If you don’t grasp this distinction, just let me know and i’ll be happy to explain it to you. ---
**Author:** ![Blinkyandpinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@Blinkyandpinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blinkyandpinky)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/174 "2017-02-02T19:25:14Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > That can be done without inviting bigots to speak (not that I am advocating a law against this, just that I think it’s wrong for campus organizations to invite bigots to speak). > > Ideas can be explored without handing megaphones to bigots. And who gets to decide who or what a bigot is? Who gets to decide who or what a racist is? Certainly not the left, because in their eyes, practically everybody that they don’t like is called a homophobe, racist, bigot, islamophobe nazi or a number of other funny names. The anti-intellectual left’s tactic is simply to label anybody that they don’t like a bigot or racist or whatever else they pull out of their butts. And then while the left goes and commits their assaults and violence, they have now justified their violence, at least in their demented minds. Leftist thugs will now beat a person unconscious while standing around chanting peaceful protest. These terrorists will soon learn a lesson that they will not forget I think. ---
**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, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/175 "2017-02-02T19:27:01Z")
> [@Blinkyandpinky](#): > > And who gets to decide who are what a bigot is? > > Who gets to decide who are what a racist is? > > Certainly not the left, because in their eyes, practically everybody that they don’t like is called a homophobe, racist, bigot, islamophobe nazi or a number of other funny names. > > The anti-intellectual left’s tactic is simply to label anybody that they don’t like a bigot or racist or whatever else they pull out of their butts. > > And then while the left goes and commits their assaults and violence, they have now justified their violence, at least in their demented minds. > > Leftist thugs will now beat a person unconscious while standing around chanting peaceful protest. > > These terrorists will soon learn a lesson that they will not forget I think. Good luck with these mostly-fantasy people. They sound terrible. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/176 "2017-02-02T19:29:40Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > What **iiandyiiii** said. > > There are important differences between “silencing speech” and simply declining to invite someone to give a paid speech. If you don’t grasp this distinction, just let me know and i’ll be happy to explain it to you. I grasp it but then not all bigots are white nor on the right. And if some speakers get paid… Of course no one should get paid to speak in an educational setting. It should be about an exchange of ideas. ---
**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, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/177 "2017-02-02T19:31:53Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I grasp it but then not all bigots are white nor on the right. Right – freedom of speech can sort this out… the protesters (peacefully) say “this person is a bigot, we object to him being given a platform to spread his bigotry!”, and the university and organizations involved can respond, and may choose to rescind their invitation, or not. ---
**Author:** ![Blinkyandpinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@Blinkyandpinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blinkyandpinky)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/178 "2017-02-02T19:32:52Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Good luck with these mostly-fantasy people. They sound terrible. What fantasy people? Have you not paid attention to the news and recent events recently? And yes, they are most terrible, and I will not be feeling sorry for any of them when they get their skulls crushed in the future sometime, because self defense is an awesome concept that should be practiced more frequently. ---
**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, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/179 "2017-02-02T19:38:19Z")
> [@Blinkyandpinky](#): > > What fantasy people? > > Have you not paid attention to the news and recent events recently? > > And yes, they are most terrible, and I will not be feeling sorry for any of them when they get their skulls crushed in the future sometime, because self defense is an awesome concept that should be practiced more frequently. I also wish for the skull crushing of fantasy people. Crush those fantasy people’s skulls! Drink their blood! Smash their babies! Kill, kill, KILL (just as a fantasy, of course)! ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298/180 "2017-02-02T19:38:43Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Right – freedom of speech can sort this out… the protesters (peacefully) say “this person is a bigot, we object to him being given a platform to spread his bigotry!”, and the university and organizations involved can respond, and may choose to rescind their invitation, or not. Whether its the Greek clown or a Louis Farrakhan, they should still have a forum to be heard \*\* in an educational setting\*\* where their views can be deconstructed. The antidote to bad speech is more speech. Pretending bad ideas don’t exist does more harm than good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-milo-yiannopoulos-exist-exactly/760298.md?page=10)