Not the point. I’m bringing up the geth because they also communicate data over sound.

When I said I wanted to live in Mass Effect’s universe, I meant faster-than-light travel and sexy blue aliens, not the rise of the fucking geth.

It’s more accurate to say that I’m growing disillusioned with the movement as a whole and the people who claim allegiance with it, not its ideals. I support the ideals that I find right and just, and given limited options (votes and such), will support the people who promote those ideals.

I can’t address the entire reply since it’s 3 in the morning, but I just want to point out something.

I’m not a communist. I’m not a socialist, or a Marxist-Leninist. I don’t consider myself to be a “leftist” (which I see as an overly broad term), and I’m sure as hell not a centrist. If my views are inconsistent, it’s because I don’t follow any single doctrine.

Your example is about as spicy as lukewarm water. The responses I got involved the words “bootlicker”, “nazi”, “fascist”, and “chud”, various expletives, called into question my mental health and respect for minorities, and listed several examples of why holding those views made me the scum of the earth.

I’m generally leaning towards progressive or left-wing ideas, but with a few exceptions.

• While I support the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion, I believe that DEI initiatives are highly susceptible to exploitation because of the widespread and largely uncritical public support of the concept (or even just the abbreviation) with little regard to the implementation; and by tokenizing ethnicity, gender, and identity, it is at risk of doing what it was meant to prevent.
• I believe that law enforcement is a deeply flawed system to say the least, but ultimately necessary because the alternatives are lawlessness or ineffectual systems. This is of course colored by my European perspective where guns and driver’s licenses aren’t handed out like candy.
• The “tolerance is a social contract” mentality is hurting society. A person who experiences rejection and exclusion from progressive communities for voicing “intolerant” opinions will not be interested in reconciliation, and will inevitably fall in with a more radical group where they experience acceptance and belonging, where they will never be exposed to different ideas and their views will never be challenged. Integration should be sought whenever reasonable.

The last point is especially important to me. I grew up in a fairly conservative environment, and it took me a lot of conscious effort to un-learn my prejudices and learn acceptance. But whenever I get downvoted and shouted down for voicing an opinion that aligns with conservatives, or simply isn’t “leftist” enough, it makes me want to distance myself from “leftist” ideology and adds to my disillusionment.

Just a few short months and it’ll grow into a proud spanning tree.

No, those are the punishments. They won’t hurt you, but you have to tolerate them. Eternally.

Self-hosters: