Smoky The Barely Tolerant
New Feature Launch
A note about tolerance
Tolerance is not a de facto virtue. That depends entirely on what’s being tolerated. Today, the word gets thrown around like holy water, meant to sanctify whatever nonsense it touches. But real virtue involves judgment. When ‘tolerance’ is used to bully dissenters and shield bad ideas from scrutiny, it stops being tolerance and starts being control.
Smoky Says:
Every year, careless people spark thousands of ideological fires, most of them entirely preventable. A thoughtless tweet here, a lazy slogan there, and before you know it, half the internet is ablaze.
Hi folks. I’m Smoky the Barely Tolerant. Remember: just because you heard it on a podcast doesn’t mean it’s true. And moral relativism spreads faster than a dry brush fire in August.
It’s up to you to think clearly, read past the headlines, and verify before you amplify. Each week I will bring you three fires and point out the smoke that we all should have seen. And then I will point out some smoke and discuss what to do about it.
To kick off this feature, some general forestry is in order.
Ideological Wildfires of the Week (or month… Or decade)
The Echo Chamber Inferno:
A small online community's harmless debate about pineapple on pizza escalated into a full-blown culture war, dividing friendships and spawning countless think pieces.The Virtue Signal Bonfire:
A celebrity's well-intentioned but poorly researched post about climate change led to widespread misinformation, causing public confusion and undermining genuine environmental efforts.The Cancel Culture Conflagration:
An unearthed decade-old tweet resulted in a public figure's "cancellation," sparking debates about accountability, growth, and the permanence of digital footprints.
Smoke Signs That Were Missed
Groupthink Gusts: When everyone in your circle agrees without question, it's a sign that critical thinking has left the building.
Outrage Overload: If every minor issue triggers major outrage, it diminishes the impact of genuine concerns.
Hashtag Hyperbole: When complex issues are reduced to catchy hashtags, nuance goes up in smoke.
One to Watch: The Slow-Burn
Be wary of the "Slow-Burn": seemingly innocuous ideas that, left unchallenged, can lead to explosive ideological divides. Today's casual comment could be tomorrow's cultural wildfire.
Smoky’s Final Puff of Wisdom
Ideological fires don’t start with flames. They start with smoke: small signs ignored, bad ideas excused, lies left unchallenged. By the time the blaze is obvious, it’s already too late. Keep your eyes open, spot the smoke, and stop it before it starts to blaze.
