Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was so proud of her idiotic comparison that she repeated it later that same day on Twitter. Many of the replies were very similar to Tom's comment - along the lines of, maybe if she has kids we should take them and sell them at 8 weeks old. Were these people all advocating the seizure of children by child services? Are they in favor of selling children? Isn't it far more likely they were pointing out the glaring false equivalency of the original statement, by carrying her logic, such as it is, to its logical conclusion, without intending these things actually take place? Isn't that the definition of reductio ad absurdum?
I will agree with you on one aspect. We should refrain from ridiculing AOCs stupidity. It's not even low-hanging fruit. That shit has already fallen to the ground.
But some things are beyond the pale, such as suggesting Abortion, or seizing somes kids from them.
Likewise though if we are ridiculing AOC stupidity, we should also be doing the same things that are her equivalent on her other side like Crenshaw.
And there is also things we need to be ridiculing and shaming that is far worse than AOC and Crenshaw and that is the vile stuff like Steve King.
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There are different types of ridicule, but let's not use the "jest" tactics that authoritarian administrations do to silence political dissidents. Lets not use the ones that hey you are gay and in some states merely being gay informally means many (not all judges, not even the majority of judges) will not award joint custody to the gay parent when two parents divorce.
Lets not use the "jest" comments that people in the US use not because they actually believe child abuse is occurring but they do sometimes use as threats to coerce people. Of course this is a very small majority of people that do this, but anyone who has any experience with adoption, foster care, and so on has heard stories of this happening. Even if most people are oblivious to this, it is such an unfunny thing to make a stupid jest about.
It reveals something about Tom's character, either he is oblivious, or he is monstrous. He is not thinking before talking, or it is pure vile profane shit.