# Flat Earth: Who's it hurting?



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 16, 2019)

There's some talk about censoring Flat Earthers and I'm not entirely sure what the point would be. Where's the danger? I doubt any of them are working in aerospace or doing anything that would require them to understand what is, for most people, just an academic thing. It doesn't really effect my life one way or another on a day-to-day basis whether the Earth is flat or not; I'm not saying that there aren't numerous technologies that I rely on that only work because our astronomy is correct (GPS is an obvious one) but other than that, who cares?


I don't think I do.

Edit: Fucked up asking an intelligible question in the poll. Hope I fixed it.


----------



## Sprig of Parsley (Jun 16, 2019)

It's not dangerous, no.  Just really funny, and possibly mildly annoying depending on the situation.  If you really love science (and not in the I Fucking Love Science way) it's kind of like someone calling that pretty girl you like an ugly whore.


----------



## Bassomatic (Jun 16, 2019)

It hurts no one really, people should have the right to be stupid, they sure are gonna do it even if we make it illegal.

With things like this and flat earth (iirc was proven to be a spoof of conspirtards) and all, I totally am against censoring them BUT, I understand why, it's a fun good joke a larp etc. You and your buddies shit post a bit about it and keep a straight face, watch people rage out.

This does get mentally ill people sucked in. Gang stalking would be a much more easy example or something that people would want to censor. We can't really help crazy people who get sucked into jokes/trolls/other  crazy people. 

No one said, to out law dogs after one told someone to shoot Ronnie Reagan. Did they? People get sucked down real and fake rabbit holes it's sad and we can't stop it. People who want to censor these sites and ideas really aren't against zealots just don't want them doing anything aside, their bidding.


----------



## TerribleIdeas™ (Jun 16, 2019)

Flat earthers are easily debunked retards, and shouldn't be censored any more than race realists or anti-vaxxers. I want those people out in the open, where they can be mocked and ridiculed and either bullied into being smarter, or into becoming a single target an hero, because they're clearly too dumb to be of value to the rest of society.


----------



## The Last Stand (Jun 16, 2019)

I'd say it's hurting the people that believe it, but there are umpteenth sources readily available that can disprove that theory. As long as they're not forcing their beliefs on people or causing violence, then let them be.


----------



## Violence Jack (Jun 16, 2019)

if they're censoring it then that means there's some threat of it being factual instead of farcical. If there were no threat then why would they care?



Bassomatic said:


> This does get mentally ill people sucked in. Gang stalking would be a much more easy example or something that people would want to censor. We can't really help crazy people who get sucked into jokes/trolls/other crazy people.


well this world is about cultivating fear and misinformation so having crazy people self own by thinking everyone is against them is essentially culling them without needing money or resources to do it. So there's no need to censor that one. Fear mongering is fine. But flat earth isn't i guess?


----------



## Jebu Nagazi (Jun 16, 2019)

Every time i hear about theese flatearthers i get a splitting headace so YES they are hurting me -_- !


----------



## Hellbound Hellhound (Jun 16, 2019)

Flat Earthers are such an insignificant and widely dismissed section of the population that I don't think they're even worth engaging. Trying to censor them would only give their beliefs an illusion of legitimacy, and would thus be completely counter-productive.


----------



## Mightykiwi (Jun 16, 2019)

How can you not love flattards, they have brought me so much joy over the years.  Besides, flattards are more a symptom rather than a cause, so going after them seems pointless to me.


----------



## nagant 1895 (Jun 16, 2019)

The less respect "The Academy" has in the eyes of the average person the more likely ideas like flat earth and vaccine=autism are to take root. The accredited and the technocrat both take a lot of damage from the other bullshit that comes out of universities these days and the concept of truth gets pretty dinged up by manipulated studies, skewed data, poorly phrased questions and hanging chads.


----------



## Piss Clam (Jun 16, 2019)

It's like the moon hoaxers. It's not like you can shine a laser at the moon or anything.

So the flat eathers have to prove it is flat, and of course so far they haven't. That includes the chemtrail people who only need to get an airplane up in the sky and sample a "chemtrail". Should be easy to crowd source for the money, no?

I don't think they should be censored at all, because I'm adult enough to just skip past their bullshit.









						China just bounced a laser off reflectors on the Moon placed by NASA's Apollo 15 mission
					

China has successfully used a 1.2 metre telescope laser ranging system to bounce light off an retroreflector placed on the Moon during the Apollo 15 mission




					gbtimes.com


----------



## MediocreMilt (Jun 16, 2019)

Well, clearly they must be on to something. I mean, why would anybody go tell lies on the internet like that?

Even the UN is on board with it!


----------



## Raw Meat (Jun 16, 2019)

Conspiracies shouldn't be censored, there's no harm in thinking the world is flat. Debunk, mock or just move on, no need for censorship. 

The mentally ill and gullible Facebook moms will get sucked into any conspiracy, if it's not this it'll be something else, there's no stopping that and censorship won't prevent it.


----------



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 16, 2019)

So I'm getting the impression that nobody here believes in a notion I've seen hinted at, basically goes like this; if we allow superstition or ignorance a foothold in our society, it will grow larger and larger until we're plunged back into a Dark Age.

I'm really hoping somebody shows up to make that argument.

Edit: @Papa Adolfo's Take'n'Bake was good enough to grace us with the counterpoint.


----------



## RoofGook (Jun 16, 2019)

Dunning Kruger types who have a hard on for Christopher Hitchens are the only people who give a shit. They’re a bunch of pea brained dogmatic touchy tards that take no joy in anything. If you would rather have a conversation with Sham Harris or Richard Dawkins than Alex Jones or Emperor Norton you are in severe mental and spiritual poverty.


----------



## Sprig of Parsley (Jun 16, 2019)

Exigent Circumcisions said:


> So I'm getting the impression that nobody here believes in a notion I've seen hinted at, basically goes like this; if we allow superstition or ignorance a foothold in our society, it will grow larger and larger until we're plunged back into a Dark Age.
> 
> I'm really hoping somebody shows up to make that argument.


Weird argument, honestly, as it presupposes that superstition and ignorance are more attractive than the alternatives, which then gets into a matter of "why would that be the case?" and leads into a circular argument of People Are Dumb Because They're Superstitious Because They're Dumb Because etc.


----------



## SilkGnut (Jun 16, 2019)

If I believe somebody is wrong they need to be censored. 

I do not understand why this case would be different than any other.


----------



## Batman VS Tony Danza (Jun 16, 2019)

Why censor what you can drag out into the street and mock? Censoring it seems to give it way more weight than it deserves.


----------



## Violence Jack (Jun 16, 2019)

Exigent Circumcisions said:


> So I'm getting the impression that nobody here believes in a notion I've seen hinted at, basically goes like this; if we allow superstition or ignorance a foothold in our society, it will grow larger and larger until we're plunged back into a Dark Age.
> 
> I'm really hoping somebody shows up to make that argument.


I feel like we're in an overlit age where truth is slowly becoming relative to people. Every truth will be given the same weight, but nobody will truly be right. the more light you have the greater the shadow it casts etc.


----------



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 16, 2019)

Violence Jack said:


> I feel like we're in an overlit age where truth is slowly becoming relative to people. Every truth will be given the same weight, but nobody will truly be right.


There's an easy response to solipsism of that nature.

"No one Truth is supreme, all are Equal!"
"...Is that True?"

It's a glib and hilariously effective way to make a relativist's head spin.

Edit: It's my damned thread so I'm going to sperg on this because it's one of my gay little pleasures in life:

"Everything is just a matter of opinion!"
"That's just your opinion."

"We can't be sure of anything!"
"You sound pretty sure of that."

"All viewpoints are valid!"
"Doesn't look that way from over here."

etc., etc.
I'm a petty cunt sometimes.


----------



## crocodilian (Jun 16, 2019)

Piss Clam said:


> It's like the moon hoaxers. It's not like you can shine a laser at the moon or anything.
> 
> So the flat eathers have to prove it is flat, and of course so far they haven't. That includes the chemtrail people who only need to get an airplane up in the sky and sample a "chemtrail". Should be easy to crowd source for the money, no?
> 
> ...



I believe the moon exists and whatever, but using China's claims as evidence for anything is a terrible idea.


----------



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 16, 2019)

crocodilian said:


> I believe the moon exists and whatever, but using China's claims as evidence for anything is a terrible idea.


Well, unless they faked the laser and/or put their own mirror on the moon I'd say it's probably safe to take their word for it on this one.


----------



## Piss Clam (Jun 16, 2019)

Exigent Circumcisions said:


> Well, unless they faked the laser and put their own mirror on the moon I'd say it's probably safe to take their word for it on this one.



Including the Russians. I mean what would be better than to embarrass the US for having faked the moon landings.

Unless they are all in it


----------



## Lemmingwise (Jun 16, 2019)

Violence Jack said:


> if they're censoring it then that means there's some threat of it being factual instead of farcical. If there were no threat then why would they care?


Here's what I'd say after taking a hit, downing a beer and sitting down to talk conspiracy stuff.


If they're censoring it, they do it to make other censorship seem more reasonable.

Somebody wants to discredit the argument that censorship only happens to factual things and not just farcical things.


----------



## ProgKing of the North (Jun 16, 2019)

If they’re sperging at the school board or whatever trying to change the standards, then tell them to fuck off, otherwise just point and laugh


----------



## Lemmingwise (Jun 16, 2019)

Piss Clam said:


> It's like the moon hoaxers. It's not like you can shine a laser at the moon or anything.



If you want to go down the conspiracy road, it's not like only humans can place retroreflectors down on a celestial body; it in itself would not prove that humans were there.


----------



## Violence Jack (Jun 16, 2019)

Exigent Circumcisions said:


> There's an easy response to solipsism of that nature.
> 
> "No one Truth is supreme, all are Equal!"
> "...Is that True?"


I get that you're having a laugh, but with everything happening lately people aren't following facts per se, they're following their specific interpretation of facts or the ones they're most invested in. Shit, I'm not gonna say that human perception is perfect. That's why scientists have peer review, but they definitely have a vested interest in proving that their perception is valued over Tom, Dick, and Harry's. Doesn't make their interpretation of facts wrong just that they're good at writing words about how they're right.


----------



## Buster O'Keefe (Jun 16, 2019)

They are deranged morons. Everyone knows the Earth is a sphere.


Spoiler



A hollow sphere





Spoiler



And we live on the inside


----------



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 16, 2019)

Violence Jack said:


> I get that you're having a laugh, but with everything happening lately people aren't following facts per se, they're following their specific interpretation of facts or the ones they're most invested in. Shit, I'm not gonna say that human perception is perfect. That's why scientists have peer review, but they definitely have a vested interest in proving that their perception is valued over Tom, Dick, and Harry's. Doesn't make their interpretation of facts wrong just that they're good at writing words about how they're right.


All we've got to go on is our imperfect human perceptions, unfortunately. I just hold onto the fact that some things are undeniably true (gravity, for instance) and fit everything else into a worldview that seems made up of the most facts possible. We're never going to be free of biased interpretations or people with a vested interest in being the gatekeepers. 

It was the priests at the temple once, then it was the rulers, now it's the technocracy and the propaganda peddlers. Unfortunately this is one of those problems where any cure would be worse than the disease and a revolution will just assure the emergence of another form of gatekeeping. So yeah, I'm having a laugh but it's also one of those things that doesn't permit much else in the way of a response.


----------



## Papa Adolfo's Take'n'Bake (Jun 16, 2019)

It "Hurts" no one DIRECTLY. However it sets a precedent for stupidity that, as an already ailing society attempting democracy,we definitely should not encourage. Modern democracies ended up the way they are by stupidity, gullibility and naivete on the part of their electorates. It is not a behavior that should be encouraged if you value democratic governance and its viability.


----------



## MAPK phosphatase (Jun 16, 2019)

If we've really reached a point where the best way to deal with flat earthers is through censorship and not by spreading facts then we've failed as a society.
The flat earth model is trivially easy to debunk.
1. The sun sets beneath the horizon. A telescope and some sun filters are enough to see that the sun is partially obscured as it sets, even over the ocean. There are also plenty of pictures of this online.
2. The sun maintains very close to the same angular size in the sky throughout the day. It doesn't shrink as it sets, or grow as it raises.
3. GPS works, and directional antennae can be constructed that can be used to determine the location and motion of the satellites. Either planes are taking off and landing in the exact right motion to fool you specifically, standing exactly where you are, into thinking that they are satellites in orbit, or satellites are in orbit.
4. If you have two directional antennae, your friend can go some distance away and point to the same signal and measure the angle to it, while you do the same. With some trigonometry you can find out how high the signal is, and surprise surprise, it's way above airplane height.
5. You can literally take pictures of the ISS.


----------



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 16, 2019)

SilkGnut said:


> If I believe somebody is wrong they need to be censored.
> 
> I do not understand why this case would be different than any other.


Well, _*I *_think you're wrong so why don't *YOU* shut up?!?!


I don't think @nagant 1895 got the joke.


----------



## Mister Qwerty (Jun 16, 2019)




----------



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 16, 2019)

Jesus, you speds. This isn't about how stupid Flat Earthers are; we know that.


Mister Qwerty said:


> View attachment 803603


----------



## Y2K Baby (Jun 16, 2019)

The government doesn't want the truth to get out there.


----------



## Sprig of Parsley (Jun 16, 2019)

Y2KKK Baby said:


> The government doesn't want the truth to get out there.


The population needs to be made aware.  SOYLENT GREEN IS MADE OF PEOPLE.


----------



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 16, 2019)

Sprig of Parsley said:


> The population needs to be made aware.  SOYLENT GREEN IS MADE OF PEOPLE.


Specifically, soyboys.


----------



## KittyGremlin (Jun 16, 2019)

The more insane people the better. I simply like being entertained.


----------



## TheImportantFart (Jun 16, 2019)

They're hurting me.

Seriously, I thought I was going to crack a rib from laughing at these fools.


----------



## Sprig of Parsley (Jun 16, 2019)

TendieMan said:


> The more insane people the better. I simply like being entertained.


You say that now, but wait until they have a majority.

And honestly, there's never been any real shortage of entertainment.  Just need to know where to look.


----------



## SilkGnut (Jun 16, 2019)

Exigent Circumcisions said:


> Well, _*I *_think you're wrong so why don't *YOU* shut up?!‽
> 
> 
> I don't think @nagant 1895 got the joke.


It is one of those comments that are only worth making because they can be interpreted as genuine. I get a lot of "dumb" marks from people who I am confident agree with me.

Poe's Law is vital to remember these days when parodies often fall short of the circumstances they are mocking. It could also be that I am not nearly as witty as I imagine, but accepting that I could be flawed is not a step I am comfortable making.


----------



## Cedric_Eff (Jun 16, 2019)

Flat earthers are fun. They’re harmless compared to the anti-vaxxers.


----------



## Sperghetti (Jun 16, 2019)

The whole outrage over flat earthers is so over-exaggerated. They’ve been around for decades, but apparently the normal people who don’t get out much _just_ figured out they exist. Unfortunately, they make a good rage scapegoat because they’re so far out of the accepted norm that nobody will try to defend them, so everyone can panic about them without any real resistance.

But I have to agree with @Lemmingwise, censoring these guys is just going to make it easier to censor others later.


----------



## Cedric_Eff (Jun 16, 2019)

Don’t know why some people exaggerate the amount of flat earthers there are. Yes, few hundred people is a lot. Doesn’t mean they’re a legitimate movement that’s trying to dismantle society. NASAspergs really sperg out when they’re precious space programme gets criticized and they blame absolutely everyone for NASA’s own shortcomings.

I get how cool the Space Shuttle or the SpaceX Falcon Heavy is, that doesn’t give you the right to constantly shit on Flat Earthers.


----------



## Sprig of Parsley (Jun 16, 2019)

Cedric_Eff said:


> I get how cool the Space Shuttle or the SpaceX Falcon Heavy is, that doesn’t give you the right to constantly shit on Flat Earthers.



You're right.  What gives _me_ the right to constantly shit on Flat Earthers, personally, is the fact that there's no law against making fun of people who picked one of the dumbest imaginable controversy-hills to die on.


----------



## ProgKing of the North (Jun 16, 2019)

Sprig of Parsley said:


> You say that now, but wait until they have a majority.


You say that like they don't and haven't always


----------



## wellthathappened (Jun 16, 2019)

Flat Earthers are retards, but at least they aren't spreading measles.


----------



## Sprig of Parsley (Jun 16, 2019)

ProgKing of the North said:


> You say that like they don't and haven't always


I suppose it depends on how much you differentiate crazy from stupid, but that's a very salient point.


----------



## NIGGO KILLA (Jun 16, 2019)

I'm in the belief that nothing should be censored. If you want to kill an idea mock it. If you fucking ban any discussion of a certain topic you'll create a whole group of people who feel like the underdog and a vast conspiracy is keeping them down, fortifying their lunacy


----------



## Sprig of Parsley (Jun 16, 2019)

NIGGO KILLA said:


> If you want to kill an idea mock it.



Ideas don't die.  They just don't.  Still, might as well have fun with them if they're going to be around.


----------



## Arcturus (Jun 16, 2019)

They should be left alone. Let them have it. The more anyone tries to censor them, the more they're gonna convince themselves it's a grand conspiracy and (((they))) just don't want the truth out there.


----------



## nonnewtonian (Jun 16, 2019)

The only real harm that could come from believing in the Flat Earth conspiracy is it could open one up to believing in other, more dangerous conspiracy theories. If The Man is lying to you about the very shape of the Earth, what else might they be lying about? Vaccines being safe? HIV/AIDS being real? Industrial bleach enemas not being a cure for autism?

But conspiracy theories should be left in the open where they can be contested and mocked. Censoring them and pretending they don't exists doesn't make them go away. It just prevents onlookers from understanding how stupid the conspiracy theorists are and makes believers latch on that much harder. If anything, it'll lead to more people believing the conspiracy.


----------



## Sprig of Parsley (Jun 16, 2019)

I'm honestly surprised Flat Earth has as much traction as it does because it's so... inconsequential and impersonal.  It doesn't have much of a hook.  Antivax has a HUGE fear and purity hook.  HAARP is just so cool that you want it to be true.  Flat Earth is a big fat so-what.


----------



## BoingoTango (Jun 16, 2019)

Where is your God now Roundfags?


----------



## KimCoppolaAficionado (Jun 16, 2019)

Really, it depends on what you mean by "censorship".  When most FE'ers use the word, what it ends up meaning is "I got kicked out of a science facebook group because I called them all globetard sheeple, THE MAN is censoring me!"


----------



## Rikka Takarada 2 (Jun 16, 2019)

The closest thing to "harm" I can think of with Flat Earthers is the idea of crank magnetism: a Flat Earther is very rarely just a Flat Earther. They often believe in all manner of conspiracies that are just as ridiculous and end up taking over their entire worldview. And we see exactly the same dynamics with many SJWS; it might start off as a legitimate grievance or focussing on one cause that the SJWs hover around, but soon they get pulled into a vortex.

That being said, only an idiot could seriously propose that the solution is censorship. Firstly, part of the whole pull of conspiracy theories is that the Establishment is covering this up. If governments or the modern East India Companies of Big Tech (at least it's not the government!) decide to censor it, the harm is twofold: firstly, the conspiracists have literal evidence that the Establishment is trying to shut them down. Secondly, it will - no doubt about it - lead further people down the rabbit hole; just as people can fall off the edge into SJW nonsense when on the edge of the hole (BLM protests spring to mind as recruiting sergeants), people can - while defending a conspiracist's undoubted right to speak - end up looking through the material; thinking some of it makes sense; and going on from there.

Moreover, the real harm comes from the censorship itself that will be a breeding ground for future conspiracy theorists to emerge out of the woodwork, and much more powerfully in an intellectually-stunted society; as Christopher Hitchens said, we always have to ask ourselves the question: "how do I know what I think I know, except that I've always been taught it and never heard anything else?" If we can't answer that question it should concern us.


----------



## Niggernerd (Jun 16, 2019)

yes. It hurts earth-chan.
jokes aside. they shouldn't be censored it's better to mock them


----------



## Son of Odin (Jun 16, 2019)

Flat Earth is a Jewish conspiracy to cover up its real shape: Cube Earth


----------



## Begemot (Jun 17, 2019)

Y2KKK Baby said:


> The government doesn't want the truth to get out there.


Preach!
Tell dese globetards the truth!


----------



## Okami Green (Jun 17, 2019)

Look at this shameless subliminal influence being shoved down our throats. I am disgusted!


----------



## Red Hood (Jun 17, 2019)

I view the censoring of any scientific or political viewpoint to be tantamount as admitting they're afraid of it having some legs. It lends it credence- "they're trying to silence us, they know we're onto the truth!". Just let people publicly look stupid, when their friends make fun of them, they'll either stop or double down. I'm not afraid of flat earth gaining more popularity because it's a stupid niche opinion.


----------



## CivilianOfTheFandomWars (Jun 17, 2019)

Honestly, I love the Flat Earthers and am much more annoyed by the people who sperg out over them.
They don't harm anyone. And god bless them, at least they try to reach their own conclusions. No use getting angry about them, leave the poor sods alone.
It's factually wrong, but they are trying to question things, and that's nice.
Besides, as we all know, the world is carried on the backs of four elephants and the elephants on the shell of a giant turtle. Basic science.


----------



## Takodachi (Jun 17, 2019)

Nah, they serve the same purpose potheads did in the 90's
"Look at that crazy woman Jimmy, if you dont study and do something with your life, you'll end up like her, a complete and utter loser"


----------



## Otterly (Jun 17, 2019)

I was wondering the same thing - what justification is there to censor flat earth believers? All the usual ‘reasons’ are absent - it’s not ‘hateful’ and it doesn’t harm anyone.

 I watched the Netflix docco on them. At one point a scientist makes the observation that they’re all budding scientists - testing observations and challenging orthodoxy and as such they should be talked to, not censored. I agree with him. 

We should not be censoring views we find hateful, never mind views that are harmless but incorrect. WHY would you even want to? I am from the scientific side of things and I have no wish whatsoever to censor people.

I think it’s sinister to try. What a population needs is the critical skills to evaluate evidence and views. A grounding in critical thinking, the ability to look at statistics and arguments and to think, read and formulate rebuttals. We are losing this - no platforming in universities is stopping students from being exposed to alternative or unpleasant views. It’s stopping them being able to cope with other people’s views. It’s stopping them being able to engage with opposing views critically and peacefully and it’s leading to the shot we have now where you just shout down anyone you disagree with and demand they’re punished for WrongThink,

What we risk, when we censor stuff that’s wrong, daft, or even hateful, is making the state the arbiter of truth and rendering us incapable of critically assessing what they then tell us. The state ends up being the monopoly on ‘truth.’ 

That’s totalitarian and that’s where we are heading. So I fully support flat earthers having a platform. And all the other fringe weirdos, and hate mongers. I disagree with them, but I want a society where people can look at a view and say ‘no that’s wrong because of this evidence.’ Not one where the state or mark sodding zuckerberg tell me what truth is, and i blindly nod along,


----------



## Black Waltz (Jun 17, 2019)

flat earthers are dumb and funny, let them keep talking


----------



## Corbin Dallas Multipass (Jun 17, 2019)

I apologize, I didn't read much past the OP so I'm probably just repeating what someone else said.

I sort of think the "Flat Earth" theory is a fucking fantastic "Babby's first conspiracy theory".  They should teach it in school, honestly.  First, teach kids the truth. A few years later, "educate" them on flat earth theory, cherry pick examples and make it believable as possible. Then you show them all the methods that disprove it.

Flat earth theory is great in a few ways, as conspiracy theories go.  For one thing, it's pretty simple, as conspiracy theories go. You've got your all controlling all powerful government agency (nasa), you've got your well known science fact (Earth is round) that you are contradicting.  You've got basic observation on your side, since the curvature of the earth can't be seen from ground level. Let's ignore the deeper examinations of how physics would work since most flat earthers don't really think about that anyway.

It's so great because while thinking up ways to "prove" the earth is flat, you come up with replications of old tests done by ancient scientists for finding the circumference of the globe, and you can intuitively teach yourself not only that the earth IS round, but now you can PROVE it!

Before the flat earth movement, I would have been hard pressed to come up with a method off the top of my head to prove the earth isn't flat. Now I know half a dozen ways.


----------



## Smug Chuckler (Jun 17, 2019)

People willing to go to Antarctica to prove their point.


----------



## Drunk and Pour (Jun 17, 2019)

Exigent Circumcisions said:


> There's some talk about censoring Flat Earthers and I'm not entirely sure what the point would be. Where's the danger? I doubt any of them are working in aerospace or doing anything that would require them to understand what is, for most people, just an academic thing. It doesn't really effect my life one way or another on a day-to-day basis whether the Earth is flat or not; I'm not saying that there aren't numerous technologies that I rely on that only work because our astronomy is correct (GPS is an obvious one) but other than that, who cares?
> 
> 
> I don't think I do.
> ...


No, it's not hurting anybody.  As far as I've heard, Flat Earthers started as a joke, just like Kikistan, Okay sign meaning White Supremist, and the Free Bleeding movement.

Talking about censoring Flat Earthers is much more dangerous, because it starts a precedent where any authoritarian can justify even obvious jokes as wrong think that needs to be censored to protect the common good.


----------



## Anonymous For This (Jun 18, 2019)

Exigent Circumcisions said:


> So I'm getting the impression that nobody here believes in a notion I've seen hinted at, basically goes like this; if we allow superstition or ignorance a foothold in our society, it will grow larger and larger until we're plunged back into a Dark Age.



Hicks in West Virginia have been handling rattlesnakes in the name of Jesus since rattlesnakes and Jesus were invented.  You just can't reach some people.


----------



## nonvir_1984 (Jun 18, 2019)

Speaking on my own behalf and that of the reptilian overlords, they are harming no one. And, so no, they should not be censored.
And besides, they give me something  more to laugh at. But all the same I do not want them living next door.
But it's only a matter of time before some SJW calls out flatearth talk as hate speech - hate for people who think the earth is a vague spheroid orbiting a star....


----------



## UQ 770 (Jun 18, 2019)

Probably late but its damn well hurting the Flat Earthers themselves. Quite a lot of them cling to their idiotic beliefs and their whole social and family life disintegrates as a result. They also end to be people who were not exactly the most well-adjusted to begin with, and on top of that they appeal to other people on the edge who take up the cause as a result. Essentially spreading the affliction. Outright censorship isn't going to do anything, but we should be a little more clinical about this and begin treating overly (I mean "serious shit overly") empathetic people the same as we treat people with immune system disorders and such.


----------



## Ughubughughughughughghlug (Jun 19, 2019)

We need Flat Earthers around so I can have something to laugh at: the normal people who get way too upset by them.

I’m pretty sure it’s almost all ironic anyways.


----------



## Webby's Boyfriend (Jun 28, 2019)

> There's some talk about censoring Flat Earthers and I'm not entirely sure what the point would be. Where's the danger?


"Just let people believe what they want as long as they don't hurt anybody. There's freespeech and censorship is bad."
"Yeah that's true, but still, if I'd claim nonsense, like that Donald Trump has become president of the US, ye would still criticize me for that, or?
"Huh, what? I mean, he IS the president."
"No, he isn't."
"Er, he is! Everybody knows."
"Who cares! Why don't ye just let me believe and say what I want?"


----------



## Exigent Circumcisions (Jun 28, 2019)

Webby's Boyfriend said:


> "Just let people believe what they want as long as they don't hurt anybody. There's freespeech and censorship is bad."
> "Yeah that's true, but still, if I'd claim nonsense, like that Donald Trump has become president of the US, ye would still criticize me for that, or?
> "Huh, what? I mean, he IS the president."
> "No, he isn't."
> ...


Show me that person and I'll have found a new best friend.


----------



## BillionBisonBucks (Jun 28, 2019)

Yeah, we should probably allow all manner of snake oil salesmen to victimize credulous idiots. There's never been negative consequences to charlatans building entire societies around canonizing their lies.


----------



## Begemot (Jun 30, 2019)

BillionBisonBucks said:


> Yeah, we should probably allow all manner of snake oil salesmen to victimize credulous idiots. There's never been negative consequences to charlatans building entire societies around canonizing their lies.


I guess globetards like you always have to denigrate the intellectual competition, huh? You scared, kid?


----------



## Lioness (Jun 30, 2019)

I think it's a fantastic gateway to questioning the nature of reality in general; something far too few are willing to do. 
Taking simulation and collective consciousness theories into account, the Earth being flat gets less ridiculous. 

Besides which, they will only take censorship as validation.


----------



## Lemmingwise (Jun 30, 2019)

BillionBisonBucks said:


> Yeah, we should probably allow all manner of snake oil salesmen to victimize credulous idiots. There's never been negative consequences to charlatans building entire societies around canonizing their lies.


Every nation ever.


----------



## Super Color Up (Jun 30, 2019)

Flat Earther's mystify me. What possible reason could they have to oppose the fact that planets are round? It really just seems like they wanna be right about something, No one ever asks them the pertinent questions related to their outrageous claims.
"why would they photoshop the earth?"
"if you walked all the way to one side of the world, would you fall off? How do you justify going around it?"

On top of that, I wouldn't say they're truly harmless. They're trying to teach people things that are just blatantly untrue, creating ignorance and spreading misinformation because... why?


----------



## BillionBisonBucks (Jun 30, 2019)

chekovia said:


> I guess globetards like you always have to denigrate the intellectual competition, huh? You scared, kid?


Sorry, who's the 'intellectual' competition? The morally vacuous, or the mentally limited they exploit? The only thing I'm scared of is my descendants having to deal with another mormon/scientologist tier shitshow throwing resources after literal insanity. 


Lemmingwise said:


> Every nation ever.


I mean... You're not wrong. I could make semantic quibbles, but the only major distinction is that all governments have an understood process to change them, whether by votes or guillotine, and people get really upset when you apply either of those to a coalition of idiots incapable of rudimentary defense.


----------



## Begemot (Jun 30, 2019)

BillionBisonBucks said:


> Sorry, who's the 'intellectual' competition? The morally vacuous, or the mentally limited they exploit? The only thing I'm scared of is my descendants having to deal with another mormon/scientologist tier shitshow throwing resources after literal insanity.
> 
> I mean... You're not wrong. I could make semantic quibbles, but the only major distinction is that all governments have an understood process to change them, whether by votes or guillotine, and people get really upset when you apply either of those to a coalition of idiots incapable of rudimentary defense.


Yep, more denigration of people who want to expand their minds and look beyond a spoon-fed Neo-Liberal consensus. You 'ballers' always come out the woodwork, don't you?


----------



## BillionBisonBucks (Jun 30, 2019)

chekovia said:


> Yep, more denigration of people who want to expand their minds and look beyond a spoon-fed Neo-Liberal consensus. You 'ballers' always come out the woodwork, don't you?
> 
> View attachment 822514View attachment 822515View attachment 822516


Sorry, man, your jive is just too thick for me to parse your point.


----------



## Begemot (Jun 30, 2019)

BillionBisonBucks said:


> Sorry, man, your jive is just too thick for me to parse your point.


Oh, we're playing the ignorance game now, huh, baller?

We call you ballers because you, heh, believe the world is a ball, Makes sense? Any more bad faith arguments left?


----------

