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The issue is that fascism cannot be reasoned with as it is inherently illogical.

Intellectual inoculation must occur before the person is infected with the disease of fascism; if the person is already infected, they usually stay that way till they die, or they cure themselves (perhaps with some help) and thus produce a set of intellectual antibodies that theoretically will keep them away from such an ideology (and similar ideologies).

These antibodies are values. All ideologies claim to hold to principles, which, as I understand it, are universal, or at least should be. The difference is in values, which differ from circumstance to circumstance. These values are the pegs in the game of Plinko that is life, posts that we bounce off of to guide our behavior that should conform to these principles more often than not.

Thus, fascism that already exists can only be defeated with physical force, while the potential for fascism can only be precluded with the correct values instilled from an early age or by grouping together with like-minded people.

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Definitely believe there is a space for "free sppech absolutism" in the left. Not everyone is going to change their ways of thinking about certain things. All we can as leftist is hone the ability to ruthlessly critique those ideas to where espousing them is swiftly met with robust demolishing of their validity. Like I said, not everyone is going to change, but everyone will die, and in their death we should hope to give rise to better ways of understanding about less favorable ideas.

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