ACAB is not an insult, it's shorthand for an ideological shift in how we perceive civil servants. It's a reminder, or a clue for those who haven't seen it before, that we have a very real problem.

Similarly, references to the guillotine should serve as a reminder that the social contract applies to everyone. When the rich devalue the lives of the poor, enriching themselves at the expense of human suffering, they need a reminder that they are outnumbered. The downtrodden need a reminder that basic human decency is a reciprocal requirement.

I'm with you on personal insults, even against shitbags like Leon, but I also enjoy clever or novel insults, so it's more about how repetitive they are for me.

part of the reason why social media is so incredibly toxic

Hard disagree. Commercial social media is incredibly toxic because of individuals like Musk, Zuckerberg, etc. They increase their profits to the determent of society. They create the echo chambers that cause that behavior.

I didn't know how unpopular that is, but the "elites" of our society like you mentioned (billionaires, police, government, giant corporations) think they're above reproach or that they don't even have to care what we think. That's why comments qualify as discussion even if they're short. I don't think that rises to the level of "hate"...

People get angry, and sometimes they need to vent that anger. There's nothing inherently wrong with being angry, just like there's nothing wrong with feeling any of the feelings a person can have. There's not even anything wrong with expressing that anger. The body keeps the score, and it will not forgive someone for their unprocessed emotions. Expression is often a part of that processing.

Everything after this is my opinion and should be taken as opinion, not any sort of expression of fact.

It is my opinion that an angry statement like "ACAB" isn't harmful as long as the audience is right. I have no issues with someone saying "ACAB" under an article about police brutality. I would be displeased with an ACAB comment as a direct response to someone who is a cop and was expressing vulnerable feelings about being a cop. It's been my belief and experience that that type of moment is where the right words can actually change someone's mind a little bit, whereas the wrong words can cause harm and push someone to double down on their beliefs. The only times I've managed to change minds is when I first try to express some degree of understanding before attempting to reverse the connection to show the other person why they would benefit from understanding.

I do see the irony present in my specific example here, since bad cops generalize and act out those generalizations on individuals in painful (and sometimes lethal) ways. I am not able to feel or act that way, so the bad cops get to do something that I can't. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Basically, as long as a commenter is venting at a distance, I think it's relatively harmless. It makes me unhappy when a human is being directly and aggressively dumped on, because the chances for real harm are greatly increased.

I don't know if I feel quite the same way about "muskrat." Like, that's very much about a specific person, but the dude is literally never going to read that comment. I very much dislike Elon Musk and usually don't say his name in conversation without the word "fucking" in front of it. I personally don't believe that an internet comment can ever make that man act in a better way, so I don't know that there's any point in trying to treat him nicely. I dunno. Feelings and shit are hard.

EDIT: I should also mention that ACAB is not an insult, it is a symbol of a movement. That symbol can be insulting to some, but it can also provide a sense of solidarity to others. I am a very privileged person that hasn't had bad experiences with the police, so my understanding of the anger behind it is the product of empathy and relating it to my own traumas. I would not personally say that to a cop in a situation where I might be able to change their mind a bit, but I haven't suffered from oppression and pain at the hands of the police. Props to themeatbridge for their comment, because it made me realize that I was framing ACAB as a pejorative rather than what it is.

To summarize: You hate phrasing the indicates solidarity. Further, you feel you are entitled to a specific level of discourse and consider anyone who does not pass this gate you keep to be toxic. To that I say: NO U!

I think these short, punchy comments do serve a purpose and are worth having, little things like that add up for people questioning their own stance etc

the one point I agree on is that these comments aren't creative: they could certainly contribute more and could also be more hopeful rather than simply angry

Really muskrat is what you are worried about? That's the least you could say about him. That's tame. Maybe the real reason social media so toxic is because said muskrat keeps promoting and endorsing pedophiles, literal Nazis, racism, and general hatred.

This is for sure an unpopular opinion lol

It's a tough call whether or not this is unpopular, though I think it is.

I also agree with most of the expressed opinion of the post, though I would argue that it isn't always toxic.

Those one word comments are a waste of space.

You can express the same thing in a better way. I'm not saying people shouldn't be allowed to do it, but it's not going to do anything useful other than signaling other people that already agree.

However, that has its benefit. You used a perfect example where a post about police violence is made. ACAB popping up in a thread about that is a sign of solidarity as much as a signal.

It's when there's a post about something like a police department releasing information about an event that it becomes toxic, even though it is still a sign of solidarity.

In other words, there's nuance to that kind of symbol. It's the text equivalent to a raised fist in a crowd. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on context.

Respectability politics and it's consequences.

The opposition will gladly call you a cat eating demonic rapist pedophile without breaking a sweat, and you're here worrying about Elon Musks feelings or some shit.

Being "respectable" doesn't make you better, kinda just makes you a rube.

There is a fundamental difference between insulting the powerful and insulting people.

Having high status or power changes your brain, suppressing empathy and making you more capable of hurting others. Power makes people neurologically more evil, so it's correct to apply different standards to the powerful.

Insulting is a way to chip away at someone's social status, so 'punching up' has a (minor) positive leveling effect whereas 'punching down' tends to reinforce inequality and it's enabler: prejudice.

Disrespecting the powerful is important, necessary and beneficial.

It may be a toxic environment to you, but it's full of vital nutrition for me. I guess you could find a new place where you fit in more easily.

👏