Gonna take some time and compile my related takes and thoughts on the matter, I've been posting practically all day and a lot of it on this general sphere of topics:

If you're a cis/het neurotypical white guy (or some such combination) please read this.

When the vast majority of the site is cis/het white american males, expecting anything other than reactionary brainworms being common to the point of invisibility (to said majority) is silly

No one knows anything until they learn it, and that goes double when it comes to unlearning propaganda ingrained in us from birth, which is why we have to face that reality clearheadedly and annihilate our liberalism through criticism, reflection, and giving more of a damn about each other than we do about ‘being right’ (aka not even considering you could be wrong)

I'm sure most of us read this and nod along "Of course!" but the problem is that these reactionary tendencies don't usually operate at the conscious level. You won't notice your reactionary behavior (which you don't know about) by looking, anymore than a libs awareness that propaganda exists will get them to question any of their assumptions.

Lots of people say they want this site to be a causal place for sharing leftist memes and discussion. Well I’d say that ‘casual’ is is different for each person too, that’s one of the bigger problems I think.

Something that could be really hurtful or painful or otherwise entirely not casual funtimes for a marginalized person could sneak right past a group of ‘average’ chacha posters, because they don’t notice or understand. That’s a problem with casual spaces when the space is intended as being a space for all, especially marginalized groups, but is dominated by a majority group like cis/het white american males. Y’know what I mean?

And now I'm going to copy over an exchange I had with Cass in her last post:

Cass:

one of the more personal reasons I’m leaving is that I notice the same thing [a lack of speaking up for oppressed people] and it creates a duty for me to speak up, enmeshing me in too many pointless arguments with people who have no intention to reflect or hear criticism.

Me:

It’s like being forced to be the fun killer, like being the parent that has to actually discipline the kids while the ‘fun’ parent comes out smelling like roses, you end up covered in shit with several angry children yelling at you for doing the right thing.

Even worse in this case, because ‘having to speak up’ in the first place is difficult and not many people want to, can, or will stick their necks out that far. And then eventually those that do get worn down until they stop speaking up, and then the very real problem can be quietly ignored.

This isn’t necessarily an intentional process, but choosing to be blind to it is.

ever wonder why I don’t speak up about ableism in the community anymore? This shit right here.

Cass:

I wish you’d speak up about the ableism, friend. it’s a subject I’m just not well enough informed on yet.

Me:

I wish I felt comfortable doing so anymore /:

I usually can’t handle it. It’s hard enough to put words to my thoughts without having to try and fail to make it so people can’t take what I say in bad faith or get upset at me

But like you said, trying to explain, teach or even just point out the existence or flaws of something gets you enmeshed in pointless arguments with people who aren’t arguing in good faith, but solely because they don’t want to self crit, especially when the thing in question doesn’t usually affect cis/het white people, even more especially when it’s a result of that groups behavior directly

Sorry it's so long and not particularly well organized, they're mostly comments I posted elsewhere strung together