There’s nothing wrong with criticism or calling out bad behavior. However, shouting “ACAB” in a thread about police violence, making jokes about beheading rich people, or throwing “muskrat” comments in discussions about Elon Musk, just to name a few examples, makes you an asshole and part of the reason why social media is so incredibly toxic.
If you’re doing that while also explaining why you feel that way, then it’s still not the best approach, but at least you’re contributing to the conversation instead of just making noise. Throwing out insults without adding substance doesn’t challenge anyone or encourage meaningful discussion; it just perpetuates the toxic environment that so many of us complain about.
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.
Who are the rich you’re insulting by commenting on Lemmy?
You were talking about people on lemmy insulting the powerful. Specifically the police, the rich and musk.
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Disrespecting / insulting the rich and powerful on a platform like Lemmy is like talking shit about “libtards” on a Trump rally; none of the people you’re disrespecting are there to hear.