[mikkergp]

I think it gets the gnarliest in conversations about discrimination. We have notions of "protected classes" and "non-protected classes", and the recent discussions about caste discrimination are pretty exemplary. And sometimes you can't help but take a side. I don't know that I always think inaction is taking a side, but once you become aware of people taking actions in your company, like a higher caste firing a lower caste, it's harder to make that argument.

[feet]

Inaction is absolutely complicity. By doing and saying nothing you're stating the issue doesn't matter enough to you to not let it continue.

[bluefirebrand]

That's a huge reach. People aren't entitled to have everyone else take personal risks on their behalf. That is why it is worthy of respect when people do stick their necks out for others.

And yes, standing up against injustice is very often a personal risk.

[feet]

That's very individualistic. The reality is that we all take part in the same system whether we like it or not.

[bluefirebrand]

This doesn't address what I said at all. Yes, we're all in the same system, so what?

Is a person obligated to risk their own position in that system for the sake of someone else? Legally, no. In many ethical systems, also no.

You claimed that people who are not taking action are complicit. Often that is absolutely not the case. Often in fact those people are helpless, bound by their own situations.

Let's take the example of a mugging. You walk past an alley, and you see someone pointing a gun at another person. Are you obligated to intervene? Of course not. You might be able to save that person's life or defuse the situation but you also just might get killed and accomplish nothing.

Let's take another example. Workplace bullying. You witness a person who is being very aggressive to a coworker, giving insults and maybe even being physical. Do you intervene? Of course you do, right?

Now imagine you have kids. Your spouse recently lost their job, you can't afford to also lose yours. Surely you wouldn't be risking your job by speaking up about this bullying right? Except the bully is your boss. And he's good friends with the CEO. But that's what HR is for right? You make an anonymous tip to HR. And nothing happens because HR won't act on an anonymous tip. So you should talk to them in person right? But that's putting yourself at risk and boy you really can't lose your job.

Helpless. Not malicious.

[feet]

Why do people feel the need to rob others? Yes, sure there are some tiny percentage of people with severe mental illness who enjoy seeing others in pain but that's not the majority. The majority is due to a lack of opportunity combined with systemic oppression.

The problem of workplace bullying putting a job at risk is a problem which is a power imbalance inherent to capitalism. Forming unions, where people speak up for each other and stick together, is the best way to solve that problem without fundamentally changing the system.

[blagie]

Inaction is absolutely complicity. You're (personally) complicit in a lot of things, probably including treatment of refugees from ISIS in Turkey, the famine in Afghanistan, drug cartel in Mexico, and the Yemeni Civil War. I don't know where you live, but I could name dozens of local issues people are complicit in as well.

There are enough issues in the world that everyone's complicit on most of them.

Convince me why others being complicit in issues you care about is any worse than you being complicit in the issues I listed above.

Or consider that others might prioritize issues differently than you do.

[feet]

What makes you think I don't speak out about those things?