[wellboy]

No, there are simply sentences that fall into this category such as not supporting gay marriage, proclaiming Snowden as a traitor, being anti-abortion, which invalidate everything that the person has ever said or done, because they reveal untenable views like homophobia, ignorance and religious misogonysm.

There are some more views, that reveal racism, but lets leave it at that.

In this particular case, this ignorance reveals the view that mass surveillance is okay, whereas the author seems to miss that every nation that supports mass-surveillance is going towards a Nazi-Germany-like regime. Ever wondered why Germany is so adamant about privacy? Because they remember what happened when a certain entity gained too much control. The thing is, it's not a question if such mass control will be abused at some point. It's just a question of when, maybe in 5 years, maybe in 15, but it will inevitably be abused at some point. Americans don't get that, because they haven't been there.

[edanm]

Firstly, someone being wrong about one thing doesn't mean they're wrong about something else.

Secondly, there are some issues about which people have valid disagreements. This is one of them. Come to think of it, much as I wish it wasn't, gay marriage is also such an issue in most places (though clearly not in Silicon Valley or in Hacker News).

Third, I don't understand how you made the leap from him thinking that Snowden is a traitor, to him thinking that mass surveillance is okay. Maybe he said other things I'm not aware of (seriously - correct me if I'm missing something). But thinking that Snowden is a traitor has nothing to do with views on mass surveillance.

Finally, you are taking an extremely absurd position where the world is entirely black and white - someone says one thing that you disagree with, clearly he thinks terrible things, clearly this invalidates anything he has to say, including on a subject on which he is very knowledgeable, and clearly he's not worth listening to.

That is not a good way to be part of a diverse society, and definitely not a good way to expand your horizons.

[dwaltrip]

Your zeal has lead you to an absurd conclusion. "Invalidate everything they have ever said or done"? That's not how it works... People can be completely wrong about one thing and have good insight into something else.

[webmaven]

We have, but it seems we've forgotten the lessons of the Japanese interment camps, COINTELPRO, J. Edgar Hoover, etc.