My problem is that the instance admin does the blocking decision for the user, based on their own cultural norms, not the users.

I hear variations of that logic so often and it’s frustrating. It’s impossible for me to infringe someone’s freedom of speech on the fediverse. Someone can spin up a brand new server right now and start saying whatever they want. I can’t stop them, even if I wanted to, which I don’t. But if I blocked them from my own server, some people are quick to complain about my “censorship”, or whatever.

No. In exercising my freedom of speech to say I don’t want to hear their trash, and I don’t want them harassing my users. Their freedom of speech doesn’t say they have the right to force me to listen to them.

(For people following along at home: the speech I’m talking about here isn’t a debate about appropriate fiscal policy, but about vile escaped-from-4chan trash. I’d never block someone for disagreeing with my politics. I’ll block their ass in a heartbeat for a timeline filled with swastikas and death threats.)

> Diverse conversations are actually pretty rare in reality when conflicting opinions exist

So are we just not supposed to debate anything ever? Just find a convenient excuse to ban/block/mute and move on?

> The paradox of tolerance pretty much demands you weed out the extremists or they will be all that's left

Too bad everyone has a different idea of who an "extremist" is, and conveniently ignores the ones on their side.

The "paradox" of tolerance is a weak excuse to enact your own tyranny and nothing more.

The trick is not being an ass towards someone you disagree with. If you quote Popper on this, you failed that and are rationalizing your behavior because you know its not good.

Its less a translation thing, but: I do not consider it offensive, yet i have to accommodate these sensitivities while the reverse is not considered.