Dead Kennedys and Popper’s Paradox

I have the Dead Kennedys in my head this morning—you know, the punk band from the late '70s and '80s. Specifically, I've got their song Nazi Punks Fuck Off from their EP In God We Trust spinning on the old internal turntable.

Punk ain’t no religious cult
Punk means thinkin’ for yourself
You ain’t hardcore, ‘cause you spike your hair
When a jock still lives inside your head
~~~snip~~~
You still think swastikas look cool
The real Nazis run your schools
They’re coaches, businessmen and cops
In a real fourth Reich, you’ll be the first to go

Nazi punks, Nazi punks
Nazi punks fuck off
Nazi punks, Nazi punks
Nazi punks fuck off

You’ll be the first to go, you’ll be the first to go
You’ll be the first to go, unless you think

Full lyrics here. 

Someone online (sorry, I forget who) mentioned Karl Popper’s Paradox of Tolerance. What is that? Basically this:

If everyone is tolerant of every idea, then intolerant ideas will emerge. Tolerant people will tolerate this intolerance, and the intolerant people will not tolerate the tolerant people. Eventually, the intolerant people will take over and create a society of intolerance. Therefore, Popper said, to maintain a society of tolerance, the tolerant must be intolerant of intolerance… hence the paradox. (source)

I found a great post online which perfectly illustrated Popper’s paradox. It’s from 2020 and, if anything, it's even more important to note and learn from today.

Gregorio Marañón, the Spanish physician, scientist, historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer, said that being liberal means being open to understanding with those who think differently. Yes. True. HOWEVER, being liberal is NOT the same as being a compliant doormat, a tractable twat, an acquiescent pigeon. Everyone on the planet MUST stand the fuck up and actively, loudly resist the thin-skinned, weasel headed, mangled apricot barbarian and his Nazi administration.

 Hi, my name is Donna and I'm just one of the intolerant left.