Wanna play a fun game? Go to Springhole(.)net’s “How Good People and Well-Intentioned Groups Go Bad”. Skip to the bottom where it lists signs that a group has gone completely rotten. How many of those signs have you seen in antis? (I have already found quite a few.)

argentconflagration:

butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway:

themintycupcake:

shippingisnotactivism:

(x) Oh wow. Tbh I don’t think there’s a single thing I wouldn’t apply to antis? Amazing.

I wanted to c/p the text and discuss it, but springhole won’t allow me to that so, sorry. 

Honestly I would recommend this entire page as a must-read for anyone. It’s entirely possible for any group to become this toxic and you could end up swallowing extremist ideologies without even realizing that it’s happening.

@argentconflagration

I know this isn’t an exact answer to the questions you’re still waiting on from me, but I think this website is definitely directly addressing some of your thoughts on how to identify your community as being abusive in the first place.

Here’s the text of the section being discussed above:

• The group fosters and nurtures irrational hatred and fear of anyone or any outgroup (often by creating an atmosphere where negative generalizations are the norm).
• The group fosters and nurtures the belief that it is inherently superior to any outgroups, and that members of outgroups are inferior by default.
• The group justifies actions that in any other circumstances would be considered morally wrong or abusive.
• The group ignores or minimizes flaws within its own members and ideology that would be harshly criticized if they came from anyone or anything else.
• The group’s narrative and ideology are more important than facts, truth, and logic; and they demonize anyone, inside or outside of the group, that questions it.
• The group thinks little to nothing of exploiting people to achieve its goals – eg, by defrauding them, by overworking them, or by pressuring them into giving up absurd amounts of money and assets “for the good of the cause.”
• The group takes a “shoot first, ask questions later” or “guilty until proven innocent” attitude, especially toward dissenters and outsiders.
• The group doesn’t consider it possible to go too far in what they do to spread their beliefs or agendas, or they have no concept of what would constitute unethical means of spreading their beliefs or agendas.
• The group doesn’t consider it possible to go too far in what they do against their opponents, or they have no concept of what would constitute a crime or wrong against their opponents.

[source]