Accusing someone of rape can get them attacked and/or murdered.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/140 ... -dead.html
Yes its a nasty crime that few could even think about defending, however it is absolutely true to state that it is an "overly-emotionally-charged" word for 1 reason that people often overlook in a blind fury of hatred and malice that rarely appears in such great quantities for numerous other crimes that may be as equally devestating on an emotional and physical level. And please dont think that I am in any way shape or form trying to defend such actions - I am simplky trying to point out that sometimes people dont pause to think, or to ask questions, they just get the baseball bat out and beat the shit out of someone whao has been accused of something well before they have been conviced, and even sometimes by nothing more than a rumour.
1,) People as a general rule take it as a true statement without even considering the evidence, and this can lead to the story above. The same issue has happened with people accused of molesting children (except RC priests who get away with it thanks to the protection of GOD). Also have a look at the link below.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 38808.html
Comparing the accusation of "rapist" to the accusation of "communist" is all about where you are from, in some parts of the world "rapist" comes with a big glowing badge of honour that they show to their peers (read the link below to be totally disgusted).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8107039.stm
The accusation of "communist" I think is hilarious, its almost like accusing someone of "being religious" as that makes them evil in some way. Personally I despise religions in all of their forms, however, just like communism, religion is generally imparted on a "believers" children. Just like religion, it depends on where you live and how tight the stranglehold is when it comes to breaking free of your "parents view" and thinking for yourself.
In the UK there are 2 main political parties. On the left side of politics (just left of centre) we have "Labour", most Labour supporters are Labour because their parents are, and the "belief" that Labour are good and the others are bad lives through generations, even when voting Labour into power when you are young and poor was good (in theory) for you then does not mean that it is good for you when you are rich and middle aged, that person may still be a Labour voter when it does them no-good at all.
Political alliegences are often very strong, and in the world of politics there is only one thing stronger than the alliegence of a political party (movement). That is that "the others" are much worse, are evil, should be despised etc etc. This can obviously be extrapolated to other political systems such as "communism" is "hated" by most Americans in the same way that "Athiests" are "hated" by most Americans - the most obvious (I nearly said shocking, but its not) is that people "hate" things that they simply do not understand, and refuse to even try to understand them, they would rather just make lots of noise and keep on throwing mud because most people are stupid and are simply not capable of sensible rational thought.
And to finalise by using some excelent quotes by "Winston" to point out in wonderfully simple terms my points above, as well as some that others have already made.
"Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon."
"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries."
"We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile—hoping it will eat him last."
"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
"Once in a while you will stumble upon the truth but most of us manage to pick ourselves up and hurry along as if nothing had happened."
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is."
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."
"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."
"If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons."
"Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fall, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour!”
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I think that about covers the above points with the last one added for fun, although with a scary amount of truth.
Andy