I disagree. I think actively marginalizing people can and does work, and for extreme behaviors is very effective- the problem, I think, is that some people want to actively marginalize for even non-extreme behaviors- but that's always the problem with people, they want to take things too far.
Nazis, for example, are actively marginalized in our society. Most people aren't going to become Nazis because of the attendant marginalization that accompanies such a choice. A few people probably will become Nazis BECAUSE of the marginalization (there are always people wired to go against the herd, simply because they want to be against) but the number of those people will be few. The problem comes when people also decided to marginalize agnostics, for example, even though agnostics don't present the dangers Nazis present. But society has always been somewhat irrational, because it is composed of people, who also tend to be irrational- and as you so often say, people are often unable to prioritize risks in a way that comports with "reality", because emotions and beliefs so often color perceptions.
So, marginalization is, imo, a valid tool in the tool kit- but people are too willing to overuse it. |
