Over the past few days it seems like the phrase "all cops are bastards", often simply abbreviated as ACAB, has been cracked down upon with increasing frequency. This phrase, which has been used for decades as a political slogan to decry police brutality and corruption, is considered trolling by NS moderation. Frankly, I disagree with that.
Per the One-Stop Rules Shop (emphasis mine ofc):
Trolling/Baiting/Gloating: Trolling is defined as posts that are made with the aim of angering people. (like 'ALL JEWS ARE [insert vile comment here]' for example). Someone disagreeing with you does not equate to trolling. Intent is incredibly important and will be judged by the moderators to the best of their abilities. Honest belief does not excuse trolling. Disagreements are expected and conducting yourself in a civil manner is ideal. Trollbaiting is the action of making posts that attract trolls. A prime example of trollbaiting would be gloating over the results of an election.
Gloating over punishments handed out to other players is not acceptable. Another form of the offense, IGNORE gloating, is typically seen in the roleplay forums, though it can appear elsewhere. Politely informing another nation that you are henceforth using the "ignore" feature is acceptable, but repeating it in different threads or over long periods is considered gloating and will be dealt with appropriately. Other cases will be considered on an ad hoc basis.
Attempting to dehumanize ethnic or religious groups by referring to them with a lowercase letter and censoring another letter out is not allowed. Calling a group by its proper name is cool. Trolling via censoring it as if it is a profanity -- not cool. Don't do it
Here's why I'd argue that ACAB shouldn't be considered trolling:
1) I agree that comments like "all Jews are (pedos/anti-white/insert-other-antisemitic-comment-here)" are fucking reprehensible and have no place on this forum. However, this is in large part because Jewish people are largely a protected category and face undue discrimination due to their faith and background. Police, on the other hand, suffer no real discrimination due to their career choices. One could argue, in many cases, that they contribute to discrimination in many communities (but that's an argument for another, probably NSG-based thread).
2) Moderation, both in the past and presently, have allowed comments of a more inflammatory nature to be said about people of all sorts of ideologies and religious backgrounds - fascists, communists, radical Islamists, just to name a few. We've allowed out-and-out Nazis on the forums so long as they aren't too loud about their wishes for the extermination of Jews and minorities. In a day and age where, in places like the US and Nigeria and China, police are actively murdering and brutalizing citizens with impunity (and in many cases, full government support), is it really such a radical and offensive notion to say that all cops are bastards?
So, TL;DR - I think NS moderation is making a mistake by considering ACAB to be trolling and would like them to reconsider their position on this.