Hmmmm. Principle of charity is absolutely right & proper if one's aim is to get at the truth of things. But not convinced it should govern all our political interventions (online or otherwise). One concedes the terrain of rhetoric to one's opponents at peril, I reckon.
-
My argument is that if you fail to recognise that politics is sometimes - often - dirty, then you're more likely to lose. And winning is important (as in the case of slavery, for example).
- but even accepting your formulation...).Okay, so concrete example - John Major's back to basics campaign. Deliberately misrepresented by Labour Party with good results (as far as I'm concerned). Certainly not treated with principle of charity. Is that allowed? I have no problem with it at all.