Liberals are suddenly realizing that “cancel culture” can snap back – and it hurts. The liberal idea was to “cancel” people who raise “offensive” or “objectionable” topics, summarily ending unwanted discussions by intimidating people into abandoning free speech rights. It was always anti-American. Now, it turns out the left’s beast, is eating them too.
Upending the First Amendment by spurning people with different views is a dead end – legally, politically, and socially. Interestingly, conservatives generally offer to debate while liberals stifle dialogue. Now, they are being stifled.
Last week, some noted liberals wrote an “open letter” decrying how unthinking, zealous leftists were shutting them down. Former New York Times editor Bari Weiss and Harper’s columnist Thomas Williams were joined by Harry Potter’s J.K. Rowling, activist Noam Chomsky, and feminist Gloria Steinem, in this conservative turn. They rediscovered the First Amendment.
Suddenly, having been shunted off stage, out of newsrooms, and denied the right to opine, they took to Bill Maher’s show to say “open debate without fear of repercussions might be a good idea,” since the absence of free expression might lead to violence. Behold – an epiphany.
While the left swarms America’s streets, these liberals penned a letter. Said Weiss, their letter was a “warning cry from inside the institutions,” signaling the need to reverse course. Free speech apparently does matter, after all. Why? Because blocking it is “social murder” these enlightened liberals professed on Maher’s show – a curious venue for lefty confessions.
Weiss explained. “What is going on now with this culture of illiberalism is different from criticism.” Criticism is good, but “cancel culture is not criticism, it is about punishment … making a person radioactive… taking away their job.” She decried her former employer.
For background, a New York Times “editorial page editor” resigned in June, after “more than 1,000 staffers” signed a letter condemning him for allowing a column by conservative US Senator Tom Cotton on restoring law and order, if necessary with the military. In July, Weiss resigned, citing an internal “civil war,” pitting “social justice warriors” against “free speech.”
Could it be that “cancel culture” is biting the hand that fed it? On Maher’s show, Weiss perfectly described socialism. She noted “cancel culture” amounts to “punishing the person for being insufficiently pure,” pushing a “secondary boycott of people who would deign to speak to that person or appear on a platform with that person.” Suddenly, this is highly offensive.
She noted this kind of “politics” does not “get us” very far. She warned about where extremism goes. “If conversation with people that we disagree with becomes impossible, what is the way we solve conflict? … It’s violence.” She may have something there.
Weiss, the enlightened liberal, continued. She said politics has evolved into a “religious identity,” suggesting liberals who fail to push to “defund the police” are considered “heretics.” One hears an awakening in her voice to socialism’s hallmark, intimidation.
As if just washing over her, she explained: “That is an enormous problem … because it is … the collapse of moderates.” There is another idea. Could “cancel culture,” intimidating those not sufficiently “pure” to defend leftist violence, be a problem in America?
The effect, she said, is “collapse of the center and the retribalization of this country …,” now inside newsrooms. One could argue that she is a little late, but seeing the light is good. She observed that America is “exceptional… with all of its flaws.” Wisdom, indeed.
Unable to defend “patriotism,” she edged up to it. Returning to high school history – apparently missed by her peers – she said: “There is something bigger than lineage or kin or the political tribe we belong to…” Yes – and we call that America. She added, we are in “a very scary moment.” Right again, no thanks to her former employer. Could media bear responsibility?
These enlightened liberals – pilloried by former friends – now argue, “it is up to us to defend the ideas that made this country unique, and a departure from history.” “Cancel culture” – blotting out what we do not like – “stifles open discussion.” Extraordinary discovery, is it not?
Her epiphany was almost too much. One liberal decried where extremes lead. “We are in danger of reinvesting in the idea that race is real and that it cannot be escaped,” and “defines us.” Making those alive pay for past sins is “not a world that I want to create,” said a panelist.
Finally, the panel host chimed in. He offered a timeless nugget: “Being able to speak freely is the lifeblood not only of democracy, of really just our way of life.” Remarkable, liberals are now teaching liberals high school history – and why the First Amendment counts.
To be clear, there is nothing new about free speech being good, socialist intimidation bad. That is not news. The news is recognition by liberals – as they turn on one another – that free speech matters, and that canceling socialist “cancel culture” might be a good idea.
Does this represent a bend in the road for liberal thinking? Could we be returning to the idea that free speech protects societies which protect it? Maybe. Predictably, liberals who signed that letter are facing intense criticism from the left. The only thing worse than not being a pure socialist, of course, is calling out those who are.
What we are hearing, for the first time, is some liberals discovering “cancel culture” is a bad choice. Empowering socialist intimidation is dangerous. Suppression is catchy. Wisdom often comes to individuals and societies slowly, but this is a start. Small steps toward enlightenment are worth noticing – and this was one. Now, our nation must awaken to the profound risks of socialism in Congress, and stand firmly against it.
This effort needs to start in our Schools, from Elementary all the way to our Universities and Colleges. Freedom of Speech is stifled at the very base of Freedoms Guaranteed by the United States Constitution.
Organizations like the AFL/CIO, Labor Unions.. NEA National Education Association, Teachers Union … AFT, American Federation of Teachers, all are nothing more than a Union PAC for the Socialist Democratic Party. And they are in charge of Teaching our Kids. Our Children are not taught, they’re Indoctrinated and it continues for over 12 Years of their Formal Fist Level Education, then they are further Indoctrinated by Socialist Educators in an attempt to control the Political Narrative and who gets to speak at Campus Functions. In fact so much so, the Socialist Students will stop at nothing; Violence, Personal Assaults directed towards any Speaker that dares to speak out against Socialism, Communism or Anarchy.
America needs to Stop Socialist Advocating Professors from Indoctrinating our Children. Fire the Regents and Administrators that sit by and do nothing to Stop this organized effort to control America’s Capitalist System of Economic Governing. Socialist as a Political Party, along with the Communist Party need to be Banned from America
Wow. This is amazing. The liberals finally got the attention of other liberals with differing views. Finally someone got their attention.
At last–some “woke” liberals!
Right on!
By claiming that offensive speech or offensive ideas authorize violence, you authorize violence against yourself when others find your speech or your ideas equally offensive. And that can only lead to civil war.
We knew liberals would be a problem as early as the 60s. We should have acknowledged it and started killing them then. It only have taken a few, prominent individuals and the nonsense would have ended. LOCK AND LOAD!
Well written article and so many great comments! I pray that we as a people turn back from the path of destruction.
If Bari Weiss thinks the cancel culture is bad now, wait until Nov 3rd when the entire demoncRAT party will be canceled.
The USA is quickly/unfortunately becoming a Puritanical country again. Next we’ll see the rise of “witch trials”. Just have an opinion counter to the ultra-liberal, misinformed (by our own ‘educational system) and spiteful crybabies running rampant through our society (you know; the one that enabled all these rights they want to remove), and stand by to get smeared as a Nazi fascist for DARING to have a counter opinion. Here is a newsflash for those folks. The world is NOT a ‘safe room filled with puppies’.
The Buzzards have come home to roost and the left doesn’t like it. Suck it up buttercup your little monster has turned on you.
It’s a dream come true— leftists awakening to what their world view leads to. My dream goes on…leftist university teachers and administrators waking up or being cancelled, leftist media moguls waking up or being cancelled, leftist mayors and governors waking up or being cancelled, leftist teacher’s unions waking up or being cancelled, and so on until every element of our culture is liberated from their clutches.
All this “sounds” good, however, what we hear from weak republicans “sounds” good also. Our president has few allies in Congress and THAT is a problem. If we were to see the tax returns of EVERY MEMBER, the country would go berserk,. I believe one of the deepest money pits is foreign aid which I suspect accounts for large sums of “thank you” money being part of the process. Public service at the federal level has become an insult to any right thinking person. These thieves and life losers all act as if they are the Billy Graham of Congress when they more closely resemble Elmer Gantry.
Any social construct with foundational lies cannot survive. The occasional hard and sometime brutal realities must be recognized and dealt with. This is the principal reason socialism as an economic construct simply cannot work. It relies on the most optimistic assumptions while ignoring human nature or trying to villainize it. Ultimately, the only way it can survive is through autocratic rule and tolerating a black market. Even then it will eventually fall in on itself…always has.
Man’s creation of Socialism denies the existence of God. God created the circular firing squad to punish socialists and to remind them that our Constitution was built on His Laws, starting with the 1st Amendment.
I have said it before and I will say it every chance I get.
For all you lefties out there, someday they will come for you to.
Best way to convert a leftist infected liberal? Let them PERSONALLY expirience the consequences of their own ideology. Just recently, how often have we seen a lefty mayor, journalist, or activist do a complete 180 when those “mostly peaceful protesters” show up at their house? It’s really rather amusing in a dark way. Unfortunately, a good deal of damage must be done to open the eyes of otherwise intelligent and good people.
I love how the Left calls us ‘Nazis’ while they practice being a ‘Nazi’. They continually call us what they are. They know this, but do it anyway because they know no one will hold them accountable.
Pending #WalkAway membership, I see!
WOW! seasoned Liberals seeing some LIGHT?!?!?
Too late leftists………your dog has bitten your own backside so live with it or have it put down. My God how stupid you clowns can be.
Im just watching a series on Leah Reminy exposing SCIENTOLOGY! This mindset, prevalent in SCIENTOLOGY is very near the Liberal thinkers and spewers in media today! Am I wrong?
Appeasement has never worked. Appeasement is like feeding the crocodile hoping he attacks you last.
love this realization just hope it spreads more in their ranks. This is America!
You anti AMERICAN so called peaceful protestors really need to suck it up an crawl back in your caves or under your rocks or crawl out from under nobambabamas armpits,in other words,GET A REAL LIFE.
Hopefully this group will vote for people like our current president who believe in individual freedom. Hopefully they and any they might influence haven’t awakened too late.
Liberalism is much like a cancer which must be totally removed or it will pop its ugly head up when you least expect it.
The Bible says “a house divided cannot stand”. Looks like the house is starting to divide. Yay, can’t wait till it falls!! TRUMP 2020. VOTE CONSERVATIVES, VOTE IN AMAZING NUMBERS, SHOW THE LEFT, THAT WE ARE THE STRONGER PARTY, AND WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!! OUR VOTE IS OUR VOICE!!
The whole thing is rather sad that so many young ones know very little about history. It seems that they never even were taught history. Now when they open their mouth, they truly have no idea what they are saying since what they have learned didn’t come from them doing research, but just listening to others (who also know very little about history). And this all scares me. Can’t truly talk with them when they know little about our past.
Perhaps they’ll learn that lumping all in a party or group as ‘deplorable’, ‘racist’, ‘homophobic, etc. is just as much an abomination as being a liberal ‘canceled’ or denied free speech by leftists.
At the beginning of the Bolshevik Revolution, the first to go were the intelligentsia. All those liberal “educators” might do well to realize that they are going to become targets of the monster they are nurturing.with their anti-capitalist rhetoric.
Be still my heart!!!!!!!!! some folks seem to be waking up to the errors being touted as good, whilst what is good is being touted as an error etc.
Ouch something just bit me in the butt.
Oh. It only the cancel culture and the leftist socialists. I sure hope it heals
“Wisdom often comes to individuals and societies slowly, but this is a start.” It also often comes too slowly, and too late.
I hope this is the beginning of the crush of the left and their communism. I want my America back!
Boo Whoo the nutjobs feelings are hurt. See if they can write an editorial on what it feels like to be hit in the head with a brick , permanently blinded by a laser , building you are in torched !! Anybody watching the Free Press with numerous other felony acts committed on Americans at least if you won’t defend yourself do America a favor and VOTE !!
That’s what has ALWAYS happened in Socialist states. They end up eating their own, running out of other people’s money and destroying themselves. Welcome to History 101.
It’s important to note we are a Republic NOT a pure democracy where the hysterical mob delineates what our leaders do. We live by the law and it’s supposed to be the same law for all, administered by our elected leaders. We have to get our leaders back on track and doing their jobs or fire their privileged butts.
You folks have been holding my stuff for approval. Isn’t that a restriction of free speech per the first amendment? Again=== It only proves what is attributed to Winston Churchill. “Feed the crocodile in the hope that it won’t eat you.” Guess what happens?
I shall not be tempted to comment further on this site. Plus your IT people are not very functional. What happens as your folks have sent the SAME ITEM TWICE. CLEAN UP YOUR ISSUES.
Despite this moment of bed wetter wisdom, count me doubtful at best. Yes they SAY that things might have gone too far and that maybe their cause isn’t all it is cracked up to be. But will these same people go out and, in the privacy of the voting booth (or their parents’ basement closet) still vote for rubbish like Biden, AOC, Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, et al? If so, some epiphany this is.
These are presumably smart people. Surely they are educated (ain’t the same as smart). They not only should have been able to figure out the downside implications of these policies in an abstract manner, they should have done so and pushed back before the snowball went off the edge of the mountain. I’m going to make a guess here and say that they are not upset by these awful policies on their merits (or lack thereof) but rather are anxious because they have gotten caught up in their own trap. Or maybe they see the handwriting on the wall, that this nonsense is doomed to fail, and want to rehabilitate themselves somehow or at least hedge their bets so that their credibility does not go down with the sinking ship.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” I pledge allegiance to the Flag now EVERYDAY! The American Flag should NOT be burned. I love President George Washington. The American Flag and George Washington’s Statue should be revered and treated with respect! Conservatives, have a right to love their country and their history! Also, Conservatives have a right to voice their love of country and traditional values!
Oh I pray they are really seeing the light. That is not enougj just to see, however, doing something about it is the key to healing the disease.
Some are finally seeing the light!! Prayerfully, they will see the light more come November and vote out of office those who are trying to suppress us!!
I was in public education for 40 years, and I resigned (with most of the negativism coming from my superintendent) because of pressure from the left to allow the students and the parents to do and say pretty much whatever they wanted. A culture without rules and order creates chaos. Rather than “bully back” I was financially fortunate enough that I could resign and return to private (Christian) education. I am a believer first and an American second, but those who have liberal tendencies tend to be loud and pushy! However, the long-term difference is made by those who faithfully uphold their first amendment rights.
I love this new “awakening”. The truth is finally sinking in!
Gee! Some of the lemmings are finally waking up and realizing that marching over a cliff and into the sea is not such a good idea.
Liberals NEVER like it when the shoe is on the other foot…cramps their style!
Maybe all this “cancel culture” running rampant is the Lord’s way of saving those liberals who are now awakening to the light of wisdom? Wisdom comes from God so it these liberals wake up, there might just be hope in saving America and the world from total chaos and destruction! Lord have mercy on America!
It’s way past time for there to be open discussions about the differences of political opinion. We’ve already lived too long under the censorship of the Big Tech like Google, Facebook and Twitter. Every one has a right to their opinion and denying one side the ability and places to hold those discussions is very much like Hitler did in Germany. The BLM marches are similar to the despicable things the Brown Shirts did there. Why is that no one is willing to recognize and discuss that. How long before these miscreants move from burning Bibles to burning all books????
Ok, so the standard response to this letter from a typical conservative will go something like….
– Why did it take them so long to figure this out, and
– Did they figure this out all by themselves? and
– OMG!! The left actually have thinkers among them!
But wait a minute……this kind of suppression of opposing views is not something recent. Berkley has been doing it for decades to conservative speakers as have other liberal universities. Broadcast news has been giving only the liberal side to an issue since they found it effective in getting Obama elected. Where were their voices of moderation and debate them? And I don’t think for a minute the ‘established’ left, including each of the 100 or so cosigners to this letter, cares one hoot whether Antifa attacks police or Omar calls everybody who doesn’t respectfully repeat her diatribe a ‘racist’ or Legislators like Ocrazyo-Cortez demand petroleum products be banned in 10 years or else. Nope, I’m sure each of these cosigners alone in a room says to themselves ‘Yeah!’ or ‘Right On’ whenever BLM or AOC or Mayors like Jenny Durkan act like a bunch of immature anarchist zealots hell-bent on destroying the foundation of our republic. So instead of accepting this ‘open letter’ as publicized liberal enlightenment, perhaps there is another driver…..perhaps the ‘established’ left is coming to realize not that the cancel-culture are not speaking for them. Perhaps the left is realizing they are going to lose if this kind of radicalism continues, and this is simply a strategy to try to pull back those centrist liberal votes they are afraid will either not vote in November or ==GASP!== vote for Trump.
And a couple of lines from the letter I find funny….
“The free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted. While we have come to expect this on the radical right…”
“This stifling atmosphere will ultimately harm the most vital causes of our time”
“The way to defeat bad ideas is by exposure, argument, and persuasion….”
Hmmmm. Those with an ‘R’ after their name have been saying this for quite some time. But like all good liberals today, its really all about hypocrisy. These signators have NO interest in equanimous debate. Their interest, which I can now see clearly between the lines of this letter, is power and control. These progressives have no more an interest in constructive debate than they do in having affordable housing projects built in their neighborhood, wind turbans constructed in their field of view, disarming their body guards or downsizing their mansions to energy conserving LEED standards. And they sure-as-shootin are NEVER going to give up their private jets!!
Phonies, Phonies everywhere with ner’ a constructive thought anywhere!
Race is real. Any moron can see the differences between races. Average IQ scores show it and so does the real world in innate abilities and talents. Not too many Asians in the NBA, are there? The libtards say there are no differences, yet White people are bad. If there are no differences, how can there be the holy diversity they worship?
BTW, WRT diversity, diversity divides. That’s why those who wish to destroy the USA push diversity so hard. They know it makes us weaker not stronger.