My,my. Barton waxes dumbfoundedly (and with predictable snark) trying to calm his illiberal rage that Chomsky has a point those on the right can agree with.
There is no joke to laugh at. Only the truth which drives Barton nuts.
Rage? For a second there, I thought you might be going to reply to my actual point. Whew, that was close.
Hilarious that my expressed support of RW free speech and public platforms, and clear statement of support of Chomsky, Brooks, Atwood et al, got so twisted. I guess you didn't like that I pointed out that they also condemn cancel culture when the Right does it. I was applauding their evenhanded application of a principle of tolerance. Do you? Or do you want to keep lying about what I wrote?
I'm of two minds. I'm uncomfortable with anything that approaches censorship of writing and scholarship, but I also think its right for people to give their support and their consumer dollars to people they think are doing right by the world. My 401K is pegged to stocks of companies that are environmentally conscious. Its my right to do so, and I will continue to, thanks.
Take two recent examples, both appearing in the NYT. Tom Cotton writes an op-ed that uses lies and falsehoods to argue that military opposition to BLM protests was justified and supported by the law. Obviously, Tom Cotton is free to express his opinions and lie to people all he wants. That doesn't mean that it is right for the NYT to publish those lies and distribute to a larger audience. That isn't a "canceling" because they don't agree with the argument. Its that the argument is baseless, and spreading lies does more harm than good.
Then I also read a piece today about a cafe in Upper Manhattan where people have stopped getting coffee because the owner, despite supporting liberal causes, voted for Trump and said he might again:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/nyregion/indian-road-cafe-trump.htmlThis is a tough one for me. Should a guy lose his business because of who he chooses to vote for in what should be a free democratic process? No.
But then you can't deny that a vote for Trump means a vote for more families separated on the border, more people deported and children caged, the elimination of regulations that protect our environment, a national security policy that bows its head to dictators and murderers, the continued dilution and corruption of democratic institutions, and the deaths of more innocents should there be another COVID (or should this one continue past January.) We aren't talking about tax cuts, here, or obscure arguments about the proper size of government. This is life and death. Of people and our democracy.
Maybe it comes down to the fact that buying your coffee there doesn't support or deny that vote one way or the other. The guy will vote for Trump with or without the cafe. So in the end, probably an example of "cancel culture" going to far.