This is getting bad, really bad. It reminds me of this poem by Martin Niemöller:
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First they came for the Communists. And I did not speak out. Because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Socialists. And I did not speak out. Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists. And I did not speak out. Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews. And I did not speak out. Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me. And there was no one left. To speak out for me.
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We are destroying a culture whose solid footing used to be tolerance. People need to understand that once you go far enough in this direction there is no going back. One day a different ideology will have control. At that moment in time they will remember what you did to them. The result will be a vindictive response in the opposite direction.
One of the key concepts of the idea of freedom of speech is that, in order to protect it, you have to protect that with which you do not agree, you find abhorrent or distasteful.
Cancel culture is a culture that exacts punishment, destroys lives, careers and businesses for ideological motive. Once again, having gone down this pay, people should dread the day the opposite ideology gains control.
Most Latin American nations have gone through this kind of thing repeatedly. When government B is in power, they disgrace, jail, kill, exile and fire those directly and peripherally involved with government B. When B regains power, they return the favor. This descends into industry, contracts and some areas of society.
The US, going down this path, is becoming Latin America. Be very careful what you wish for. I have seen it with my own eyes and it isn't anything Americans will enjoy. If you don't want this to happen you have to go out of your way to protect the speech, freedom and rights of those with whom you might not agree. Do that and there's a future. Take advantage of the moment in time to remain quiet (because you align with the cancellation) or be cruel to the other side and the outcome is most-assuredly something you will not enjoy at some point in your life.
I am not religious, but this rings true: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
If the ideology that produced these books survives to take power, we will have failed as a society. But I'm not worried - we're better positioned than ever to hunt error to the farthest corners of the world, if need be.
Then they came for the Socialists. And I did not speak out. Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists. And I did not speak out. Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews. And I did not speak out. Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me. And there was no one left. To speak out for me.
We are destroying a culture whose solid footing used to be tolerance. People need to understand that once you go far enough in this direction there is no going back. One day a different ideology will have control. At that moment in time they will remember what you did to them. The result will be a vindictive response in the opposite direction.One of the key concepts of the idea of freedom of speech is that, in order to protect it, you have to protect that with which you do not agree, you find abhorrent or distasteful.
Cancel culture is a culture that exacts punishment, destroys lives, careers and businesses for ideological motive. Once again, having gone down this pay, people should dread the day the opposite ideology gains control.
Most Latin American nations have gone through this kind of thing repeatedly. When government B is in power, they disgrace, jail, kill, exile and fire those directly and peripherally involved with government B. When B regains power, they return the favor. This descends into industry, contracts and some areas of society.
The US, going down this path, is becoming Latin America. Be very careful what you wish for. I have seen it with my own eyes and it isn't anything Americans will enjoy. If you don't want this to happen you have to go out of your way to protect the speech, freedom and rights of those with whom you might not agree. Do that and there's a future. Take advantage of the moment in time to remain quiet (because you align with the cancellation) or be cruel to the other side and the outcome is most-assuredly something you will not enjoy at some point in your life.
I am not religious, but this rings true: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.