That is not how I read the piece AT ALL. I do not follow your thinking here. After reading it I still think the threat from the Right is worse and more dangerous but I do see that some on the illiberal Left do the same thing on the other "side." Can we not be honest about it? Sometimes both sides DO do it. Even in degrees.
That is not how I read the piece AT ALL. I do not follow your thinking here. After reading it I still think the threat from the Right is worse and more dangerous but I do see that some on the illiberal Left do the same thing on the other "side." Can we not be honest about it? Sometimes both sides DO do it. Even in degrees.
Because both sides do absolutely everything if you look hard enough. Generally only one side is sufficiently mobilized on a particular issue to truly pose an immediate threat though. As JVL pointed out in a post a few weeks ago the right has so many structural advantages for at least a decade that the left can barely hope to do anything but keep a stalemate. The right is also completely mobilized on these illiberal things while the left is very fragmented and the illiberal part is a an isolated part of the progressive piece of the party. Don't let social media fool you into thinking otherwise. Perhaps we should be focusing on the fact we have no water right now and temporarily ignore the fact that our rations will only last another year?
The Right is using government to police speech. The Left is not.
This newsletter spent 8 short paragraphs on the Right using government to limit speech and ideas and then went into a 29 paragraph long tirade about the Left talking about not liking certain books and a couple of bookstores choosing not to sell Harry Potter books (which is also an exercise in free speech).
The Right is using government to actually restrict speech and ban books with the full buy-in of its political leadership. The Left has some far out outliers deciding they don't want to support some speech independent of government and the Left's political leadership has not stepped up to support them.
And what is worse is that these government pursued policies effect textbooks that the whole country will be forced to use. Many of these textbooks will offer a totally whitewashed version of history. And math textbooks too- what is up with that totally egregious use of government power!
That is not how I read the piece AT ALL. I do not follow your thinking here. After reading it I still think the threat from the Right is worse and more dangerous but I do see that some on the illiberal Left do the same thing on the other "side." Can we not be honest about it? Sometimes both sides DO do it. Even in degrees.
Because both sides do absolutely everything if you look hard enough. Generally only one side is sufficiently mobilized on a particular issue to truly pose an immediate threat though. As JVL pointed out in a post a few weeks ago the right has so many structural advantages for at least a decade that the left can barely hope to do anything but keep a stalemate. The right is also completely mobilized on these illiberal things while the left is very fragmented and the illiberal part is a an isolated part of the progressive piece of the party. Don't let social media fool you into thinking otherwise. Perhaps we should be focusing on the fact we have no water right now and temporarily ignore the fact that our rations will only last another year?
The Right is using government to police speech. The Left is not.
This newsletter spent 8 short paragraphs on the Right using government to limit speech and ideas and then went into a 29 paragraph long tirade about the Left talking about not liking certain books and a couple of bookstores choosing not to sell Harry Potter books (which is also an exercise in free speech).
The Right is using government to actually restrict speech and ban books with the full buy-in of its political leadership. The Left has some far out outliers deciding they don't want to support some speech independent of government and the Left's political leadership has not stepped up to support them.
So they aren't doing the "same thing" at all.
And what is worse is that these government pursued policies effect textbooks that the whole country will be forced to use. Many of these textbooks will offer a totally whitewashed version of history. And math textbooks too- what is up with that totally egregious use of government power!
You're welcome!