Defund the Thought Police

I've linked an exceptional piece entitled Defund The Thought Police, by Charlie Lipsom, who is an emeritus professor at The University of Chicago. The article incisively demonstrates how cancel culture and social media fanaticism are a form of virtual mob rule that undermines democracy. Almost as bad, in my view, it undermines meritocracy and reason. When ideas can no longer be openly expressed and debated, when any divergence from enforced mantra results in immediate economic destruction, when fact is discarded in favor of convenient mass delusion, there is no way that truth can prosper or individuals can make their own fortunes through hard work and talent. And like all forms of tyranny, cancel culture is ultimately designed to funnel wealth and opportunity to the tyrant. I urge those of you who can to advocate for fairness, a meritocracy of ideas, and free expression.

quote:

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Due process is not the strong suit of mobs. Neither is nuance, open discussion, or disagreement. These inherent defects should be painfully obvious as mobs pull down statues, seize sections of cities, and demand the public approach them on bended knee, literally. Anyone who dares push back, perhaps with a mild tweet saying “All lives matter,” faces immediate censure. If the mob is successful, any offenders will lose their jobs. Feckless employers are all too eager to appease the mob and hope it turns on another target.

In this perilous environment, the most frenzied voices do more than dominate the public square. They monopolize it by silencing dissent. They have received full-throated support from the tech giants that control electronic discussion and the media giants determined to shape the narrative rather than report the news. Twitter and NBC are the poster children for this assault on free and open discussion. Their suppression in the name of “social justice” betrays the idea, best articulated in John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty,” that competing, divergent views lead to greater understanding and better decisions.

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LINK