The Progressive Left is as bad as any fascist regime in history

One of the most disturbing features of today’s progressive political culture is the growing insistence that neutrality itself is unacceptable.

That principle has an ugly historical pedigree. Maoist political culture divided society into politically acceptable people and politically suspect enemies. It was not enough simply to live your life and stay out of politics. Silence could itself become evidence against you. The underlying demand was conformity: demonstrate that you are on the correct side.

I am not saying that modern America is Maoist China. Obviously it is not. But the resemblance in the logic of political conformity is worth confronting:

You must speak.
You must take a position.
You must take the approved position.
And if you refuse, your neutrality can be treated as complicity.

The Ed Sheeran debacle is an excellent example of this mentality. Sheeran has deliberately tried to keep his concerts politically neutral and has said that he wants them to be places of music, unity and humanity rather than political activism. Yet when the Macklemore controversy exploded, remaining outside the political fight was increasingly treated as an unacceptable position.

That is the part people should be worried about regardless of which side of the Israel-Gaza dispute they support.

A genuinely liberal society has room for advocacy, dissent and neutrality. It permits someone to say, “I don’t want my music, business, classroom, workplace or life turned into a political statement.”

The moment a political movement adopts the principle that silence is complicity and neutrality is morally unacceptable, it creates a loyalty test: You are either with us or against us. This is without question where the Progressive Left is today.

History gives us plenty of reasons to be suspicious of that idea.

Freedom includes the freedom to speak. It also includes the freedom not to speak.

One factual wrinkle is worth preserving: the Sheeran affair cuts in more than one direction.

Macklemore was initially removed after venue owners objected to his pro-Palestinian statements, and Sheeran says the promoter—not Sheeran—made that decision.

The subsequent backlash against Sheeran for his handling of the episode then included artists withdrawing, protests and pressure for him to state his own position. ——author unknown

This makes one wonder how many utter, spineless phonys tow the party line in Hollywood knowing full well they will be banished if they stray or stay silent.

Ask actor James Woods about all this.