Monday, January 31, 2022

The New Censors

“There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.”
- Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451

In all things, there are debates about which side is right and which is wrong.  These debates often lead both sides to see nuance, modifying their views and coming to a synthesis idea which is better than either of the original ideas.  Sometimes, the two ideas are diametrically opposed and cannot reach common ground.  For instance, Israel would like to exist and Palestinians - at least their leadership - will only be satisfied if Israel doesn't exist.  Irreconcilable differences.

When the two sides are closely matched in debaters, free and open debate reigns.  The pundit class has long sat across from each other on various news programs to spout their talking points and degrade the arguments of the other side.  The classic of this format was The McLaughlin Group.  Stalwarts Pat Buchanan for the Right and Eleanor Clift for the Left along with a rogues' gallery of guest pundits would discuss the news of the day.  Great stuff!

In recent years, the pundit class has become soft.  Unable to answer the broadsides launched by new players on the field (e.g. Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, etc.), the opposition seeks to ban them.  The current target is Joe Rogan and his Spotify podcast.  Unable to counter whatever arguments are aired on his podcast or reach as large an audience, his adversaries have called for his cancelation.  "We can't win the argument or answer his claims, so we demand that he be silenced."

"Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself."
Potter Stewart, Supreme Court Justice

When you call for censorship, you are on the wrong side of history.  The censor does not want to control what information he consumes but rather the information you consume.

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