Don't get me wrong, Alex, I am a hugely grateful to everything you've done over the past few years. But, it's fascinating to see people who (I'm assuming in your case) existed mostly on the Left their whole lives watching with puzzlement as things come crashing down around us.
Small government conservatism existed because this is what was feared. We didn't oppose collectivism because we were misanthropes.
We didn't oppose government growth in entitlement programs and top down takeover of medicine because we were mean spirited, or against helping people, or wishing to throw granny off a cliff. We didn't oppose federal takeover of education because we were against kids or anti knowledge. We didn't oppose centralized government picking winners and losers based on race because we don't want minorities to succeed. Etc., etc., etc.
Small government conservatives opposed all these things Democrats have pushed for decades, out of their 'compassion', because we knew where it led. We knew it was the Road to Serfdom.
What does this have to do with the issue at hand, free speech? The assault on speech is coming because truthful speech is impeding our massive, bloated, centralized State from achieving its goals. The Left believes in those goals and, as it has forever, regards anyone opposed to them as at best a deplorable and, at worst, and enemy of the people.
This is exactly what I mean when I talk about altering your beliefs in order to stay in good standing with the cult.....I mean....with your peer group. This is especially effective because the left has been demonizing their political opponents for A LONG TIME, leaving current members with an incredible dilemma -- do I go along with the "crazy" and turn my back on free speech (or whatever other issue), or do I lose my entire support system and get thrown in with the people I've been calling names for years?
It's ironic that the left wants to shut down "misinformation" or "disinformatio" because THEY ARE THE CHIEF CULPRITS who produce it!! EVERYTHING they published about the vaccines and VOVID 19 in general was proven to.be WRONG!!
I've been saying for some time now, that it's Democrats who are the party of authoritarianism. That they keep tagging Republicans as "authoritarian" is a clear case of projection.
Free speech was fine for the Left when they controlled the media. The rise of alternative media and the election of Trump meant that uncensored speech had become a threat to their power and had to go.
In my opinion, the change in attitude about free speech is the precise reason Covid existed in the first place. The 'crisis' justified and drove the need to 'protect' the people.
When you are willing to give up free speech, you are unknowingly giving up your freedom. You can vote away your rights, but you will have to fight to get them back.
I try not to despair for my country, but it's getting harder and harder. The young have been reared with social media and it is creating an online hive mind. Individual liberties are always the biggest threat to collectivism. This is why they must either be stamped out through force, or simply made irrelevant. The former may be fought, the latter? Terrifying.
RFK Jr said he was accused of MALinformation; when something is true but inconvenient for the government. I have never heard a better definition on the issue.
This scared the shit out of me. I'm glad I'm 71. The Left can't stand when someone disagrees with them so therefore they are for the suppression of speech. They were in love with the Covid restrictions. How the Hell else did Gretchen Whitmer get reelected? They weren't allowed to buy paint but she and her family did whatever they wanted. I was buying groceries today and the cashier had on a mask and gloves. i wanted to smack the shit out of her because she had to be one of these white, liberal women who love being told what to do by Big Brother.
Don't get me wrong, Alex, I am a hugely grateful to everything you've done over the past few years. But, it's fascinating to see people who (I'm assuming in your case) existed mostly on the Left their whole lives watching with puzzlement as things come crashing down around us.
Small government conservatism existed because this is what was feared. We didn't oppose collectivism because we were misanthropes.
We didn't oppose government growth in entitlement programs and top down takeover of medicine because we were mean spirited, or against helping people, or wishing to throw granny off a cliff. We didn't oppose federal takeover of education because we were against kids or anti knowledge. We didn't oppose centralized government picking winners and losers based on race because we don't want minorities to succeed. Etc., etc., etc.
Small government conservatives opposed all these things Democrats have pushed for decades, out of their 'compassion', because we knew where it led. We knew it was the Road to Serfdom.
What does this have to do with the issue at hand, free speech? The assault on speech is coming because truthful speech is impeding our massive, bloated, centralized State from achieving its goals. The Left believes in those goals and, as it has forever, regards anyone opposed to them as at best a deplorable and, at worst, and enemy of the people.
You can't have a collective State and freedom.
This is exactly what I mean when I talk about altering your beliefs in order to stay in good standing with the cult.....I mean....with your peer group. This is especially effective because the left has been demonizing their political opponents for A LONG TIME, leaving current members with an incredible dilemma -- do I go along with the "crazy" and turn my back on free speech (or whatever other issue), or do I lose my entire support system and get thrown in with the people I've been calling names for years?
It's ironic that the left wants to shut down "misinformation" or "disinformatio" because THEY ARE THE CHIEF CULPRITS who produce it!! EVERYTHING they published about the vaccines and VOVID 19 in general was proven to.be WRONG!!
I've been saying for some time now, that it's Democrats who are the party of authoritarianism. That they keep tagging Republicans as "authoritarian" is a clear case of projection.
Free speech was fine for the Left when they controlled the media. The rise of alternative media and the election of Trump meant that uncensored speech had become a threat to their power and had to go.
I really do not understand what is wrong with people anymore, I just don't.
I also don't know how else to say it, I'm so confused as to what's going on.
People are literally walking themselves into the gulags, voluntarily.
In my opinion, the change in attitude about free speech is the precise reason Covid existed in the first place. The 'crisis' justified and drove the need to 'protect' the people.
God, people are effing stupid. 😢
I don’t think the people understand what they’re advocating for when they want the government to restrict speech.
When you are willing to give up free speech, you are unknowingly giving up your freedom. You can vote away your rights, but you will have to fight to get them back.
It started with charges of “climate change denial”, as Michael Shellenberger can probably tell you.
I try not to despair for my country, but it's getting harder and harder. The young have been reared with social media and it is creating an online hive mind. Individual liberties are always the biggest threat to collectivism. This is why they must either be stamped out through force, or simply made irrelevant. The former may be fought, the latter? Terrifying.
This is worth fighting a civil war over. We shouldn't relinquish our fundamental individual liberties without a fight.
RFK Jr said he was accused of MALinformation; when something is true but inconvenient for the government. I have never heard a better definition on the issue.
This scared the shit out of me. I'm glad I'm 71. The Left can't stand when someone disagrees with them so therefore they are for the suppression of speech. They were in love with the Covid restrictions. How the Hell else did Gretchen Whitmer get reelected? They weren't allowed to buy paint but she and her family did whatever they wanted. I was buying groceries today and the cashier had on a mask and gloves. i wanted to smack the shit out of her because she had to be one of these white, liberal women who love being told what to do by Big Brother.
when government controls speech, they control you. "We The People" become "Sheeple"