I spoke yesterday on the First Amendment and social media at the University of North Carolina; great event, but 80 percent of the people who showed up were over 50.
How do you square your commitment to free speech with your desire to see Alex Jones bankrupted for saying some nonsensical and hurtful things about the Sandy Hook massacre?
He can say whatever he likes, but if he lies about and defames innocent people, and they sue and win, he has to pay the price. They weren’t “nonsensical,” he knew exactly what he was doing. I despise Alex Jones, and the right’s embrace of him is a serious moral and ethical failing and one reason I’ll never go MAGA.
It's a symptom of a larger problem afflicting the West. Our lives, and especially the younger generations, are too comfortable. Too safe. Too insulated from physical reality. There are not enough negative experiences that highlight the value of rights and freedoms.
It all ties together. Participation trophies because otherwise their feelings may be hurt. No free speech for you because people who hear you may be offended or have their feelings hurt. Boo Hoo! Get a spine you cowards. Many college students have the backbone of a chocolate eclair, as Teddy Roosevelt would say. Don’t expect any of these loud mouth weaklings ever to charge up San Juan Hill.
There are a ton of whiney little complainers out there, "Boo hoo hoo you hurt my feelings, you didn't validate me, blah blah blah." I say get over it and move on.
Feelings have no intellect, they are just feelings and you can't let feelings rule your life. I'm 75 and I've watched a lot of this fecklessness evolve over the years, especially the last 15 years or so. I saw a lot of it start about 12-15 years ago when I was watching my granddaughter play in a school volleyball match. I was astounded to see that every time one side messed up, they would go high-five each other, as if they had made a great play and were congratulating each other. I found it curious, but it turned out to be about feelings....not admitting failure, and patting themselves on the back for the mere act of trying. Participating was everything. It has been downhill from there. It's all about participation trophies, no one should be recognized as performing better than others. Same same, equity, unearned equality, etc. It's sickening.
When they where out of power the liberal/socialist/communist people in the US demanded their free speech rights. They formed the ACLU, marched on Washington and used the courts to protect those rights. Now those same people have most of the power and the means to speak regardless, so they want to silence all dissent to their positions, no matter how radical or horrible (abortion up to birth, child mutilation in the guise of gender rights, etc.) they are. Even though 80-90% of people disagree with many of these positions, fear has been instilled in the population, and access to the means of delivery is almost completely blocked (media censorship) so they mostly remain silent. I'm not sure what it will take to wake the population up to the dangers we face here. Sadly it might take another world war, and we just might get one the way things are going right now.
My daughter was a teacher for 11 years and loved it, the kids loved her. But 8 years ago she had had it and left because she couldn't stand the B.S. any longer.
It isn't just free speech, it is FREEDOM. The left doesn't want people to be free in any sphere. "We believe that liberty can be measured by how much freedom Americans have to make their own decisions, even their own mistakes." - Reagan.
Free will, free speech and GOD are kryptonite to the Marxist or Communist. They know they need to remove these unalienable rights given to us by God and God only. The absolute genius of the founding Father's!
You don’t get into Carolina, generally, unless you’re a pretty top student. You get to be a top student today by being a serious hoop-jumping rule follower. This is not the crowd who bucks the system generally. They ARE the system. Most of them probably heard your Covid vaccine views and wrote you off immediately. I don’t agree with this state of affairs but unfortunately that’s the way it is. These people go on to be doctors, lawyers, judges, accountants, vets, etc., (the professional class) and we’re 2-3 generations deep into this now. It will get way worse before it gets better imho.
I think that is flattering Alex. I don’t think Carolina students know who Alex is (sorry, Alex). But, you are correct in that they are rule following who for into that school by following the rules. Stating what YOU think is against the rules. These students are not on X - they are on apps you’ve never heard of discussing gummies.
I live in Charlotte and wanted to come see him talk, and would love to see him debate a student.
Maybe a student group could market the talk better next time?
As a University Student that was very serious about my studies (the debt!) - I would never have attended this lecture. Anti-Apartheid protests were all the rage - and I avoided them. My political awakening was the Iraq War - where you could see the gov't lying right to your face, sending thousands to their death. At that time, I was a young professional, and was also seeing how large organizations worked. I bonded with my father -as both of us would yell "liar" at the TV - more over the War than anything short of him teaching me how to swim.
I think you need a level of life experience. My wife -very non-political, and younger than me - COVID was her awakening. You need that experience as an adult - get punched in the face - to wake you up.
I agree. Sometimes college students ( I was like this in the 1980’s) are self absorbed in their own world of their major and their friends. Many probably didn’t even know this event was happening, and if they did they may not know about the lawsuit and its importance. Lastly they may not care enough at this point in their lives to attend. Do not let this discourage you. If you can attract more students next time then you may have a chance for a lively debate. How about being a guest at an introduction to poly sci type class when the talk about current events or our Constitution ( do they talk about the Constitution anymore?)?
This was my thought exactly. I was a student in the mid-80's, not tuned into much beyond my campus life and celebrity news; the concept of free speech didn't mean anything to me except as an answer to a test question. Completely agree it's a concept you take for granted until either you "get punched in the face", or you grow up some more and broaden your horizons.
Our young adult children, 5/6 of whom are right of center, are more in tuned to this as both religious and conservative, but the college-age ones aren't concerned enough about it that they would attend a talk on it.
Hey Alex, I completely resonate with what you observed. As a millennial who graduated college within the past decade, I've noticed the same trend in my generation. There's been a real shift, and unfortunately, many young people today don't seem to care about free speech or other important values like they used to.
Students today are more distracted and disconnected, often engaging in performative actions—what you referred to as "cosplaying"—instead of standing up for real values like courage and freedom. These virtues seem to be fading, and I believe that only by refocusing on the deeper, spiritual aspects of life, like personal freedom, can we begin to bring them back.
Just my thoughts, but I hope this adds to the conversation!
The answer to the question why they don't care is twofold: (i) because we tolerate extremely biased academic administrations that will expel students who make others 'feel uncomfortable' because they refuse to address a certain person by their 'natural' pronouns 'xey/xelle,' while they take no action whatsoever against those who shout down judges or harass Jewish students and (ii) because of social media nudging by companies like Google who want to transform the West into a despicable 'hive mind' society, e.g. https://www.wildhorsewisdom.xyz/p/i-just-want-to-see-horses?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web.
What to do about it: 1. Publicize, 2. Do not send your children to any of those failed academic institutions and 3. Publicly question those institutions ' academic achievements
A few years ago, my alma mater banned a conservative speaker from campus. He had been invited by a student group, but other students got wind of it, cried to administration about how this would violate their safe space, and got him canceled. When the school came to me for my annual donation, I declined and told them why. If college students can't learn to listen and respond to opinions they don't like, then there is little purpose in their high priced education.
the problem is that student and young people completely believe the expert class. A cause may be the "Google effect" where all questions are immediately answered in the palm of your hand backed by authority of the "experts." When I was 20 (1983) I did not trust or listen uncritically to anyone in authority. Not that i was right but I was well aware they had their agendas. That skepticism is gone as the Marxists have declared a monopoly on truth and have thoroughly smeared anyone who stood in their way,.
These students and this generation don't want to think for themselves. It's too much like work. They just want to be housed, fed, nurtured, and told what to do (and consequently what to think). They are perpetually locked into infantilism. The only thing missing is the adult diapers.
Digital rules. The college students don't have any productive wealth and they can't imagine ever even caring about their poverty. They consume digital fare, not material things. They can't imagine how hard scrabble it was to 'make' a living even 100 years ago.
They can't imagine self-government at a personal level and therefore can't extend its virtues to the commonwealth. It's why people take drugs. They don't care, they consume, they don't produce.
There are many factors to consider. Growing up on social media. Growing up getting participation trophies. Identity politics. Extreme leftist ideology in schools. I'd say the biggest factor though is soft parenting. These kids were raised by the first generation in America that never had to experience a real war. No one in their generation was drafted and forced to fight. Desert Storm and every war since have only been experienced through television. Easy times lead to weakness and complacency.
How do you square your commitment to free speech with your desire to see Alex Jones bankrupted for saying some nonsensical and hurtful things about the Sandy Hook massacre?
He can say whatever he likes, but if he lies about and defames innocent people, and they sue and win, he has to pay the price. They weren’t “nonsensical,” he knew exactly what he was doing. I despise Alex Jones, and the right’s embrace of him is a serious moral and ethical failing and one reason I’ll never go MAGA.
It's a symptom of a larger problem afflicting the West. Our lives, and especially the younger generations, are too comfortable. Too safe. Too insulated from physical reality. There are not enough negative experiences that highlight the value of rights and freedoms.
100% agree. I literally said the same thing just now — and I'm a millennial!
So am I, millennial yet deplorable. A rare beast ;)
Bob! My man! So you’d like my article then on how ‘we’ve been set up to fail’: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/how-millennials-were-setup-to-fail
Bahahahaha
Thank goodness for you guys. It all started with participation trophies. That's when the pussification of America began.
Smack-dab middle of genX here. Trust me it's not a coincidence in the timing.
The day before the day someone dreamed up participation trophies was the zenith of America.
And here we are at the nadir...merely two generations after that fateful day.
It all ties together. Participation trophies because otherwise their feelings may be hurt. No free speech for you because people who hear you may be offended or have their feelings hurt. Boo Hoo! Get a spine you cowards. Many college students have the backbone of a chocolate eclair, as Teddy Roosevelt would say. Don’t expect any of these loud mouth weaklings ever to charge up San Juan Hill.
Exactly. Well met, Mark
There are a ton of whiney little complainers out there, "Boo hoo hoo you hurt my feelings, you didn't validate me, blah blah blah." I say get over it and move on.
Feelings have no intellect, they are just feelings and you can't let feelings rule your life. I'm 75 and I've watched a lot of this fecklessness evolve over the years, especially the last 15 years or so. I saw a lot of it start about 12-15 years ago when I was watching my granddaughter play in a school volleyball match. I was astounded to see that every time one side messed up, they would go high-five each other, as if they had made a great play and were congratulating each other. I found it curious, but it turned out to be about feelings....not admitting failure, and patting themselves on the back for the mere act of trying. Participating was everything. It has been downhill from there. It's all about participation trophies, no one should be recognized as performing better than others. Same same, equity, unearned equality, etc. It's sickening.
What year was it where they pushed for kids being able to sue their parents...the early 90s?
Yeah. Right around then
So true! Be uncomfortable...the lessons you learn about yourself and how you deal with adversity will build so much strength and courage.
The Left has been in charge of public education for the last 50 years. There, I answered the question.
When they where out of power the liberal/socialist/communist people in the US demanded their free speech rights. They formed the ACLU, marched on Washington and used the courts to protect those rights. Now those same people have most of the power and the means to speak regardless, so they want to silence all dissent to their positions, no matter how radical or horrible (abortion up to birth, child mutilation in the guise of gender rights, etc.) they are. Even though 80-90% of people disagree with many of these positions, fear has been instilled in the population, and access to the means of delivery is almost completely blocked (media censorship) so they mostly remain silent. I'm not sure what it will take to wake the population up to the dangers we face here. Sadly it might take another world war, and we just might get one the way things are going right now.
My daughter was a teacher for 11 years and loved it, the kids loved her. But 8 years ago she had had it and left because she couldn't stand the B.S. any longer.
It isn't just free speech, it is FREEDOM. The left doesn't want people to be free in any sphere. "We believe that liberty can be measured by how much freedom Americans have to make their own decisions, even their own mistakes." - Reagan.
Free will, free speech and GOD are kryptonite to the Marxist or Communist. They know they need to remove these unalienable rights given to us by God and God only. The absolute genius of the founding Father's!
Throw in our 2nd amendment rights as well
Some say without the 1st NONE of it matters
Join the resistance https://jointheresistance.org/
But until these crybabies experience the reality of the loss of those freedoms. it will just get worse.
You don’t get into Carolina, generally, unless you’re a pretty top student. You get to be a top student today by being a serious hoop-jumping rule follower. This is not the crowd who bucks the system generally. They ARE the system. Most of them probably heard your Covid vaccine views and wrote you off immediately. I don’t agree with this state of affairs but unfortunately that’s the way it is. These people go on to be doctors, lawyers, judges, accountants, vets, etc., (the professional class) and we’re 2-3 generations deep into this now. It will get way worse before it gets better imho.
I think that is flattering Alex. I don’t think Carolina students know who Alex is (sorry, Alex). But, you are correct in that they are rule following who for into that school by following the rules. Stating what YOU think is against the rules. These students are not on X - they are on apps you’ve never heard of discussing gummies.
I live in Charlotte and wanted to come see him talk, and would love to see him debate a student.
Maybe a student group could market the talk better next time?
As a University Student that was very serious about my studies (the debt!) - I would never have attended this lecture. Anti-Apartheid protests were all the rage - and I avoided them. My political awakening was the Iraq War - where you could see the gov't lying right to your face, sending thousands to their death. At that time, I was a young professional, and was also seeing how large organizations worked. I bonded with my father -as both of us would yell "liar" at the TV - more over the War than anything short of him teaching me how to swim.
I think you need a level of life experience. My wife -very non-political, and younger than me - COVID was her awakening. You need that experience as an adult - get punched in the face - to wake you up.
I agree. Sometimes college students ( I was like this in the 1980’s) are self absorbed in their own world of their major and their friends. Many probably didn’t even know this event was happening, and if they did they may not know about the lawsuit and its importance. Lastly they may not care enough at this point in their lives to attend. Do not let this discourage you. If you can attract more students next time then you may have a chance for a lively debate. How about being a guest at an introduction to poly sci type class when the talk about current events or our Constitution ( do they talk about the Constitution anymore?)?
This was my thought exactly. I was a student in the mid-80's, not tuned into much beyond my campus life and celebrity news; the concept of free speech didn't mean anything to me except as an answer to a test question. Completely agree it's a concept you take for granted until either you "get punched in the face", or you grow up some more and broaden your horizons.
Our young adult children, 5/6 of whom are right of center, are more in tuned to this as both religious and conservative, but the college-age ones aren't concerned enough about it that they would attend a talk on it.
And your from Canada ...gotta be way worse up top aye?
Alex,
I keep telling my kids, if things don’t change soon in this country, I feel sorry for what they are going to have to live thru after I’m gone.
Hey Alex, I completely resonate with what you observed. As a millennial who graduated college within the past decade, I've noticed the same trend in my generation. There's been a real shift, and unfortunately, many young people today don't seem to care about free speech or other important values like they used to.
In fact, I wrote a book that dives into this exact issue, arguing that society has changed dramatically with the rise of technology: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/the-history-of-you-a-book-that-connects
Students today are more distracted and disconnected, often engaging in performative actions—what you referred to as "cosplaying"—instead of standing up for real values like courage and freedom. These virtues seem to be fading, and I believe that only by refocusing on the deeper, spiritual aspects of life, like personal freedom, can we begin to bring them back.
Just my thoughts, but I hope this adds to the conversation!
The answer to the question why they don't care is twofold: (i) because we tolerate extremely biased academic administrations that will expel students who make others 'feel uncomfortable' because they refuse to address a certain person by their 'natural' pronouns 'xey/xelle,' while they take no action whatsoever against those who shout down judges or harass Jewish students and (ii) because of social media nudging by companies like Google who want to transform the West into a despicable 'hive mind' society, e.g. https://www.wildhorsewisdom.xyz/p/i-just-want-to-see-horses?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web.
What to do about it: 1. Publicize, 2. Do not send your children to any of those failed academic institutions and 3. Publicly question those institutions ' academic achievements
Next time take Javier Milei who lambasted the UN and their "Pact for the Future" as twisted. He closed by saying, "Long live freedom, damn it!"
Dude has wheelbarrow balls
A few years ago, my alma mater banned a conservative speaker from campus. He had been invited by a student group, but other students got wind of it, cried to administration about how this would violate their safe space, and got him canceled. When the school came to me for my annual donation, I declined and told them why. If college students can't learn to listen and respond to opinions they don't like, then there is little purpose in their high priced education.
the problem is that student and young people completely believe the expert class. A cause may be the "Google effect" where all questions are immediately answered in the palm of your hand backed by authority of the "experts." When I was 20 (1983) I did not trust or listen uncritically to anyone in authority. Not that i was right but I was well aware they had their agendas. That skepticism is gone as the Marxists have declared a monopoly on truth and have thoroughly smeared anyone who stood in their way,.
Free speech presupposes freedom of thought.
These students and this generation don't want to think for themselves. It's too much like work. They just want to be housed, fed, nurtured, and told what to do (and consequently what to think). They are perpetually locked into infantilism. The only thing missing is the adult diapers.
Digital rules. The college students don't have any productive wealth and they can't imagine ever even caring about their poverty. They consume digital fare, not material things. They can't imagine how hard scrabble it was to 'make' a living even 100 years ago.
They can't imagine self-government at a personal level and therefore can't extend its virtues to the commonwealth. It's why people take drugs. They don't care, they consume, they don't produce.
There are many factors to consider. Growing up on social media. Growing up getting participation trophies. Identity politics. Extreme leftist ideology in schools. I'd say the biggest factor though is soft parenting. These kids were raised by the first generation in America that never had to experience a real war. No one in their generation was drafted and forced to fight. Desert Storm and every war since have only been experienced through television. Easy times lead to weakness and complacency.
There is no freedom without the 1st Amendment.