We certainly are learning to keep our mouths shut. I can only freely discuss my views with those close to me. I tend to disengage from the general chatter from my neighbours which is sad. If I were to be open and honest I fear no one would speak to me! ;) Great piece and strikes a chord with how I view the world we live in.
It’s tricky. This stuff is a cancer which is eating away at the very fabric of our society. I think you have put your finger on it Richard-it really is, amongst everything else, very sad indeed. Thank you so much for your support. Very much appreciated.
Maybe it's me loosing the will but I really am loosing any sense of optimism theres a way back from this. Our political parties are either useless or complicit and I can't decide which or both.
A bit of both I think Eli,abeth. Most of the people in our current political parties seem to be cut from the same cloth, in terms of class, education, social background etc. The chasm between the ruled and the rulers has never felt so huge.
Seems like the effect of online publishing (where a passing comment is distributed instantly, can be read by everybody, and is attributable) is to exert a selection pressure on public discourse. Only the soft and spineless ideas and (and their sources) survive. Fortunately, public discourse is not private thought.
I know Joyce, but I worry that soon we’ll only have private thought left. You’re right of course, public discourse seems to always find the blandest common denominator.
Absolutely, we have been silenced by the use of fear. We all must face that fear and buck the system. There have been many testimonials of those that have done just that and lived to tell the story of how liberating it is on the other side.
I recall when Obama was president, myself and two other colleagues whispering on the sidewalk about what we did not like about his agendas. Of course we felt we could not criticize him because of the color of his skin, which was not our point but alas we felt fear.
I recall that as a new era in political discourse.
Around that time I had found a favorite author of mine had a chat group. It was my first time engaging in online discourse and was very minimal. I really enjoyed reading others posts that shared my enthusiasm about the books.
Also around that time the Tea Party was forming to oppose the Obama agenda.
The left as they always do attacked the teaparty as racists. Hillary of course led the mob with false narratives and well just lies to be blunt. She had her statements of a vast right wing conspiracy against her husband to defend after all. She called them teabaggers which can be construed as an offensive term. What a blow hard. Full of ... anyway.
Back to the authors chat.
Somehow I ended up in a conversation defending Ayn Rand and the Tea Party with a couple of Canadian women. They knew with certainty that the tea party was a racist organization. They were vicious, relentless and in my opinion ignorant of the issue.
I tried to explain that I had purposely gone to an event to see for myself if any of the accusations were true. They were not at all true, they just talked about free speech and taxes and Obama care etc.
I was appalled, I mean who are you two Canadians living in Montreal to tell me about the political motivations of Americans. And, be so obnoxious about it because you used race as your moral authority of certainty?
Looking over my shoulder, my then husband decided to come my defense (more importantly the offense of their use of logic)and wrote something mildly rude back, in my name. They raged back in a tag team of ferocity spewing hateful accusations of nonsense.
I left my beloved book chat never to return.
Was I afraid? Mostly I thought what the hell?and chose not to engage with idiots.
But the majority of folks in that chat were not like them. This was my first portend of the future.
A few weeks back I signed up for Twitter. I had seen stuff over the years about what goes on there and always thought what the hell?
But I wanted to hear Tucker Carlson, so I did it.
I know you probably heard the lefts outlandish claims about him, good grief what load of propaganda.
It is not so scary if you don’t engage, or spend a lot of time there, which I have not. The left appear to have conspired against twitter so many of the group thinkers have left the building. Which I think is a good thing.
At this point I think the weird new authoritarian left need to start living in fear of speaking out against we free thinkers. It will be a slow walk as more of us gather fight back with our voices but ultimately they are wrong and will one day pay the price for their lies.
I remember Hillary’s deranged ‘Right wing conspiracy’ interview. It seemed mad at the time but nothing like as nutso as some of the claims being made today. I do read Twitter, it’s a good source of info that you often don’t find on the MSM, but I always feel anxious about actually posting anything. So I rarely do. I share your feelings toward the authoritarian left I think, but I don’t want them living in fear. I don’t want anyone living in fear. It seems there’s too much of that around for everyone these days, and it’s absolutely poisoning society. Thanks so much for your comment Deidre. Fascinating stuff. Sorry you lost your book chat. Plenty people to chat to on here though…
"...asked that their towns be ‘scanned for pedophiles and terrorists’ in the form of industrial scale grooming gangs, no one at OFCOM, or the government at large, let alone the police service, seemed remotely interested"
Oh, they were, actually.
Look at what they did to Tommy Robinson and Keighley MP Ann Cryer.
Thanks Matthew that’s very kind. I’d rather keep LSO totally free for now and try and reach as many readers as I can. I’m very happy how the Substack is slowly growing, especially since I don’t do very much (any) promotion. Thanks, as ever, for your support.
I have a well set up middle-aged son in banking/investment industy who swallows all this guff, hook, line, and sinker. Try explaining the dangers of passive censorship, and you may as well ask that cohort for their own determination of the latest Quantum Mechanics theory of Leptons.
We certainly are learning to keep our mouths shut. I can only freely discuss my views with those close to me. I tend to disengage from the general chatter from my neighbours which is sad. If I were to be open and honest I fear no one would speak to me! ;) Great piece and strikes a chord with how I view the world we live in.
It’s tricky. This stuff is a cancer which is eating away at the very fabric of our society. I think you have put your finger on it Richard-it really is, amongst everything else, very sad indeed. Thank you so much for your support. Very much appreciated.
Maybe it's me loosing the will but I really am loosing any sense of optimism theres a way back from this. Our political parties are either useless or complicit and I can't decide which or both.
A bit of both I think Eli,abeth. Most of the people in our current political parties seem to be cut from the same cloth, in terms of class, education, social background etc. The chasm between the ruled and the rulers has never felt so huge.
Seems like the effect of online publishing (where a passing comment is distributed instantly, can be read by everybody, and is attributable) is to exert a selection pressure on public discourse. Only the soft and spineless ideas and (and their sources) survive. Fortunately, public discourse is not private thought.
I know Joyce, but I worry that soon we’ll only have private thought left. You’re right of course, public discourse seems to always find the blandest common denominator.
Another great low status opinion piece!
Absolutely, we have been silenced by the use of fear. We all must face that fear and buck the system. There have been many testimonials of those that have done just that and lived to tell the story of how liberating it is on the other side.
I recall when Obama was president, myself and two other colleagues whispering on the sidewalk about what we did not like about his agendas. Of course we felt we could not criticize him because of the color of his skin, which was not our point but alas we felt fear.
I recall that as a new era in political discourse.
Around that time I had found a favorite author of mine had a chat group. It was my first time engaging in online discourse and was very minimal. I really enjoyed reading others posts that shared my enthusiasm about the books.
Also around that time the Tea Party was forming to oppose the Obama agenda.
The left as they always do attacked the teaparty as racists. Hillary of course led the mob with false narratives and well just lies to be blunt. She had her statements of a vast right wing conspiracy against her husband to defend after all. She called them teabaggers which can be construed as an offensive term. What a blow hard. Full of ... anyway.
Back to the authors chat.
Somehow I ended up in a conversation defending Ayn Rand and the Tea Party with a couple of Canadian women. They knew with certainty that the tea party was a racist organization. They were vicious, relentless and in my opinion ignorant of the issue.
I tried to explain that I had purposely gone to an event to see for myself if any of the accusations were true. They were not at all true, they just talked about free speech and taxes and Obama care etc.
I was appalled, I mean who are you two Canadians living in Montreal to tell me about the political motivations of Americans. And, be so obnoxious about it because you used race as your moral authority of certainty?
Looking over my shoulder, my then husband decided to come my defense (more importantly the offense of their use of logic)and wrote something mildly rude back, in my name. They raged back in a tag team of ferocity spewing hateful accusations of nonsense.
I left my beloved book chat never to return.
Was I afraid? Mostly I thought what the hell?and chose not to engage with idiots.
But the majority of folks in that chat were not like them. This was my first portend of the future.
A few weeks back I signed up for Twitter. I had seen stuff over the years about what goes on there and always thought what the hell?
But I wanted to hear Tucker Carlson, so I did it.
I know you probably heard the lefts outlandish claims about him, good grief what load of propaganda.
It is not so scary if you don’t engage, or spend a lot of time there, which I have not. The left appear to have conspired against twitter so many of the group thinkers have left the building. Which I think is a good thing.
At this point I think the weird new authoritarian left need to start living in fear of speaking out against we free thinkers. It will be a slow walk as more of us gather fight back with our voices but ultimately they are wrong and will one day pay the price for their lies.
I remember Hillary’s deranged ‘Right wing conspiracy’ interview. It seemed mad at the time but nothing like as nutso as some of the claims being made today. I do read Twitter, it’s a good source of info that you often don’t find on the MSM, but I always feel anxious about actually posting anything. So I rarely do. I share your feelings toward the authoritarian left I think, but I don’t want them living in fear. I don’t want anyone living in fear. It seems there’s too much of that around for everyone these days, and it’s absolutely poisoning society. Thanks so much for your comment Deidre. Fascinating stuff. Sorry you lost your book chat. Plenty people to chat to on here though…
"...asked that their towns be ‘scanned for pedophiles and terrorists’ in the form of industrial scale grooming gangs, no one at OFCOM, or the government at large, let alone the police service, seemed remotely interested"
Oh, they were, actually.
Look at what they did to Tommy Robinson and Keighley MP Ann Cryer.
Thanks Matthew that’s very kind. I’d rather keep LSO totally free for now and try and reach as many readers as I can. I’m very happy how the Substack is slowly growing, especially since I don’t do very much (any) promotion. Thanks, as ever, for your support.
I have a well set up middle-aged son in banking/investment industy who swallows all this guff, hook, line, and sinker. Try explaining the dangers of passive censorship, and you may as well ask that cohort for their own determination of the latest Quantum Mechanics theory of Leptons.
He's not alone, of course.
I expect it’s difficult not to, if he wants to keep his job.