The censoring of pro-Palestinian voices across the West illustrates why the concept of freedom of speech is meaningless. Every state, regardless of whether it is a liberal democracy, socialist, fascist, monarchist, etc. will go after speech that is threatening to the status quo. The fact that we are continually told that we absolutely must tolerate the speech of the KKK, neo-Nazis, and the most extreme Christian nationalists just indicates that the American government either doesn’t view these groups as a threat or it agrees with them on some level. This sort of grace is never given to leftists or their speech, as we see now. Pro-Palestinian scholars and activists are seen as nuisances at best and a national security threat at worst. This isn’t a matter of Democrats vs Republicans, because both are in on it. This is a cause that neither side has any use for, so they can repress them in a bipartisan manner. For all of the hysteria about how Trump is going to ruin “our democracy,” this Democratic administration seems to be doing a pretty good job of gutting our liberal freedoms.
Part of me wonders if this repression is meant to be the coup de grace to end progressive social movement organizing for the foreseeable future. The Democrats are making it crystal clear that they don’t intend to be pushed to the left on any issue, be it Palestine or healthcare. Even ordinary, grassroots Democratic supporters are so Trump-obsessed that they dismiss concerns about Palestine with, “So you want Trump to win?/(insert accusation of being a shill for Putin/Xi/Iran)” They’re moving further to the right without realizing it. The fact that they care more about Dick Cheney’s opinion than yours or mine tells me all I need to know. This administration and its successor, whether that’s Trump or Harris, is telling us we have nothing to look forward to perpetual war. We can’t stop mass shootings, improve healthcare, reduce inequality, or clean up the environment, but those bombs are going to fall and you’ll learn to love it.
"This isn’t a matter of Democrats vs Republicans, because both are in on it. This is a cause that neither side has any use for, so they can repress them in a bipartisan manner."
This strikes me as especially true, so thank you for articulating it!
In a similar vein, this essay isn't about left vs. right. My underlying point, in its way, transcends the politics of either "end" of the political spectrum.
Insofar as fascism is seen as the diametrical opposite of democracy, what we're seeing here with these tactics are manifestations of fascism. I say this because they -- whether intended or not -- work to defeat democracy, and that at its very root.
I agree with all of your criticisms about the Democrats that you bring up here. I just see what's going on, especially on college campuses, as something more. With the police repression taking place there, it truly is a battlefield in this new phase of kulturkampf (culture war). Yet most Americans are being conditioned to ignore what's going on there or, worse, to blame the protesters for their own brutalization, for the temerity of standing up for those who have had their humanity utterly degraded. If this battle can be joined through shifting perceptions so that the average American sees that what's at stake impacts them personally, that would be a meaningful shift. This has to be switched over, or at least broadened, to a Constitutional issue for it to be a winning one in the arena of public opinion.
“The fact that we are continually told that we absolutely must tolerate the speech of the KKK, neo-Nazis, and the most extreme Christian nationalists just indicates that the American government either doesn’t view these groups as a threat or it agrees with them on some level. “ This sentence is the crux of the matter.
I actually do believe that we need to protect speech with which we do not agree, even that with which we vehemently disagree. Of course, I also recognize that racism will not die out while its sentiments are able to be communicated. There is tension there. I believe that perhaps the U.S. could institute speech regulations closer to what is in place in Canada, the U.K. and parts of Europe… perhaps.
But the disparity of what speech is tolerated — including that of the KKK and like organizations — and what speech is not — by that, I mean the demonstrations against Israel’s actions in Gaza — has been quite illuminating of where we are as a country and what side of the scale authorities are willing to put a thumb.
Thank you for posting this. We are being fed a load of propaganda by mainstream media and the journalists that are digging up the facts about the ongoing genocide are being jailed and / or harassed.
Democracy can’t survive without freedom of the press and democracy can’t survive when politicians are bought and paid for. We are headed for pain I think.
As I understand it, the accusation of racism was thrown because the editors felt that a student group that was itself based on ethnic background was up for lampooning. That, to those making the charge, was off-limits in total.
My defense of the magazine was based in the fact that the mag itself was satirical. In that, it had far more license to ridicule any group or person for just about any reason. Lots of things in that mag were said in bad taste — that goes with the territory. But the photo itself was NOT racist, insofar as all it did was portray students sitting on a couch. That’s not even in bad taste.
The only way that I, years later, was able to squint and MAYBE see how the episode could have been considered racist is to apply a second layer of prejudice: to cast the Asian & Asian American students in the role of African-American students, and then the trope of laziness (w/r/t the sofa) could be imported in. But that requires a lot of mental gymnastics, and wouldn’t be warranted by the plain depiction as captured in the photo. It would be a form of, I guess, ironic racism? Ultimately, it doesn’t make sense.
It’s a rogue nation that needs to be reined in, not given carte blanche. The US and other Western states have a positive duty to constrain its actions until it comes into line with international laws and norms.
The censoring of pro-Palestinian voices across the West illustrates why the concept of freedom of speech is meaningless. Every state, regardless of whether it is a liberal democracy, socialist, fascist, monarchist, etc. will go after speech that is threatening to the status quo. The fact that we are continually told that we absolutely must tolerate the speech of the KKK, neo-Nazis, and the most extreme Christian nationalists just indicates that the American government either doesn’t view these groups as a threat or it agrees with them on some level. This sort of grace is never given to leftists or their speech, as we see now. Pro-Palestinian scholars and activists are seen as nuisances at best and a national security threat at worst. This isn’t a matter of Democrats vs Republicans, because both are in on it. This is a cause that neither side has any use for, so they can repress them in a bipartisan manner. For all of the hysteria about how Trump is going to ruin “our democracy,” this Democratic administration seems to be doing a pretty good job of gutting our liberal freedoms.
Part of me wonders if this repression is meant to be the coup de grace to end progressive social movement organizing for the foreseeable future. The Democrats are making it crystal clear that they don’t intend to be pushed to the left on any issue, be it Palestine or healthcare. Even ordinary, grassroots Democratic supporters are so Trump-obsessed that they dismiss concerns about Palestine with, “So you want Trump to win?/(insert accusation of being a shill for Putin/Xi/Iran)” They’re moving further to the right without realizing it. The fact that they care more about Dick Cheney’s opinion than yours or mine tells me all I need to know. This administration and its successor, whether that’s Trump or Harris, is telling us we have nothing to look forward to perpetual war. We can’t stop mass shootings, improve healthcare, reduce inequality, or clean up the environment, but those bombs are going to fall and you’ll learn to love it.
"This isn’t a matter of Democrats vs Republicans, because both are in on it. This is a cause that neither side has any use for, so they can repress them in a bipartisan manner."
This strikes me as especially true, so thank you for articulating it!
In a similar vein, this essay isn't about left vs. right. My underlying point, in its way, transcends the politics of either "end" of the political spectrum.
Insofar as fascism is seen as the diametrical opposite of democracy, what we're seeing here with these tactics are manifestations of fascism. I say this because they -- whether intended or not -- work to defeat democracy, and that at its very root.
I agree with all of your criticisms about the Democrats that you bring up here. I just see what's going on, especially on college campuses, as something more. With the police repression taking place there, it truly is a battlefield in this new phase of kulturkampf (culture war). Yet most Americans are being conditioned to ignore what's going on there or, worse, to blame the protesters for their own brutalization, for the temerity of standing up for those who have had their humanity utterly degraded. If this battle can be joined through shifting perceptions so that the average American sees that what's at stake impacts them personally, that would be a meaningful shift. This has to be switched over, or at least broadened, to a Constitutional issue for it to be a winning one in the arena of public opinion.
“The fact that we are continually told that we absolutely must tolerate the speech of the KKK, neo-Nazis, and the most extreme Christian nationalists just indicates that the American government either doesn’t view these groups as a threat or it agrees with them on some level. “ This sentence is the crux of the matter.
I actually do believe that we need to protect speech with which we do not agree, even that with which we vehemently disagree. Of course, I also recognize that racism will not die out while its sentiments are able to be communicated. There is tension there. I believe that perhaps the U.S. could institute speech regulations closer to what is in place in Canada, the U.K. and parts of Europe… perhaps.
But the disparity of what speech is tolerated — including that of the KKK and like organizations — and what speech is not — by that, I mean the demonstrations against Israel’s actions in Gaza — has been quite illuminating of where we are as a country and what side of the scale authorities are willing to put a thumb.
Very true.
So chilling.
Indeed.
Thank you for posting this. We are being fed a load of propaganda by mainstream media and the journalists that are digging up the facts about the ongoing genocide are being jailed and / or harassed.
Democracy can’t survive without freedom of the press and democracy can’t survive when politicians are bought and paid for. We are headed for pain I think.
Thank you for reading and commenting. I agree: this is a really discouraging, dispiriting time.
This increasing censorship is both shocking and frightening. Thanks for providing details.
Btw What was the reasoning behind the idea that the Mouth picture was racist? I don't get it.
As I understand it, the accusation of racism was thrown because the editors felt that a student group that was itself based on ethnic background was up for lampooning. That, to those making the charge, was off-limits in total.
My defense of the magazine was based in the fact that the mag itself was satirical. In that, it had far more license to ridicule any group or person for just about any reason. Lots of things in that mag were said in bad taste — that goes with the territory. But the photo itself was NOT racist, insofar as all it did was portray students sitting on a couch. That’s not even in bad taste.
The only way that I, years later, was able to squint and MAYBE see how the episode could have been considered racist is to apply a second layer of prejudice: to cast the Asian & Asian American students in the role of African-American students, and then the trope of laziness (w/r/t the sofa) could be imported in. But that requires a lot of mental gymnastics, and wouldn’t be warranted by the plain depiction as captured in the photo. It would be a form of, I guess, ironic racism? Ultimately, it doesn’t make sense.
Fuck Israel and the governments that kiss it's ass!
It’s a rogue nation that needs to be reined in, not given carte blanche. The US and other Western states have a positive duty to constrain its actions until it comes into line with international laws and norms.