If you’re a leftist who believes in free speech you aren’t homeless

Free speech is a fundamental value of the left.

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The woke left is to left as ersatz coffee is to coffee

The woke left is to left as ersatz coffee is to coffee

Woke

1948 Nescafe advertisement

One of the hallmarks of today’s woke left is to conflate speech with violence. Fearful of the ‘harm’ that might be experienced from hearing certain words, the woke left has become widely confused about the issue of free speech in general and between speech and literal, physical violence.

In New Zealand this week, Posie Parker was assaulted as she tried to speak–a mob surrounded her and forced her off the stage and ultimately out of the country. The group that prevented her from speaking has taken to social media to declare a great victory.

Daughter of Spanish Civil War veteran speaks out about identity politics

Daughter of Spanish Civil War veteran speaks out about identity politics

Opinion 

Jim Higgins - Fighting for Democracy. A Canadian Activist in Spain's Civil War

“I couldn’t be myself,” or words to that effect: It was written in pencil on a piece of scrap foolscap I found amongst my father‘s papers after he died in 1982. He wrote that sentiment in 1977 when he was working on his memoir. My father’s name was Jim Higgins, and his book is called Fighting for Democracy: a Canadian Activist in Spain’s Civil War. It was not published until 2020.

Hello, do you know the difference? The Raytheon, Goldman Sachs left is not the left.

Hello, do you know the difference? The Raytheon, Goldman Sachs left is not the left.

Chart

Left vs woke chart

Dear Liberals or Conservatives,

When you say left, you probably aren’t actually talking about the left. Find another name. Or at least understand the difference between the woke left and the traditional left which although largely silenced does still exist.

Here is a crude guide for liberals and conservatives who want to know the difference. See the chart.

recent ARTICLES

Albert Speer: His Battle With Truth

Albert Speer: His Battle With Truth

ARTICLE

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Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close For Comfort

Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close For Comfort

ARTICLE

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Baher Azmy on Constitutional Rights and Justice for Guantanamo Detainees

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PODCAST

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Harriet Fraad on Feminism and Class

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PODCAST

Harriet Fraad Harriet Fraad, a Mental Health Counselor and Hypnotherapist, joins us to discuss feminism and class. Dr. Fraad writes articles and has a podcast on the intersection of politics, economics, and personal life. Her podcast, Capitalism Hits Home, is produced by Democracy at Work.

In this episode of Crossroads Dr. Fraad speaks about the history of the feminist movement, capitalism, and how identity politics have hurt attempts at a unified social justice movement. We also discuss current events such as the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein, and the historic Bernie Sanders campaign.

Meghan Murphy on Feminism and Free Speech

Meghan Murphy on Feminism and Free Speech

PODCAST

Meghan Murphy It's Women’s History Month. But flags flying the definition of the word woman (“noun / adult human female”) for International Women’s Day were removed with an apology from town council buildings in Sefton, England after accusations that the flags represent hatred against transgender people. In December, when a woman named Maya Forstater was fired for tweeting that sex is based on biology and not internal identity, an employment tribunal judge said that her speech is not “worthy of respect in a democratic society.”

Strangers In Their Own Land by Arlie Hochschild

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ARTICLE

Strangers in Their Own Land - bookcoverStrangers In Their Own Land by Arlie Hochschild is a must-read for anyone interested in going beyond conventional political analysis and exploring the “deep story” worldviews that shape thinking on both the left and right of the political spectrum. Hochschild describes “deep stories” as emotional images that shapes the essence of a person’s worldview, and this book was her attempt to understand the deep story that forms the ideology of the right wing. Hochschild is a UC Berkeley sociologist who spent five years in Louisiana in an attempt to break through the “empathy walls” that divide the political spectrum in the US. She worked to overcome her own biases as a member of the left-leaning political spectrum by forming human connections with conservatives in Louisiana, many of whom were Tea Party activists.

Is this the end? A conversation with Vincent Mignerot

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ARTICLE

The earth goes dark and cold.Vincent Mignerot is an independent researcher located in Lyon, France. He is founder of the organization Adrastia, dedicated to studying and spreading awareness about the collapse of the environment and human civilization. He is a frequent speaker in front of university audiences in France where his views on capitalism and human nature get him into hot water with some on the left. Whether you agree or disagree with some of Mignerot's arguments you will see that he is a careful, logical thinker who builds his arguments brick by brick. He compares what humans have done to the earth to a burned cake in the oven, which can never be reconstituted into its original ingredients. The damage is irreparable but there are ways we can prepare and adapt ourselves to what is coming.

Free Speech is a core value of the Left

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Genuine support for free speech means it must apply to speech you don’t like

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Pro Free Speech Doesn't Mean Absolutist support for all speech

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Blasphemy–a notion that crystallizes so many of the issues around free speech

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marginalized groups benefit the most from free speech protections

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If leftist values have actual moral standing they can and should stand up to scrutiny and questioning

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Speech is not physical violence, it’s an alternative to violence

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Successful challenges to power build on a foundation of free speech

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Free thought depends on free speech: censorship leads to a culture of fear where people learn to hide their real opinions

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Free Speech protection for all is inherently anti-authoritarian

Let’s hear the Arguments against free speech

 

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free speech isn't free, someone always pays a price

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Banning certain speech prevents harm, is in a good cause and therefore the ends justify the means

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There is no Truth but My Truth (stay in your lane)

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speech is LITERAL violence and can kill

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free speech is a tool of oppression by the powerful and a gateway to fascism

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The first amendment is protection against state censorship but is irrelevant to social media

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Free Speech is actually just license for Racists and bigots to spew hate

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Laws against Hate Speech Reduce Intolerance and prevent the rise of fascism

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READ the Paradox of Tolerance to understand why some speech needs to be suppressed