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

New Dawn – destabilising social cohesion?

New Dawn – destabilising social cohesion?

REDLINE article

New Dawn Magazine - New Zealand

Stuff reports today: “Nationwide bookstore Whitcoulls is selling a magazine peddling a number of anti-vax conspiracies and insinuating the Christchurch mosque terror attack was a “false flag” operation.

The Lambton Quay store in Wellington had copies of two issues of New Dawn magazine for sale this week. It was also spotted in another Wellington store, Johnsonville, and at New Lynn in West Auckland.”

Hate Speech bad, Hate Economics acceptable

Hate Speech bad, Hate Economics acceptable

REDLINE article

Hate Speech bad, Hate Economics acceptable

Political leaders railing against Hate Speech while practicing Hate Economics against the mass of workers is sheer hypocrisy. Today, more than ever, we need open exchange and clash of ideas, so that the causes of injustice can be uncovered. So that social frustrations can be better directed to where they belong, against those few at the top, whose inhumane system is the daily cause of our poverty. 

Animal Rights and the Challenge of Activism

Animal Rights and the Challenge of Activism

GUEST ARTICLE

Painting by José Jiménez Aranda at The Walters Art Museum

“How do you know someone is vegan?” “Don’t worry, they’ll tell you!” We all know it. Animal Rights activists are annoying and pushy. They will ‘shove their beliefs down your throat’ when you are just trying to enjoy your lunch. Whether How I Met Your Mother or South Park is your show of choice, you will have seen this notorious creature represented on screen, and given the recent growth in the movement, you probably know someone in your own life who always ruins a dinner party. Maybe you, like me, are the annoying vegan.

In Defense of Climate Protesters

In Defense of Climate Protesters

Article

“Emblem 45” by Michael Maier (1617)

Acts of civil disobedience often emerge out of a sense of desperation in which citizens feel they are not being heard by decision makers by other means, and so they are forced to seek alternative ways to be heard and to affect change. The very function of civil disobedience is to protest against injustice—a requirement for any democratic society, though it is often portrayed as a foolish, juvenile activity reserved for people on the lower rungs of society.

How to counter Holocaust denial–a particular type of hate speech

How to counter Holocaust denial–a particular type of hate speech

Article

Treblinka train station sign

What does it mean, to ‘counter hate speech with more speech’?

Hint: it doesn’t mean 5 minutes for the Jews and 5 minutes for Hitler.

In 1971, over the course of several months, historian Gitta Sereny trudged regularly into a prison in Dusseldorf, Germany to sit across a small table from Franz Stangl, former commandant of the extermination camp Treblinka. Between April and June of that year, Sereny collected over 70 hours of interviews with Stangl who died on June 28–within hours of her last visit. For the following 18 months Sereny continued researching details of the stories Stangl had told her and to speak to people who had known him when he was in charge of killing operations at Treblinka.

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.

Butler, Sedgwick and Queer Theory – part 3 in the postmodernism series

Butler, Sedgwick and Queer Theory – part 3 in the postmodernism series

REDLINE article

Judith Butler at UC Berkeley

The most influential queer theorist is Judith Butler an American philosopher who draws heavily upon Foucault and Derrida. Butler’s chief contribution to queer Theory was to question the links between sex – the biological categories of male and female – gender- the behaviours and traits commonly associated with one sex or the other – and sexuality – the nature of sexual desire. Butler claims gender is wholly socially constructed, and developed her most well-known concept: gender performativity. She claims gender roles are taught and learned unwittingly through socialisation – as sets of actions, behaviours, manners, and expectations and people perform these roles accordingly.

Why Free Speech Advocates Should be Cautious of Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

Why Free Speech Advocates Should be Cautious of Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

Article

Elon Musk

The mediasphere has been buzzing with the news of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. The world’s richest man bought the platform for $44 billion under the guise of freeing the platform from the shackles of censorship and creating a 'common digital town square'. It should be noted that just weeks ago, Musk was desperately trying to back away from the deal, but a lawsuit eventually forced his hand.

The reaction to the news has ranged from sensible criticism to outright hysterics from all sides. Musk’s insufferable fanboys celebrated the move, elevating him to God-like tier status. To them, he is a savior who will do everything from reforming the Internet to saving humanity as we know it.

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