Nadine Strossen: Conference Keynote
Nadine Strossen: Conference Keynote
Nadine Strossen reviews the history and importance of free speech as she welcomes participants and viewers of Plebity’s Free Speech and the Left conference. Nadine Strossen is past president of
Personal experiences and thoughts on identity politics, cancel culture and free speech
Personal experiences and thoughts on identity politics, cancel culture and free speech
Panelists: Amna Khalid, Jeff Snyder Moderator: Tara Henley Description: Tara Henley leads a discussion with Professors Amna Khalid and Jeff Snyder on their personal thoughts and experiences with identify politics,
Livestream with Plebity and Partners
Livestream with Plebity and Partners
Join the Plebity team and our partners for a discussion about the upcoming conference events, our expectations and the reasons we organized this conference.
Noam Chomsky on What Defines the Left and on the Principle of Free Speech
Noam Chomsky on What Defines the Left and on the Principle of Free Speech
Panelists: Noam Chomsky Moderator: Mark White Description: Noam Chomsky offers his thoughts on what defines the left and on the enduring principle of free speech. Noam Chomsky is a longtime
Why the Left should not abandon free speech
Why the Left should not abandon free speech
Speaker to be confirmed
Is the Left Still Relevant? With Professors Clara Mattei and Rick Wolff
Is the Left Still Relevant? With Professors Clara Mattei and Rick Wolff
Panelists: Clara Mattei, Rick Wolff Moderator: Daphna Whitmore Description: Economics professors Clara Matttei and Rick Wolff discuss the relevancy of the left in today’s context. Rick Wolff is Professor of
Race, Identity politics, and the Traditional Left with Norman Finkelstein and Sabrina Salvati
Race, Identity politics, and the Traditional Left with Norman Finkelstein and Sabrina Salvati
Panelists: Sabrina Salvati, Norman Finkelstein Moderator: Jyotishman Mudiar Description: Recently on her podcast, Sabrina reacted to comments Norman made, which in her view minimized the relative differences in the lives
Left is Not Woke author Susan Neiman in conversation with Freddie deBoer
Left is Not Woke author Susan Neiman in conversation with Freddie deBoer
Panelists: Susan Neiman Moderator: Freddie deBoer Description: Susan and Freddie discuss issues of racism, identity and U.S. politics and why today’s woke has veered so far from traditional principles that
Media ownership, censorship and hate speech laws – with Paul Jay and Freddie deBoer
Media ownership, censorship and hate speech laws – with Paul Jay and Freddie deBoer
Panelists: Paul Jay, Freddie deBoer Moderator: Jyotishman Mudiar of India & Global Left Description: A discussion about independent media and ownership, censorship, self-censorship in media AND a discussion about hate
Nadine Strossen on the History and Importance of Free Speech
Nadine Strossen on the History and Importance of Free Speech
Panelists: Nadine Strossen Moderator: Sasha White Description: Nadine Strossen, former president of the ACLU, responds to a range of questions regarding the historical and enduring importance of the principle of
Holocaust Denialism and the Limits of Free Speech with Norman Finkelstein and Daniel Ben-Ami
Holocaust Denialism and the Limits of Free Speech with Norman Finkelstein and Daniel Ben-Ami
Panelists: Daniel Ben-Ami, Norman Finkelstein Moderator: Sasha White Description: Norman Finkelstein and Daniel Ben-Ami exchange opinions about Holocaust denialism, hate speech laws and the boundaries of permissible speech. Daniel Ben-Ami
Cartels, Corruption and Investigative Reporting – with Ioan Grillo and Luis Chaparro
Cartels, Corruption and Investigative Reporting – with Ioan Grillo and Luis Chaparro
Description: Panelists: Ioan Grillo, Luis Chaparro Moderator: Sabrina Salvati Description: Independent journalists and authors discuss their investigations into the power of cartels and government collusion.
Ukraine, Empire, and Forever Wars with Jill Stein and Dimitri Lascaris
Ukraine, Empire, and Forever Wars with Jill Stein and Dimitri Lascaris
Panelists: Jill Stein, Dimitri Lascaris Moderator: Zain Raza Description: Jill Stein and Dimitri Lascaris discuss the war in Ukraine, American Empire and forever wars and today’s Left.
The Left Needs Alliances and Class Solidarity not Cancel Culture – with Jay Lesoleil and Clementine Morrigan
The Left Needs Alliances and Class Solidarity not Cancel Culture – with Jay Lesoleil and Clementine Morrigan
Panelists: Jay Lesoleil and Clementine Morrigan Moderator: Scott Costen Description: Critiquing today’s identity politics and working towards a leftist vision of a society based on solidarity rather than authoritarianism.
Anti-fascism: Descendants of Spanish Civil War Veterans Compare Their fathers’ Left to Current Identity Politics, Language Policing and Social Activism
Anti-fascism: Descendants of Spanish Civil War Veterans Compare Their fathers’ Left to Current Identity Politics, Language Policing and Social Activism
Panelists: Janette Higgins, Dov Osheroff Moderator: Willy Maley Description: Three descendants of Spanish Civil War veterans sit down to talk about their fathers, their working class backgrounds their growing political
Ukraine, Empire, and Forever Wars with Paul Jay, Matt Hoh, Col. Larry Wilkerson
Ukraine, Empire, and Forever Wars with Paul Jay, Matt Hoh, Col. Larry Wilkerson
Panelists: Paul Jay, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Matthew Hoh Moderator: Sasha White Description: Discussion about the war in Ukraine and the power and influence of censorship and propaganda
Reflections on Covid: One of the Most Elaborate Propaganda Campaigns in Modern History?
Reflections on Covid: One of the Most Elaborate Propaganda Campaigns in Modern History?
Panelists: Max Blumenthal, Christian Parenti Moderator: Rozali Telbis Description: An exploration of the Covid propaganda from March 2020 to the present day; how the official Covid Narrative is unraveling (or
Animal Rights with Wayne Hsiung and Dušan Pajović
Animal Rights with Wayne Hsiung and Dušan Pajović
Panelists: Wayne Hsiung, Dušan Pajović Moderator: Rozali Telbis Description: Discussion about animal rights activism and how animal rights are a free speech issue as well as a core concern for
Transgender ideology and free speech – Stella O’Malley, Arty Morty
Transgender ideology and free speech – Stella O’Malley, Arty Morty
Panelists: Stella O’Malley, Arty Morty Moderator: Sasha White Description: Stella and Arty discuss the difficulties of speaking up and being heard on the topic of transgender ideology. Stella O’Malley is
Religion and Free Speech – Amna Khalid, Daniel Ben-Ami
Religion and Free Speech – Amna Khalid, Daniel Ben-Ami
Panelists: Amna Khalid, Daniel Ben-Ami Moderator: Daphna Whitmore Description: Amna Khalid and Daniel Ben-Ami discuss the limits to free speech with focus on blasphemy, anti-semitism, and islamophobia.
Livestream with Plebity and Partners
Livestream with Plebity and Partners
Join us live as Plebity and Partners wrap up the conference – what went right, what could be be better and our expectations for what comes next.
If you’re a leftist who believes in free speech you aren’t homeless
Free speech is a fundamental value of the left.
FEATURED ARTICLES
The woke left is to left as ersatz coffee is to coffee
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
“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.
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
Why Free Speech Advocates Should be Cautious of Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover
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.
Penn State Students Versus the Proud Boys–who won?
If you want to fan the flames of fascism, keep doing things like this, Penn State students!
Several days ago Penn State, a top-ranked U.S. research university, known for its football team and its programs in engineering, business, and marketing, began trending on social media for something entirely different.
The event was to feature Gavin McInnes, cofounder of the right-wing organization Proudboys and comedian, provocateur Alex Stein. Student opinion was very strongly against allowing these individuals to speak, and violent protests developed.
Rumors, Mob Justice and Free Speech – this time the Roma community is the target
A little over a week ago, on October 11, a young woman in France sat down in front of her video camera and earnestly recounted the story of her narrow escape from a sex trafficking and possible organ trafficking gang operating from the train station in the city of Marseille. Against the backdrop of ominous music she tells her story...
Queer Theory origins – part 2 in the postmodernism series
Queer theory sees the concepts of sex – male and female – and gender – masculine and feminine- as oppressive. The main objective of queer theory is to subvert these concepts and to break them down. Rejecting the possibility of there being a knowable objective reality, queer theory asserts that language creates the categories, enforces them, and scripts people into them. The boundaries are arbitrary and oppressive according to queer theory. These boundaries can be blurred into apparent absurdity and thus erased.
Daphna Whitmore and Mark White Discuss Why the Left has Abandoned Free Speech
Mark and Daphna discuss how the Left of the past was at the forefront of defending free speech, why that is no longer the case and why the Left shouldn't bet their money on tech billionaires like Elon Musk to be their free speech savior.
Is the Apocalypse Transphobic?
Today, there is intense talk of possible use of ‘tactical’ nuclear weapons by Putin in Ukraine. A recent NYtimes headline read: ‘In Washington, Putin’s Nuclear Threats Stir Growing Alarm' and the subhead went on to say that ‘U.S. officials are gaming out responses’.
Using the ‘Harm’ Argument to Censor Online Speech
What constitutes harm?
This is the question currently debated by Canadian lawmakers surrounding the Online Harms Bill — a controversial bill currently under development that seeks to protect vulnerable people online and curb the dissemination of ‘harmful’ content.
Postmodernism – the joke is on society
Under postmodernism many ideas that were seen as objectively true came to be seen as mere constructions of language. Foucault refers to them as ‘discourses’ that construct knowledge. Consequently, since discourses are believed to create and maintain oppression, they have to be carefully monitored and deconstructed. This is not some obscure academic issue, it is the outlook that is behind calls for laws to outlaw speech which may cause offense.
No, Supporting Freedom is Not ‘Fascist Apologism’
Leftists have shamelessly abandoned the fight to preserve our fundamental freedoms and then have the audacity to turn around and condemn anyone else who seeks to preserve these same freedoms they’ve left behind.