Really excellent argument, B! I appreciate getting a Christian take on things. One of the most telling aspects of the "SAN" campaign -- which I didn't go into since my essay was already wicked long -- is that they kept comparing Substack to Twitter unfavorably. As if the loosening of censorship rules on Twitter had turned it into a Nazi hellhole. They truly think that other people being allowed to openly disagree with Leftist orthodoxy, like saying "men aren't women" is the equivalent of Twitter having turned into the proverbial "Nazi bar." It's the old bromide about "if you're used to special treatment, equality feels like persecution" come to life, truly.
Thanks for writing this. You've expressed so well many of own thoughts on the supposed "Substack Nazi problem." One of the main complaints of Katz and company is that Substack is financially benefiting from Nazis. As numerous commentators have pointed out, most of those they point to aren't actually Nazis by any sensible definition. But following your argument, even if Substack does make some small amount of money off those with actual Nazi-like views, this is actually a good thing since it keeps them on a public forum where their views can be engaged with and criticized. Banning them from Substack won't make them go away. If anything, it will make them more dangerous because they will retreat into more private spaces where their views won't face criticism.
Really well thought out and eloquently put. I love your approach on the topic of censorship and take on the whole Substackers against Nazis movement. Just fantastic.
Great article, Barbara! For the last month or two, I've been fighting back against the censors with irreverent logic, for the most part, but I'm ready to be done with the fight and move on. It's all become sort of old and tired, at least for me. And now that we know where Substack stands, it makes me feel better about the whole thing. It seems to be the perfect time to "walk away and put it in God's hands" - to let the censors throw their hissy fits and tire themselves out lol.
You'd have us aim for "friendship" and understanding with Nazis? Really?
You do know that Nazism is a known quantity, don't you? This is a group that has been allowed to flourish before, with deadly consequences. What do you imagine allowed those ideas to take root in Europe, if not the spread of vile, abhorrent ideas?
Antisemitism is more prevalent than it's been since the Holocaust. The house is on fire. Unfortunately, it makes sense to expect further violence.
Beautiful ideas and writing, Barbara, thank you. I'm reading Huxley's "The Perennial Philosophy", a catalog of timeless wisdom that has appeared in spiritual practice for millenia. Using Acts 5 is an inspired take.
I think this is mostly wonderful, but I think you don’t understand the academic underpinning of CRT. It’s not a form of anti White racism, it’s about generations of structural factors that have colluded to subordinate one group to the benefit of another, and the long term ramifications of it in our society. It’s really not what people think it is.
I expect I agree with you on all the particulars of free speech, censorship and Nazis. I especially agree with this:
> It’s a waste of time to worry about them.
But I’m suddenly curious!
What would be a Nazi argument that I might want to argue against? Is it about Lebensraum for the German Reich? Is it about the desire for racial purity?
Really excellent argument, B! I appreciate getting a Christian take on things. One of the most telling aspects of the "SAN" campaign -- which I didn't go into since my essay was already wicked long -- is that they kept comparing Substack to Twitter unfavorably. As if the loosening of censorship rules on Twitter had turned it into a Nazi hellhole. They truly think that other people being allowed to openly disagree with Leftist orthodoxy, like saying "men aren't women" is the equivalent of Twitter having turned into the proverbial "Nazi bar." It's the old bromide about "if you're used to special treatment, equality feels like persecution" come to life, truly.
Censorship is never the correct approach. We will never learn if we don't consider different viewpoints.
Thanks for writing this. You've expressed so well many of own thoughts on the supposed "Substack Nazi problem." One of the main complaints of Katz and company is that Substack is financially benefiting from Nazis. As numerous commentators have pointed out, most of those they point to aren't actually Nazis by any sensible definition. But following your argument, even if Substack does make some small amount of money off those with actual Nazi-like views, this is actually a good thing since it keeps them on a public forum where their views can be engaged with and criticized. Banning them from Substack won't make them go away. If anything, it will make them more dangerous because they will retreat into more private spaces where their views won't face criticism.
Really well thought out and eloquently put. I love your approach on the topic of censorship and take on the whole Substackers against Nazis movement. Just fantastic.
Great article, Barbara! For the last month or two, I've been fighting back against the censors with irreverent logic, for the most part, but I'm ready to be done with the fight and move on. It's all become sort of old and tired, at least for me. And now that we know where Substack stands, it makes me feel better about the whole thing. It seems to be the perfect time to "walk away and put it in God's hands" - to let the censors throw their hissy fits and tire themselves out lol.
It figures that I would find a great Christian argument against censorship here on Substack.
Poor censors, they just get it from all sides here.
You'd have us aim for "friendship" and understanding with Nazis? Really?
You do know that Nazism is a known quantity, don't you? This is a group that has been allowed to flourish before, with deadly consequences. What do you imagine allowed those ideas to take root in Europe, if not the spread of vile, abhorrent ideas?
Antisemitism is more prevalent than it's been since the Holocaust. The house is on fire. Unfortunately, it makes sense to expect further violence.
Beautiful ideas and writing, Barbara, thank you. I'm reading Huxley's "The Perennial Philosophy", a catalog of timeless wisdom that has appeared in spiritual practice for millenia. Using Acts 5 is an inspired take.
Very interesting article, I think though that the deeper (and actually understandable) dynamics need to be more deeply addressed
https://open.substack.com/pub/rontimus/p/why-liberals-sometimes-secretly-desire?r=2rvuja&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Good writing, well done
I think this is mostly wonderful, but I think you don’t understand the academic underpinning of CRT. It’s not a form of anti White racism, it’s about generations of structural factors that have colluded to subordinate one group to the benefit of another, and the long term ramifications of it in our society. It’s really not what people think it is.
I expect I agree with you on all the particulars of free speech, censorship and Nazis. I especially agree with this:
> It’s a waste of time to worry about them.
But I’m suddenly curious!
What would be a Nazi argument that I might want to argue against? Is it about Lebensraum for the German Reich? Is it about the desire for racial purity?