Unfortunately, the situation was similar in Hungary in the past. Those writers, poets, film directors, actors, entertainers, athletes who dared to criticize the system at that time, the unspoken problems that the system wanted to hide, were processed in some work, persecuted and made impossible. Their works were banned, they were tried to make them the victims of some conceptual lawsuit. They were second class citizens in their own country.
Completely agreeing with the last sentence of your article, however, I would like to add a little to it. But only with the fact that I want to read and hear about such brave people, and I want to read/see/hear the works and actions and examples of such brave people.
When I see calls in the Western Hemisphere and Europe to limit the expression of disfavored groups and individuals, it is always shocking to me.
I fear that these calls are made by people who have forgotten, or not understood, just how much blood our ancestors have shed in order to give us nations in which everyone is free to communicate their own truths.
Time was in our culture, when the Church would torture and murder people who wrote things contrary to the accepted religious dogma of the day. That was horrible, but history is replete with examples. And if that wasn't scary enough, the State would gleefully do the same thing to those who wrote unpopular political things.
People spent generation after generation fighting for a world in which individual expression would be respected and protected.
But now, it seems there is a huge movement of people who grew up enjoying the freedoms we now enjoy, seeking to do away with those freedoms. Making claims about words somehow being violence, and words making online spaces somehow unsafe. Claims that are absurd on their face, and require the redefinition of words in order to be made at all.
It is all, I suppose, the result of some people preferring to live lives subjected to totalitarianism. Perhaps freedom is too scary for them? Perhaps they prefer to live in submission to an outside force?
Whatever it might be, it is, I think, the duty of everyone who values the rights of man to stand up and say NO!
It is power at work. Power dislikes free speech for obvious reasons.
Those who oppose it serve power. The would-be censors on here hope to curry favour with the powerful to get on. That is basically what is happening. Some are true believers, others are just grifters.
Social media has enabled likes and other methods of attaining social capital. And some people's lives are so empty they chase this external approval.
In sum, a healthy nation is a confident one. The anxiety and fear we see around us drives people to ask the government to intervene, which they are happy to do. And along with it comes control.
Thank you for pointing out the grifters. While I write in this post about cowardice, and undoubtedly, lots of the pro censorship people are cowards, surely many are, as you point out, in it for the grift.
There's no doubt in my mind that's why the guy who sparked this whole thing did so. He sees the traditional publications that he used to write for quickly dying, being replaced by new places for writing, like this one, and reflexively tries to do harm here. Not to mention, he saw an opportunity for a paycheck, and all he had to do was manufacture some false claims and sell a false narrative to a magazine.
Ultimately though, Substack, or a platform like it will come out on top. I say that with confidence because the very best writing in the english speaking world is here now. It is no longer in the Atlantic, the New Yorker, or any other magazine.
I agree. I think Substack could be something special. During Covid it took a lot of flack for allowing people to publish critical material. But that is what people seek out. The news doesn't have any real news.
And of course this whole 'Substack is platforming bad people' thing happened two or three years ago as well. Tried last time it didn't work, and it doesn't seem to be working this time either. But, I imagine they will keep trying the same tactic from time to time.
Last time a small handful of really loud and obnoxious people left, ran off to Ghost or wherever, made a splash about it. Good riddance!
Dec 20, 2023·edited Dec 20, 2023Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
Powerful and pithy post! It is wonderful to see so many people of various backgrounds and beliefs here on Substack speaking up in their own unique ways to defend free speech and artistic integrity.
You make a good point. I suppose that we must read the calls for totalitarianism, lest we not know what the cowards in our society are begging for.
As for me, on this specific manufactured controversy, over the days it raged I received the letter begging for censorship from three different Substacks, and promptly unsubscribed from each. I don't want to read or support those people at all, for in essence, they are begging for evil, and by doing so are showing themselves to be evil.
But, I've still run across it plenty on Notes.
It is so amazing to me that not all that many years ago people in the West would stand in support of their rights. Now it seems that millions will plead for the jackboot instead.
Unfortunately, the situation was similar in Hungary in the past. Those writers, poets, film directors, actors, entertainers, athletes who dared to criticize the system at that time, the unspoken problems that the system wanted to hide, were processed in some work, persecuted and made impossible. Their works were banned, they were tried to make them the victims of some conceptual lawsuit. They were second class citizens in their own country.
Completely agreeing with the last sentence of your article, however, I would like to add a little to it. But only with the fact that I want to read and hear about such brave people, and I want to read/see/hear the works and actions and examples of such brave people.
When I see calls in the Western Hemisphere and Europe to limit the expression of disfavored groups and individuals, it is always shocking to me.
I fear that these calls are made by people who have forgotten, or not understood, just how much blood our ancestors have shed in order to give us nations in which everyone is free to communicate their own truths.
Time was in our culture, when the Church would torture and murder people who wrote things contrary to the accepted religious dogma of the day. That was horrible, but history is replete with examples. And if that wasn't scary enough, the State would gleefully do the same thing to those who wrote unpopular political things.
People spent generation after generation fighting for a world in which individual expression would be respected and protected.
But now, it seems there is a huge movement of people who grew up enjoying the freedoms we now enjoy, seeking to do away with those freedoms. Making claims about words somehow being violence, and words making online spaces somehow unsafe. Claims that are absurd on their face, and require the redefinition of words in order to be made at all.
It is all, I suppose, the result of some people preferring to live lives subjected to totalitarianism. Perhaps freedom is too scary for them? Perhaps they prefer to live in submission to an outside force?
Whatever it might be, it is, I think, the duty of everyone who values the rights of man to stand up and say NO!
It is power at work. Power dislikes free speech for obvious reasons.
Those who oppose it serve power. The would-be censors on here hope to curry favour with the powerful to get on. That is basically what is happening. Some are true believers, others are just grifters.
Social media has enabled likes and other methods of attaining social capital. And some people's lives are so empty they chase this external approval.
In sum, a healthy nation is a confident one. The anxiety and fear we see around us drives people to ask the government to intervene, which they are happy to do. And along with it comes control.
Thank you for pointing out the grifters. While I write in this post about cowardice, and undoubtedly, lots of the pro censorship people are cowards, surely many are, as you point out, in it for the grift.
There's no doubt in my mind that's why the guy who sparked this whole thing did so. He sees the traditional publications that he used to write for quickly dying, being replaced by new places for writing, like this one, and reflexively tries to do harm here. Not to mention, he saw an opportunity for a paycheck, and all he had to do was manufacture some false claims and sell a false narrative to a magazine.
Ultimately though, Substack, or a platform like it will come out on top. I say that with confidence because the very best writing in the english speaking world is here now. It is no longer in the Atlantic, the New Yorker, or any other magazine.
I agree. I think Substack could be something special. During Covid it took a lot of flack for allowing people to publish critical material. But that is what people seek out. The news doesn't have any real news.
And of course this whole 'Substack is platforming bad people' thing happened two or three years ago as well. Tried last time it didn't work, and it doesn't seem to be working this time either. But, I imagine they will keep trying the same tactic from time to time.
Last time a small handful of really loud and obnoxious people left, ran off to Ghost or wherever, made a splash about it. Good riddance!
Absolutely.
Powerful and pithy post! It is wonderful to see so many people of various backgrounds and beliefs here on Substack speaking up in their own unique ways to defend free speech and artistic integrity.
Thank you, I'm pleased that you found it worthwhile!
Well said. The best way to ensure free speech is not the First Amendment, but to speak freely.
Thank you. I'm pleased you found value in it.
You have to read it all.
You have to be aware of what the cowards are regurgitating.
You make a good point. I suppose that we must read the calls for totalitarianism, lest we not know what the cowards in our society are begging for.
As for me, on this specific manufactured controversy, over the days it raged I received the letter begging for censorship from three different Substacks, and promptly unsubscribed from each. I don't want to read or support those people at all, for in essence, they are begging for evil, and by doing so are showing themselves to be evil.
But, I've still run across it plenty on Notes.
It is so amazing to me that not all that many years ago people in the West would stand in support of their rights. Now it seems that millions will plead for the jackboot instead.