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Flilix said:
Machina said:

Culture war I don't think it's got my position quite right really. It depends on the specific issue in question, but I find myself more aligned with cultural conservatives in general despite being - or perhaps because I am - very socially liberal. Free speech is vital, identity politics is cancer for society, and the left has become very illiberal. We in the UK seem to be intent on importing wholesale the worst parts of the American culture war, which is worrying and slightly depressing.

I feel very much the same way about this. I consider myself socially liberal/progressive, but the more and more the 'left' is getting dominated by extremely authoritarian and intollerant views. I completely support the classic "forget the old taboos, you can do what you want!" side of the left, but I have serious issues with the new "you can't say/do that anymore!" side. A while ago I read something about free speech being a 'conservative value', which I found very worrying.

I've also noticed that the most extreme ends of the political spectrum over here are very much inspired by their American examples and copy their rhetorics even when they barely make sense. Unsurprisingly, these people are also the ones that are most active on sites like Twitter where the echochamber-effect is so strong that nuance is barely allowed.

Free speech is most definitely a left wing value. Ask Noam Chomsky or Prof Richard Wolff. I'm a true blue lefty and I'm very much pro free speech.



Just a guy who doesn't want to be bored. Also