Rather than confront bad ideas through discussion, debate, ridicule and protest, the culture warriors of the 2010s preferred to intimidate their detractors into silence through what became known as ‘cancel culture’, a method of public humiliation and harassment which could often lead to the target losing his or her means of income. Often the response was massively disproportionate, and people found themselves shamed and denounced for simply expressing an opinion that did not align with the popular view. For these activists, the very notion of debate was anathema, because even to hear the
...more
