i took it to mean that the left joining in on the act was the major shift, not that they were exclusive
as those old enough to remember mary whitehouse might attest.
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cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Fri 10 Feb 2023, 9:50,
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If that is what he meant,
then I'm not entirely in disagreement, though it reads more to me like someone who thinks the right really are all about freedom of speech, as they pretend to be, but clearly aren't.
Still reckon the main shift has been a mix of social media's ability to radicalise, and the press becoming click bait built around what's happening on Twitter.
People would protest Bernard Manning shows in the 90s, but it wasn't reported on as the left wanting to ban comedy, and most people wouldn't have any opinion on it.
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monkeon schmonkeon, Fri 10 Feb 2023, 10:16,
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it's not just about twitter or a few famous people suffering
as a side story, and I know Ive waffled on, Ive got a close friend who's now head of english at a big fancypants private school, really passionate about literature and poetry and is in demand to present on it at conferences. She's turned on Margaret Attwood because of some tweet where attwood linked to an article where the other author made the point that "saying "person who menstruates" instead of "woman who menstruates," to honor transgender men and nonbinary people – actually erases women from the conversation.". And that was that. No argument of moral relativism could sway her, that Attwood was one of the greatest post-modern feminist authors alive, thoughtful and brilliant and nuanced. No, she's trangressed by linking to an article deemed transgressive, and for my friend that was enough. And she chooses reading lists for her school
manning deserved more opprobrium in the day, attwood deserves more tolerance now, the pendulum has swung too far
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cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Fri 10 Feb 2023, 10:38,
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Is Twitter not ultimately where that rot gets in?
Pick a side and fight in a format that doesn't have enough room for any context or nuance, and find out that extreme opinions get more likes. Get love-bombed by people on your side. Whenever I meet someone who's gone nuts like that, it's almost always down to their social media use.
Mastodon's alright.
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monkeon schmonkeon, Fri 10 Feb 2023, 11:02,
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i agree with you about twitter, though it's hard to say if its a cause of merely an amplified reflection
but academia's like twitter but without the trolls
there's those with extreme position and those too scared of piping up lest their careers suffer like others, no matter how reasonable they might be. I did sciences, but I had a lecturer, a scot who studied philosophy at cambridge, and we had a great time arguing about war and politics and sex. That's all gone. too problematic. somebody will get offended or get their ideas challenged.
As to my friend I don't think it was twtter, she's not mentioned it though who knows what she does privately. But she's genuinely supportive of TG rights, which comes from a good place, but just not willing to countence anyone who suggest s there might be more to it, which doesnt
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cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Fri 10 Feb 2023, 11:24,
Reply)
i was never much of a twitter user, only following a handful of gentlefolk
but mastodon is still social-media fresh air by comparison
(, Sun 12 Feb 2023, 11:17, Reply)