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Get Ready for the 'No-Buy' List

bariweiss.substack.com

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Re: Get Ready for the 'No-Buy' List

#2

Post by version_five »

I like how he calls out what is going on as Populism. Its interesting to think how a few years ago, the spectre of populism was mainly seen as a threat from the right. There was Orban, LePenn, the PIS in Poland, Bolsonaro, Trump, etc. (And to be clear, evidence supported right wing populism as a threat, although there were left wing variants too).

And then suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of a serious populist threat that is not coming from the right, but from both a one-size-fits-all technocratic front, and what some people call the woke left (personally I don't think the characterization as "left" is accurate or adds value). My point is, across some key areas, we are now in a regime where recourse to due process and liberties normally afforded to liberal democratic societies has been dropped in the name of what the (real or percieved) majority is pushing for. That is populism, that everyone agrees is bad when it runs against something they want, but that somehow people are ok with when it aligns with their desires. It's nice to see this being called out.

Re: Get Ready for the 'No-Buy' List

#5

Post by dane-pgp »

> If you really believe our democracy barely survived a stress test these last several years, and don’t wish to subject it to another, the last thing you should do is create hordes of desperate people, denied a voice and livelihood, and primed to be rallied to a future autocrat’s cause.

Or in other words "That's a nice democracy you have there... It would be a pity if someone came along and insurrected it."

The logic isn't necessarily wrong, but such an argument needs to be made explicit, and placed in the context of a wider strategic and moral landscape. It seems to be saying "Big platforms can do whatever they like, unless their actions are used by a potential autocrat to rally supporters", which is a position that fails to defend Freedom of Speech from either the whims of the big platforms, or the threats of the potential autocrats.

Re: Get Ready for the 'No-Buy' List

#6

Post by chromatin »

dane-pgp wrote: post #5

> If you really believe our democracy barely survived a stress test these last several years, and don’t wish to subject it to another, the last thing you should do is create hordes of desperate people, denied a voice and livelihood, and primed to be rallied to a future autocrat’s cause. Or in other words "That's a nice democracy you have there... It would be a pity if someone came along and insurrected it." The logic…

I don’t take it at all as the threat you portray it as.

Instead, it is a sage warning — I fear the man who has nothing left to lose.

Let’s be honest, our society has major cracks at the seams, and it is prudent to be worried about the ripping social fabric leading to worsening unrest, and, ultimately violence. (Apologies for the terribly mixed metaphors)

Re: Get Ready for the 'No-Buy' List

#8

Post by telxos »

version_five wrote: post #2

I like how he calls out what is going on as Populism. Its interesting to think how a few years ago, the spectre of populism was mainly seen as a threat from the right. There was Orban, LePenn, the PIS in Poland, Bolsonaro, Trump, etc. (And to be clear, evidence supported right wing populism as a threat, although there were left wing variants too). And then suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of a serious populist…

Also using populism + race in a moral context to gain political power.

We have seen this one before.

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