I’ve totally experienced this online and it just made me stop engaging. When you’re being respectful and just ask a question or want to discuss an opinion openly. I got called insane, was personally attacked - all for stating an opinion that those people held a different view of (and not even a contentious or controversial one!) I closed down one lot of media but ended up setting up an anonymous one with notifications turned off! It’s the only way I feel I can share anything and not be abused for it. I definitely don’t have anyone to share things with in person anymore. The last 2 years have just served to form harder dividing lines I think, with anyone taking a ‘side’ each telling their opposites that they’re stupid, ignorant, selfish and crazy. Those of us on the outside of both groups… well, I don’t really know where we fit. I certainly appreciate quiet time with my bunnies (where I just get to be) much more than I used to! I can’t deal with the human race right now. How did we end up here?
I remember reading a book by Jon Ronson some time back, for the moment the title eludes me, he was making a similar point . He was talking about people on Google searches and similar. So I think it has been going on for some time.( I'l find the book tomorrow and be more specific) Do you remember when we had road rage in the news a lot? And supposedly people felt more able to be aggressive because they were safe in their cars and could drive away? I think this is an extension of this. People are frustrated so they act in ways they would not in person, and can be heroes of the moment, if they are in a little group. They are cowards, nothing more. And more often than not, they actually do not have an argument to put forward, so spout vitriol instead. Seems to me, most of the people blocked or de-platformed are the ones with something useful to say . Hence the action to block. It reminds me of being a child- you know, when you stick your fingers in your ears and sing lalala. Sadly, too many people are not adults when it comes to having serious conversations. We can't grow without listening to others' opinions, even if they are opposed to ours.Sometimes just listening reminds us of why we are so sure of our version. And ought we to stop twittering? Most definitely not. There will be a bird somewhere, singing the same song, and so glad to know he/she is not alone.
That is a plausible theory, but in “The Real Anthony Fauci,” RFK Jr. writes, “[Fauci] brought in Cancel Culture, essentially, before anybody could imagine what it was.”
As if Fauci wasn’t responsible for enough destruction, misery, and death, he also brought us Cancel Culture.
Hi Abby, thank you. Guess I’ll go first. I have very strong feelings about things. I read tons of Substack to try and become a little smarter. I especially appreciate those writers of different background than myself. I can usually pick up a slight point of enlightenment from them even though I disagree. I also read Twitter regularly, although I’m making Substack sort of my own little Twitter. I never tweet, I rarely re-tweet. In my humble opinion, Twitter is a bit of a cesspool (excuse if that’s too harsh). I know there are good people there.. but I have a feeling they’re very shy (like me) because they figure the juice ain’t worth the squeeze. P.S.: Love your work
Interesting video - because it’s on Rumble not YouTube, and because there are college students in it who don’t have an idea what free speech is.
https://rumble.com/vz20cl-should-joe-rogan-be-removed-from-spotify.html
I’ve totally experienced this online and it just made me stop engaging. When you’re being respectful and just ask a question or want to discuss an opinion openly. I got called insane, was personally attacked - all for stating an opinion that those people held a different view of (and not even a contentious or controversial one!) I closed down one lot of media but ended up setting up an anonymous one with notifications turned off! It’s the only way I feel I can share anything and not be abused for it. I definitely don’t have anyone to share things with in person anymore. The last 2 years have just served to form harder dividing lines I think, with anyone taking a ‘side’ each telling their opposites that they’re stupid, ignorant, selfish and crazy. Those of us on the outside of both groups… well, I don’t really know where we fit. I certainly appreciate quiet time with my bunnies (where I just get to be) much more than I used to! I can’t deal with the human race right now. How did we end up here?
I remember reading a book by Jon Ronson some time back, for the moment the title eludes me, he was making a similar point . He was talking about people on Google searches and similar. So I think it has been going on for some time.( I'l find the book tomorrow and be more specific) Do you remember when we had road rage in the news a lot? And supposedly people felt more able to be aggressive because they were safe in their cars and could drive away? I think this is an extension of this. People are frustrated so they act in ways they would not in person, and can be heroes of the moment, if they are in a little group. They are cowards, nothing more. And more often than not, they actually do not have an argument to put forward, so spout vitriol instead. Seems to me, most of the people blocked or de-platformed are the ones with something useful to say . Hence the action to block. It reminds me of being a child- you know, when you stick your fingers in your ears and sing lalala. Sadly, too many people are not adults when it comes to having serious conversations. We can't grow without listening to others' opinions, even if they are opposed to ours.Sometimes just listening reminds us of why we are so sure of our version. And ought we to stop twittering? Most definitely not. There will be a bird somewhere, singing the same song, and so glad to know he/she is not alone.
“Twitter is where cancel culture began”
That is a plausible theory, but in “The Real Anthony Fauci,” RFK Jr. writes, “[Fauci] brought in Cancel Culture, essentially, before anybody could imagine what it was.”
As if Fauci wasn’t responsible for enough destruction, misery, and death, he also brought us Cancel Culture.
Hi Abby, thank you. Guess I’ll go first. I have very strong feelings about things. I read tons of Substack to try and become a little smarter. I especially appreciate those writers of different background than myself. I can usually pick up a slight point of enlightenment from them even though I disagree. I also read Twitter regularly, although I’m making Substack sort of my own little Twitter. I never tweet, I rarely re-tweet. In my humble opinion, Twitter is a bit of a cesspool (excuse if that’s too harsh). I know there are good people there.. but I have a feeling they’re very shy (like me) because they figure the juice ain’t worth the squeeze. P.S.: Love your work