This is a follow-up to ROMA 66, in which I further discuss the dangers of ignoring or silencing people we disagree with. Here’s the profile of Andrew Tate I mention. Here’s “Fix Your Mind,” the video that distills some of his teaching. Here are my notes on the cycle I mention.

* With the intention of making the world better, we deny obvious reality (race doesn’t exist, men and women are the same, trans women are just like biological women, it’s not too late to stop climate change, we can buy our way out of global collapse, etc.);

* We silence and shame anyone who openly questions these narratives: fire professors who say there may be innate differences in math skills between boys and girls (Larry Summers), cancel culture, deplatforming, etc.

* Control acceptable language: force us to use weird pronouns and respect whatever identity people claim, Latinx, “non-men,” “people with vaginas,” n-word, c-word, etc.

* This creates a huge market for anyone willing to speak these forbidden truths. But it’s very risky. So who steps up?

* The already wealthy (invulnerable) Berlusconi, Trump, Murdoch. Those with nothing to lose (Fuck the Police), punk, early rock. Podcasters/comics (insulated from economic impact). The wounded (Tate: “I get bored too fast. I need to be distracted. I need to be stressed at all times. I need to be entertained.”)

Note: I was wrong in claiming that this quote was from a Founding Father of the United States: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This was actually written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who wrote under the pseudonym S. G. Tallentyre, in her biography of Voltaire, The Friends of Voltaire. (1906) This was her summary of Voltaire’s passion for free speech.

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