Conor Friedersdorf

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

So when Beyonce' name-checks Fiji water in a song (to pick one of many luxury brand references at random) does money ever change hands or not or do we not know? — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@GaryLegum @MaxKennerly @CatoInstitute He found us out! — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@districtyoder It might also occur to you that I have much more reach and influence in parts of America other than deep red states in the south. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@districtyoder If you were less ignorant of my work before pronouncing on it you'd know I have published such pieces. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

RT @TheFIREorg: With Roe overturned, some states are rushing to criminalize not only abortion — but 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 about abortion. Here’s what y… — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

RT @Noahpinion: If the U.S. is going to remain energy-independent, we're going to have to re-learn how to process minerals. https://t.co/Y… — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

RT @NAChristakis: We are a nation of immigrants, and this ability to recruit talent from around the world, at all occupational levels, has… — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW I think we have both aired our perspectives to the utmost extent possible on this platform, so I'm calling this one. Goodnight. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @ijbailey @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW I am criticizing the people who believe everyone should deplatform Chappelle, and who would, if they had their way, deprive him of the ability to reach his audience because they believe his words are dangerous. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW Also, there are lots of ways other than deplatforming that ostensibly bigoted speech can be challenged, so your notion that such challenge is good doesn't imply this particular method of challenge is necessary. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW I don't know what "legit" means in this context? And Chappelle's privilege is irrelevant for several reasons. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW Right, their view has not prevailed. If it did, that would be bad. Holocaust denial has not prevailed. But I criticize that use of free expression, even though it is a fringe view, because if that view prevailed, it would be bad. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW what counts as bigotry were grounds for deplatforming. I expect that disproportionately white comics with college degrees would be least affected. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW You are begging the question that Chappelle engaged in bigoted speech, erroneously excluding Chappelle from the category of *belongs to formerly downtrodden group* and ignoring the possibility of disparities in what comics would be deplatformed if left-progressive views of — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW I did not say that *because I disagreed with them* I said it because if their view that everyone should deplatform Chappelle prevails *there will be less expression that theater goers are able to hear* — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW No, it does not shut discussion down, as evidence by the fact that I declared the workers' actions a threat to free expression and we have been discussing it ever since. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW At bottom the issue is, *Is shutting down speech you don't like just another kind of speech, or is it different somehow from other speech?* I think it is different in this way: it undermines a culture of free speech, and if it prevails, there is in fact less speech. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW I have repeatedly said that the workers had a right to behave as they did, and I would defend that right. I also think what they did is worthy of criticism. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW Ah. So: it is not a *free speech rights* issue. It is a *culture of free speech* issue. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW What is MEP? — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW If the workers had criticized Chappelle by calling him racial slurs or ridiculing his body, would you have criticized them, which is to say, criticized a kind of criticism that you disliked? — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW You are correct, there is no right to a platform. And if a pregnant stranger comes to my restaurant and asks to use the bathroom, she has no right to do so. But I should, as the restaurant owner, let her, and I think the venue workers should have worked the event. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW I agree that Chappelle's rights were not violated (though his contract may have been). I have not claimed otherwise. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW I keep saying it again and again: there is a distinction between criticizing views one finds wrongheaded and believing that the utterance of those views should be prevented. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Eigenvalue3 @rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW I do not object to them merely expressing criticism of Dave Chappelle. I do object to them doing do by punching Chappelle in the face, or threatening his children if he performs, or trying to deny him a platform by walking out at the last minute. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ijbailey @rasmansa @ouhbick @AnneCW But I disagree with the workers because I believe their actions undermine free expression. There's no separating that from my dissent against their behavior. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW There would be a loss to Chappelle and Chappelle fans, the former with expression he wasn't able to speak in a live format and the latter with expression they weren't able to hear. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW If theater workers took the position, "no theater should platform Dave Chappelle" I think it is straightforward to conclude that *if their view prevailed* a popular artist would be deprived of the ability to perform in front of tens of thousands who want to see him. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW Yes, of course. My point is that some in this convo have been acting like legal, private expressive behavior can't undermine free expression. But (like Mill) I think that it can, and that the test is pretty straightforward in some cases by looking at what would result. Example: — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@rasmansa @ijbailey @ouhbick @AnneCW Do you think private companies that fired suspected communists were a threat to free expression? How about TV networks that cut out all mentions of gay people in their shows? — PolitiTweet.org