Conor Friedersdorf

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism https://t.co/7OVgX7etVb — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism I consider it wrongheaded, but (unlike many in my social circles) I do not think it is always rooted in animus, that it should result in someone's exclusion from polite society, or that there is anything like a social consensus on it (in contrast w, e.g., slavery being bad) — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism I have, far more than most, laid out my thoughts on "cancel culture" in great detail! For example, https://t.co/ZkZC2U2EJ5 My detailed stances are a much better way to discover what I think than parsing my tweets poorly. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism For example, opposition to gay marriage is frowned upon in my social circles, but I do not shun those who oppose gay marriage--by, e.g., avoiding them, or ignoring them when they speak--I try to persuade them to change their views. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism That is what I have done in this thread. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism No, your premise was that my original Tweet was a declaration that the "cancel culture" I oppose is people getting cancelled for saying stuff that doesn't transgress the mores of my own social circles. And that was not, in fact, what I said, or meant, or believe. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism There are lots of ways of showing social disapproval other than *shunning* — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism Okay, well I'm sorry but I think you are bad at paraphrasing accurately and that we'd save a lot of time if you were either more rigorous or just stopped paraphrasing — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism avoid introducing small errors in describing what I said. Most recently you've put the word "shunning" in my mouth. If you stick to the words I actually used you'll misunderstand my meaning less often! — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism I am distinguished from the group of people whose language I was explaining in that I try hard to avoid the flawed term "cancel culture" by advancing more specific and particular critiques in associated controversies. RE my Tweet I find it fascinating how hard it is for you to — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@Redhotswami2 @danhauge That is false. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@bradiscranky @studentactivism No, that is not what I tell myself, and you have a poor understanding of my actual views. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism I think there is something to the best criticisms of "cancel culture" and tend to try to steelman rather than reflexively dismiss them. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism I have tried hard to always take stands that are much more nuanced, particular and fleshed out than vague objections to "cancel culture," a term that is flawed, as I've repeatedly noted, but not exactly in the ways that some critics of it say. Put another way, — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@ReinholdRiebuhr @studentactivism My personal belief is that there is and ought to be a social taboo against clear instances of textbook racism, e.g., urging whites to segregate themselves from all black people based on what a subset of black people allegedly think. I have no strong view about his comic strip. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism I oppose all sorts of cancellations of people who *very much* hold views that I and most people around me oppose. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism I did not sketch or comment on the cancel culture that *I* oppose. I observed the way that the term "cancel culture" is most typically used, and correctly noted that most users are not antagonistic to literally all taboos. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism In America, there has always been a puritanical streak that waxes and wanes in intensity. When it waxes, lots of people hate it and complain about the zealous punitiveness. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@GScottShand I certainly agree that all this is subjective. But I don't think all complaints about cancel culture are mere attempts to pathologize different views, even though I agree that does happen — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@bradiscranky @studentactivism Nope. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@studentactivism That is not, in fact, what I said. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@jaycaspiankang Everyone else dropping out. DeSantis would benefit from a two-person race — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@danhauge That is not at all my position as even a passing familiarity with stances I've stayed out would illustrate — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@GScottShand That's not quite right. I can sketch what I personally think is beyond the pale but what I am addressing here is what (or so I argue) most people mean when they invoke that term. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@CrockerThad Put another way, there have always been taboos, but concern over cancel culture arose in response to the zealous enforcement of expansive new taboos — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@CrockerThad Interesting question but not one especially relevant to the question of whether the mainstream meaning of cancel culture would encompass what happened to Adams, which is what I was addressing — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

The way I'd put it: I was born in 1980. As far back as I remember, what Adams said would've been regarded as beyond the pale bc textbook racism was rightly verboten in my circles. & most opponents of "cancel culture" were never objecting to *that* but to expansive new taboos. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@mcbyrne Not exhaustive, just two minutes of scanning. — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@mcbyrne https://t.co/NbHHY1vUXq — PolitiTweet.org

Conor Friedersdorf @conor64

@mcbyrne https://t.co/meFLno8Wz6 — PolitiTweet.org