Red Mosquito

McParadigm wrote: It's just fucking corporations reacting to a major cultural change event in the silliest, most clueless way possible. Why on earth does that surprise anybody?

On the left, liberalism is under siege by a new, illiberal orthodoxy that has taken root all around, including in the very institutions meant to uphold the liberal order. And cancellation is this ideology’s most effective weapon. It uses cancellation the way ancient societies used witch burnings: to strike fear into the hearts of everyone watching. The point is the assertion of power. By showing the rest of us that we could be next, it compels us to conform and obey, either by remaining silent, or, perhaps, offering up our own kindling.

Maybe you are among this self-silencing majority. There is a good chance that you are if the biologist Bret Weinstein is right when he observes that the population is composed of four groups: the few who actually hunt witches, a large group that goes along and a larger group that remains silent. There’s also a tiny group that opposes the hunt. And that “final group — as if by magic — become witches.”

Bi_3 wrote:

McParadigm wrote: It's just fucking corporations reacting to a major cultural change event in the silliest, most clueless way possible. Why on earth does that surprise anybody?

Therein lies our disconnect. Is this a major cultural change or is it a group of bullies who have found a platform to de-platform?

Bi_3 wrote:

McParadigm wrote: It's just fucking corporations reacting to a major cultural change event in the silliest, most clueless way possible. Why on earth does that surprise anybody?

Therein lies our disconnect. Is this a major cultural change or is it a group of bullies who have found a platform to de-platform?

where in this is the demonstration of risk to the estate of the highest earning dead celebrity besides Michael Jackson?

So in this case it's not about Dr.Seuss in particular, it's about sending notice that no one is beyond reproach

And when you ask about what has been done to the estate in particular, that's the wrong question... the question is always motive... why did the estate act at this moment? Sudden enlightenment? Or did they recognize that tithing (i.e. kindling) will buy them a period of forgiveness and maybe if they say enough hail-marys they can keep the big money makers on the shelf?

Bi_3 wrote:And again, the Dr Seuss estate was not bullied. They don’t need to be, they will act preemptively out of fear

Mickey wrote:It's a brilliant rhetorical move to set up that "fear" and "desire to make money by catering to prevailing attitudes" are impossible to distinguish.

Rob wrote:The problem I’ve always found with BI_3’s argument is that to believe it, you must believe that the lefty liberal “woke” activists have immense power and influence. I don’t deny many of them engage in bully-ish behavior, but to suggest powerful corporations are bending the knee to woke activists seems wrong. If they had real power we wouldn’t be talking about Dr. Seuss and Potato head (x).

Bi_3 wrote:

Mickey wrote:It's a brilliant rhetorical move to set up that "fear" and "desire to make money by catering to prevailing attitudes" are impossible to distinguish.

And why it’s important to not try and focus on a specific piece of data when talking about cultural trends. No single snowless winter is attributable to climate change, but a series of them can be, meaning the context the data point is crucial.

Bi_3 wrote:

Rob wrote:If they had real power we wouldn’t be talking about Dr. Seuss and Potato head (x).

It depends on the game. If you want condition someone to a lifelong belief, you start when they are young. So how do we do that?

The “woke” activists have immense power and influence because the “woke” activists are the powerful corporations. The elites aren't reacting to woke mob bullying or attempting to profit off of organically changing culture. They are instigating the cultural shift themselves, in a way that benefits them.