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Culture War Roundup for the week of April 14, 2025

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I'd buy it. But I'd also push-back that it was a one-way street and that conservatives had no agency in the matter. It's almost as if it would be convenient that academic institutions were one day able to be simply "deleted" for wrong-think.

The situation seems to model as a cooperate/defect situation. Leftists were able to gain a foothold precisely because enough of the old guard were swayed by arguments about academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas. And enough of those leftists do not return that consideration that they were able to slowly grind out their outgroup.

We've seen the same dynamic play out in a thousand venues, from forums to corporations.

We've seen the same dynamic play out in a thousand venues, from forums to corporations.

And we were warned! The usual formulation nowadays is from 1976's Children of Dune

“When I am Weaker Thn You, I ask you for Freedom because that is according to your principles; when I am Stronger than you, I take away your Freedom Because that is according to my principles.”

but the sentiment goes back to at least 1843,

When you are the stronger, you ought to tolerate me, for it is your duty to tolerate truth; but when I am the stronger, I shall persecute you, for it is my duty to persecute error.

-- Thomas Babington MacCauley.

The MacCauley quote is, I think, a better representation of the woke position.