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Another belter, with new things to say, making this one of my favourite Substacks.

Am I naive in suggesting that freedom of speech is naturally only ever valued by the challenger bloc - currently including those of us who ally uneasily with conservatives (who we don't really trust) on the issue?

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Thanks so much Mike! I think that's generally right, but of course psychological differences between conservatives and liberals are important.

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I agree in principle of what you're saying. But those trying to suppress free speech -- not necessarily First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of the press -- are not liberal.They are illiberal. They comprise extremist progressives who have become intolerant of anything/everything that doesn't fit their mindset. Example: Transgenderists who kick and scream bloody murder about their "non-binary" status. Just look at how they reacted when Adele declared how she was "proud to be a woman." Transgender "activists" went absolutely apoplectic. How dumb is that?

Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff wrote about this branch of dysmorphia in "The Coddling of the American Mind" in 2018. Highly recommend. -- Jim

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That's a great book! Yes, I agree that there's a major tension between progressivism and traditional liberalism!

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