Deliberation, Brown-shirt style!

Sometimes a good example is better than all the theory in the world.

Who would have expected that a blog set up by academics to try to bridge the left-right divide would become a pulpit for conservative bullies intent on ridding the academy of leftist heresies. Yet, that's precisely what is going on at Left2Right these days. If you can bear it, read comments on quite reasonable posts by Don Herzog. The primary meme: the left hates America, is out of step with the mainstream, and needs to be controlled. The 'discussion' over free speech was shocking--I has expected this to be an easy point of agreement for conservatives, who usually position themselves as libertarian and pro-rights. But, these people are book burners. More recently, they've been screaming about Ward Churchhill and the thousands of Churchills in the academy, especially in women's and ethnic studies departments. The sexism and racism of these comments is clear. What makes them interesting is the way they persist in trashing any even moderate remark in the name of America, freedom, and democracy, positioning the most moderate disagreement (say, in the name of racial equality, women's sexual freedom, or social solidarity) is traitorous, a crazed threat to American democratic values.

If what they are practicising is democratic debate, they can have it.  If they see shock and awe as bringing freedom, they can have it. The space on the other side of what these brownshirts are calling freedom and democracy, the lunatic, communist, space that the brownshirts also link to terrorism, looks much better to me.

Not convinced that democracy isn't working and that it's prospects are exceedingly grim? Read the comment threads at Left2Right .

Comments

[Alain]

Jodi

Culture War discussions have always been about name calling and chest beating. I do not think they are indicative of democratic discourse. David Horowitz, even from his days on the left, has always been an intellectual guerilla. That is his style. The discussion at Left2Right seems to follow the predictable pattern.

[kevin]

In that context, "moderate disagreement" is the fuel that feeds their fire? Trading insults is for a lot of guys (and I guess they're mostly guys), a form of bonding? Falstafian jests would probably defuse the emnity more than reason?

[Jodi]

Kevin,
neat point. it could be a gender thing, a bonding through insult and disagreement. so maybe argument produces a kind of social bond that has nothing to do with reasons but the release of passions, cathexis in a way. interesting. i need to think about this.

[Matt]

Couldn't help but notice Richard Rorty's name being dropped from the header...hardly blame him. Perhaps it was just a loaner to begin with, of course.