It's interesting how we view historic censorship as opposed to current censorship. Social media has given us a real time view into what journalists, artists and others think about all this.
From the Red Scare of the 1950's to the US reaction to the Anti-WWI movement to the dictatorship of Pinochet in Chile, history creates this illusion of universal condemnation from artists and others on one side with a regime that simply doesn't care on the other. What I'm seeing in this current wave of censorship is a lot of justifying, excusing and explanations why none of this is actually censorship and it's nothing we should concern ourselves with. I wonder if future history books will include these voices that were absent from history books in the past?
It is an important lesson to read the righteousness of the people who burned people and their books and how very correct they thought they were. Hindsight seems to offer little reflection. Censorship again is popular days thanks to digital platforms. Once it was who gave the printing licenses--now it's your log-in.
Ability to express ourselves about an unequaled span of thought and emotion is what separates us from other species. Overlooking that for temporary political advantage demeans the destroyer more than anyone else. As Nancy Pelosi was quoted in July 2020 about the destruction of Christopher Columbus's statue in her hometown of Baltimore, "People will do what they will do."
That is what I think, too. In the here and now it might seem great to block people on Facebook or Twitter. I am sure Pinochet wish he had that capacity.
It's interesting how we view historic censorship as opposed to current censorship. Social media has given us a real time view into what journalists, artists and others think about all this.
From the Red Scare of the 1950's to the US reaction to the Anti-WWI movement to the dictatorship of Pinochet in Chile, history creates this illusion of universal condemnation from artists and others on one side with a regime that simply doesn't care on the other. What I'm seeing in this current wave of censorship is a lot of justifying, excusing and explanations why none of this is actually censorship and it's nothing we should concern ourselves with. I wonder if future history books will include these voices that were absent from history books in the past?
It is an important lesson to read the righteousness of the people who burned people and their books and how very correct they thought they were. Hindsight seems to offer little reflection. Censorship again is popular days thanks to digital platforms. Once it was who gave the printing licenses--now it's your log-in.
Ability to express ourselves about an unequaled span of thought and emotion is what separates us from other species. Overlooking that for temporary political advantage demeans the destroyer more than anyone else. As Nancy Pelosi was quoted in July 2020 about the destruction of Christopher Columbus's statue in her hometown of Baltimore, "People will do what they will do."
https://thefederalist.com/2020/07/09/nancy-pelosi-on-mobs-removing-statues-people-will-do-what-they-do/
My apologies for failure to format the footnote properly.
That is what I think, too. In the here and now it might seem great to block people on Facebook or Twitter. I am sure Pinochet wish he had that capacity.
I made a comment but I guess I wasn't logged on
HI! You know so much, always good to hear from you.