So much I agree with here, and I appreciate your advocacy and advice given your firsthand experience.
I'll just add that we MUST ostracize people who express overt, hateful bigotry towards ANY group, maintaining it as strictly TABOO, or that hate will normalize within polite society and our mainstream politics, as we are seeing today. With that said, we also have to have grace and give people a chance to clarify and apologize, repair any harm they caused and be redeemed, to give people a way out of their hateful ideologies.
Indeed. That's how taboos have worked since the beginning of humankind, and it's how this taboo against eliminationism hate and bigotry worked up until 10/7.
We can't abandon that now because some people claim it's "cancel culture" or because it makes people even more radical. We just have to do it with grace, in a principled way, that aims to correct and not merely to punish.
It's a difficult balance in our hyper-partisan era, with so much discourse happening online, but we have to do it. The alternative is the end of the West as we know it.
Yeah, great job, Lucas. I’m glad you wrote this letter. It takes a lot of bravery to do it.
I think part of the reason these organizations operate the way they do is that you were actually reachable. You genuinely believed what you were saying - you weren’t a grifter. You were a good man, which is why many of us liked you even before. You were willing to sit down and talk to people.
But with a lot of people in these circles, like Stew, Myron, Fishback, and others, evidence doesn’t matter. They don’t want to lose face or look stupid, so they’ll keep pushing the same claims and maligning people under the guise of free speech.
In fact, some of them go well beyond free speech - like Fishback accusing Byron Donalds of a sex crime and then walking it back two days ago because he knew he had fabricated it.
Take the recent exposure of Kenny Ko holding a sign in Vegas that said “Hitler was right.” Do you honestly think that guy would change if you showed him evidence? He won’t. That’s why these groups go after their sources of income.
For some people, canceling their monetization is the only leverage that works. They are like children - you have to take away their toy.
Otherwise, it’s a strong letter. I hope they listen to you and take it into consideration. And I really hope you get your little check back.
Have you ever read Peter Novick’s The Holocaust in American Life? It is a very thoughtful book. Looking back on my Hebrew school days, I wish we had spent more time learning about philosemitism and the periods over the centuries when Jacob and Esau were getting along just fine.
We have anti-Jewish stereotypes left over from the Middle Ages, but pro-Jewish stereotypes certainly existed from the time period. For instance, Tolkien built his conception of the Dwarves from Medieval philosemitic stereotypes: while clannish and distrusting, they were thought of as fine craftsmen and jewelers. And when you get on their good side, they would become annoyingly helpful and welcoming.
Thank you Lucas. The demonization of Jews nower days is a product of the education system in America. The education system has been hijacked by the left and they aren't just demonizing Jews they are demonizing our country while they are breathing in the comfort of the freedom our country affords every citizen. Antisemitism is an effect and it's the beginning of the demise of a society. don't believe this Jew just look around the world and you will see for yourselves. May God Help Us All.
Weaponized/politicized Jew hatred hurts everyone, not just Jews. That’s the point. Look at our enemies: RGB.
Any of those three seem like societies built for human flourishing?
So much I agree with here, and I appreciate your advocacy and advice given your firsthand experience.
I'll just add that we MUST ostracize people who express overt, hateful bigotry towards ANY group, maintaining it as strictly TABOO, or that hate will normalize within polite society and our mainstream politics, as we are seeing today. With that said, we also have to have grace and give people a chance to clarify and apologize, repair any harm they caused and be redeemed, to give people a way out of their hateful ideologies.
I recently outlined exactly what this process should look like with a diagnostic and framework, which depends on the level of severity of the offending rhetoric. https://elevin11.substack.com/p/the-vocabulary-of-liberal-self-defense
Right. There's nothing wrong with using free speech to shame people; that's what societies do to deal with negative behavior.
Indeed. That's how taboos have worked since the beginning of humankind, and it's how this taboo against eliminationism hate and bigotry worked up until 10/7.
We can't abandon that now because some people claim it's "cancel culture" or because it makes people even more radical. We just have to do it with grace, in a principled way, that aims to correct and not merely to punish.
It's a difficult balance in our hyper-partisan era, with so much discourse happening online, but we have to do it. The alternative is the end of the West as we know it.
Yeah, great job, Lucas. I’m glad you wrote this letter. It takes a lot of bravery to do it.
I think part of the reason these organizations operate the way they do is that you were actually reachable. You genuinely believed what you were saying - you weren’t a grifter. You were a good man, which is why many of us liked you even before. You were willing to sit down and talk to people.
But with a lot of people in these circles, like Stew, Myron, Fishback, and others, evidence doesn’t matter. They don’t want to lose face or look stupid, so they’ll keep pushing the same claims and maligning people under the guise of free speech.
In fact, some of them go well beyond free speech - like Fishback accusing Byron Donalds of a sex crime and then walking it back two days ago because he knew he had fabricated it.
Take the recent exposure of Kenny Ko holding a sign in Vegas that said “Hitler was right.” Do you honestly think that guy would change if you showed him evidence? He won’t. That’s why these groups go after their sources of income.
For some people, canceling their monetization is the only leverage that works. They are like children - you have to take away their toy.
Otherwise, it’s a strong letter. I hope they listen to you and take it into consideration. And I really hope you get your little check back.
Right. When it comes to actual grifters, there's no other choice.
You know it.
This is partly a boomer generation phenomenon.
Have you ever read Peter Novick’s The Holocaust in American Life? It is a very thoughtful book. Looking back on my Hebrew school days, I wish we had spent more time learning about philosemitism and the periods over the centuries when Jacob and Esau were getting along just fine.
We have anti-Jewish stereotypes left over from the Middle Ages, but pro-Jewish stereotypes certainly existed from the time period. For instance, Tolkien built his conception of the Dwarves from Medieval philosemitic stereotypes: while clannish and distrusting, they were thought of as fine craftsmen and jewelers. And when you get on their good side, they would become annoyingly helpful and welcoming.
Well, its up to us to get Jacob and Esau back on good terms.
Gotta hug it out.
Gimli: "Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf."
Legolas: "What about side by side with a friend?"
Gimli: "Aye. I could do that."
Thank you Lucas. The demonization of Jews nower days is a product of the education system in America. The education system has been hijacked by the left and they aren't just demonizing Jews they are demonizing our country while they are breathing in the comfort of the freedom our country affords every citizen. Antisemitism is an effect and it's the beginning of the demise of a society. don't believe this Jew just look around the world and you will see for yourselves. May God Help Us All.
Right. It's coming from all sides, and it's being done intentionally.
Then why did it work on me?