Twitter is not welcoming for me anymore.
I think I'm out if it continues.
As Twitter's audience is radicalizing, those like me who share these ideals but aren't fully onboard with the orthodoxy are excommunicated.
I think I'm out if it continues.
As Twitter's audience is radicalizing, those like me who share these ideals but aren't fully onboard with the orthodoxy are excommunicated.
Moderates have no voice & no place online.
Most are silent & scared to death.
I receive hundreds of DMs showing appreciation that I dare to speak, debate, try to bring nuance, including many blue-checks or industry people that are too afraid to publicly do the same.
Most are silent & scared to death.
I receive hundreds of DMs showing appreciation that I dare to speak, debate, try to bring nuance, including many blue-checks or industry people that are too afraid to publicly do the same.
Unfortunately, we've reached that stage where many prefer to conceal their thoughts.
Many are afraid of simply stating scientific knowledge or official statistics. Many dread being caught for heresy, for not pledging allegiance to ideologies, jargons & political groups.
Many are afraid of simply stating scientific knowledge or official statistics. Many dread being caught for heresy, for not pledging allegiance to ideologies, jargons & political groups.
We're completely losing sight of the essential. We don't prioritize & assess issues correctly, because we don't contextualize them in scale, space, time.
Instead we're all ultrafocused on issues after issues, jumping from one another in the most meaningless way.
Instead we're all ultrafocused on issues after issues, jumping from one another in the most meaningless way.
We all come from complex cultures colliding online in a single shared space for the first time.
The goal of a public social media platform like Twitter isn't to agree in unison like ants. It's to discuss peacefully with the beautiful diversity of opinions.
The goal of a public social media platform like Twitter isn't to agree in unison like ants. It's to discuss peacefully with the beautiful diversity of opinions.
As flawed as they are, that's how our social-liberal democracies are different from other systems: we tolerate dissent & compromise.
We're not all-in on a single ideology - we optimize our society by debating & disagreeing, and that's the beauty of our system.
We're not all-in on a single ideology - we optimize our society by debating & disagreeing, and that's the beauty of our system.
Unfortunately, as many get mobbed, canceled, fired, threatened, lose our entire livelihoods, the social cost of debating, disagreeing, or even merely asking questions is becoming unbearable for most moderates.
As a moderate, if you think you will be spared, you're wrong. In authoritarianism, there is always a great purge.
Eventually, it will be your turn. No matter your identity, credentials, or even what you really think. What only matters is if you pledged allegiance or not.
Eventually, it will be your turn. No matter your identity, credentials, or even what you really think. What only matters is if you pledged allegiance or not.
Your heresy will be detected, because your bio isn't supportive enough, because you didn't tweet some hashtag, because you have liked the wrong tweet, because you follow an apostate. What has been happening the last few years is quasi-religious.
Added complexity: the rules are constantly changing.
One day you have to #stayathome or you're the worst, the next day you have to support marching outside during a pandemic or you're the worst.
As the goalposts are constantly moving, allies are turned into enemies every day.
One day you have to #stayathome or you're the worst, the next day you have to support marching outside during a pandemic or you're the worst.
As the goalposts are constantly moving, allies are turned into enemies every day.
That's how radical feminists are now "TERFs", that's how Bernie voters are now "BernieBros", that's how environmental hero Elon Musk became "evil billionaire", that's how Emma Watson became a "performative white feminist", etc.
It's *never* enough.
You can't stay on top.
It's *never* enough.
You can't stay on top.
Infighting is by far the biggest issue on the left.
We're the only place where sharing ideals doesn't suffice to consider ourselves politically united. Somehow we *have* to agree on every single tiny issue. We also violently push moderates & centrists out. Which is why we lose.
We're the only place where sharing ideals doesn't suffice to consider ourselves politically united. Somehow we *have* to agree on every single tiny issue. We also violently push moderates & centrists out. Which is why we lose.
The total collapse of public debate is a threat to civilization.
The great professor @BretWeinstein is one of those, like me, who saw this radicalization coming and already suffered from it years ago.
The great professor @BretWeinstein is one of those, like me, who saw this radicalization coming and already suffered from it years ago.
