Trying to control and manipulate the use of language is part of political struggle, to pretend otherwise is absurd. If we all agreed about what constitutes anti-semitic, islamophobic, racist, sexist or transphobic speech, there would be no problem. But outwith a core of >>
shared understanding there is a large zone of contestation. There are zealots that deny that & assert that their & only their understanding is to count. Again, a political rather than a cognitive move. The same can be said of the strategy of taking over hitherto >>
well understood words, investing them with Pickwickian meanings & trading on the conventionality of language. The idea of a government appointed "free speech Czar" fills me with horror. I've little faith that such a person will be some sort of honest broker. But this is
what happens when individuals & institutions are silent or mealy mouthed about defending the rights within the law of people that many, perhaps a large majority, strongly disagree with. So, you don't like some of Noah Carl's or John Finnis' views. Neither do I. >>
But I imagine you'll like the views and regulatory powers of Czar Toby Young or Czar Douglas Murray even less.
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