I read the news today o boy. Six Dr. Seuss books cancelled. 1/ washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
The books do contain negative stereotypes. It qualifies as a genuine minor dilemma. It is a fascinating, ethically fiddly topic to argue! At the same time, one of the two major parties in the US has, as its sole policy goal at present, vote suppression. 2/ apnews.com/article/dr-seu…
This generates a minor meta-dilemma. I don't want to forbid people debating the minor dilemma (just how harmful is it to small children that Seuss contains negative ethnic stereotypes?) just because voter suppression is more clear and consequential. Which it for sure is. 3/
It is also the case that what just happened is a private actor (Seuss Inc) responded to criticisms of its products, all of which criticisms are valid - as far as they go. (Well, ok, there is some shoddy "Sneetches" scholarship out there, but the Sneetches aren't cancelled.) 4/
Progressives need to work to maintain the public's sense of moral proportion. For Republicans it's a huge victory that Dr. Seuss gets cancelled on the same day GA R's vote to deprive voters of water, to deter them from exercising their rights. 5/
There are going to be 'I voted Republican because the Democrats cancelled Seuss' voters. FOX news, and every R pundit out there is going to work to ensure it. It's a Big Lie that R's are the party of freedom. They aren't. But it's a tough Big Lie to fight on the internet. 6/
OK, here's a way to analyze what makes it such a tricky issue to frame. What should we WANT? What would the first-best solution be? Obviously a world in which everyone is doing kinda ok, everyone's rights are protected, the 'basic structure' of society is just. 7/
In that first-best situation, you can let a bit of borderline Seuss sketchiness slide. You can point it out - because it's true! People can decide to read it or not read it to their little kids. It's not a Huge Big Deal. Which it really shouldn't be. Ideally. 8/
Not having to get too fussed by old Seuss books, one way or the other, should be one of the many perks of living in a just society. All the old bad feelings and fears and resentments are kinda-sorta water under the bridge. Nerves of valid grievance aren't perpetually raw. 9/
Unfortunately, we don't live in that first-best world. We live in a world in which R's are trying to make it a crime to give voters water to drink, because they figure the thirsty ones, in the long lines, will be more black than white. 10/
People who care about justice look out at this world and see THAT, and a ton of other Really Bad Stuff, and they think: can't fix THAT. But I could point out this thing in Dr. Seuss. Maybe if I raise consciousness about that, I can inch us towards a better world? 11/
The problem is that rhetorically it backfires as often as it helps. It backfires in several ways, in practice. For example, R's get to talk as if we are in a situation in which SJW's have totally run the tables. We've built our Utopia and it's a de-Seussified nightmare! 12/
R's get to talk as if the problem is that progressives are insane moral perfectionists when the truth is that they are frustrated culture kludgers. We can't get anywhere near justice, so we are limping along, critiquing Seuss (validly!) in lieu of winning real victories. 13/
I dunno what to do. I would like progressives to be able to frame these minor issues like so: 'look, we all need to work to make our society a place in which people don't have to worry about "If I Ran The Zoo". And step 1 is making sure this zoo isn't run by Republicans." 14/
It's easy for me to say the ticket is real structural change, to ensure justice for all. If you substitute minor cultural policing for deep reforms - or if you even seem to be doing that - you end up in a culture war mess, which doesn't make things better. 15/
But, of course, it ain't so easy to achieve real, structural reforms. So it's not like I don't understand how, trying to feel some way around it, progressive hit on minor cultural issues, which feel like a way - a small way - forward. 16/
It is also not the case that 'cultural critique' never has real, salutary effects. A lot of major victories have been won (thank you, Hollywood liberals!) who see to it that messages of toleration get out there. 17/
But those issues, it seems to me, tend to be fairly clear cut (by my moral lights.) Is it good that there are positive portrayals of formerly despised sexual minorities in popular media? Duh yes. Ask me a hard one. 18/
The trap is sprung when you get to a genuinely tough issue like 'how badly should I feel about old Seuss books, which are kinda sketchy?' If it's a marginal issue like that you should maybe try to find a more clear-cut issue. But that's easy for me to say. I dunno. It sucks! 19/
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