There are insights I’ve learned through my life as a Buddhist and neurodivergent person I’d like to share on platforms, and occasionally, some contemporary topics I’d like to weigh in on for the same reason. I’ve also been encouraged by different people in the space based on what I’ve shared.
Politically I’m a Centrist, with most of my opinions being politically correct; Anti-Trump, Pro-choice and pro women’s issues in general, No problems with how people live their lives sexually or otherwise in terms of LGBTQ. I’ll vote left cause there’s no alternative, but dream of a non-two party system.
But I honestly don’t feel like sticking my neck out in the current culture. It doesn’t feel to me as if the “bad people are being cancelled”, while that does happen, it feels more to me that we’re “waiting for someone to trip up”.
And once you’re out, you’re out. There seems to be no space for people making mistakes, learning, and growing. It’s like we’re all meant to be perfect and there’s no learning curve whatsoever.
And occasionally I like to question topics or nuance views, and that just gets hit with these extremely tribalistic opinions where I’m either “with us or the fascists”, which just doesn’t reflect where I’m coming from at all.
As an example, sometimes as a neurodivergent you really can get far by developing strategies around your weaknesses, but I see people getting torched for “victim blaming” and all kinds of really strong reactions, based on them just trying to help, not at all trying to minimalize anyone’s experience as far as I can see.
So honestly I’m just staying out. Everything I’ve learned in my life has been through trial and error, being wrong and then getting wiser, and I just don’t feel safe in this culture. I feel like everyone’s waiting for you to trip up, and if I was to make a mistake, or have a bad opinion, there’s no chance to grow, it’s just instant banishment and goodbye.
Anyone else feel like this?
Edit: Upon reflection, it feels like we live in a “Suspicion Culture”.
Can you give a few examples of someone who isn’t a bad person that, in your opinion, has been victimized by “cancel culture?”
Not specifically no, but I don’t think it would be hard to find some examples. But I’m not necessarily just talking about celebrities, but also a general attitude happening on online communities and platforms.
But your question actually is a good example: My first thought is; “Does this person honestly want to know, or are they asking in bad faith trying to trip me up?” That’s the attitude I feel like is everywhere these days.
Not trying to “trip you up.” But lamenting the idea of “cancel culture” has become kind of a red flag in the current discourse. Your post seems to vaguely refer to specific situations, so some specific examples will help us see where exactly you’re coming from.
Cancel culture is a far-right dog whistle, so one should be suspicious of anyone using it. Panic over ‘Cancel Culture’ is another example of right-wing projection
I’m neither right wing or know anyone right wing, and I vote left. And I’ve gotta tell you, nobody I know about uses ‘cancel culture’ as a dogwhistle for anything. I’m not sure where you’re getting your information from, but I think you might be the victim of social media algorithm extremism.
You don’t vote left though, because left is almost never on the ballot. We have two right-wing parties, Democratic and Republican. When you vote Democratic, you’re usually voting to the left of a Republican, but you’re still voting right. The Democratic party doesn’t run socialist candidates; at best they run social democrats, AKA capitalism with a larger social safety net.
But what else do you want me to do?
I don’t have easy answers to that—if only I could. I’m just describing how deep the problem is.
Being a “centrist” isn’t a principled political position, it’s triangulation. As fascism continues to gain purchase and move the Overton window rightward within the imperial core, the “center” lurches rightward along with it.
Centrism is a right-wing position. There is a bright line between the left and the right: who should own the means of production, the working class or the capitalist class?
This feels exactly like the kind of “You’re either with us or the fascists” rhetoric I talked about.
That’s because there isn’t a secret third option between fascism and antifascism. You actually do have to pick a side, and the history of the last century shows which side “centrists” virtually always pick.
