Bari Weiss resigns from the Times

[George K]

[George K]

McCarthyism is back. This time, it’s woke.

McCarthyism is the pejorative term liberals gave to the anti-communist crusades of 1950s-era Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. From his perch as chair of the Government Operations Committee, McCarthy launched a wave of investigations to ferret out supposed communist subversion of government agencies. Armed with his favorite question — “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” — McCarthy terrorized his targets and silenced his critics. Thousands of people lost their jobs as a result, often based on nothing more than innuendo or chance associations.

The mob fervor extended to the state governments and the private sector, too. States enacted “loyalty oaths” requiring people employed by the government, including tenured university faculty members, to disavow “radical beliefs” or lose their jobs. Many refused and were fired. Hollywood notoriously rooted out real and suspected communists, creating the infamous “blacklist” of people who were informally barred from any work with Hollywood studios. The “red scare” even nearly toppled America’s favorite television star, Lucille Ball, who had registered to vote as a communist in the 1930s.

Today’s “cancel culture” is nothing more than McCarthyism in a woke costume. It stems from a noble goal — ending racial discrimination. Like its discredited cousin, however, it has transmogrified into something sinister and inimical to freedom. Battling racism is good and necessary; trying to suppress voices that one disagrees with is not. Woke McCarthyism goes wrong when it seeks to do the one thing that America has always sworn not to do: enforce uniformity of thought. Indeed, this principle, enshrined in the First Amendment, is so central to American national identity that it is one of the five quotes inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial: “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

Weiss’s resignation letter describes numerous examples of her colleagues judging her guilty of “wrongthink” and trying to pressure superiors to fire or suppress her. She explains that “some coworkers insist I need to be rooted out if this company is to be a truly ‘inclusive’ one, while others post ax emojis next to my name.” Others, she wrote, called her a racist and a Nazi, or criticized her on Twitter without reprimand. She notes that this behavior, tolerated by the paper through its editors, constitutes “unlawful discrimination, hostile work environment, and constructive discharge.”

Sullivan’s reason for departure is less clear — though he said it is “self-evident.” He had publicly supported Weiss, writing: “The mob bullied and harassed a young woman for thoughtcrimes. And her editors stood by and watched.”

In other words, both Weiss and Sullivan — like so many others — seem to have left their jobs because they were targeted for refusing to conform to its ideas of right thinking. Do you now or have you ever thought that Donald Trump might make a good president? Congratulations, president of Goya Foods: Your company is boycotted. Are you now or have you ever been willing to publish works from a conservative U.S. senator that infuriated liberal Twitter? Former New York Times editor James Bennet, the bell tolls for thee.

The mob even sacrifices people whose only crime is familial connection on its altar. The stepmother of the Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, Melissa Rolfe, was fired from her job at a mortgage lender because some employees felt uncomfortable working with her.

Such tactics work best when they force people to confess to seek repentance for the crimes they may or may not have committed. McCarthy knew this, and so he always offered lenience to suspected communists who would “name names” and turn in other supposed conspirators. The woke inquisition uses the same tactic, forcing those caught in its maw to renounce prior statements they find objectionable. NFL quarterback Drew Brees surrendered to the roar while noted leftists such as J.K. Rowling and Noam Chomsky are being pilloried for their defense of free speech.

McCarthy was enabled by a frightened and compliant center-right. They knew he was wrong, but they also knew the anti-communist cause was right and were unsure how to embrace the just cause and excise the zealous overreach. It wasn’t until McCarthy attacked the U.S. Army that one man, attorney Joseph Welch, had the courage to speak up. “Have you no decency, sir?” he said as McCarthy tried to slander a colleague. The bubble burst, and people found the inquisitorial emperor had no clothes. The Senate censured him in 1954, and McCarthy died in 1957, a broken man.

It won’t be as easy to defeat the woke movement. There isn’t one person whose humiliation will break the spell. This movement is deep, decentralized and widespread. But it can be beaten if someone’s courage can awaken the center-left as Welch’s did for the 1950s center-right.

Can Joe Biden be that person? If elected, he might have to as the frenzy shows no signs of abating on its own. But if a man who says he’s running to save the soul of America cannot defend America’s heart and soul, millions will have the right to ask him Welch’s immortal question: Have you no decency, sir?

[Doctor Phibes]

What we need is genuine leadership to find a way out of this mess, without making it any worse.

What we're offered is anything but, by either side.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

What we need is genuine leadership to find a way out of this mess, without making it any worse.

What we're offered is anything but, by either side.

I really can't imagine a scenario in which Joe Biden would stand up to this. He's Mr. Appeasement. At least Trump isn't. And Trump being president does embolden 'Murricans not to put up with this "inclusivity minus yourself of course" B.S. That's at least something.

I have no respect at all for the orange Cheeto, but who else is available?

[Horace]

I feel it necessary to concede that the only leader America will fully accept is a black person. I feel strongly that the right should proceed to elect one.

[Doctor Phibes]

@Aqua-Letifer said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

@Doctor-Phibes said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

What we need is genuine leadership to find a way out of this mess, without making it any worse.

What we're offered is anything but, by either side.

I really can't imagine a scenario in which Joe Biden would stand up to this. He's Mr. Appeasement. At least Trump isn't. And Trump being president does embolden 'Murricans not to put up with this "inclusivity minus yourself of course" B.S. That's at least something.

I have no respect at all for the orange Cheeto, but who else is available?

You're given a choice between appeasement and dickhead, each representing the more "outspoken" members of society. Neither is likely to improve things.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

@Aqua-Letifer said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

@Doctor-Phibes said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

What we need is genuine leadership to find a way out of this mess, without making it any worse.

What we're offered is anything but, by either side.

I really can't imagine a scenario in which Joe Biden would stand up to this. He's Mr. Appeasement. At least Trump isn't. And Trump being president does embolden 'Murricans not to put up with this "inclusivity minus yourself of course" B.S. That's at least something.

I have no respect at all for the orange Cheeto, but who else is available?

You're given a choice between appeasement and dickhead, each representing the more "outspoken" members of society. Neither is likely to improve things.

Yeah but at this point I trust the Trumpists more than I do the woke crowd. The former wouldn't spend a ton of effort taking me down publicly for my whiteness. The latter absolutely would if I was deemed important enough to vilify.

[Horace]

I do not find the equalization of crazy and dangerous between Trumpists and the woke to be a well considered argument. I think people confuse Trump with his voters. But there is no confusion between a mob and members of it.

[Doctor Phibes]

I must admit if I lived in CA I might see things rather differently.

[George K]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

I must admit if I lived in CA I might see things rather differently.

Canada or California?

[Doctor Phibes]

@George-K said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

@Doctor-Phibes said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

I must admit if I lived in CA I might see things rather differently.

Canada or California?

Quite possibly both, however I was referring to the golden State.

[Rainman]

I have grown to not only ascertain what a person is really thinking, to knowing what groups think.
Thanks, Intersectionalism!!

Those that support Trump also have issues with him, though they don't easily admit it. The thought process is equal on both sides: All or Nothing.

So, the vote will be for the "lesser of two evils" so to speak.

And I believe Aqua hit the nail on the head. People on the Left, the Far Left, will not discuss. It's become a religion, you are either in the church, or not. No questioning, no debate, no compromise.

And this is driving sensible people's frustration to the Orange Cheeto Man, especially those that know even a little 20th century history.

[Horace]

@Rainman said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

I have grown to not only ascertain what a person is really thinking, to knowing what groups think.

Groups of fat people think about food. Also, individual fat people tend to think about food. My theory is that they want to get so fat as an individual, that they must be considered a group unto themselves.

[Larry]

@Horace said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

I feel it necessary to concede that the only leader America will fully accept is a black person. I feel strongly that the right should proceed to elect one.

Any black person the republicans nominated will be labeled an uncle Tom and smeared.

There are so many highly intelligent, politically astute black people out there today who should be being held up by the black community as examples, but instead they are mocked, called names, and ignored. People like race baiter Al Sharpton, low IQ racist rappers, football players etc. Are the hero's, and the democrats kiss their asses in thanks for doing their part in keeping the black community on the plantation.

[Mik]

@Rainman said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

I have grown to not only ascertain what a person is really thinking, to knowing what groups think.
Thanks, Intersectionalism!!

Those that support Trump also have issues with him, though they don't easily admit it. The thought process is equal on both sides: All or Nothing.

So, the vote will be for the "lesser of two evils" so to speak.

And I believe Aqua hit the nail on the head. People on the Left, the Far Left, will not discuss. It's become a religion, you are either in the church, or not. No questioning, no debate, no compromise.

And this is driving sensible people's frustration to the Orange Cheeto Man, especially those that know even a little 20th century history.

This.

[Rainman]

@Horace said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

@Rainman said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

I have grown to not only ascertain what a person is really thinking, to knowing what groups think.

Groups of fat people think about food. Also, individual fat people tend to think about food. My theory is that they want to get so fat as an individual, that they must be considered a group unto themselves.

Wrong. I don't think about food when I'm eating.
And I'm eating a huge, fat, Subway samich, thank you very much.

And Wrong2. It has lettuce, so it's like good for me and stuff.

[Horace]

@Larry said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

@Horace said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

I feel it necessary to concede that the only leader America will fully accept is a black person. I feel strongly that the right should proceed to elect one.

Any black person the republicans nominated will be labeled an uncle Tom and smeared.

There are so many highly intelligent, politically astute black people out there today who should be being held up by the black community as examples, but instead they are mocked, called names, and ignored. People like race baiter Al Sharpton, low IQ racist rappers, football players etc. Are the hero's, and the democrats kiss their asses in thanks for doing their part in keeping the black community on the plantation.

I think a person of the correct phenotype leading the GOP in presidential elections would do wonders to reduce the rhetorical ammo used in the messaging of the left. Of course they would try to dismiss the person's oppression bona fides, but it wouldn't be as effective as the messaging about, for instance, Trump being a racist.

[Jolly]

@Horace said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

@Larry said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

@Horace said in Bari Weiss resigns from the Times:

I feel it necessary to concede that the only leader America will fully accept is a black person. I feel strongly that the right should proceed to elect one.

Any black person the republicans nominated will be labeled an uncle Tom and smeared.

There are so many highly intelligent, politically astute black people out there today who should be being held up by the black community as examples, but instead they are mocked, called names, and ignored. People like race baiter Al Sharpton, low IQ racist rappers, football players etc. Are the hero's, and the democrats kiss their asses in thanks for doing their part in keeping the black community on the plantation.

I think a person of the correct phenotype leading the GOP in presidential elections would do wonders to reduce the rhetorical ammo used in the messaging of the left. Of course they would try to dismiss the person's oppression bona fides, but it wouldn't be as effective as the messaging about, for instance, Trump being a racist.

Don't know. Look at the stuff hurled at Scott in South Carolina...