If you're reading this, you've made it to the end of a long piece. I hope it gave you some new ways to think about these issues. Thanks for taking the time – and thanks especially to the readers who support my work. If a line or two stuck with you, do restack it and please also share the article with anyone you think would get something from it. I spend ages on these, and a writer wants readers more than anything. And let me know what you think in the comments below. I'll reply in the coming days. Thanks!
"Once a society agrees that injury confers moral authority, it has created a currency. And currency invites counterfeiters." These words say it all.
Back in the 90s, my work was in feminist circles helping women victims of domestic and sexual abuse. Because most of the jobs were with non-profits that were supported by government grants and charitable contributions, jobs were scarce. It became clear as I interviewed for various positions that my status as a childhood sexual abuse survivor was the best currency I had. Not my skills, not my training. My victimhood status somehow elevated my relevance. Cue the competition: I see your sexual abuse and I raise you my ritual abuse. I see your blackness and I raise you my gayness. It was like a points system.
Your article is so well-written. I appreciate its clarity.
This is wonderful, thank you. I hadn't heard of Judith Shklar before (and will be reading up further), but it sounds like she was arguing for something I've been passionately advocating for lately, which is for society to collectively rise up to resist and punish violations of what I call our 'universal moral TABOOS'. This can be broadly thought of as anything that violates our values of liberty and equality, but I generally refer to this as expressions of overt, eliminationist bigotry and the endorsement of violence.
Up until not long ago, such hate was seen as an inviolable TABOO that would result in widespread ostracism out of polite society and mainstream politics. And while I believe that the vast majority of society still finds those beliefs and expressions socially unacceptable, we've unfortunately allowed too many people to get away with expressing that hate, which has built the permission structures for it to normalize.
I don't think society can function if we allow this hate to normalize further, and so I'm encouraging a principled (non-tribal/partisan) ostracism that doesn't violate the 1A or succumb to the excesses of "cancel culture", just like we did to marginalize and defeat the KKK.
I'll read up on Shklar, but certainly welcome your thoughts or questions about this approach I'm taking to #MakeTaboosTabooAgain.
That’s just awful what happened all those years ago 81 years ago when the Germans do this to other people Hitler had issues very very evil issues I think just so many people lost their lives and it is creepy as well
Wikipedia: Shklar believed that "the original and only defensible meaning of liberalism" is that "every adult should be able to make as many effective decisions without fear or favor about as many aspects of his or her life as is compatible with the like freedom of every adult."
If you're reading this, you've made it to the end of a long piece. I hope it gave you some new ways to think about these issues. Thanks for taking the time – and thanks especially to the readers who support my work. If a line or two stuck with you, do restack it and please also share the article with anyone you think would get something from it. I spend ages on these, and a writer wants readers more than anything. And let me know what you think in the comments below. I'll reply in the coming days. Thanks!
"Once a society agrees that injury confers moral authority, it has created a currency. And currency invites counterfeiters." These words say it all.
Back in the 90s, my work was in feminist circles helping women victims of domestic and sexual abuse. Because most of the jobs were with non-profits that were supported by government grants and charitable contributions, jobs were scarce. It became clear as I interviewed for various positions that my status as a childhood sexual abuse survivor was the best currency I had. Not my skills, not my training. My victimhood status somehow elevated my relevance. Cue the competition: I see your sexual abuse and I raise you my ritual abuse. I see your blackness and I raise you my gayness. It was like a points system.
Your article is so well-written. I appreciate its clarity.
I shared this with 5 friends today. Thanks for all the thought and care you put into your work.
This is wonderful, thank you. I hadn't heard of Judith Shklar before (and will be reading up further), but it sounds like she was arguing for something I've been passionately advocating for lately, which is for society to collectively rise up to resist and punish violations of what I call our 'universal moral TABOOS'. This can be broadly thought of as anything that violates our values of liberty and equality, but I generally refer to this as expressions of overt, eliminationist bigotry and the endorsement of violence.
Up until not long ago, such hate was seen as an inviolable TABOO that would result in widespread ostracism out of polite society and mainstream politics. And while I believe that the vast majority of society still finds those beliefs and expressions socially unacceptable, we've unfortunately allowed too many people to get away with expressing that hate, which has built the permission structures for it to normalize.
I don't think society can function if we allow this hate to normalize further, and so I'm encouraging a principled (non-tribal/partisan) ostracism that doesn't violate the 1A or succumb to the excesses of "cancel culture", just like we did to marginalize and defeat the KKK.
I'll read up on Shklar, but certainly welcome your thoughts or questions about this approach I'm taking to #MakeTaboosTabooAgain.
That’s just awful what happened all those years ago 81 years ago when the Germans do this to other people Hitler had issues very very evil issues I think just so many people lost their lives and it is creepy as well
Another great commentary. Thanks!
Wikipedia: Shklar believed that "the original and only defensible meaning of liberalism" is that "every adult should be able to make as many effective decisions without fear or favor about as many aspects of his or her life as is compatible with the like freedom of every adult."