Cancel Culture s Condescension Problem | National Review
Cancel culture isn t just the mentality of bullies and tattle-tales. It s a mentality adopted by culture-war obsessives who believe it s their responsibility to protect foolish people from themselves. It s an outgrowth of the belief that articulating certain views or phrases can cause literal harm speech redefined as violence and that therefore those views must be silenced for the sake of those who might suffer such harm. This way of thinking can end only in state-policed speech and systematic punishment of wrongthink.
While this attitude tramples on the natural right of every human person to speak freely and defend his views, it also disrespects the freedom and competence of those it seeks to protect.