The Growing Culture War with Konstantin Kisin

 
 

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“Freedom has tradeoffs, freedom will mean you’re less safe and freedom will mean that some people will say things you don’t like; I’m okay with that, because I don’t want to live in totalitarian China and I don’t want to live in Soviet Russia, if you do fine that’s fine, go there and live there.”
— Konstantin Kisin

SHOW DESCRIPTION

Konstantin Kisin is a Russian-British satirist, podcaster, author and political commentator. In this interview, we discuss politics, freedom of expression, and the influence of American discourse on the UK. We also talk about the importance of rational and reasonable discussions, the challenges of self-censorship and the connection between economic issues and "wokeism".

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Cancel culture, the practice of publicly shaming or boycotting individuals or organizations deemed to have said or done something objectionable is a phenomenon that has gained prominence in recent years. The exact beginnings of cancel culture are hard to pinpoint, as public backlash and boycotts have occurred throughout history. However, the rise of social media platforms in the late 2000s and early 2010s significantly amplified cancel culture's influence.

The problem is the impact cancel culture has in shaping societal discourse and accountability. Supporters view it as a way to hold people responsible for their actions, promote social justice, and challenge systemic issues. They argue that cancelling figures or entities who promote harmful ideas helps to create a more inclusive and equitable society. It can also serve as a form of empowerment for marginalized groups.

And yet, cancel culture has faced strong and growing criticism in recent years for its significant negative impacts. The practice often lacks nuance or fairness, leading to disproportionate consequences for minor offences or misunderstandings without due process. Further, it fosters a culture of fear and self-censorship, as individuals may be afraid to express unpopular opinions or engage in critical discussions for fear of being cancelled.

Perhaps the most minacious consequence is that cancel culture can lead to further polarization in society as people retreat into echo chambers and become more resistant to differing viewpoints. The effect is to critically hinder open dialogue and mutual understanding. Rather than engaging in constructive dialogue, people are being prevented the opportunity to engage in rational and reasonable debate. If we want to remain free we must be prepared to be offended.

TIMESTAMPS

00:02:10: Introductions
00:03:50: Changing political climate
00:09:07: Free speech and rational discourse
00:19:42: Social media forcing self-censorship
00:24:51: Wokeism hiding economic issues
00:31:55: Social media has driven perverse incentives
00:38:11: Breakdown of the family unit
00:46:30: When to consider life's meaning and purpose
00:52:17: Misaligned education, and government decay
00:56:01: Broken politics vs freedom
01:09:09: Final comments

 

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SHOW NOTES

PodcastPeter McCormack