The Lovers’ Quarrel Between Free Speech and Cancel Culture

Remember the Good Times and the Bad

Shutterstock

A recent letter from Harper’s was penned to encourage open debate and free expression in the midst of what Harper’s editors describe as an increasingly intolerant “cancel” culture. The letter, ostensibly non-controversial, instigated fierce debates and interminable Twitter threads that read like the last caustic fight of an angry couple before parting ways. Much like the angry couple who cannot stop talking past one another, one half seems hopelessly obtuse while the other, inescapably bitter.

The claim, by some, excoriating the Harper’s letter is that the kerfuffle is not really about speech, but instead about who gets to establish the boundaries of “acceptable” speech. The argument is that in days past, the elites traditionally dictated the boundaries of acceptable expression. Now, however, with the advent of social media, the tides have turned, and “cancel culture” is the mere “democratization” of who gets to set the boundaries, with marginalized voices now wresting a modicum of power away from the powerful. The marginalized can now apply limitations to those who would opine on their marginalization.

Particularly bothersome about this free speech quarrel — more so than the over-the-top outrage — is the noticeable dearth of voices…