1. The problem with this formulation is that it sees illiberalism & extremism as rooted only in far left & far right. But historically the most dangerous illiberalism is from centrists.https://twitter.com/jonathanchait/status/971802635912269829 …
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2. The most dangerous attacks on free speech in modern American history (1919 Red Scare & McCarthyism) both had support from mainstream, centrist figures.
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3. Woodrow Wilson (mainstream progressive liberal) jailed people for their beliefs. The roots of McCarthyism were in Truman's loyalty oaths program & coddling of J. Edgar Hoover.
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4. The FBI's war against Martin Luther King was aided & often led by centrist Democrats (the Kennedy administration, George Kennan, William Sullivan).
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Replying to @HeerJeet
Your argument is circular, no? In our democracy no policy, good or bad, gets adopted without some centrists endorsing or at least tolerating it. It doesn't follow that centrism is a menace. You might as well say government is a menace.
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Replying to @TimothyNoah1
Well, the argument is that the most dangerous censorship comes state power (and those with access to state power).
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Sure, but my initial point was (contra Chait) that centrists not immune to illiberalism & extremist policy. I think that's true & not acknowledged enough.
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