somerset maugham proposes via an american character in late victorian germany a two-prong test for whether a society is free: can people live as they please? can people think as they please?
-
Show this thread
-
Through his character, he claims contemporary France passes only the first test, and contemporary Germany only the second. England, to him, fails on both points.
1 reply 2 retweets 6 likesShow this thread -
Hot take: America seems to be progressing on the first test and regressing on the second. Observation over thirty years: people are much more free to live as they please. Regulation of private life has plummeted, especially with respect to gender and sex.
3 replies 0 retweets 15 likesShow this thread -
Simultaneously, tolerance for holding The Wrong Ideas seems to have fallen. I recall that in the 90s you could hold unconventional views on a subject in many quarters, and the worst outcome would be eyerolling and boredom. This mos seems rather less prevalent now.
2 replies 0 retweets 13 likesShow this thread -
This Tweet is unavailable.
if you cant say it you end up avoiding thinking about it to avoid the pain of suppressing your beliefs all the time :(
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.