‘Cancel culture’ is the latest buzzword in the war over free speech. To those who use this term it means people being fired for what they say and think, usually for something deemed politically incorrect. According to them, mobs of Twitter lefties now chill free speech for public figures of the right - and for their most beloved constituency, ‘ordinary people,’ by which they generally mean their supporters and themselves.
It’s tempting to dismiss cancel culture as a ploy by right-wingers to play the victim. They have laughed for years at what they call the ‘Oppression Olympics’ - the supposed competition between oppressed groups to see who has it worst. By posing as the victims of left-wing censorship, they think they can finally win the gold medal.
But we should resist that temptation because cancel culture does exist. It has lasted a long, long time. Many people have indeed been forced from their jobs and kept out of work for speaking their mind. It just so happens that the real cancel culture targets other ordinary people: those who hold left-wing views, speak up on the job about their employers, or simply join and organise trade unions.
