Post 48 -- Cultural Libertarians

Cultural Libertarian is not a new ideal but it is a new term. A term which aims to classify those who support freedom of speech and expression for all--no exceptions.

Most of us who have supported freedom of speech and expression has been doing so for years, willing to engage in debates and discussions on any topic without fear of harm. Time has shifted this approach, as we now an increasing number of people who are unable to entertain ideas without ascribing to them or to see an idea as separate from the holder of that idea. This rigidity in thinking has lead to increased polarization between people. Take, for example, gamers and the media portrayal of them: many people believe, without any evidence, that gamers are sexist, racist, and/or homophobic. That is to say, if you play a video, then you are sexist, racist, and/or homophobic.

That is, of course, nonsense. There is no evidence to date that gamers are at a higher risk to commit violence or view others as lesser because of their hobby. The polarization that takes place is nothing more than a simplification to categorize groups of people into the black-and-white world of good and evil. I play video games and have my whole life, but I am also a humanitarian and egalitarian. A gamer and a humanist? So I hate women but I also strongly support equality for women? Clearly there is a problem with the simplistic approach to labeling people on a single idea.

Allum Bokhari of Breitbart UK has written an excellent article on cultural libertarianism. A great read worth everyone's time. Central to all of this is the need for everyone to be allowed to express themselves. Equally, I would add the need for people to hear the opinions of others to expose them to new ideas and world views so that they my find challenge themselves. Greg Lukianoff of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) writes to this point very well in his book Unlearning Liberty. Hugboxes and echo chambers protect people from new information and views, which harms more than helps. Without new information people lose perspective on issues outside of the scope of knowledge, forcing them to simplify complex issues.

This is a bit of a ranty post about the topic. One of those steps one sometimes must take to better understand their own position on a matter. There is no doubt that I identify with the core set of principles which Allum has laid out in his article. What's next is expanding on those ideas in a consistent and thoughtful manner.

All of this does rely on freedom of speech. Every creative aspect of our society relies on freedom of speech. Cultural libertarians are the front line against those who demand certain topics and words be censored from discussion. We may be few currently, but our numbers are far larger than most people think. As long as censorship isn't affecting someone, they will not protest; as soon as censorship comes down on them, they will quickly fall into the mindset of a cultural libertarian.

Anyways, enough of this stream of madness. This has been an unedited rant. @nrokchi