What You Can't Say (2004)

The inverse of this seems to be taking hold now: that it’s socially acceptable to say things which are unreasonable, outlandish or downright factually incorrect, if they’re considered to be in service of a cause that ‘our side’ believes in. But yes, this has also been discussed a lot here before.

Here are some things I think future societies will condemn us for: 1. Prison. Almost every modern penal system focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation. I think that as our understanding of the brain improves, we'll be able to find the causes of violent behavior and cure them. Punishment will become cruel and unusual. 2. Eating meat (and other animal rights issues). Even if they're not conscious, most tasty animals can suffer just as much as we can. They have…

Closet conservatives (and other moral minorities) across the Valley are now virtually guaranteed to shut their closet doors even tighter. Post election, I recall my timelines erupt with emotion -- outrage, despair, betrayal -- then subdue to reflection. Some called for the need to truly reach out to those across the aisle and to listen and understand, earnestly lending an ear even to views that we strongly oppose. Recent events will be a step back in such relations, as dissent…

His historical examples of when you need to keep your opinion to yourself: in circumstances of chattel slavery, totalitarianism, world war. His problem in 2004 (the year the United States launched an attack on a foreign country): people disagree with him and that makes him uncomfortable. The idea that all humans don't self-censor by default in front of all sorts of people is pretty myopic.