Futurelawyer

You Might Be A Nazi If...

How To Tell Who The Nazis Are. At what point do false labels lose their effectiveness? Calling someone a name a thousand times only reinforces the speaker's ignorance. And, after a while, it is obvious that name calling doesn't advance the dialogue or lead to collegial agreement. What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet. Name calling says a lot more about the person doing it than it does about the recipient. 

The World Has Turned Upside Down.

Muppet Show Disclaimer. The world has gone insane. When I discovered the Babylon Bee satirical post about a warning being placed on old Muppets episode by Disney, it never occurred to me that it was true. I thought the Bee was being the conservative gadfly taking potshots at the cancel culture. But, then I see this Althouse post, thanks to Michael Wade at Execupundit, and I see that there really is a warning from Disney Plus about the posting of old Muppets episodes. Apparently, comedy and humor and satire are no longer allowed in our society without a warning label, like cigarettes. This is bad for you, don't do it; but, we know you will do it anyway. WTF? Has everyone gone insane? I hereby proclaim that I will actively seek out edgy humor for the rest of my days. You may poke fun at my ethnicity, my weight, or any other thing that amuses you. I feel like Alice in Wonderland, looking through the looking glass. Jonathan Swift is rolling over in his grave. If you are a snowflake or a woke person who feels the need to disapprove of anything that might be "offensive" to you or anyone else, I suggest you stay socially distanced from me. And, don't forget to wear your mask. Jeez.

Friday Wisdom From Ricky Gervais.

"I can live without being a success. I can't live without trying."

Ricky Gervais on Success.

Never Give Up. Never Surrender. And Never Apologize.

Don't let the thought police shut you up. The only way to protect free speech rights is to speak freely, regardless of the consequences. Until we all start being more tolerant, things will continue to worsen. 

First, Lawyer, Don't Harm Yourself.

The Internet is Forever. Behave Accordingly. Nikki Black has some sound advice for lawyers who want to join the Internet and Social Media party. Be careful. I remember, in the early days, a favorite meme was: "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog", referring to the ability to be anonymous. But, these days, IP tracking, video cameras, surveillance advances, stupid people posting photos and other foolish actions, everybody knows everything. And, once it is on the Internet, it will NEVER go away. I realize that some have been cancelled for things they said or did many years before the Internet existed. The modern penchant to cancel or castigate someone for every word or phrase uttered since birth is not a good thing. However, let's not compound the problem by putting stuff out there that will come back to haunt you. My mom always told me to act as if everyone was watching, and never to say anything out loud that I wouldn't mind seeing on the front page of the newspaper. While I have occasionally not taken that advice, I have tried to be careful. Are you being careful out there? 

The Problem Is That We No Longer Sympathize With Characters Who Behave In Unpredictable Ways.

How To Save Books From The Book People. If I were to try to pinpoint the biggest problem in our society these days, and the negative impact social media has had on reasonable discourse, I would point to the problem highlighted in this article. She opines: "But I’ve always suspected the real problem readers have with The Scarlet Letter is that it asks you to sympathize with characters who behave in unreasonable ways." This is an immature way to view life and its problems; because, people are complicated and set in their ways, and don't always react as we think appropriate. When a novelist creates characters that are true to this insight, social media caters to the unthinking people who lash out. "I would never allow anyone to make me wear a scarlet letter on my clothing!" "These characters are stupid!" And, on and on. It is too easy and too facile to criticize in our Internet world, and much too easy to cancel people or ideas we don't like. If we shout the loudest, we can prevail. Tolerance for the speech and views of others is, in my humble opinion, an existential requirement for our country and our world. If we don't get our act together, some maniac on either the right or the left will burn it all down. As I have said before, I won't be here to see it, and am glad of that. But, our children and their children will. What are you going to do about it?

Books That Are Required Reading For Those Who Think Communism Wouldn't Be A Bad Thing.

Books For Someone Who Thinks Communism Isn't A Bad Thing. As I enter my twilight life, I am not surprised that the Stoic idea that everything happens over and over again is coming true in the USA. Growing numbers of young people, and alleged intellectuals, are touting Socialism and similar philosophies as a desired structure for this country. I hope the Stoics are wrong, and that we do not repeat this part of history. Execupundit has some required reading for anyone who thinks it is a good idea to put all our resources into the hands of a bureaucracy, and to give the government control over the means and results of production. This is also good reading for anyone who thinks that censors should have the power to silence opposing viewpoints to the recognized government ideas. I would like to add to Execupundit's list of books, and suggest that modern socialists read about the Revolutionary War, concentrating on the years prior to it, say 1760 to 1770. I will be long dead before any modern Socialist State exists in the US. Some of you won't be. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

They Have Come For The Conservative Right. Who Is Next?

I often say that I am apolitical, which is true. I have eclectic views on many topics, and seldom express them publicly. However, I have one hard and fast and inflexible opinion. Free Speech, however grotesque we might think it to be, is required to maintain a free society. So, I abhor the Cancel Culture. I abhor judgmental hypocrites who try to muzzle anyone with a different opinion. I abhor those who try to game the system by continually moving the line of what constitutes proper human discourse. When Lenny Bruce was spewing disgusting words on stage, many were horrified. But, thank goodness society realized that he had the right to speak. No thinking person can look at current discourse and not understand the danger of muzzling speech, of canceling jobs and careers, and blocking access to public discourse on Twitter and Facebook and other Social Media. Walk carefully, censors. Martin Niemoller has seen your ilk before.

 

Sorry If I Offended You. Not.

Free speech is under attack. But, it isn't always overt. The cancel culture, boycotts, and public shaming are just symptoms of a disease. That disease is political correctness and intolerance of views other than our own. In fact, the strength of the United States came from a group of people who were fleeing intolerance of different ideas and religions, and seeking a new world in which all lived together. Of course, some became clannish and separated themselves geographically by setting up conclaves in different locations. Inside their insular worlds, opposing views were not tolerated. But, as technology, and society, and movement, and communication increased over the decades, it became impossible to remove oneself from different ideas and opinions. It will never be the responsibility of a someone exercising their right of free speech to see to it that other persons are not offended. If an idea or a word or a statement of ideology offends you, that is your choice. This is not a political issue, this is a human issue. We must grant each other the right to say what they want, with the only limit being violence or incitement to violence. If we don't, our free society won't be free anymore. Sorry if this offends you. Not.

Shakespeare's Character Didn't Really Hate Lawyers.

Should The Legal Profession Be Deregulated? As I have been reading more cases in the news about Twitter and other social media companies making judgments about the speech of others, and banning them from their platforms, it occurred to me to wonder what the consequences will be. When will these draconian attacks on free speech turn around and bite the censors? I don't care whether you love or hate Donald Trump. Do you really believe that hateful rhetoric will stop if you ban him and his like from social media? When Dick the Butcher utters the famous line: "The first thing we do, we kill all the lawyers", he didn't mean that he hated lawyers. The discussion was how to create a society in which the mob rules. Admittedly, some anarchists would like that to happen. But, the vast majority of us want an orderly, peaceful society, in which we can live each day making our own choices, and not seeking harm to others. So, if you kill all the lawyers, who are the guardians of freedom, and silence all speech from anyone who disagrees with you, or says something you find offensive, you will not find peace. You will find chaos. Don't be the character who yells "let loose the dogs of war".