Nick Cohen article on intolerance in the left

[niceberg]

Observer rather than Guardian editorship allowing a nice take down of the critics of the Harper letter.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/11/the-spectre-of-censorship-and-intolerance-stalks-todays-left?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Good article. Hope some of the Guardian's journalists read it and take note.

He makes hugely important points, but it's not very well written - somehow the language is quite difficult to read and understand.

Though I like his use of ad feminam. Another case of gendered male-as-default language that we use quite unthinkingly. Why should we describe "Be Kind!" demands on women as ad hominems?

@JellySlice

He makes hugely important points, but it's not very well written - somehow the language is quite difficult to read and understand.

Though I like his use of ad feminam. Another case of gendered male-as-default language that we use quite unthinkingly. Why should we describe "Be Kind!" demands on women as ad hominems?

'Homo' actually denotes the species in Latin: 'human'. The gendered male-as-default lies in the association in English of 'man' with 'human' rather than the Latin phrase.

The opposite of 'femina' (woman) is 'vir' (man)...the opposite of ad feminam would be ad virum.

A little bit of ignorance goes a long way!

@JellySlice

A little bit of ignorance goes a long way!

Any ignorance was Nick Cohen's

He makes hugely important points, but it's not very well written - somehow the language is quite difficult to read and understand.

Glad I'm not the only one who thought this. I wondered if I just wasn't intellectually up to his arguments! Still, great to see this in the Observer.