Hour of Decision: Communist Tactics or Good Faith Efforts

Lew remembers the “Free Speech Movement” that went on at UC Berkeley in the 1960s and contrasts it with the savage attempts at disruption of the conservative Turning Point rally held there in the last few days. The purpose of the 60s protests over speech at Berkeley was to current campus ferment, not to promote freedom of expression. The primary issue at that time was the use of the “F” word. They were already given the freedom by the Fabian socialist administration to express any form of nonsense or treason against the United States.
We have so-called “conservatives” today like this too; they spout their love of free speech but when it comes to criticism of Israel or concentrations of ethnic power they describe it as antisemitism and want it banned from discussion. Tucker Carlson has created a firestorm with the platforming of Israel critic Nick Fuentes. The leader of the Heritage Foundation got caught in the crossfire defending free speech--- the wrong answer for some powerful players on the “right.”
Democrats exemplified a lack of good faith in the recent government shutdown, putting two of their constituencies at risk, government workers and SNAP beneficiaries, after lecturing the GOP over many years about the immorality of that tactic. Democrats are also reviving talk about voting machines rigging elections, shamelessly omitting their derision of MAGA types who voiced those concerns after 2020.
Bottom line: the free speech argumentation of the Left and fanatics supporting Israel is calculated toward their power goals at not toward any good faith effort for greater understanding or allowing the same freedoms for their enemies. Particularly when we look at issues like gerrymandering or ending the filibuster we need to keep that in mind.