Is Cancel Culture Threatening Free Speech?

<p><em>“If we don’t try to solve the fundamental problem behind the speech that we dislike and work only to mitigate the symptom — by censoring it — we drive the problem somewhere else.”</em></p> <p>This week, <a href="https://sites.uw.edu/uwpoliticaleconomy/james-long/">Professor James D. Long</a> hosts an eclectic group of thinkers to discuss the <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/is-our-cancel-culture-killing-free-speech/">recent op-ed</a> by <a href="https://sites.uw.edu/uwpoliticaleconomy/victor-menaldo/">Professor Victor Menaldo</a> on free speech and liberal democratic politics, published in the Seattle Times.</p> <p>They are joined by <a href="https://sites.uw.edu/uwpoliticaleconomy/susan-whiting/">Susan Whiting</a>, Professor of Political Science at the UW, <a href="https://www.polisci.washington.edu/people/jamie-mayerfeld">Jamie Mayerfeld</a>, Professor of Political Science and Adjunct Professor in Law, Societies and Justice, <a href="https://sites.uw.edu/uwpoliticaleconomy/kai-ping-brian-leung/">Brian Leung</a>, PhD student at the UW and Hong Kong pro-democracy activist, as well as <a href="https://sites.uw.edu/uwpoliticaleconomy/mark-smith/">Mark Smith</a>, Professor of Political Science and Adjunct Professor of Comparative Religion and Communication.</p> <p>At the end of the conversation, Jamie Mayerfeld recommends an article by Magnus Vindig on <a href="https://magnusvinding.com/2020/07/28/compassionate-free-speech/">Compassionate Free Speech</a>.</p> <p>Produced by <a href="https://sites.uw.edu/uwpoliticaleconomy/nicolas-wittstock/">Nicolas Wittstock</a></p> <p>Any questions or feedback, please contact <a href="mailto:uwpoliticaleconomy@gmail.com">uwpoliticaleconomy@gmail.com</a></p>