Comedian Slams the Left: Defending Free Speech Makes Me an 'Alt Right Nazi?'
I’m painfully aware that the far left, despite claiming they are the bastions of tolerance and acceptance, are anything but what they claim to be. They are quite the opposite, in fact.
Now, however, it seems even those among the left are beginning to realize that fact.
One such “liberal lefty” who’s beginning to realize that fact? English comedian and actor Ricky Gervais.
I’m an old fashioned liberal lefty, champagne socialist type of guy. A pro-equality, opportunity-for-all, welfare state snowflake. But, if I ever defend freedom of speech on here, I’m suddenly an alt right nazi. How did that happen? pic.twitter.com/9pYrTJlQHK
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) January 23, 2019
“I’m an old fashioned liberal lefty, champagne socialist type of guy,” Gervais wrote on Twitter. “A pro-equality, opportunity-for-all, welfare state snowflake.”
To be clear, I don’t agree with very many of Gervais’ ideological stances. But when a guy’s right, he’s right.
“But, if I ever defend freedom of speech on here, I’m suddenly an alt right nazi,” Gervais lamented. “How did that happen?”
Again, there’s a lot to criticize Gervais about as far as his leftist beliefs go. But he raises a good point. Whatever happened to the old liberal tenet of “I disagree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it?”
It’s dead and gone at this point.
Leftists all claim they support free speech… until something’s said that they don’t agree with. Is selective free speech really “free?” No, it’s not.
Now, this isn’t to say that some subjects should be gleefully discussed with no repercussions. Decorum and respect are still very important in general human interaction.
But Gervais is dead right that in 2019, the most innocent of comments or jokes will be raked over the coals by leftists under some guise of faux-enlightenment.
Legendary 90’s sitcom “Seinfeld” was just recently torched by leftists for having “super offensive” jokes. Are you kidding me?
There is a very real world with very real problems in it. A tasteless joke or crass comment should be at the bottom of the list of things to get outraged over.
It’s astounding to me that the far left has somehow twisted the idea of freedom of speech all the way to censorship. Astounding, but perhaps not all that unexpected considering the manner in which leftists can ruin the best of ideas.
So to give credit where it’s due, good for Gervais for speaking out against the far left’s closed-mindedness. The left would be a tad bit more tolerable if there were more people like Gervais and Dennis Quaid speaking out for actual freedom of speech.
But just a tad. Nothing more.
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