Why I Developed Ethical Individualism Theory
For FAIR’s Substack, Rabbi Russell McAlmond writes about why he developed Ethical Individualism Theory or “EIT” to bring individuals together in mutual respect and trust.
Another ethical guideline with human relations is to recognize that we are each unique, not only members of a group. The word “unique” is often misused; it doesn’t mean special or uncommon, it literally means one of a kind. This is an axiom of human life that all human beings are unique, that no two humans are an exact copy of each other. Like fingerprints, no two people are the same, no matter how similar they may appear. Therefore, not recognizing the uniqueness of every human being is the first step in dehumanizing them. Seeing them only as a member of a group will deny their individuality, and too often leads to denigration and/or demonization.
Why it pays for big brands to get cosy with the world of woke
For The Times, FAIR Advisor Douglas Murray writes about why all sorts of companies are rushing to align themselves with fashionable political causes, and why we should be skeptical of the ones that do.
There was a time when people assumed that corporations were going woke because they wanted to get with the times. As Ramaswamy and others have now shown, nothing could be further from the truth. Corporations go woke because they know it is the best way to get away with worse and more expensive habits. So I would suggest that this should become a new rule in our society. As obvious as the fact that the most outspoken male feminists reliably turn out to be sex pests.
There was a time when people thought Woke Inc was well-meaning at best, naive at worst. But as the saga of Gemma reminds us, when a company advertises its woke credentials, we should assume it is trying to hide something. And then go looking for it.
Art That Threatens The Way of the World
For her Substack, The Faction, FAIR Advisor Kimi Katiti writes about what the box office anomaly, Sound of Freedom, has in common with paintings that hang in The Louvre.
Although it wasn't the intention of the film's creators to release the movie nearly a decade after its conception, it was graced with a context that allows it to stand out, and when compared to the staleness fed to movie enthusiasts, causes the audience to wonder why this present injustice isn't at the center of modern storytelling's moral core, and why we're instead hammered over the head with the soft soap of identitarianism.
Split reactions are a mark of world-changing art. The Raft forced the French to realize that they were not as holy as they wished themselves to be, and Sound of Freedom challenges a similar consciousness. One that ruminates on injustice long remedied, or slights that are merely verbal or vaguely defined. Trafficking children is a hard-ill. Sexual exploitation of minors is a hard-ill. And for all our efforts to diversify, our diverted attention towards questionable matters of injustice might have just allowed the most heinous of criminal trades to thrive undetected, right under our noses. This split reception indicates conviction that I believe will eventually swell into real change.
Who’s Afraid of Moms for Liberty?
For The Free Press, FAIR Advisor Robert Pondiscio writes about why Mom’s For Liberty is being called a “hate group.”
Education is a state issue, not a federal one; schools are ground zero in the country’s culture war, and Moms for Liberty is positioned to be at the center of it through next November. A majority of Americans simply don’t buy the idea that a person can be a gender other than the one “assigned at birth,” and they don’t want their children taught otherwise in public schools. Every presidential contender who came to the summit talked about it in one form or another. And the crowd leapt to its feet every time.
But the passion and energy that has rocketed Moms for Liberty to kingmaker status is also its Achilles heel: some overly zealous members have gone too far.
Why Artists are Pro-Censorship
For his Substack, The WinStack, FAIR in the Arts Fellow Winston Marshall writes about his speech from FreedomFest 2023.
Publishing seems to be completely captured. Not only are classic works by Roald Dahl being edited and Virginia Wolf being given trigger warnings, but it is significantly harder to get work published that doesn’t follow the progressive narrative. Authors can always self-publish but its a hell of a lot harder to find an audience that way.
As an aside, I interviewed former muslim Yasmine Mohammad who told me no publishing house would take her book ‘Unveiled’, all of them referencing Salman Rushdie. It seems on top of everything else the creative sectors have also internalised Islamic blasphemy laws. The arts have their gatekeepers who, in conjunction with hysterical censorious artists, are stifling the industry. As a consequence the arts are producing insipid, bland, idealogical work.
But I’m not without hope. Some artists are proving to be great exceptions. Shane Gillis has gone on to be one of the most popular comics in the country. The mighty Joe Rogan is still the most listened to podcast in the world. MIA, who I mentioned earlier, still makes punchy avant-garde records.
Ep. 3 - Fired for Uplifting Viewpoint Diversity
Free Black Thought co-founder Tabia Lee takes host Connie Morgan through the timeline of her academic career. Dr. Lee landed her dream job of DEI director at De Anza College only to be quickly ousted for promoting not just diversity of skin color but diversity of thought.
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Thank you for Winston Marshall’s excellent speech. It’s been inspiring to witness his self-reinvention after losing his world-famous music gig for the crime of reading a book. He’s a thoughtful and respectful interviewer who brings on amazing guests. I always look forward to his podcast.
Marshall reminds us that free speech was once a foundational principle for performers, and he wonders what happened. He’s not alone. I was reminded of “Killer Mike” Michael Render of Outkast, whose defense of free speech in public forums is powerful. Here he is discussing the same on the podcast of FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POc9MDok9i8
Marshall wonders what it will take to overturn the censorious, virtue-signaling conformity of self-righteous performers trying to keep their bread buttered. Why not start an organization of the Cancelled, the non-woke and their allies in show business? Individually it’s a lonely road, but en masse a lot can be accomplished. I’m aware that it could be risky, but, like Marshall, many have already paid the price and are rebuilding their careers. Where there’s life, there’s art.