Another crucial point on this: we are at a point where we have a hard choice. Either liberal-minded people step up to this fight intelligently and willingly, or it will be left to neoreactionaries and other reactionary extremists who, I assure you, we don't want leading it. https://twitter.com/ConceptualJames/status/1359583836938645516

It is not a matter of if but when the pendulum starts swinging back, and people who have demonstrated and who demonstrate weakness in this fight will not, at that time, be respected. It can be classical liberals, or it can be avowed illiberals. That's our choice to make now.

At present, there is the deafening roar of the Woke voice, and there is almost no other voice with influence on the stage. That vacuum will be filled because, as is an iron law, Nature abhors a vacuum. The question is by who? Who are the leaders who will fill that void?

If people who are liberal-minded are unwilling to recognize that we have fallen outside of the realm of a liberal order and are therefore unwilling to find firm but fair ways to take leadership, then reactionaries will eventually claim that place, to our lasting regret.

At present, and for some time now, people are desperately waiting for leaders in the liberal order to step up and push back, firmly but with the light of reason, freedom, and fairness as targets. Eventually they'll desperately wait for ANYONE to do that, and reactionaries will.

We have a window of time, which is rapidly closing, in which steel-spined classical liberals can stand up and remember that we have republics only so long as we're willing to keep them. Reactionary responses are not held in favor, but if we wait too long, that will change.

My simple, simple advice on this point is this: cancel those who would cancel others until the symmetry is restored. Don't just talk back, push back and level the field. Do the journalism journalists won't and expose them for their failures.

Our maxim on cancellation should not be "people should not be cancelled for tweets." It should be, "no one should be cancelled for tweets, but if you want to play that game, let it be played equally. It stops when you do." Restore the detente they have destroyed.

Our strategy should follow the game theoretic classic: tit for tat (with limited forgiveness). If they deliver tit, tat them back hard until the playing field is level and they know it will cost them to defect, every single time, with the promise it stops when they stop.

If liberals lead this, the goal will be to generate a ceasefire and to re-establish the liberal order. If liberals refuse, reactionaries will fight to win and to punish, and the liberal order will be destroyed in the process. I cast my vote against this outcome. Hope you do too.