Public intellectuals against cancel culture

The likes of Chomsky, Atwood, Rushdie and over 150 public intellectuals signed on to this letter. The opening paragraph highlights the difference between legitimate social justice and cancel culture, applauding the former and condemning the latter. It goes on to call for legitimate open debate that accepts opposing views. 

It admits that Twitler and his Twits do anything but that. So how do we have legitimate open debate with hatred, lies and fascism? Do we accept verifiable, hateful racism as a legitimate opposing view in universities and print? Do we allow verifiable lies as legitimate opposing views to be spread on social media like Facebook does without a peep? Are we to accept that as the price of free speech and open debate?

"Our cultural institutions are facing a moment of trial. Powerful protests for racial and social justice are leading to overdue demands for police reform, along with wider calls for greater equality and inclusion across our society, not least in higher education, journalism, philanthropy, and the arts. But this needed reckoning has also intensified a new set of moral attitudes and political commitments that tend to weaken our norms of open debate and toleration of differences in favor of ideological conformity. As we applaud the first development, we also raise our voices against the second. The forces of illiberalism are gaining strength throughout the world and have a powerful ally in Donald Trump, who represents a real threat to democracy. But resistance must not be allowed to harden into its own brand of dogma or coercion—which right-wing demagogues are already exploiting. The democratic inclusion we want can be achieved only if we speak out against the intolerant climate that has set in on all sides."