The Growing Culture War with Konstantin Kisin

“Freedom has tradeoffs, freedom will mean you’re less safe and freedom means people will say things you don’t like; I’m okay with that, because I don’t want to live in totalitarian China and I don’t want to live in Soviet Russia, if you do that’s fine, go there and live there.”— Konstantin KisinKonstantin Kisin is a Russian-British satirist, podcaster, author and political commentator. In this interview, we discuss politics, freedom of expression, and the influence of American discourse on the UK. We also talk about the importance of rational and reasonable discussions, the challenges of self-censorship and the connection between economic issues and "wokeism".- - - - Cancel culture, the practice of publicly shaming or boycotting individuals or organizations deemed to have said or done something objectionable is a phenomenon that has gained prominence in recent years. The exact beginnings of cancel culture are hard to pinpoint, as public backlash and boycotts have occurred throughout history. However, the rise of social media platforms in the late 2000s and early 2010s significantly amplified cancel culture's influence. The problem is the impact cancel culture has in shaping societal discourse and accountability. Supporters view it as a way to hold people responsible for their actions, promote social justice, and challenge systemic issues. They argue that cancelling figures or entities who promote harmful ideas helps to create a more inclusive and equitable society. It can also serve as a form of empowerment for marginalized groups.And yet, cancel culture has faced strong and growing criticism in recent years for its significant negative impacts. The practice often lacks nuance or fairness, leading to disproportionate consequences for minor offences or misunderstandings without due process. Further, it fosters a culture of fear and self-censorship, as individuals may be afraid to express unpopular opinions or engage in critical discussions for fear of being cancelled. Perhaps the most minacious consequence is that cancel culture can lead to further polarization in society as people retreat into echo chambers and become more resistant to differing viewpoints. The effect is to critically hinder open dialogue and mutual understanding. Rather than engaging in constructive dialogue, people are being prevented the opportunity to engage in rational and reasonable debate. If we want to remain free we must be prepared to be offended.- - - - This episode’s sponsors:Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably Ledn - Financial services for Bitcoin hodlersBitcasino - The Future of Gaming is hereLedger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletWasabi Wallet - Privacy by defaultUnchained - Secure your bitcoin with confidence-----WBD701 - Show Notes-----If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.