Battle of the hypocrites

Many commentators, politicians, activists and administrators abandoned their most cherished principles after October 7.

When I first came across this exchange on Xwitter, I almost called 911 to report a murder:

After thinking about it for a few minutes, though, I decided it really wasn’t that devastating a dunk.

You’re only a hypocrite if you conveniently abandon your principles when they threaten your own cherished beliefs or self-interest. Legum, to the best of my knowledge, has never portrayed himself as a free-speech champion who stands up for the rights of those with whom he strongly disagrees.

And, as Leighton Woodhouse points out, several people who have made themselves out to be absolute free-speechers have been coming around to the idea that “hate speech” isn’t protected after all. At least when it’s speech they hate. (It’s basically the Michael Scott doctrine, where it’s a hate crime because “I hated it.”)

Triggered

…now that there’s a protest movement they disagree with, the right has adopted wholesale the authoritarian tactics they once claimed to deplore. After demonstrations broke out in multiple A…