The Threat of Final-Solution Cancellation
Posted on April 19, 2021 by Robert Ringer
Cancel culture is the designer topic of 21st century America, but the truth is that it’s been around since at least the heyday of ancient Greece. It’s the lazy person’s way to winning, because it requires neither knowledge nor persuasion.
To the lazy person, the allure of sidestepping debate by simply shaming one’s opponents into silence is irresistible. All that is required is a willingness to shout nasty epithets at the top of one’s voice, demand that people you dislike be excommunicated from civil society, and signal to the world your moral superiority.
Canceling can take many forms, but it always seeks to accomplish two things: banishment and pain to the enemy. Getting a person fired, getting his social media accounts shut down, or getting him excluded from social circles are viewed as justifiable methods for fighting against perceived evils.
While conservatives continue to slumber, the Radical Left claims new cancel-culture victims daily, including such high-profile folks as Roseanne, Curt Schilling, and, most recently, Piers Morgan. Of course, Donald Trump is their biggest catch to date, but with some 75 million supporters, his cancellation is somewhat meaningless to roughly half the population.
What today’s cancel-culture aficionados resent most is the fact that they have to constantly work to silence those who refuse to speak and act according to their beliefs. What they really want is a way to permanently cancel those who offend them, meaning a literal end to their existence.
I like to refer to this Hitlerian objective as “final-solution cancellation,” and it has been a favorite of totalitarians since the beginning of recorded history. Socrates was one of the earliest victims of final-solution cancellation, being forced to carry out his own execution by drinking poisonous hemlock for the sin of teaching an ethical system of living. Four hundred years later, Jesus of Nazareth was permanently cancelled by being subjected to a slow, tortuous death on the cross for his anti-establishment teachings.
In the 17th century, Galileo was permanently cancelled via a life-ending prison sentence for the heresy of insisting the earth revolved around the sun, and Bruno was burned at the stake for daring to disagree with Catholic doctrine. Later in the same century, the Salem Witch Trials permanently canceled 25 people accused of practicing witchcraft. And today, Uyghur Muslims are being cancelled in China for practicing a religion the state deems to be a threat to the CCP’s hold on power.
Over the centuries, the Radical Left has been especially effective at permanently ending dissent by silencing all opposition. Communists in the Soviet Union succeeded in canceling all perceived enemies of the state for 70 years, and they are still succeeding in doing so in countries like China and Cuba. The Radical Left has no tolerance for even the slightest moderation, which is why they prefer final-solution cancellation over persuasion.
For example, during the French Revolution the Girondins were moderate revolutionaries who maintained their antiquated belief in due process. Worse, they were outspoken in their concern over the actions of radical Jacobins, which caused the hard-core, unhinged members of the Jacobins to declare them enemies of the revolution. And once so declared, a trip to the guillotine was likely to follow.
The Radical Left promotes an endless array of phony crises — manmade climate change, systemic racism, minority voter suppression, hate speech, multi-genderism, COVID lockdowns … the list grows by the day. What all these crises have in common is they are brazen lies that ignore all facts and science.
The question facing civilized people of goodwill today is how to deal with the existential threat of cancel culture. The short answer is simplistic but unavoidable: A non-negotiable refusal to go along with the lies and demands of the woke mob. Depending upon one’s station in life, this can be not only a difficult task but a dangerous one.
The alternative, however, is to submit to a life where you pretend to believe things that are not true. It is not your duty to cower and beg the mob for forgiveness. On the contrary, it’s your moral duty to let it be known that you have no interest in either their opinions or their shaming tactics.
It was very sad to watch Saints’ legend Drew Brees initially stand up for his beliefs by saying he considered it to be disrespectful to kneel during the national anthem, only to back down after a vicious backlash from the Radical Left (including some of his own teammates). Not only did he subsequently apologize for his patriotism, he became yet another shakedown victim by quickly committing to donate $5 million “to support healthcare throughout underserved communities in Louisiana.”
Contrast Brees’ response to the mob with Muhammed Ali’s reaction to being stripped of his heavyweight title and sentenced to prison for his refusal to be inducted into the army. Under enormous pressure, including death threats, Ali repeatedly passed on the opportunity to apologize. The result? By staying true to his beliefs, he ultimately became an international hero, one of the most revered Americans ever. Where are the courageous athletes in the NFL, NBA, and MLB today? It’s very sad that those who know better are afraid to speak up.
If history has taught us anything, it’s that you can’t defeat evil by playing defense. It has never worked, and it will not work now. If civilized people genuinely want to escape the evil of totalitarianism, they must not only refuse to back down, they must be willing to go on offense. It’s important to have the courage to ignore the mob’s demands that you believe things that are not true, and even more important to clearly and unequivocally call out their lies — loudly and repeatedly.
Never doubt that what the Radical Left really has in mind is to implement final-solution cancellation to permanently eliminate all voices of dissent. There is no room for timidity in a world where totalitarianism is knocking at the door. Ronald Reagan was spot on when he warned that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
Some days I just want to cry at how far we've come down this horrific path. I know that in 100 years, it will all be different again. But I hope we don't have to hit bottom like Russia did and Cuba and Venezuela are. I'm not sure that China has hit bottom because I don't think they have enough respect for life. That's where we are…no respect for life. I saw the video of those two teen girls who carjacked the UberEats driver and his car and they killed him. They're response was "dang, I forgot my phone in the car" And there's no consequences for either of them. We need to start speaking up. There will be hell for us to pay, but it's a better hell then the path we're on.
It's a great column, but I have to disagree with this: "Four hundred years later, Jesus of Nazareth was permanently cancelled". Not at all. He rose from the dead, and now the whole world contains his followers, somewhere between 1 and 2 billion people. I get your point, just wanted to correct a factual error.
It should be noted that Jesus came to earth specifically for the PURPOSE of being killed on a cross, and that His ultimate purpose was eternal life as a free gift to anyone willing to receive it. None of the other martyrs offered anything beyond this life.
Jesus' life and death transformed western culture. Jesus' life and death have transformed every culture that has ever allowed any number of Christians to exist. This has turned cannibals into peaceful people. It has fostered the sciences. It has taught the world compassion. It transforms the life of everyone who receives the gift.
Back to your topic: masks don't work, and the vaccines are deadly. What we need to do now to oppose cancel culture is refuse to wear the mask or receive the vaccine. It will take many of us to stop the oppression and tyranny. So to those of you reading, take off your mask, refuse the vaccine, and start living a normal life again. And if you are a child of God, act like it. Follow God's design. Stop enriching the pharmaceutical companies and use God's herbs instead.
I take issue with your last paragraph. And I guess I will be "cancelled" for doing so. And if so, so be it. Masks do work, but they are not 100% effective. I wear a mask when in public for my own personal health and safety, and because it is mandated. Most businesses here in Kentucky will not allow your entry and service without your wearing a mask. You CANNOT enter a doctor's office without wearing a mask. I don't particularly like wearing a mask, but I do it. I don't like mandates, but life in society is full of mandates and we just have to deal with them and live with it.. And yes, I received the Pfizer vaccine, the full two doses. It was a gamble, however, and as with any vaccine there are always risks involved. But the vast majority of Pfizer vaccine recipients have had no adverse side effects from receiving it. I had to do it because I have two main health issues going on, heart disease and kidney disease, as well as my age. It's been shown that those with such health issues are hit the hardest. So if I were to contract Covid-19, that would probably be my tragic end. It's now been shown that many people who have recovered from Covid-19 are still experiencing its symptoms long after they have "recovered" from it and they believe these symptoms will be for life! No, I don't want this or need this! This is not for me. I'm completely content with the choices have made.
Hey Rick – unlike the "other" culture, no one here is going to cancel you for making a personal choice. Like patg, I have also refused to wear a mask at work where I sit behind 6 feet of plexiglass and am 20 feet away from my nearest coworker. I refuse to wear a mask on bike trails or walking paths. I do respect the wishes of business owners who insist on it. I have also not taken the vaccine, having been exposed at least twice to COVID carriers. I did develop symptoms, which like malaria did pop up after having recovered and are now nonexistent since I've been able to spend more time outdoors in sunshine, warmth and fresh air.
I'm old enough to remember when the left was screeching "my body, my choice" with regard to aborting another life or taking drugs. It's my turn to screech now.
You have a right to make choices contrary to mine. What frosts me isn't your choices, but the way you have been lied to. Unfortunately, the vaccines are likely to make you get a WORSE, even fatal case of COVID if you get one. I have put in hours of research, and my primary sources have been medical papers in peer reviewed journals, and the writings of doctors. I know how they work. They mess with your genes.
I got to thinking later I should have put more into my comment to begin with. The "vaccines" are genetic engineering. They're not vaccines at all. They change the genetic material in your body and cause the body to make spike protein for the rest of your life. Spike protein is a poison, and the more I learn, the more I think that it is the part of the virus that causes the damage. The vaccines are not only likely to cause people to get a worse case of COVID, but also to develop auto-immune diseases and/or cancer, develop prion disease and things like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. This is because the spike protein prevents the proteins the body needs from folding properly, and when they don't fold properly, they don't work. As for masks, no, they don't make a difference. And now some researchers from Stanford have outright said so. Masks DO cut the oxygen your body gets, and this harms your immune system. Among other things.
So here is what I recommend people do. Look for answers for the damage the vaccines will do. I have no information yet that the damage can ever be undone, but it may be mitigated. Take the same remedies that would prevent COVID to begin with: Vitamin D3/K2, quercetin/green tea/EGCG and zinc, selenium, Vitamin C, etc. There are also natural remedies for kidney and heart disease. This isn't a place where I can go into that kind of detail, but that information is out there. For the sake of your life, look for those answers. Your life depends on it.
I will pray for you.
This is really a great article, Robert. It's gotten to the point anymore in society to where you can't say anything in public about anybody or anything or do anything in public for fear of "offending" somebody. You can't even look at someone the "wrong" way without being called out for it and having to explain your actions and the reason. It's political correctness taken to its utmost ultimate ridiculous extreme. To refuse to go along with this is a transgression and will result in public embarrassment, the loss of your job, your reputation, a lawsuit against you, and ostracism from society to name just a few. Society is going to Hell at a breakneck speed! Actually, we are already there. This is Hell! It's high time to cancel all of this!
I do agree with everything you said here.
And I think powerful people need to stop lying about COVID. That's part of what is going on.
Robert, you were an adult during the late 1960s. I was just a baby and didn't know what was going on. It seems to me that adults living at that time must have thought the country they loved was coming to an end–cities and college campuses burning, racial strife, hippies, drugs, way-out fashions, acid rock, Vietnam and the draft, urban renewal, assassinations, etc. When I came of age, c. 1981-2001, nothing much happened. Months and years after the shock of 9/11 wore off, there seemed to be (surprisingly) some stability and calm. And everyone "backed the blue." Until now. I previously never felt threatened by a "woke" mob, or felt that the very concept of American freedom was being taken away. Then there are the mask mandates and the threat of required vaccinations.
I say to myself, "If America survived the '60s, we can survive this." But somehow this seems worse. What do you think?
I cancelled my 2021 Saints tickets mostly because of the Drew Brees comments by Michael Thomas and Malcolm Jenkins.That was total garbage,and secondly of all the fake crisises Biden spoke about at his "State of the Union" address, he didn't mention the real one at the southern border that he created.