The Left’s latest gambit for suppressing speech is built on preposterous grounds. Under the concept of “stochastic terrorism,” logic, evidence, and causality are irrelevant. Any incident of violence can be politicized and attributed to any ideological opponent, regardless of facts.
How it works: left-wing media, activists, and officials designate a subject of discourse, such as Drag Queen Story Hour, off-limits; they treat any reporting on it as an expression of “hate speech”; and finally, if an incident of violence emerges that is related, even tangentially, to it, they assign guilt to their political opponents & call for the suppression of speech.
The statistical concept of “stochasticity,” which means “randomly determined,” acts as a catch-all: the activists don’t have to prove causality—they simply assert it with a sophisticated turn of phrase and a vague appeal to probability. Though framed in scientific terms, this gambit is a crude political weapon. In practice, left-wing media, activists, and officials apply the “stochastic terrorism” designation only in one direction: rightward.
They never attribute pro-life pregnancy center fire-bombings or Christian church arson attacks to mere argumentation of left-wing activists, such as, say, opposition to the Court’s decision in Dobbs. In those cases, the Left correctly adopts the principle it is incitement, rather than opinion, that constitutes a crime—but conveniently forgets that standard as soon as the debate shifts to the movement’s conservative opponents.
If left unchecked, this process could serve as a magic term for summoning the power of the state & the consequences will be disastrous. It deserves to be exposed and discredited. The line of argument is simple: speech is not violence; statistical abstraction is not a substitute for evidence; and free-association fantasies cannot determine guilt.
But the politics of fighting back are more complex. It will require dislodging a network of professionals who see the concept of “stochastic terror” as a path to power.
FULL STORY
"Stochastic Terrorism" Is About Suppressing Free Speech
Moderator: Super Moderators
"Stochastic Terrorism" Is About Suppressing Free Speech
A mind should not be so open that the brains fall out; however, it should not be so closed that whatever gray matter which does reside may not be reached. ART BELL
Everything Woke turns to -Donald Trump
Everything Woke turns to -Donald Trump