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This is really important. There's a tendency to conflate 'free speech' with 'uncurated speech' but they're different. Social signalling is how we avoid having to criminalise and enforce many difficult to define but terrible behaviours. The choices reputable institutions make shape that signal.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social

Core argument

We do not want people to feel comfortable loudly discussing the comparative merits of various racial groups at the pub. It is harder to maintain the social signal that this kind of thing is not on if every week a new paper of record is publishing a glowing profile of Nick Fuentes.

I take it you’ve never hung around anywhere in SW Florida where virtually everyone thinks they’re the embodiment of a lovable Archie Bunker, blathering bigoted views loudly everywhere from Publix to early bird specials at the VFW

I guess that's my point though! The laws around hate-speech in SW Florida are pretty similar to those in Miami, but you don't hear the same kind of stuff delivered full-throatedly, right? The social signal is different.

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I think social signaling is something that can & does radiate beyond locality. Charlie Kirk is perhaps a good example. In a way, his advocacy for “bringing up tough topics” got him eyes & ears, like a preacher in a revival tent, that sought to break thru what normally would have been shut down