funniest thing about the harper's letter is that thousands have been fired for political opinions which oppose US war, occupation, racism. it's called blacklisting [sic] or redbaiting. it's not new. and now that the shoe is on the other foot the bourgeoisie is just outraged.

actual real life marxists understand that free speech is a joke and depends totally on your relation to power. it's always been "free speech *for some*". now that power is shifting these snakes are sweating because people don't just shrug at blackface burlesque shows anymore.

even then, all the people who signed that letter are not currently in danger of being sacked for their shitty politics. in fact, their loud and "distinguished" protest signals (to me) an oncoming tidal wave of reaction and crackdown by those in power.

that's because (again, back to actual marxism) there's no divorcing ideology from the material circumstances in which it's reproduced. until the monopoly presses are seized, these organs of power will continue to do whatever they can to maintain class dominance.

that goes for "woke" op-eds in the times and this finger-wagging in harpers. the good news is that they're running scared, throwing hail marys all over the place. but that's because material circumstances are changing, not because ideologies are suddenly morally superior or w/e!