We seem to have a totalitarian left that wants an intellectual monoculture vs. a totalitarian right that wants an ethnic and cultural monoculture.

I've been rediscovering libertarian ideas lately and realizing in the process just how profoundly and deeply the discourse has shifted toward authoritarianism across the whole political spectrum over the last 15 years. I really blame 9/11. The West lost its collective mind after that event and still has not recovered. Apparently terrorism works.

Economics is probably the other factor. Stocks are up but the street has not recovered. Totalitarian ideas always grow when people feel economically stressed. I think it might even be instinct, sort of like how chimps get aggressive and raid when under stress. Totalitarianism is about preparing to raid the neighboring tribe.

"This is uncomfortable, but it’s possible we have to allow people to say disparaging things about gay people if we want them to be able to say novel things about physics."

He literally did say that. Maybe that's not what he meant, and the gist of what he was saying was correct, but he said what he said. But go ahead and vilify the people who took issue with what reads essentially like a utilitarian apology for homophobia.