Leftism vs. Liberalism. Also Liberalism vs. Liberalism.

 

There's an important difference between political liberalism on the one hand, and what Helen Pluckrose calls "liberalism as a higher-order value," which doesn't necessarily entail capitalism even if she thinks it does. It really just means the humanist values of the bourgeois revolution, which are negated by the contradiction of capitalism and necessitate going beyond it. Also, working within the system can mean different things. Working exclusively within institutions won't bring about social revolution. But such work can be a useful, even essential complement to disruptive tactics, as Rosa Luxemburg argued in Reform or Revolution.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVnIPkBjAYd/ 

The Insidious Censorship of Valence Issues

 

 

Yesterday UpTrust posted the Open Question "Free Speech, but who draws the lines?" preparatory to a conversation today with FIRE's Greg Lukianoff. I offered these comments:

The most insidious threat to free speech comes from cultic processes operating in society at large, obscuring people's ability to perceive threats to freedom of thought with pseudoscientific phantasms of existential threat. In much the same way that fundamentalists may see themselves not as imposing cultic milieu control on their children but instead protecting them from "slavery to Satan," we see major publishers and platforms suppressing people's opinions, lived experiences, and scientific findings in the name of preventing "harm to children" that has never been shown to be real by methodologically sound research. The best known example is Congress' shameful censure of the Psychological Bulletin for publishing the 1998 Rind et al. meta-analysis even though it was -- in the words of Emil Kirkegaard, a Research Associate at Ulster Institute for Social Research -- "Politically Incorrect, Scientifically Correct."

I experienced the same kind of thing a couple years ago when my Meetup account was deleted for having simply suggested, for a discussion of "When can we trust the experts?" for which preparatory readings hadn't yet been selected, Paul Okami's (psychologist with Ph.D. from UCLA) paper "Sociopolitical Biases in the Contemporary Scientific Literature on Adult Human Sexual Behavior with Children and Adolescents." That was published in 1990, but as Rind observed in his contribution to the 2023 volume Ideological and Political Bias in Psychology, there's been hardly any improvement in this field, which Okami described as being marked by "seriously flawed research methods and discursive practices similar to those found in works of political propaganda."

It should be noted that this kind of censorship around a "valence issue" transcends the usual political divisions, resulting in what Rind terms "left/right bias."

Research Study: Understanding Religious Transitions and Growth

The Freethought Society sent me an invitation to take part in this study:

 

Dear Friend,

I am writing to invite you to participate in an important research study examining the experiences of individuals who have left or reduced their involvement in religious traditions. This study is being conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as part of the development of a Religious Transition and Growth Scale (RTGS).

I am a graduate student who studies religious identity deconstruction, deconversion and disaffiliation, and growth after religious transition and/or trauma. If this study feels relevant to your experience, I would greatly appreciate your participation.

Research Study
Understanding Religious Transitions and Growth
Click the link below to access the survey

Take the Survey

Who Can Participate

• Adults (18 years or older)
• Individuals who have left or significantly reduced participation in a religious tradition in which they were previously actively involved
• Able to complete an online survey in English

What's Involved

• Complete a one-time, anonymous online survey
• Takes approximately 15-20 minutes
• Can be completed from the comfort and privacy of your own home
• No personal identifying information required

Why Participate? Your experiences matter. This research aims to better understand both the challenges and growth that can occur when people transition away from religious traditions. The results will help develop better resources and support for others who have had similar experiences.

Your participation could contribute to:

• Improved understanding of religious transitions and growth
• Better mental health resources for those experiencing religious transitions/deconstruction
• Reduced stigma around religious questioning and change

Your Privacy is Protected

• All responses are completely anonymous
• No names, email addresses, or IP addresses are collected
• Your responses cannot be traced back to you
• Participation is entirely voluntary - you can skip questions or stop at any time

Sincerely,

Sara Hall
PhD Student
Evaluation, Statistics, and Research Methodology
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Dr. Jennifer Morrow
Principal Investigator
Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Take the Survey

This study has been reviewed and approved by the University of Tennessee Institutional Review Board. UTK IRB-25-08873-XP

Break the Duopoly Is Up and Running

 

 

Break the Duopoly is up and running for 2026! I just registered for a Vote Pact in the PA governor's race.

If you want to feel free to vote your conscience without worrying that you're helping a "greater evil," the solution is to find someone on "the other side" who's voting in the same election and feels the same way. This website can help you find a match. The margin between the Duopoly parties won't change, but they'll get two fewer votes, and you'll get to vote without holding your nose! Visit Sam Husseini's Vote Pact site to learn more about this concept.

Speaking of matched Reds and Blues, Braver Angels is holding its convention in Philadelphia this year! BA helps people learn how to dialogue constructively with people on "the other side" instead of demonizing and stereotyping them. All events are co-led by Reds and Blues, and for the convention it's important to have equal delegates of both kinds. I've applied to be one as a Blue, but since there's a surplus of those currently, being accepted may depend on enough Reds' signing up. If you're a Republican-leaning person who's interested in attending, I invite you to message me and we can apply to attend together.

Organizing Tools for a General Strike to Shut Down ICE

At the Workers Strike Back public event that just concluded, a petition and resolution were shared for a general strike to shut down ICE. You can contact them for assistance with adapting these documents and organizing support for them within your own union.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11BqMwKfh_US5rgYMFlqVJDujWoYZLfF1IcHzanarfeY/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TT2VzznvvqiP0GzbqQ26smCJSy128SfkhY-yUMt8l00/edit?usp=sharing

ICE Out! National Shutdown 1/30

 

https://nationalshutdown.org/

Endorsed by

Somali Student Association at University of Minnesota

Ethiopian Student Association at University of Minnesota

Black Student Union at University of Minnesota

Liberian Student Association at University of Minnesota

Graduate Labor Union at University of Minnesota

Union De Vecinos

Minnesota Immigrant Movement

PUÑO 

IFCO Pastors for Peace

Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR)

50501

Community Movement Builders

ANSWER Coalition

Immigrant Rights Alliance GA

Mecha de U of U

DARE Direct Action for Rights and Equality

Engaged Defenders for Democracy

Defend Immigrant Families Campaign

LA Tenants Union

Palestinian Youth Movement

North Texas Area Labor Federation

Black Lives Matter Grassroots - Detroit

Vecinos Unidos DFW

Boston South Asian Coalition

Cleveland Sudan Network

NC Poor People's Campaign

UE Local 1466 - United Graduate Workers of UNM

Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance (AMOR RI)

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Working with Cult Survivors: A Basic Certification Course for Mental Health Clinicians

 From the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion:

 Psychologists and mental health clinicians: Sign up for our CE class on working with survivors of cultic abuse.
This is an 8-hour, fully self-paced, online asynchronous training designed to help therapists build the knowledge, awareness, and skills needed to effectively support cult survivors. You can start at any time.

The course includes:
- In-depth interviews with Dr. Janja Lalich, international authority on cults, extremism, and coercion
- Cameo appearances from other leading experts in the field
- Didactic presentations
- Powerful testimonials from self-identified cult survivors

Course fee: $250

The Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Learn more and register (link in bio)