This brings me back to the point I made last week about free speech and criticism of Israel, occasioned by the controversy at the University of Toronto about the withdrawal of a job offer to pro-Palestinian legal scholar Valentina Azarova. When “cancellation” targeting journalists or academics comes from the right, it is almost invariably met with a strong pushback from within the profession. This is already the case with both Wilder and Hannah-Jones. When “cancellation” targeting journalists or academics comes from the left, it almost invariably comes from within the profession. Who speaks for Donald McNeil or Mike Adams? Certainly not their colleagues. That makes right-wing “cancel culture” more episodic and easily contained. Yes, it can still be damaging and should be resisted by any genuine advocate for freedom of speech. (So, of course, should state-level bills championed by conservatives that would restrict teaching of “divisive concepts” on race and sex—a different, but extremely bad, kettle of fish.) But to argue that the real “chilly climate” for speech in the mainstream media and the academy comes from occasional right-wing hits? That’s projection on a par with claims that it’s the Democrats who are really responsible for subverting democracy by delegitimizing election results.