The headline, although it's from the original article, is misleading. This is one of the guardian's series of author/artist/musician interviews, usually on the occasion of their new release. in this case the novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, related to her upcoming book "Dream Count". There is some stuff about Cancel Culture in there, but it's not the point of the article.
Can someone draw any sort of bright line between “marketplace of ideas rejecting an idea” and “cancel culture?”
Fine foregoing the latter so long as we can retain the former, but really a whole lot of complaining about cancel culture comes down to “people shouldn’t be able to dislike me for the things I believe, say, or do,” which is obviously insane imo.
Utilizing state power to express disapproval, of course, should be absolutely verboten in almost all cases (US 1st Amendment case law has overall found good gradations here).
"Cancel culture" implies a lack of proportionality, an inability to agree to disagree, an inability to compartmentalize and separate the artist from the art, and most importantly, a desire to punish through mob action.
If you discover that someone holds a very offensive belief, would your approach be to (a) reduce your personal emotional involvement with them, perhaps give a private rebuke to let them know your opinion, or (b) participate in a campaign to publicly shame them and hopefully ruin their life?
I can try. Cancel culture is interfering with others communication. If Andrew Tate, Milo Yanopulis, Ta neshi coates or Ibram Kendi want to spew bullshits or lies and there are gullible enough people to listen to them - then you as a third person doing your best to deplatform them - trying to push them away from the discourse is a cancel culture. Rejection of ideas is a lone communist wacko tankie shouting at Hyde park and nobody listening to him.
How is this any different from any "cancelled" public personality complaining about cancel culture? Why do these people complain when they receive backlash for epressing views that are offensive to certain underprivileged groups?
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