Liberals and dissent
Do Democrats try to stifle critics—or do they let them say too much?
"Now that their summer of bluster is over," said Thomas Frank in The Wall Street Journal, "conservatives may congratulate themselves on a job well done." Liberals such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are responding by calling for a return to civility. But, with "gale-force historical winds" at their backs, they should give back as good as they get.
Liberals are afraid to debate the conservative dissenters, said Michael Barone in the Washington Examiner. That's why, instead of arguing against his rivals on health-care reform, President Obama accused them of "telling 'lies,' employing 'scare tactics,' and playing 'games'"—essentially using "the prestige of his office to shut criticism down." Apparently, American liberals think the way to deal with opposing views is to stifle them.
It's hilarious that Barone can write that "without a trace of irony," said Michael Stickings in The Moderate Voice. If anything, the Democrats' problem is that they permit too much dissent—unlike the Republicans, who demand "lockstep marching." In fact, if Democrats would learn to be just a little less tolerant of dissent, they might get a lot more done.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Trump's actions cut a wide swath across Hawaii's economy
In Depth The state's tourism and farming sectors are two of the largest hit industries
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
5 immersive books to read this April for a brief escape
The Week Recommends A dystopian tale takes us to the library, a journalist's ode to her refugee parents and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'The winners and losers of AI may not be where we expect'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published