In his novel "1984," George Orwell created the term "Newspeak," a language that was imposed by Big Brother for the purpose of diminishing the range of thought.
That perfectly describes what recently happened in Canada to the popular - and to some controversial psychologist - Jordan Peterson. Peterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and a best-selling author, appealed a ruling by the College of Psychologists of Ontario that had ordered him to undergo "remedial social media training" because of his beliefs. Those beliefs include his opposition to the "climate change" hysteria, forced use of gender pronouns, and gender change, among other "woke" subjects.
Peterson appealed the ruling by the College. An appeals court rejected his petition. He contends that"proper culture" and Western Civilization are being undermined by "post-modernism and neo-Marxism," along with other indoctrinations of political correctness.
He says his "sin" was "Tweeting opinions the college deemed 'unbecoming of a psychologist.'"
On the social media platform X, Peterson wrote: "I am likely to soon lose my license to practice as a clinical psychologist in my home province of Ontario, in Canada whose historically prosaic internal politics should by all reasonable standards still be off the international radar. It's capitulate to the petty bureaucrats and the addle-pated woke mob or lose my professional license."
According to the U.S. State Department's 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom, " The (Canadian) constitution guarantees freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief, opinion, expression, and the right to equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination based on religion."
Critics are worried those protections are being eroded by the courts. A report released last year by Aid to the Church in Need, an international organization affiliated with the Catholic Church, said:" While Canada is nowhere close to countries where religion is under extreme attack from oppressive governments," the report "contains substantial mention of growing religious persecution in recent years, from pandemic restrictions to hate crimes to the burning of churches. Canada continues to be a place where the rule of law is respected, but generally, there has been a palpable reduction in respect for religious freedom in recent years, particularly where it has come into conflict with entrenched views relating to equality, diversity, and public health."
The case against Peterson would seem to add evidence to that perceived threat. Last year Canada adopted a law, ironically called " C-4," which in another context is an explosive. Critics say that the law prevents Canadian citizens from quoting Bible verses about marriage and sexuality.
Following the appeals court ruling, Peterson added to his previous posting on X: " You won this round. Mark my words, however: the war has barely started. There is nothing you can take from me that I'm unwilling to lose."
In his book "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos," Peterson writes"... Speak your mind. Put your desires forward, as if you had a right to them -- at least the same right as others. Walk tall and gaze forthrightly ahead. Dare to be dangerous. Encourage the serotonin to flow plentifully through the neural pathways desperate for its calming influence."
It's that kind of old thinking that has gotten him into trouble with the Newspeak crowd. Could such thinking be imposed in academia and elsewhere in America? It already is.
(16) comments
Why are some Idahoans getting electricity from
Utah? You're telling me that Idaho cannot provide power for their own citizens? We need
Several nuclear power plants all along our borders to provide electricity for everyone in
The state and to sell to other states. When Salt
Lake is facing rolling blackouts what do they do
To keep the power going in Salt Lake City? They
Regularly cut off power to southern Idaho.
It's not fun when the power goes out in the middle of winter. Idaho citizens deserve energy
Security and energy independence......if you don't want nuclear, at least build some coal fired power plants.....America has plenty of coal.
Everything the democrats are doing is self destructive. We should just sit back and let
Them abort their own babies and castrate their
Own sons into little girls and make themselves
Extinct. As far as the global warming scam....
The red states should become energy independent and if these states have coal, oil
And natural gas......mine and drill baby drill on
State land and privately owned land. We should
Ignore federal licensing BS and build nuclear power plants. While the blue state liberals are
All freezing to death, the red states will be prospering.
I told you I have a line on some 55 gallon drums you could build your cooling towers with. I don't know what "we" want to use for the reactor. Maybe an old propane tank? Talk it over with "we" and get back to me.
Maybe "we" could store the spent fuel rods in your dog house? just till "we" can find a potato cellar.
You do realize that INL had the first reactor to produce electricity in 1951 don't you? Maybe we can just burn democrats like bird wood.
Cord wood. Auto correct.
What you know about how power plants work wouldn't fill a thimble.
Did I say I'd have anything to do with it? The governor needs to try and bring nuclear energy
To the entire population. Idaho could supply electricity for the entire northwest.....except
For blue states of course. Affordable electricity
Might keep folks from burning all the trees.
You don't know anything about me. I, on the other hand...........
You are a stalker driving by my house like a little fan girl. I'm not worried about your anonymity, I
Pretty much treat every stranger like a threat and
Am ready to draw like doc Holliday. Come get some, loser.
You're Joe Pesci as Doc Holliday, if Doc was a Viking. And Trump looks like Elvis.
I'm joe pesci.......and you're Billy Batts.
Don't know Billy Batts. Go watch a movie. Maybe China Syndrome?
Seen it. Just anti-nuclear propaganda. The Chernobyl mini series was factual, but those
Russians can't do anything right.
Right.. Not like us I-Dee-Hodians huh? In the first place, wages are so low here that they'd never attract enough skilled craftsmen to build a nuke. Those guys are busy making some serious money on projects funded by Handsome Joe's $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. They wont come to a right-to-work low money state like this. Do you have your welding certs, Eugene? It's a tough test.
Ya.....you're Mr. Know It All. I don't believe a word you say.......everyone knows that you are a bed
Ridden 500 pound 🐋.
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