Western Standard - January 20, 2023


Poilievre denounces people trying to cancel Peterson’s show in Ottawa


Episode Stats

Length

3 minutes

Words per Minute

136.45288

Word Count

417

Sentence Count

21


Summary

In a free country, professionals should not lose their jobs and licenses because they express a political opinion contrary to the licensing body that is mandated by the government. Here in Canada, though, through the cancel culture and the woke movement, we are seeing the idea that someone can lose their job, their status, and their ability to study, because of their political opinions.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 So the Ontario College of Psychologists has told Jordan Peterson that he either undergo retraining for social media etiquette or lose his license to practice as a clinical psychologist.
00:00:17.320 This follows a number of complaints by people who don't like his online posts, one of which is a retweet of something I posted, another is a criticism of Justin Trudeau.
00:00:28.800 Now, it should go without saying that in a free country, professionals should not lose their jobs and licenses because they express a political opinion contrary to the licensing body that's mandated by the government.
00:00:43.680 But, of course, in saying this, my liberal critics in the media will, of course, say, well, Polyev agrees with freedom of speech for someone like Dr. Peterson, therefore he must endorse everything Dr. Peterson has ever said.
00:00:57.140 Well, of course not. I don't endorse 100% of everything anyone has ever said.
00:01:03.540 There's no two people in the world who agree 100% of the time on 100% of things.
00:01:08.340 And so I'm sure there is something he's posted that I do object to, but that is not the point because freedom of speech only matters when you disagree.
00:01:15.420 I mean, if we all agreed, we wouldn't need freedom of speech because no one has ever tried to censor someone for saying something that they agree with.
00:01:22.840 It is only when there is a disagreement that it matters.
00:01:26.960 And that's what distinguishes Canada, a free country, from dictatorships.
00:01:32.060 Dictators don't censor things their citizens say that the dictator agrees with, only things they disagree with.
00:01:37.700 Here in Canada, though, unfortunately, through the cancel culture and the woke movement we've seen at university campuses, in the media, and now increasingly in big, powerful corporations,
00:01:50.780 and most recently with a professional licensing body, we're seeing the idea that someone can lose their job, their status, their ability to study,
00:02:02.300 because they express something that is contrary to the government line.
00:02:07.180 Now, I don't believe that is the Canada we want.
00:02:10.040 We have Section 2B of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
00:02:14.560 2B or not 2B, that is the question.
00:02:17.360 And the answer is that, as Voltaire has been quoted as saying,
00:02:25.640 I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it.
00:02:37.180 I can't agree with the truth.
00:02:38.500 3B or not 1B or not 2B or not 2B or not 3B or not 3B or not 2B or not 3B or not 3B or UN