But among the new enemies are academics and, in particular, historians, whose work focuses on the histories of empire and slavery. Unlike some on the left, I have never doubted that “cancel culture” exists, fuelled by political intolerance and the toxic anonymity of social media. The great myth about cancel culture, however, is that it exists only on the left. For the past 40 years, rightwing newspapers have ceaselessly fought to delegitimise and ultimately cancel our national broadcaster, motivated by financial as well as political ambitions. In the weeks since his death last month, the words of John le Carré have been shared endlessly on social media.

Source: The Guardian January 03, 2021 08:37 UTC