Why Jordan Peterson terrifies the authoritarian Left
Ian Haworth
Video Embed
While most Western countries claim to respect and protect freedom of speech, the reality is that the vast majority of these nations are actively engaged in a cynical effort to suppress wrongthink by leveraging every political and cultural tool in their arsenal to ensure complete ideological compliance.
Our neighbor to the north, Canada, is one of these countries.
DC COMICS SLAMMED FOR GOING ‘WOKE’ WITH NEW PREGNANT JOKER
Jordan Peterson, the psychologist and bestselling author of 12 Rules For Life, has become the latest target of the supposedly liberal (and yet obviously leftist) Canadian authorities. The College of Psychologists of Ontario recently threatened to withdraw Peterson’s practicing license unless he completes a social media reeducation course. (It’s unclear whether this reeducation course will be translated from its original Russian…)
The CPO demanded that Peterson complete its “Specified Continuing Education or Remedial Program” to “review, reflect on and ameliorate [his] professionalism in public statements,” with perhaps the greatest insult being that Peterson must pay for coaching classes with a psychologist until the state’s concerns are “properly ameliorated.”
To his credit, Peterson has filed a legal challenge to this decision, writing that he is “not complying.”
“I’m not submitting to re-education. I am not admitting that my viewpoints — many of which have, by the way, been entirely justified by the facts that have emerged since the complaints were levied — were either wrong or unprofessional,” he wrote in the National Post. “I’m going to say what I have to say, and let the chips fall where they will. I have done nothing to compromise those in my care; quite the contrary — I have served all my clients and the millions of people I am communicating with to the best of my ability and in good faith, and that’s that.”
By the way, this politely written rejection is Canadian for “go screw yourself.”
But what were Peterson’s great crimes? Well, he dared to misgender Elliot Page (formerly known as Ellen Page) on Twitter, earning him a suspension only recently lifted by Elon Musk. He also dared to share his opinion that an overweight swimsuit model was “not beautiful.”
And — perhaps worst of all — he appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and argued that being transgender is a result of a “social contagion,” drawing parallels between the embrace of transgenderism and the collapse of civilization.
But the reality is that Peterson isn’t being targeted by these ruthless, power-hungry authoritarians just because he’s saying the wrong things. No. What terrifies them most of all is that Peterson is saying the wrong things intelligently. He’s standing as a prominent member of the credentialed academic class and refusing to go along with their latest selection of ideological nonsense.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
It’s one thing for anonymous right-wing accounts to criticize Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, discuss the societal impacts of unquestioningly embracing all elements of the transgender movement, or speak out against obesity.
It’s something completely different when someone with Peterson’s resume shares these very same views. Why? Because progressives are supposed to be the smart ones.
Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) is the host of Off Limits with Ian Haworth.