Norman Finkelstein's I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It: A Book Review

SHOCK AND AWE DEPT.

Norman Finkelstein’s I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It: Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom is a provocative critique of modern leftist movements, identity politics, and the concept of "cancel culture." It challenges--no, skewers--widely accepted norms and influential figures within these realms, offering scathing critiques of both individuals and broader societal trends.

Had I not received it as a Christmas present last year I may have not been aware of it. Depending on your frame of mind it will either be a breath of fresh air or anathema as Finkelstein knocks over the sacred cows of identity politics and cancel culture. I found it a thought-provoking, liberating breath of fresh air. 

The book is structured in two distinct parts. In part one (400 pages) Finkelstein--himself an unabashed liberal--takes aim at what he views as the betrayal of class-based politics by identity politics, which he believes diverts attention from systemic economic inequality. He critiques notable figures, including Ibram X. Kendi and Barack Obama, arguing that their approaches ultimately serve elite interests rather than fostering meaningful societal change. Finkelstein juxtaposes these figures with historical advocates of universalism, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Frederick Douglass, emphasizing a focus on universal human rights rather than fragmented identity-based advocacy.

When I saw that part two begins by addressing the matter of holocaust denial, I was most curious on how Finkelsten, whose parents both died at the hands of the Nazis, would approach this. It was brilliant.

This second part addresses academic freedom, suggesting that even objectionable ideas should be openly debated to foster critical thinking. He explores the broader implications of censorship in academia, particularly its impact on intellectual rigor and free discourse. This section reflects his personal experiences, including his denial of tenure at DePaul University, which he presents as a microcosm of the challenges posed by cancel culture in academic spaces.

Finkelstein’s critiques are grounded in his belief in the pursuit of universal truths, influenced by the philosophies of John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant. The book has benn praised for its fearless approach, though some readers may find its tone confrontational. He doesn't pull punches, and most are right on the mark.

Here are three reviews to sink your teeth into if you can't find the book itself. (It's not too late to ask for it for Christmas 2024.) 

The Inspiring Outrage of Norman Finkelstein

by Chris Wright, Common Dreams

This review is an excellent overview of the book and worth reading.

A Wake-Up Call to the Left

by Deborah Maccoby, Jewish Voice for Labor, Amazon

    "Norman Finkelstein knows something about being cancelled. For someone who has spent his writing career exposing as frauds books revered by corporate culture – starting with Joan Peters’s widely-acclaimed From Time Immemorial – cancellation has gone with the territory. Mainstream reviewers viciously denounced his exposé, in The Holocaust Industry, of exploitation of the Holocaust in the service of protecting Israel from opprobrium. His attack, in Beyond Chutzpah, on Alan Dershowitz’s book The Case for Israel led to Finkelstein’s denial of tenure at De Paul University."

Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom

by Gabriel Carlyle

You do not have to agree with everything any writer says or believes in older to gain insights from it. That includes Finkelstein. Wherever your political feet are planted, this book will give you food for thought.

Out of the Spotlight, Into the Saddle

I was thinking about cancel culture and an idea for a story emerged. I asked ChatGPT to write a 400 word story based on my idea. I then edited and expanded it to this 800 word story. Hope you find it entertaining.

Out of the Spotlight, Into the Saddle

Illustration by the author.

In the small, dusty town of Dusty Gulch, a once-famous TV star had found solace in the forgotten corners of the past. His name was James "Jay" Thornton, once adored by millions, until a single tweet razed his career to the ground. 

Driven by the desperate need to escape the relentless wrath of his fans, Jay acquired a time machine on the black market. Life as he’d known it was over forever.

One fateful day, he decided to try out his new toy, to give it a test drive. He wanted to see the future. Maybe he could find himself there. Unfortunately, the time machine malfunctioned, propelling him back to the year 1885 where he landed on a remote cattle ranch in the foothills of the Rockies.

Working as a humble ranch hand, Jay kept his past a well-guarded secret. He perpetually shunned the spotlight, now preferring the companionship of the open range and the simple folk of Dusty Gulch. One evening, in the dimly lit bunkhouse, Jay found himself sharing a bottle of whiskey with the other cowboys. As the alcohol flowed, the tales of their lives spilled out. 

With a heavy sigh, Jay decided to reveal his own story. "You know, back in my time, I used to be famous.”

“Really? How’s that. You shoot somebody? Rob a train?”

“No, no, no, no. I was a famous actor on television," he began.

The cowboys exchanged perplexed glances. "Television? What's that, Jay?"

"Well," he continued, "it's a magic box that shows moving pictures, stories, and news on a screen. People used to watch it for hours on end."

“You mean, something like a Magic Lantern,” the Finn said. 

“Sorry,” Jay said. “What’s a Magic Lantern?”

The Finn said, “I don’t know how it worked but it was kind of a thing where they used an oil lamp or lantern to shine through these glass plates and you would see images.”

Another cowboy interrupted. “We had a travelling showman come through these parts on the way to California and he put on a show with it, telling stories and projecting images onto a sheet we hung over a wire.”

“He said he was trying to sell them to schools or something like that,” a third added.

“Well,” Jay continued, “That's very interesting. I never heard of Magic Lanterns but you have something of an idea of pictures in boxes. In the future these boxes will show moving pictures. The box I'm talking about will be called a television set.”

“How do the pictures get into the box, Jay?” 

Jay shook his head and rubbed at his chin with his knuckles. “It’s all very strange really. The box is connected to a device called an antenna, which receives a stream of signals from a broadcast station. The pictures go through the air and –“   

He could tell by their expressions and the way they were fidgeting that they would never understand. The cowboys were scratching their heads, struggling to fathom this new concept. 

"How'd you end up here, Jay?"  

Jay took a deep breath. Another impossible question. He confessed, "I tweeted something that made a lot of people angry, and they canceled me. It ended my career."

"Canceled?" one cowboy asked.

“Tweeted?” another said. “You mean you made a sound like a bird or somethin’?”

“No, it’s sort of a communication platform.”

“Platform?” 

“It’s kinda like an online Wild West show,” Jay said, shaking his head dismissively as the words “Wild West” popped out of his mouth.

The boys all chuckled. 

“You’re not making any sense, Pard,” Big Burt said as he held out the bottle. “Better take another swig.”

Jay waved it away. “A tweet is like a message. Like those wanted posters back at the sheriff’s place.”

“Ah,” said a quiet cowboy off to his left. “So, you’re wanted.”

“No, no,” Jay replied. “I’m actually un-wanted. They took away my job.”

The cowboys burst into laughter. "Well, Jay, 'round these parts, we live by our own rules.”

Jay smiled, relieved by their reaction. "You're right. Life here is simpler, more honest."

The cowboys, now accepting him as one of their own, raised their glasses in a toast. "To Jay, the cowboy without a past!"

As Jay shared more stories of his time in the entertainment business, the cowboys listened in amazement, trying to imagine a world they could scarcely comprehend. For Jay though, the Wild West had become a sanctuary, far removed from the brutally unforgiving judgments of his former life. 

In the bunkhouse in Dusty Gulch Jay Thornton found a second chance among people who judged him not by his past, but by the man he had become. They might never understand his world of television and tweets, but they respected him for who he was now – a cowboy who had found redemption in the embrace of the Wild West, far from the relentless scrutiny of the digital age.

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Just having fun. If you enjoyed this, feel free to leave a comment.

Cancel Culture Is Nothing New: Examples Ancient and Past

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. 
--John 7:12-13 (NIV)

While reading from the Gospel of John recently I was struck by the statement highlighted above. They were talking about Jesus, of course. Their response--fear of expressing their thoughts publicly--seemed to encapsulate our moment in history these past three years. People are afraid to speak publicly about many issues out of fear. Jobs have been lost for expressing the wrong point of view on a hot topic. Many are ridiculed simply for having honest doubts.

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When I was growing up my mother used to say, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." Nowadays people are bullied and bludgeoned for questioning the current pop creed. This is not the way people are "won over" to a new idea that goes contrary to their beliefs or experience.

Then again, this is nothing new. Read the story about the man born blind whom Jesus healed. It's found in the Gospel of John, chapter 9. The religious leaders tried to corner his parents, but the parents knew it so they played it coy and gave evasive replies. 

20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” --John 7:12-13

One of the things I like about these stories from the Bible is that the behavior of these characters corresponds with the behavior we see in people today. Insecurity, alertness, political pressure, sorrow, confusion, fear of those in authority... It's nothing new.

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Throughout history there have been numerous instances where freedom of speech has been abridged by both governmental actions and cultural norms. Here are some historic examples:

Sedition Acts (1798): The United States passed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798, which included laws aimed at curbing criticism of the government. The Sedition Act criminalized false, scandalous, and malicious statements against the government, leading to the prosecution of individuals critical of President John Adams and his administration.

McCarthyism (1950s): During our Cold War with the Soviet Union, the government's fear of communist infiltration led to witch hunts that cost people their jobs simply by being accused. When you can't express honest doubts or ask honest questions due to fear of repercussions, it's an abridgement of our feedom of speech.

Espionage Act (1917) and Sedition Act (1918): In the context of World War I, the United States passed these acts to suppress dissent and opposition to the war effort. They were used to prosecute individuals who spoke out against the war. Hundreds, and maybe a couple thousand, were imprisoned for expressing anti-war sentiments. At the same time, the government was allocating money to create propaganda in support of the war effort. 

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To be fair, censorship of free speech has not been limited to the United States. Nevertheless, the degree to which social media and government agencies justified the repression of contrary voices during the Covid lockdowns (and other ethical concerns) has been quite alarming.  

 

Related Link

He Who Controls the Narrative Controls the People

Look Who's Cancelled Now

Mercury @ the Bargello

In April I experienced the Renaissance in an all new manner. I spent 11 days in Italy, mostly Florence but also Parma. Florence has to be considered the fertile soil that birthed the Renaissance. Parma is a symbol of the fight against fascism. All kinds of thoughts and feelings were generated by this experience. I am still processing all these things--both ideas and observations--and realize I still have so much to learn. 

The trigger for this blog post was an opinion piece titled Porn, power and the other p-word in conservative America by Julie Szego, a journalist who lost her job because she wrote about trans censorship in Australia. Being attuned to this issue from personal experience, she's unafraid to get real about the censorship coming from both the Left and the Right in our contemporary world.

When she mentioned Michelangelo's David, which I'd been awed by in April, I felt a need to underscore the challenges we face today with regard to free speech and free thought, a recurring theme of mine here on a blog that has itself be "cancelled" on Facebook and Instagram. 

The starting point for her article is an incident in which a Florida principal was sacked because "a parent complained students were exposed to “pornography” – in the form of Michelangelo’s statue of David." If you go to Florence, or study art history, you'll see more than your share of nude human bodies. You'll also see nude bodies in high school gym class (unless they don't take showers any more) and at the Y, I believe.

Purchase your own personal David in the gift shop.
at the Accademe.

That being said, she continued in this vein.

Two of the irate parents complained to the board of Tallahassee Classical School that they weren’t warned their children would encounter an image of Michelangelo’s iconic artwork. Another described the 5.17-metre statue of an entirely naked David, the biblical giant slayer, as pornographic. Shocking that three angry parents can force a principal’s resignation. Not at all shocking that for some Americans the bare representation of the human body is tantamount to pornography.

It is hardly news that lust drives so much of male endeavour, be it with sword or marble, or Sigmund Freud never did exist. That doesn’t make Michelangelo’s masterpiece porn, but I’m not sure we can claim his inspiration sprang entirely from the celestial without any contribution from the carnal.

There are two sides to every story. In America’s blue states – only slightly less nutty than their red counterparts – you can reportedly find schools where teachers not only say “gay”, they give kids how-to manuals. And while folks in those parts won’t usually see pornography in art, some might bend over backwards to see art in pornography lest they be accused of … conservatism.

I may not agree with everything people think or say, but I admire the courage of people like Camille Paglia, Julie Szego or Scott Adams who aren't afraid to put it out there and accept the consequences. 

Other Risky Topics  Too Hot To Handle

Critical of Zionism

Stanford Palestinian Student Forced to Resign for Facebook Post Critical of Zionism

Wrote about Trans Censorship

I was sacked for writing about trans censorship

Doctor fired for criticizing COVID policies
https://www.foxnews.com/media/law-group-stanford-fired-doctor-criticizing-covid-policies-engaged-employment-discrimination

Andrew Tate Canceled for being Mysogynist 

(Old videos were taken out of context)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshwilson/2022/08/30/the-downfall-of-andrew-tate-and-its-implications/?sh=406eb176ca07

RFK Jr being cancelled for this

Robert Kennedy Jr. challenged Tony Fauci to produce one NIH study on the safety of Vaccines.

"None of the mandated Vaccines have ever been tested against a placebo-controlled trial before licensing."

Fauci stonewalled for a year and then admitted they didn't have it.

https://twitter.com/AaronSiriSG/status/1665687256533745668

Used the word Niggardly

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/williams/williams020499.htm

While looking for examples of things people have been cancelled for, I came across this piece. 

Trilateral Commission Members Driving Censorship Campaigns (This is the organisation with a member called Keir Starmer)

https://davidicke.com/2023/06/11/trilateral-commission-members-driving-censorship-campaigns-this-is-the-organisation-with-a-member-called-keir-starmer/

Whatever happened to "I may not agree with you but I defend your right to say it." Isn't that what Free Speech is about? 

Iron Sharpens Iron: How Cancel Culture Gets It Wrong

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
--Proverbs 27:17

This Old Testament proverb has come up more than a few times recently. It's amazing how insights from three thousand years ago continue to have relevance. 

The idea here, I believe, is that as we confront ideas different from our own, we're forced to think more deeply than we might otherwise do. These new ideas may even dismantle our beliefs or perceptions on a matter. The thing is, such challenges may also lead us to dig deeper to see if we've built our worldview on a firm foundation or shifting sands. 

What brought this proverb to mind was the following quote from philosopher/thinker Karl Popper:

"Bold ideas, unjustified anticipations, and speculative thought, are our only means for interpreting nature: our only organon, our only instrument, for grasping her. And we must hazard them to win our prize. Those among us who are unwilling to expose their ideas to the hazard of refutation do not take part in the scientific game." 

In science, ideas that get set forth are on the table to be probed. Conflicting ideas lead to new insights or firmer resolutions. To question is OK. The application of this principle goes far beyond the realm of science. 

Unfortunately, to the degree that universities stifle the free exploration of ideas, to that degree we have failed to equip our students with an essential skill: the ability to think. This is precisely what's wrong with our current culture of negation. 

Sometimes it is through talking things out with others that we figure out what we ourselves really believe. Healthy bull sessions in college dorm rooms help young people recognize  what is "bull" and what is not. 

On many college campuses conservative speakers aren't even permitted to speak for fear that riots will ensue. At Drew University, for example, "Some students ...are attempting to block a conservative, pro-life speaker from lecturing on campus by ripping down flyers and protesting the visit at a student government meeting... Others have circulated social media posts urging students to attend a November 3 student government meeting and ask them to block the conservative speaker."

Here's an article by the American Bar Association making the observation that it is primarily conservative speakers being barred or blocked from speaking on college campuses. The article by Stephen J. Wermiel & Josh Blackman is titled Thwarting Speech on College Campuses. 

Right now college campuses are debating just how much they should allow the free exchange of ideas. If we accept the idea behind Proverbs 27:17, this is a demonstration of weakness on the part of our schools. If they so fear the free flow of information in the marketplace of ideas, how will they ever deal with the realities beyond the borders of campus life?

The authors of The Coddling of the American Mind showed how this current development came about. C.S. Lewis saw the early stages of this development nearly a century ago. When writing my review of his book I cited his observation, "The worst of all public dangers is the committee of public safety." In today's schools we fear ruffling feathers. We want schools to be a "safe" place. 

I keep running into people who say they're abandoning social media because of the lack of freedom to express ideas without creating a backlash, or fearing as such. 

The bad behavior is not solely from the Left. There is lashing out from the Right as well, though on campuses these past five years I've heard more instances of protests from the liberal side. Needless to say, we have drifted far afield from what I believe is the higher ground of dialogue and the once-noble notion that "I may not agree with what you say but I support your right to say it." That principle is part of the wreckage brought about by cancel culture. 

Oddly enough, I was "cancelled" (or sharply criticized) for even mentioning the expression "cancel culture" because it this canceller said doesn't exist any more. "We're so past that," he said, while cancelling me for suggesting it.

These are strange times.  

On Cancel Culture and Freedom of Speech -- Quotes & Tweets

Freedom of speech is the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship. It is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies.
--Wikipedia

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I'm not really sure how to describe my feelings about the degree to which cancel culture has swept over the social media landscape like a tsunami. Some instances have been amusing, others appalling, some silly and some brutally frightening. 

Someone sent me an email this past week or so. I'd mention his or her name but I'd hate to paint a target on his or her back. 

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HERE are a few quotes I've run across that I thought you'd enjoy, especially as a victim of cancel culture.

Thomas Erskine on the advantages of Free Speech.

“When men can freely communicate their thoughts and their sufferings, real or imaginary, their passions spend themselves in air, like gunpowder scattered upon the surface; but pent up by terrors, they work unseen, burst forth in a moment, and destroy everything in their course.”  (Rex v. Paine, 1792)

 

John Stuart Mills (On Liberty, 1859)

“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”  

Henry George (Progress and Poverty, 1879)

“The law of human progress, what is it but the moral law?  Just as social adjustments promote justice, just as they acknowledge the equality of right between man and man, just as they insure to each the perfect liberty which is bounded only by the equal liberty of every other, must civilization advance.  Just as they fail in this, must advancing civilization come to a halt and recede.”

Justice Holmes on the free exchange of ideas.

“The ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas. The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market. We should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe and believe to be fraught with death, unless they so imminently threaten immediate interference with the lawful and pressing purposes of the law that an immediate check is required to save the country.”

 
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To the above I will add one more, from the Oregon Constitution:

"No law shall be passed restraining the free expression of opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write or print freely on any subject whatever."

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Here's a Tweet I saw this morning.

Cancel culture is modern excommunication for today’s unrepentant heretics.

It doesn't take much effort to find others.

 

Lyn The only thing that should be canceled is cancel culture itself. It's very unhealthy and counterproductive.

Brit Hume: My alma mater has gone off the deep end. A Medical Student Questioned Microaggressions. UVA Branded Him a Threat and Banned Him from Campus https://reason.com/2021/04/07/microaggressions-uva-student-kieran-bhattacharya-threat/

Fran cancel culture claims its newest victim... laying low for a while

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What I'm wondering is whether this current backlash against free speech is the fruit of those forces outlined in in Haidt & Lukianoff's The Coddling of the American Mind. C.S. Lewis once wrote, "The worst of all public dangers is the committee of public safety." 

Related Links  

Are Children Being Raised "Too Safe To Succeed"?

Bubble-Wrapped Americans: How the U.S. Became Obsessed with Physical and Emotional Safety