May 24, 2026

The enemies of freedom do not argue; they shout and shoot.

William Ralph Inge (1860-1954), English writer and cleric, End of an Age (1948), Jay p.187

MEDITATION: How often do you feel the urge to shout someone down rather than out-argue them? At those times, shouldn’t you consider yourself an enemy of freedom? In what situations would you refuse to be so labelled?

COMMENTARY: Every generation rediscovers that censorship begins with frustration. The moment you silence another; you lose the discipline of persuasion. Inge’s warning reminds us that the loudest voices often mask the weakest cases.

Besides, the shouting down of someone with whom you disagree can make a martyr of some idiot, and you appear a quasi-fascist. Let him, or her, speak, and then—as calmy as you can—expose their argument as weak, foolish or simply false.

Decent examples of this approach include Pete Buttigieg in the U.S., Mark Carney in Canada, and Ruth Davidson in the U.K.