I know I’m not the only one that has heard this. I get comic book and Sci-fi/fantasy writers probably lean left for the most part but I seem to remember liberals of the past being big on free speech and against censorship. Also I’ve heard SJWs complain about the original Star Trek because they had moved beyond race and you know everything today has to talk about race.
Stan Lee and Kirby are white males so they wouldn’t last today and on and on.
So what is a good response to this?
They're right.
u/Grumman is close to it, but you need to understand that Leftism is a philosophy of War. Left is a relative position. Leftism has no objective principles behind it, that is why I've repeatedly said Fascism was always progressive. Because it was. Racial Genetic Determinism was progressive. Blood & Soil was progressive. Strict controls on immigration, was progressive. The criminalization of homosexuality was progressive.
Not because any of these things extend from a Progressive principle, but because there are no progressive principles besides the seizure of power alone. All the specific policies were merely weapons to seize power with and nothing else.
The same progressive racialists that pushed for racialism would also go on to say they were anti-racist and had seen the light. It's all bullshit.
It is entirely likely that progressives of past eras would stand in total solidarity with current ones, even if they stand in total opposition on topics.
If someone is a progressive, their stance on a matter at a previous time is irrelevant. All that matters is what power do they have, and what are they seeking.
Why is the ACLU prepared to endorse hate speech legislation? Why is the NAACP in support of racialist laws in California? Why is a person like George Takei, who literally lived in an Internment Camp, prepared to put Republicans in one?
Because they don't have principles. Principles are tactical weaknesses. They are ground you choose to defend in all cases. No Leftist is prepared to do such a thing.
Some would, and have. Some would not, and have not. Leftism might be a philosophy of eternal war, but that doesn't mean individual leftists want to ride it all the way down.
I agree, I'm just generalizing to make a point.
There are Useful Idiot Leftists who are principled. These people become "right wing" when the Left moves to a new position.
My only point of contention is your conflation of Fascism with German National Socialism through racial science, which originally came out of Soviet propaganda. Fascism really only applies to mid-century Italy, and the obsession with racial sciences came out of Germany which the Italians disdained. Mussolini didn't commit democide. He had a miniscule kill count from removing communists like Pinochet. His state also wasn't organized enough to be nearly as totalitarian as the rest of the major powers, which is why Italy was more of a liability than contributing ally during the war.
Well, I wasn't really intending to conflate Fascism and National Socialism.
I'm saying both are Progressive. So was Racial Science.
Want to see people obsessed with "race", go check out the people who belong to kennel clubs.
Though that being said, I have no problem pointing out that my dog is actually my genetic superior. She can see.