Sacks argues the Voltaire principle of defending disagreeable speech is foundational to Western liberalism but now challenged.
“Who today is willing to do that? I mean, that was the the idea that led to political liberalization in the West. It's really a unique feature of western democracies and liberalism.”
Sacks observes that Greenwald and Taibbi have been excluded from what is now considered liberalism despite prior credentials.
“both these guys have, I'd say, you know, well established bona fides, you know, used to be considered left wing sort of liberal bona fides, but now today somehow they've been read out of what you would call liberalism today.”
Sacks frames the central question as how journalists with liberal credentials got read out of modern liberalism.
“And so that comment that Jason made sort of, I think there's so much to unpack there on how that happened.”