Just when you think we have made it to the furthest reaches of cultural lunacy, and of the cowardice that enables that lunacy, we find still deeper depths to plunge. Winston Marshall plays — did play, rather — the banjo and lead guitar for Mumford and Sons, a group famous for being everyone’s third favorite band in the summer of 2011. This past weekend, Marshall ignited controversy, as well as accusations of bigotry and Nazism, by publicly confessing to having read a book. The musician tweeted an endorsement of journalist Andy Ngo’s Antifa expose, “Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.” The tweet, addressed to Ngo, said: “Finally had the time to read your important book. You’re a brave man.” That was it. And it was enough to set the cancel wheels in motion.
Fans, the media, and fellow musicians came out swinging, labeling Marshall a racist, calling for him to be fired, and so on and so forth. They made it clear that there is essentially no difference between reading and enjoying a book critical of Antifa and pledging allegiance to Hitler after reading Mein Kampf. To hint at even the mildest disagreement with the most radical fringes of the far Left is to profess far Right views, which is to be a bigot, which is to reveal yourself unworthy of inclusion in civilized society. This is the formula, clear and simple and totally insane.
.png)
.png)
