> As far as "it has always existed", I don't think that's true. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott > Like any kind of

> As far as "it has always existed", I don't think that's true. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott > Like any kind of social ill, if you rewind far enough you can find a time when it was common, but at least in my lifetime it was never normal or valued. Keep in mind social media has drastically amplified the attention we point on cancel culture. Both the "cancelling" itself but as well as people talking about it. Perhaps that has also increased the amount of events happening, but it doesn't mean it hasn't existed (see Boycotting above). > Like everything, opposition to cancel culture is political for a sufficiently broad definition of "political". You have to be able to define what cancel culture is first. As my little story pointed out, there is nothing I can do as a business to recourse clients not buying my product as a result of an employee getting "canceled". > Maybe the more interesting question is whether it's partisan Maybe, but trying to assign a political party to the use of its weaponry you're only further creating a divide and therefore creating partisan. In other words, if you conclude that the left/right they're using cancel culture they'll only dig their heals in more and project that the opposite side is weaponizing it. > Similarly, there are folks on all sides who oppose cancel culture. Ultimately the fact that there isn't a commonly accepted definition regardless of political affiliation is what holds us back from either eliminating it or accepting it as simply free market principles.