> this has pretty much always been around. Yep, the difference now is that it's less predictable. In the past if you were a part of the existing power structu

> this has pretty much always been around. Yep, the difference now is that it's less predictable. In the past if you were a part of the existing power structure you could expect to be safe, even if the political landscape changed under your feet. For example, plenty of powerful white men held pro-segregationist views in the 60's and recanted in the 80's without getting blacklisted. In constrast, those outside the power structure were not safe. Any views or actions from the past could be resurrected to get them fired or worse when the landscape changed. The beginning of the Hollywood blacklist, for example, was as much about getting rid of Russian Jews as it was about finding communists. Now it seems that nobody is safe and our political landscape is changing more quickly than ever. That makes it more frightening to step out, especially for those of us like myself (white guys) who had previously been protected implicitly.