…and tolerance:

The advantages of classical liberal market cosmopolitanism–the idea that it’s best to set aside peaceful differences of opinion and creed and worries about different races, nationalities, and genders when deciding how we interact with the world–has a great track record of making us all richer and happier.

The idea that that people should be punished with boycott or losing their jobs over having wrong beliefs hobbles the flowering of tolerant classical liberal market cosmopolitanism.

There may have been a good reason why classical tolerance of expression was summed up in the epigram: “I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it!”

That has a different feel than: “I disagree with what you say, I think you are evil for having said it, I think no one should associate with you and you ought to lose your livelihood, and anyone who doesn’t agree with me about all that is skating on pretty thin ice as well, but hey, I don’t think you should be arrested for it.”

It’s a “heads I win tails you lose” situation, as it often is with the Left. As I noted at Twitter yesterday:

I despise hate speech. I won't say I hate it, though, because that would be hate speech. I think. #IAmSoConfused

— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) December 20, 2013

I can't stand that intolerance exists. I won't say I won't tolerate it, though, because that would be intolerant. I think. #IAmSoConfused

— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) December 20, 2013

As I also noted there, declaring someone a sinner does not justify bullying or assaulting them. There will always be bullies, but their existence is not a reason to suppress freedom of expression or religion.

[Update a few minutes later]

Joel Achenbach has a pretty amusing take: The Ducksters are the Flintstones.

[Update a while later]

The show is likely to be canceled. I noted yesterday on Twitter that A&E needed Duck Dynasty a lot more than the latter needed A&E. A&E can run whatever programs it wants, but I think that they’ll realize that this was a stupid business decision.

[Update a couple minutes later]

Thoughts from Jonah: Real rednecks.