Safe space or free speech?

[Malthus]

There is some of that sort of thing in North America: I recall some agonizing over the "disneyfication" of Times Square in NY, and a similar moment of angst about cleaning up Yonge Street here in Toronto.

[Sheilbh]

The British class system has got so confusing that even the British no longer understand it. I certainly have no idea which class I belong to.

According to this I'm:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22000973

Emergent service workers

This class group is financially insecure, scoring low for savings and house value, but high for social and cultural factors. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:

Are young
Enjoy a cultured social life
Rent their home - almost 90%

Buzzfeed got me wrong, or maybe right:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tomphillips/what-class-are-you-really#.ueP8001po

You got: Lower Working Class
Life's not easy - it's a struggle to make ends meet, and sometimes it feels like society's out to get you (that's because it kind of is). But you know what? Screw anybody looking down on you. You're just trying to get on with your life, and you don't need fancy clothes or shiny cars to prove your worth. (A SHINY CAR WOULD BE NICE, THOUGH.)

[Sheilbh]

There is some of that sort of thing in North America: I recall some agonizing over the "disneyfication" of Times Square in NY, and a similar moment of angst about cleaning up Yonge Street here in Toronto.

It's also the historic gay area. I feel that Soho and all who sail in her should have some sort of listed status.

Though I was overjoyed to recently see a newly opened sex shop - I mean who needs them now the internet exists.

[Valmy]

Established middle class
This is the most gregarious and the second wealthiest of all the class groups. According to the Great British Class Survey results, lots of people in this group:

Enjoy a diverse range of cultural activities
Went to university
Are comfortably off, secure and established

Huh.  I am neither comfortably off, secure, nor established but I guess the rest kind of fits presuming Languish counts as a diverse cultural activity.  Though if this is really 25% of the UK population I think that covers the middling people I presumed this term applied to.

[Syt]

According to this I'm:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22000973

Emergent service workers

Same.

Buzzfeed:

You got: Aspirational Middle-Class
Yeah, you're pretty well off and you like the finer things in life - and you're okay with people knowing that. You're ambitious, you want to be able to afford the lifestyle you feel you deserve, and you're going to do your damnedest to make sure you achieve it. If you were a holiday, it would be to a slightly nicer destination than your neighbours.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I'm "established middle class" over at the BBC and "Just Plain Old Sort-Of Middle Class" over at Buzzfeed 

[Valmy]

Buzzfeed:

You got: Traditional Working Class

You've worked hard, you're doing okay, and frankly anybody who looks down on your because your job isn't a fancy one can shove it. You're the bedrock of the country, you live a good life, and you're proud of that. If you were a vehicle, you'd be a good old Transit Van. But a nice one, not one of those old clapped out ones.

I am the bedrock of the country

[Richard Hakluyt]

There is some of that sort of thing in North America: I recall some agonizing over the "disneyfication" of Times Square in NY, and a similar moment of angst about cleaning up Yonge Street here in Toronto.

It's also the historic gay area. I feel that Soho and all who sail in her should have some sort of listed status.

Though I was overjoyed to recently see a newly opened sex shop - I mean who needs them now the internet exists.

I had some time to spare last time I came to London so took a stroll down Eversholt street (back of Euston station). It was pleasingly seedy, a couple of sex shops, a "gentleman's" club with another being refurbished and (the jewel in the crown) a shop called Transformations (for all your transvestite needs). I'll have to take a look at the wider area some time, now that Soho has blue plaque status it wouldn't surprise me if its essence moves elesewhere.

[Warspite]

There is some of that sort of thing in North America: I recall some agonizing over the "disneyfication" of Times Square in NY, and a similar moment of angst about cleaning up Yonge Street here in Toronto.

It's also the historic gay area. I feel that Soho and all who sail in her should have some sort of listed status.

Though I was overjoyed to recently see a newly opened sex shop - I mean who needs them now the internet exists.

Enjoy it while you can, in about ten to fifteen years Soho will be filled with precisely the same chain shops as everywhere else, ie another Covent Garden.

It's a shame, Soho is a lot of fun. Whenever I go out in the area I understand how it must feel for a women in a nightclub.

[Siege]

First they came for the Nazis, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Nazi.

I think there are two issues here.

One is whether we can/should restrict speech that some find offensive or objectionable - so racist, homophobic, blasphemous etc. So far I don't think there has ever been a society that has been fully free in that regard but that does not mean we should not try.

The other issue is more specific - should we restrict speech that advocates a form of government (especially brought in by force but not just that) that would remove freedom of speech. This is much more complex imo.

I am for freedom of speech for all, including jew-haters, sefardic-haters and what-not.
However I draw the line when the haters call for violence.

My fellow jews, on the other hand, fear that tolerance of any form of anti-semitic speech will lead to an spread of anti-semitism and an eventual radicalization of the haters ending in anti-jew violence. Perhaps they are right. It might be argued that the way so many people around the world feel about Israel prove them right, validating their effort to suppress anti-semitism.

American jews seem to have been somewhat effective in this campaign by succesfully culturally painting anti-semites in a negative light. However the non-jewish left have used the same cultural weapon of the media and education system to pile up their ideological enemies in the same corner with anti-semites, therefore watering down the effect of the cultural campaign. I feel this is where we are today, when the natural repulse against political correctness seems to allow anti-semites to be cool again, as long as they camouflage anti-semitims with anti-zionism/anti-israelism.

[Gups]

The British class system has got so confusing that even the British no longer understand it. I certainly have no idea which class I belong to.

I'm pretty clear that I'm upper-middle-middle, having pulled myself up by my bootstraps from lower-middle-middle. I'm very hopeful that my son might one day reach lower-upper-middle if he marries the right bird appropriate young lady.

[Valmy]

The British class system has got so confusing that even the British no longer understand it. I certainly have no idea which class I belong to.

I'm pretty clear that I'm upper-middle-middle, having pulled myself up by my bootstraps from lower-middle-middle. I'm very hopeful that my son might one day reach lower-upper-middle if he marries the right bird appropriate young lady.

Lower-upper-middle class.  That is the dream.

[Valmy]

I feel this is where we are today, when the natural repulse against political correctness seems to allow anti-semites to be cool again, as long as they camouflage anti-semitims with anti-zionism/anti-israelism.

Yep.  It really complicates things.

[Siege]

The British class system has got so confusing that even the British no longer understand it. I certainly have no idea which class I belong to.

I'm pretty clear that I'm upper-middle-middle, having pulled myself up by my bootstraps from lower-middle-middle. I'm very hopeful that my son might one day reach lower-upper-middle if he marries the right bird appropriate young lady.

Lower-upper-middle class.  That is the dream.

Fuck dat.
Upper - upper - upper. That is the dream.

[Martinus]

It seems the fact that my friends include a nurse, a secretary and a CEO caused the test software to explode.