You don't like his rhetoric? Okay, fair enough. But you also believe that his life should be completely ruined because you don't like what he said? The same thing could happen to you.
After making some antagonistic statements that have been perceived as being “antisemitic,” and which he himself has admitted are "antisemitic," Ye has faced a cancelation behemoth that only a few people have ever encountered and actually survived. Keep in mind that he's a cultural icon. For a man who has been a staple of American pop culture for the past 20 years, the widespread de-personification campaign that he has endured over the last 3 weeks is stunning. He is being censored/canceled from everything. The dire consequences that Ye is facing for his comments serve as indisputable proof that antisemitism is the gravest thought crime that one can be accused of in the Western world. It is at the top of the list ahead of anti-black racism/bigotry, “homophobia,” “transphobia,” misogyny, “xenophobia,” and other similar labels that can get you canceled in America and other Western countries. The punitive actions taken against Ye are a stern warning for anyone who would dare to make similar statements.
Let's be clear. Ye is all over the place. He's always been volatile. He made some valid comments. But he also made some very stupid comments. He has chosen the path of being a firebrand, so pushback was to be expected. But it is the severity of the punishment that he is receiving that raises eyebrows. Thus far, Ye has been booted from JPMorgan. He’s been dropped by Adidas, Balenciaga, Gap, TJ Maxx, and Vogue. He was temporarily banned from Instagram and is still restricted on Twitter. He’s been blackballed from the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Fox News, Foot Locker, Skechers, Peloton, The Daily Wire, and the United Talent Agency. Ye’s pockets have been hit so hard that he’s even been dropped from the Forbes list since he is technically not a billionaire anymore. After being labeled as an antisemite, his net worth has dropped by at least 50%.
In the last few weeks, Ye has said some true things and he has also said some things that aren’t true. There are a lot of powerful Jewish individuals in music, media, and fashion. That’s a fact. However, the level of control that they have is debatable. That’s where the conversation begins. Ye is not an intellectual titan. He’s a rapper who has dipped his toe, unprepared, into controversial political and historical topics that he doesn’t have a full grasp of. But whatever. If people disagree with him, then they can refute him. It’s not that hard. They can push back on him without labeling him an “antisemite” and attempting to completely silence him. At least Lex Fridman made an attempt to have a difficult conversation with Ye. Even though what Ye is saying is not well thought out, he should be allowed to ruffle some feathers in America without the fear of financial annihilation and character assassination.
If individual people who are mad at him decide not to buy his shoes or decide to stop listening to his music, then that’s fair. If he takes a financial hit for that, then that’s fine. That’s how it should be. But entire institutions are waging war against him. That’s a different animal. It is the institutional effort to destroy him that raises questions. It shows evidence of collusion. Ye is a self-made man and a musical icon. It’s not right that he can’t participate in our society because he has opinions that lie on the fringe of what is considered acceptable dialogue. He has not committed a crime. He’s not a sex offender or some kind of creep.
Be careful what you wish for. I believe in karma. Praying for someone’s destruction can sometimes bring bad energy back on you. “Cancel culture” is a problem because anyone can be a victim of it at any time. For example, if something unsavory about your past resurfaces some day, you could end up like Ye. We’ve seen many people lose their jobs over spicy Tweets that they sent out 10 years ago. Cancel culture will eat you alive. In the end, nobody is spared once the ball starts rolling. It makes perfect sense that Jewish people would be angry at Ye because he called them out directly. Their anger is warranted. However, temperance is needed. "Cancel mob" mentality is dangerous. Cheering on his destruction is dangerous because like I just said, the same thing can happen to you. If you get accused of sexual assault and enough people rally behind those accusations, then you could have your life ruined even if you’re innocent. What goes around comes around. We live in a country in which 99% of the population don’t have true power, which means that if you upset the people who are in power, then you can get crushed just like Ye.
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