Pork or nothing: how school dinners are dividing France

[Marr]

163. I do think that's an element of it.

But it can't possibly explain the whole thing. I mean, this kneejerk defensiveness is really widespread on the left. Like Ben Affleck on Bill Maher's show some time back-- that was one of the most high profile examples I can think of. He went absolutely apeshit about a discussion Maher was having with his guest on the topic of Islam. The guest was a prominent critic of religion generally, but he had a lot to say about Islam in particular, since it is at present more oppressive and aggressively fundamentalist, generally speaking, than any other mainstream religion.

But they couldn't even have the discussion. Affleck just kept accusing the man of being a 'racist', which was bizarre, since Islam isn't a race. He could not break out of that line of thinking. In a way, it seems like much of the left is still looking at the world through a 60's Civil Rights Era lense, and it makes them very easy to manipulate sometimes.