In a normal world, Dr. Jordan Peterson probably wouldn't be a very controversial figure. He is a psychologist and professor of psychology who has taught at both Harvard and the University of Toronto. He's certainly not a 'right-wing extremist' as so many of his critics try to categorize him. He believes in universal health care and decriminalization of drugs, among other non-conservative views. He says many things we disagree with (such as his criticism of anonymous free speech), but many things we do agree with, including the craziness of climate alarmism and gender ideology.
We'd probably put him more in a libertarian category, but he describes himself as a traditionalist and 'classical liberal.'
Is he thought-provoking? Almost always. But controversial? No, not really.
But of course, in today's world, none of that matters. If the state and its compliant media deem you controversial or a radical, then that's what you are. And such was the case with Peterson. As soon as he started espousing somewhat conservative views on topics it is forbidden to disagree with, he became an 'extremist.'
This escalated for Peterson in 2022, when he was accused of hate speech for 'deadnaming' actress Ellen Page (who now goes by Eliot, but is still a woman). Twitter suspended his account for that (he refused to delete his tweet, but regained his account after Elon Musk bought Twitter, now X). YouTube demonetized him for speaking out against 'gender-affirming care.' He ascended to a permanent high spot on the left's enemies list. This culminated in 2023 when the College of Psychologists of Ontario ordered him to undergo 'social media communication coaching' (which Peterson has accurately dubbed 're-education camp') or lose his license.
Peterson was having none of that and challenged the order by judicial review. But this being Canada, yesterday, the Appeals Court of Ontario dismissed his request for appeal (with no reason given). Not being a wilting flower by any stretch of the imagination, Peterson took to social media shortly thereafter.
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A higher court in Canada has ruled that the Ontario College of Psychologists indeed has the right to sentence me to re-education camp. There are no other legal avenues open to me now.
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) January 17, 2024
It's capitulate to the petty bureaucrats and the addle-pated woke mob or lose my professional…
The full tweet reads:
A higher court in Canada has ruled that the Ontario College of Psychologists indeed has the right to sentence me to re-education camp. There are no other legal avenues open to me now.
It's capitulate to the petty bureaucrats and the addle-pated woke mob or lose my professional licence.
Congratulations,@CPOntario!
You won this round. Mark my words, however: the war has barely started. There is nothing you can take from me that I'm unwilling to lose.
So watch out.
Seriously.
You've been warned.
Damn. Andrew Breitbart would be proud of that response.
Peterson's supporters on X were appalled, if not necessarily surprised.
This is a travesty, but not surprising. Jordan Peterson is one of the most influential thought leaders of our time and it’s no wonder that the Canadian bee hive wants him silenced. https://t.co/GJYOItthJk
— Al Tournas 🇺🇸🇮🇱⚓️🏌️♂️⛷ (@altournas) January 17, 2024
If they can force Jordan Peterson to attend a reeducation camp to right his wrongthink in order to keep his license to practice and, indeed, his job, imagine what they could subject you to for thinking the wrong way and speaking the wrong truths.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 17, 2024
Make no mistake, they’re coming… https://t.co/Qyepp0cLAV
Yes, this should terrify every Canadian. And everyone in the U.S. as well, since the left in this country would like nothing better than to silence any and all dissent.
Guilty of wrong think! Off to the reeducation camps!
— Texas Courtney (@AlaskanCourtney) January 17, 2024
I don’t care what you think of the man. This is very, very bad, and it is coming here next. https://t.co/Qr95tr8fPG
The Left is on a warpath to silence dissent.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 17, 2024
It’s very scary. Stop voting for these people. https://t.co/SxBReU9kyR
They have no idea what they’re up against, @jordanbpeterson. We support you. https://t.co/n2ViRNnKHb
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) January 17, 2024
Imagine being the 'DEI instructor' who has the unhappy task of trying to 're-educate' Peterson. We almost feel sorry for that person.
Almost.
Justin Trudeau's Canada is truly a leftist authoritarian regime now.
— Based Latinos 🇺🇸🇮🇪🇮🇱 (@BasedLatinos) January 17, 2024
It, in many ways, truly resembles a communist dictatorship.
Give 'em hell for this, Dr. Jordan Peterson. https://t.co/F2ZAV4473k
A psychologist who has actually changed the lives of millions for the better? Can't be having that in Canada. https://t.co/hC5bh0wBCm
— Lauren Southern (@Lauren_Southern) January 17, 2024
Peterson doesn't believe in telling young men that they are women, or girls that they are boys, which seems to be the only 'health care' that leftists are interested in right now.
Peterson wasn't done speaking out though. Today, he published his full response in the National Post and then posted the article on X.
My just-published response to the court decision to let the Ontario College of Psychologists proceed with no legal objection to their forced re-education plans: https://t.co/17CQCMJN71
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) January 17, 2024
The title and subtitle? 'Bureaucrats will rue the day they tried to shut me up: The petty tyrants at the College of Psychologists of Ontario have no right to force me into re-education'.
THIS is gonna be good.
Here are a couple of excerpts from the article (but we encourage you to read the entire piece).
Are you listening, Canadians? If you refuse to abide by rules so radically leftist that they would have been and were in fact eschewed until recently by the outright socialist Canadian New Democratic Party, your opinions have now become outright illegal. Present them, even think about them, at your peril.
Scary indeed.
But I think I’ll fight a little longer. Bring it on, you bloody pikers: take your next steps, bureaucrats: write me, and tell me how exactly we are to conduct my re-education. I’ll play along, find out exactly what you will do, now that you’ve been emboldened to do whatever it is that the darkest resentful demons lurking in your evil little low-level administrative hearts most truly desire, even to your own detriment.
'Bloody pikers.' ... 'Evil little low-level administrative hearts.' That's on point. We love it.
You have won the battle, minions of the deep state, faceless-for-now but not for long bureaucrat-authoritarians, but you haven’t won the war. And here is a warning, too, as is only fair: So far I have been constrained in my response to your pushing and prodding and overlord-nagging by the requirement not to compromise my efforts on the legal side. But that’s all over with, now, isn’t it? So there are no holds barred, as far as I am concerned. And it may be that you have nothing better to do with your nasty narrowly-circumscribed micromanaging bodies and souls than to cause me trouble. But we’re going to perform that dance on the international stage, with all that light shining on your machinations, and you may well come to rue the day you attempted to take possession of my tongue.
Oh, it is SO on.
By all indications, Peterson does plan to undergo the 're-education camp.' At least for a little while. And he is going to make ALL of it public.
We're guessing that he won't complete the program. First of all, there is no way he would succumb to the point that they would clear him, so they'd just end up taking his license away regardless. And secondly, we're guessing he'll get bored with it all after he's exposed enough of it.
Peterson is independently wealthy (and has several other income streams, including his work for The Daily Wire). He hasn't practiced clinical psychology since 2017. He doesn't need them to affirm his license. But if they're going to force him to do this, it is going to be a lot of fun watching him expose everything they try to 'teach' people who engage in wrongthink and wrongspeak.
And we are here for it. Go get 'em, Dr. Peterson.
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