The title of this post is a question I’ve asked myself for a while. I’m a semi-regular reader of the site and to be perfectly upfront, as a conservative. I find the attacks against the online magazine without merit. What I have seen, is a lot of different articles and essays on various topics that range from history, to psychology and sociology, to physical science, and of course, politics. There’s a varied list of authors and I don’t actually believe I would be able to determine, in general, the ideology of any authors. Of course there are some that seem to lean to the right, as well as there are those that may lean left; Overall though, I think Quillette provides a venue for various points of view on a multitude of topics. It’s why I enjoy the site as I do.

So what’s the problem? Is it that Quillette publishes these varied opinions by, mostly, studied and accredited authors? Is it a terrible idea to have multiple opinions on a topic discussed, even debated? It seems that way with at least some people. I don’t agree with everything I’ve read there, and sometimes, whether I think the essay leaned left or right, that the author may be pursuing an agenda. What i like about the site though, is that I’m able, with a single click, to go to a place where I am able to view, read, understand (hopefully), those various thoughts that I would have to work at during the day over multiple websites to consume.

I really think its because Quillette has become popular with those in academia, as well as many other professions, and  that angers those on the far left. They may no longer enjoy a monopoly on opinion. So instead of applauding the site, it’s heavily criticized as being either conservative or far-right. Far from being either, in my opinion, Quillette provides it’s readers those varied opinions, that I already mentioned. Many that have contributed have been attacked online. That’s a shame. It seems as if those contributors don’t fall into the leftist, paranoid, view of the world, they must be fascists, or worse.

That’s insulting to me, the consumer. It should be to anyone that supports not only free speech, but the idea that there may only be one, single, opinion. I won’t speak for anyone else, but I find it refreshing to me to have a place to go where all voices (reasoned) are welcome.

We live in a time now where there are some that refuse to accept that their view is not the only one, not the correct one. This is an authoritarian view that is finally being seen for what it is and should be shunned by any and all that seek open and honest discussion. I think that Quillette, because of the backlash from the left, has prospered from support from the right. Claire Lehmann may not appreciate that, (I have no idea), but I’d like to think she doesn’t care one way or the other. That this site garners hundreds of thousands of views a month (millions?) should be enough.