Cathy Young:

This is a familiar argument: It’s really the critics of “political correctness” who want to suppress speech.

It’s also ridiculous. Of course Shriver doesn’t want to suppress negative reviews of her books. There’s a massive difference between criticism and “callouts.” Criticism is an individual opinion; callouts are groupthink. Criticism is a judgment primarily focused, in the case of art and literature, on artistic and intellectual merit. Callouts are an expression of offense, moral judgment and condemnation, delivered on behalf of a purported righteous community or collective. Criticism says, “This is bad.” The callout says, “This should not exist.” The response to “cultural appropriation” and other ideological offenses that has come to dominate much of the left-of-center media in the last few years is not criticism; it’s public shaming and pillorying. Its tone is scarily reminiscent of campaigns against ideological transgressors in the Soviet press.

Nothing needs to be added to that.