“Cancelling Cancel Culture” is a gathering of significant voices from countries on both sides of the Atlantic, including Laurence Fox, Professor Frank Furedi and Douglas Murray from the U.K., Dr. James Lindsay, Rod Dreher, Charles Cooke, and Dave Rubin from the U.S., Eric Tegnér and Eric Zemmour from France, Professor Ryszard Legutko from Poland, Professor Josette Baer from Switzerland and pop star Akos of Hungary.

All over the Western world, speakers who hold unpopular views - that is, views unpopular with the Left - are being told that they cannot speak.  Sometimes they are dismissed by the companies for which they work.  Sometimes their articles are accepted by newspapers but then returned because some journalists on the paper object.  Sometimes they are physically attacked and injured.  There’s been a reluctance to accept that these things are happening, but they are.
That’s why we’ve brought together this group of distinguished academics, journalists, and artists from several countries to discuss this disturbing new trend.

In Part Nine, we feature Dave Rubin who will provide commentary and then be joined in the discussion by those guest speakers who gathered in Budapest.  Rubin began his career as a stand-up comedian and continues to perform throughout the United States, utilizing his voice to highlight the absurdities of the country's increasingly polarized political landscape. He accompanied Jordan Peterson on an international speaking tour where they addressed hundreds of thousands of people across three continents.

In an effort to combat Big Tech censorship, Rubin founded Locals.com, a subscription-based digital platform that empowers creators to be independent by giving them control over their content and data. Dave’s first book, Don’t Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason, was a New York Times bestseller. His second book is due for release by Penguin Random House in April 2022. Rubin currently resides in Los Angeles with his husband David Janet and their rescue dog, Clyde.

Respondents are listed below:
Charles C. W. Cooke is a senior writer for National Review and the former editor of National Review Online. He is a graduate of the University of Oxford, at which he studied modern history and politics. His work has focused especially on Anglo-American history, British liberty, free speech, the Second Amendment, and American exceptionalism. He is the co-host of the Mad Dogs and Englishmen podcast and is a regular guest on HBO's (Real Time with Bill Maher). He has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.

Rod Dreher is a writer of non-fiction books and senior editor at The American Conservative magazine. His writing focuses on the intersections among religion, culture, and politics. Dreher has been a columnist for the New York Post, the Dallas Morning News, and National Review, among other publications. His books include three New York Times bestsellers The Benedict Option (2017) and The Little Way of Ruthie Leming (2013), and the current international bestseller Live Not By Lies as well as volumes on topics as diverse as Dante Alighieri, and traditional conservatism in the modern world. He lives in his native south Louisiana with his wife and children and is an Orthodox Christian. 

Ákos Kovács has been producing chart-topping hits and albums for 30 years, headlining all major festivals in Hungary & filling arenas all over the country. Accumulated sales of his albums are more than one and a half million copies in a nation of 10 million. His movement-like cult following has its core in the 30-40-year-old age group. He directed and filmed several videoclips, has written theater music and a soundtrack for the House of Terror Museum. He also writes poetry, he published five books of his poems. He was awarded the highest state honors, the Kossuth Prize in 2012. He received his MBA degree at Budapest University of Economic Sciences in 1992. He is the father of four children.

Ryszard Legutko,  academic, philosopher, politician, and author, Professor Legutko is the Professor of Philosophy at Jagellonian University in Krakow, Poland where he specializes in ancient philosophy and political theory. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament from Poland and is Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformist parliamentary group.  He has held several elected as well as appointed offices including a Member of the Polish Senate where he served as  Deputy Speaker, former  Education Minister, and former Secretary of State in the Chancellery of  President Kaczyński. He is the author of numerous commentaries and books including Plato’s Critique of Democracy (1990), Toleration (1997), A Treatise on Liberty (2007),  An Essay on the Polish Soul (2008), Socrates (2013), The Demon in Democracy-Totalitarian Temptations in Free Societies (2016) which led one critic to refer to him as a “political prophet”. His latest book is The Cunning of Freedom: Saving the Self in an Age of False Idols; Encounter Books 2021. He is the former editor of Solidarity’s official journal of philosophy, one of several editors of former Samizdat quarterly ARKA, during the Soviet era, and has the distinction of being sued under  Human Rights statutes by youths supported by the Helsinki Foundation, for calling them “unruly brats” after they demanded the removal of the crucifixes from the school buildings. He lost his case in Poland's Supreme Court.                                       

Erik Tegnér is a French reporter and founder of the French conservative media outfit, “Livre Noir”.  He is also the co-founder of the “Convention of the Right” in France, created with Marion Maréchal and Eric Zemmour.  He is producing a documentary about Hungary and the Orban government.

John O’Sullivan, CBE  is President of the Danube Institute, editor-at-large of National Review, and editor of Australia's Quadrant, and executive editor of The Pipeline. He is the co-founder of the International Reagan Thatcher Society. He has served in the past as associate editor of the London Times, editorial and op-ed editor for Canada's National Post, editor of National Review, and special adviser to Margaret Thatcher. He is the author of “The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World”.

This is a production of the Danube Institute and introduced by Danube Institute president, John O’Sullivan.