# Who is Tanya Cohen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 18, 2015, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972 "2015-10-18T02:09:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/41 "2015-10-19T03:54:38Z")
Actually, no, _War of the Worlds_ was clearly introduced _as a drama_, not as a real news show. How many actually tuned in after the introduction and believed they were listening to a real broadcast is a separate issue of some mythology … likely actually relatively few. As to the latter point … so you support limiting the Free Speech of others to some degree? Certainly if it becomes what you would consider harassment. Let’s now clarify what sort of Free Speech _you_ would limit. What sort of threats? The sort of threats that “progressives” use are generally threats of boycott or visible protest. Are those forbidden? Why do you limit the publication of truthful information about others done as a form of speech? Here’s the thing that annoys me: many of all stripes are in favor of free speech, so long as free speech means the freedom for them to say what they want. When it comes to the freedom of others to say that which they do not want to hear … not so much so. Burning an American flag is, for example, a sort of speech that I find objectionable, and many more conservative than I am much more so. While a progressive might protest someone’s speech that they do not like, or boycott a business, the conservative response to speech they did not like was a very popular movement to make the burning of the flag against the law: Free Speech so long as it is something I want to hear. The difference is significant. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/42 "2015-10-19T03:59:12Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Was War of The Worlds presented as a real news show? No. > [@](#): > > I guess so. Unless the counter speech becomes harassment – like threats, doxing, stalking. Or impersonation and other fraud, just so we can get all the sins this supposed ‘defender of free speech’ committed. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/43 "2015-10-19T04:32:12Z")
[QUOTE=DSeid] Let’s now clarify what sort of Free Speech _you_ would limit. What sort of threats? The sort of threats that “progressives” use are generally threats of boycott or visible protest. Are those forbidden? Why do you limit the publication of truthful information about others done as a form of speech? Here’s the thing that annoys me: many of all stripes are in favor of free speech, so long as free speech means the freedom for them to say what they want. When it comes to the freedom of others to say that which they do not want to hear … not so much so. [/QUOTE] Definitely, many or most people would be happy to have unlimited freedom for themselves rather then for others. Definitely, there are still many grey areas in what constitutes Free Speech versus harassment. Many practices, like pressuring major media sources not to publish some things are de facto censorship. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/44 "2015-10-19T04:35:45Z")
Reminds me of this Orson Scott Card essay where he makes up a story that Obama is going to recruit inner city gang members into a paramilitary police force answering only to him and declare himself dictator for life. And then he says that the story isn’t true, or course. But the fact that the story sounds like to could be true proves that Obama is a fascist, because if he weren’t a fascist we’d think the story was ridiculous, but since the story doesn’t seem ridiculous to Card it just goes to show how awful Obama is. True story. I mean, that Card wrote the essay. [http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2013-05-09-1.html](http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2013-05-09-1.html) ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/45 "2015-10-19T04:40:29Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Reminds me of this Orson Scott Card essay where he makes up a story that Obama is going to recruit inner city gang members into a paramilitary police force answering only to him and declare himself dictator for life. And then he says that the story isn’t true, or course. But the fact that the story sounds like to could be true proves that Obama is a fascist, because if he weren’t a fascist we’d think the story was ridiculous, but since the story doesn’t seem ridiculous to Card it just goes to show how awful Obama is. > > True story. I mean, that Card wrote the essay. [http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2013-05-09-1.html](http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2013-05-09-1.html) Interesting. There are many visions of Dystopia. One of them is 1984 by George Orwell. I have also written a few Dystopia stories – USA in 2060 or World at the end of the century. These are Grand Ideas – for great minds. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/46 "2015-10-19T04:54:47Z")
You and Rush Limbaugh, CCitizen, great minds exploring great ideas. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/47 "2015-10-19T04:57:11Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > You and Rush Limbaugh, CCitizen, great minds exploring great ideas. I am nobody. Rush Limbaugh is a successful and talented radio host. Joshua Goldberg may become a genius if he is not sentenced to a long time. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/48 "2015-10-19T05:13:46Z")
Do you think that actual life experience may temper your view of genius and free speech and talent? ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/49 "2015-10-19T05:18:21Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Do you think that actual life experience may temper your view of genius and free speech and talent? I do not know much about offline life. But Joshua Goldberg seems to have very much energy and talent. Unfortunately he broke the law. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/50 "2015-10-19T05:27:09Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I have also written a few Dystopia stories – USA in 2060 or World at the end of the century. > > These are Grand Ideas – for great minds. Oh drats!! ☹ And I was hoping you could share a couple of 'em. Can you dumb 'em down a bit and summarize some here? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/51 "2015-10-19T10:52:53Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I am nobody. Rush Limbaugh is a successful and talented radio host. Joshua Goldberg may become a genius if he is not sentenced to a long time. Many world changing works of literature were written in prison. Goldberg may well have the opportunity to record his struggle if he does serve a long sentence. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/52 "2015-10-19T11:58:39Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I apologize to any progressive who believes in Free Speech. You could save hundreds on car insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/53 "2015-10-19T13:15:01Z")
There needs to be a pit thread for a certain poster with Asperger’s. I am too lazy to do it, but it’s overdue. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/54 "2015-10-19T13:25:03Z")
No. Don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/55 "2015-10-19T14:11:20Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Many liberals would claim that the Tanya Cohen character never existed and Joshua Goldberg is a fraud. In my opinion, this is not exactly true. Tanya Cohen is not a lonely radical – she lives inside millions of liberals. Is it true? No. If it were true, it would not have been necessary to make it up. In short, you were fooled. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/56 "2015-10-19T14:23:24Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > No. If it were true, it would not have been necessary to make it up. > > In short, you were fooled. No,_he_ wasn’t fooled. He is advocating that the ends justify the means-If it fools others into hating liberals, all to the good. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/57 "2015-10-19T14:32:08Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I do not know much about offline life. But Joshua Goldberg seems to have very much energy and talent. Unfortunately he broke the law. What did he do that was worthy of admiration? What is his talent? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/58 "2015-10-19T17:12:29Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > You make me wish this was in the Pit, too. You make me wish this was in the Pit, too. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/59 "2015-10-19T19:08:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > There is no liberal named Tanya Cohen. Tanya Cohen was made up by Joshua Goldberg. She doesn’t live inside millions of liberals. She lives inside a conservative’s imagination of what liberals are like. QFT. At best, the conservative writer takes one casual encounter with one particularly shrill liberal and holds it up as exemplary of the breed. And at that point, it hardly makes a difference in terms of persuasiveness to anyone with an ounce of skepticism whether the shrill liberal actually existed or was a figment of the writer’s imagination, but it goes from being an intellectual sin to a moral sin on the writer’s part if the latter is true. And we liberals don’t need to make up random conservatives, when we’ve got the remarks of plenty of nutty Republican Presidential candidates and members of Congress to choose from. It’s a target-rich environment. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972/60 "2015-10-19T19:32:14Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Many world changing works of literature were written in prison. Goldberg may well have the opportunity to record his struggle if he does serve a long sentence. Not really – he seems to be a computer genius. Of course he did break the law which is wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-tanya-cohen/734972.md?page=4)