What to make of William Shatner’s ongoing Twitter battle against Social Justice Warriors?

The tweet storm has been raging for more than a day now, so here are some samples that should give you an inkling of the taste of the overall entree.

All of that is true. I also use words like snowflake and misandry. What's your point sunshine? All of that is true. I also use words like snowflake and misandry. What's your point sunshine? https://t.co/3Z0Zj1USIX — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 31, 2017

And this is your failure of logic. SJWs stand for inequality, where they are superior to any one else hence my use of Misandry and Snowflake And this is your failure of logic. SJWs stand for inequality, where they are superior to any one else hence my use of Misandry and Snowflake https://t.co/8uBGuFFM7a — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 31, 2017

Actually if you think that SJW is a political statement you probably need to go read up. Actually if you think that SJW is a political statement you probably need to go read up. https://t.co/24RRvIML9N — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 31, 2017

SJW's can have political views but it's usually where they need to be superior in socio-economic terms. SJW's can have political views but it's usually where they need to be superior in socio-economic terms. https://t.co/lLfPj6w6gV — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 31, 2017

Sorry that some of you don't like the use of inequality would you rather I said they prefer to have things in their favor and not equal? — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 31, 2017

And that's a wonderful definition but not a mirror of actual reality. And that's a wonderful definition but not a mirror of actual reality. https://t.co/TbFJY0BzAc — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 31, 2017

Why is it that SJW's think they can align themselves with those that demanded social reform in the 60's? Why is it that SJW's think they can align themselves with those that demanded social reform in the 60's? https://t.co/6CRVzawgLG — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 31, 2017

http://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/891877810813362177

http://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/892020414058078208

http://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/891878654979874816

Clearly, Shatner has violated his own self-proclaimed “no politics” rule when it comes to tweeting. But who cares? That’s semantical.

What’s more interesting is the question raised by Shatner of whether individuals who support left-wing views on social justice issues are advocating one group’s superiority over another, as opposed to supporting equality. There’s debate over whether Shatner is betraying his own ’60s-era belief in social justice issues, one that famously culminated in his sharing the first American televised interracial kiss between himself and African American actress Nichelle Nichols.

Regarding his claims about so-called “SJWs” wanting superiority instead of equality, it is worth noting that his line of reasoning sounds an awful lot like the tripe you tend to find on Reddit. This is, most likely, not a coincidence.

Back in 2013, Shatner Back in 2013, Shatner publicly described his own experiences on Reddit , at the time denouncing the website for its “immature, horrifically racist, sexist, homophobic, ethnic… etc.. posts that are just ignored here.” He also criticized it on the grounds that “by allowing these children to run rampant and post whatever they feel will cause the most collateral damage if Reddit is biting off it’s own nose in taking that step to become a mainstream community.”

Four years later — in the period following not only the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, but also the reactionary backlashes against diversity in everything from video games to the “Ghostbusters” and “Star Wars” franchises — it seems that Shatner’s critique has become tragically prescient. He was wrong in suspecting that Reddit and other social-media users would lose out on their ability to become mainstream by allowing “racist and other hate mongers to group, congregate, incite and spread their hatred.” Instead those sites took the reactionary bile being spewed by its most vociferous members and brought it with them into the mainstream, with grievous social consequences.