What free speech had back then was a sense of shame, that is to say that there were things people would not say in front of their mothers.

Them being shamed into not saying things was not ‘cancel culture’ but just plain decency.

The public figures complaining about being ‘cancelled’ just want the right to insult, disrespect and inflict prejudice on whoever they like without consequence.

It is not Stalinist to want to eradicate sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, ableism and intolerance from society.