[rubecube]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

They are hostile to the liberal (in the classical sense) values of skepticism, empiricism, and tolerance of the widest freedom of expression.

I don't think you'd find many people on the radical left that would disagree with this, save for your assertions on skepticism.

And if you do challenge an irrational or unfounded statement by a social justice warrior, the only possible explanation in their mind is that you're a bigot, so any attempt at a rational discussion is quashed with the classic tactic of poisoning the well.

Yep, I'd say this is pretty common on both sides of the spectrum though. On the left, you're a bigot or a Big [insert industry] shill. On the right, you're a naive, bleeding-heart, socialist, who doesn't understand how the REAL world works.

And I say that as someone whose beliefs on all of the core left/right issues falls in line with the left. Being an atheist in favor of gay marriage, gun control, pro-choice, and public health care hasn't stopped SJWs from leaping on me like the pack of hounds from Animal Farm when I demonstrate a troubling skepticism about some article of leftist dogma.

Maybe in your experience that's the case, but the type of dogpiling from the left pales in comparison to the outright criminal harassment feminists, PoCs, queer-advocates, etc., receive from radical right-wingers and libertarians.