The "left" is no more immune to controlling thought than the right -- just look at China or the USSR

The danger is authoritarianism and centralisation, and in terms of centralisation big tech companies like Spotify have in spades. You could also feasibly argue they're authoritarian as no-one outside the company can influence policy outside of free market forces, but centralisation can make these companies somewhat immune to said forces, for instance Spotify being the exclusive distributor of Joe Rogan podcasts means those interested in his content have no choice but to continue using Spotify, even though some of his podcasts have been removed.

I had this crisis several years ago with the whole "Jordan Peterson controversy". I found myself listening to a man who told me how to get out of my depression when everyone around me thought he was an evil bad man, but they were all miserable people who definitely didn't help. So I stopped hanging out with them. My life got objectively better, too. I wouldn't consider myself a Jordan Peterson fanatic, but that was when I really realized I wasn't whatever the "left" wanted me to be.

> In fact, I have to wonder what it is that I "am" anymore.

I have gone through a similar transition since the summer of 2020.

Why do you think Spotify removed the podcasts?