the notion that if you censor people they'll just stop existing is almost criminally ignorant, it actually ensures that their ideas remain as it doesn't change anyone's mind. quite the contrary, it reinforces that they are right and the censor is evil.

Exactly. Think about Milo Yanapahowever you spell his name. Banned on Twitter like 4 or 5 years ago. He made some jokes about feminists and trannies or something and they cancelled him. I always thought he was kind of annoying before but I bought his "Dangerous" book after that haha.