I like your writing, generally speaking—it's witty, sharp, insightful. But I'm not impressed here.
The setup to this piece had promise. You put Greta Thunberg and Andrew Tate into dialogue; great, my ears pricked up. But then you just went on about Progressive Activists—Greta, woke, etc.—not mentioning any reactionaries steering conversations. Where is Tate?
Why is Nigel Farage one of the most-invited panelists on BBC Question Time, by some margin? Why are all the top five most-invited non-politician BBC QT guests in 2014-2023 as follows: Isabel Oakeshott (13—Spectator, Daily Mail, GB News, Talk TV); Julia Hartley-Brewer (13—Spectator, Telegraph, Talk Radio/Talk TV); Kate Andrews (12—IEA/ Spectator); Tim Stanley (12—Telegraph/Spectator); Camilla Tominey (10—Express/ Telegraph Spectator)...?
You're imposing what, as far as I can tell, amounts to social science horoscope categories onto your pre-existing worldview. It's MBTI revamped. Then, since you're claiming—without bringing in further evidence, beyond the admittedly humorous anecdotes—that this Greta-esque minority actually rules the world, surely you have to account for things like Question Time appearances. Right-wing pundits on TV might be activists, but they're certainly not progressives.
Maybe your worldview's changed since you wrote this, or the world itself has changed and Trump 2.0 happened, and maybe you're smugly pleased that we don't have to "pander to minorities anymore" or whatever. But guess what: wages are still suck, the housing crisis hasn't vanished, and Americans are struggling to raise a family on three jobs, let alone one wage.
Yes, 'woke' capitalism is rather pathetic and jarring. No, the corporations don't really care. But your oh-so free-minded critique of companies paying bare-minimal lip service to their statutory obligations not to discriminate in hiring and HR practices is yawn-inducing. Recall why those laws had to be introduced in the first place—note also how many disappeared this year...
(see: Here Are All The Companies Rolling Back DEI Programs — Forbes)
You're historically shortsighted, nay blind, if you believe that anti-racism was an "obvious, universal" sentiment until recently in either the UK or USA. The police, the courts, the housing system, the job market—all revealed patterns of systemic marginalisation of minorities which persist today. Not to mention the BUF, National Front, KKK, etc., and daily attitudes besides. I'd press that it's still far from universal: see, for example, the 33:1 coverage of killed Israelis on the BBC versus killed Palestinians, and language used to describe each respectively. If anti-discrimination is "obvious, universal" as you say, and you don't think that the Progressive Activists of the Civil Rights campaigns in the UK as much as the USA—not to mention anti-apartheid or the feminist movement—are to thank for it, you're tapped.
I'd like to believe that you're genuinely convinced that anti-discriminatory sentiment is universal and obvious to the rest of the world as—I hope—it is to you personally. But I'm here to tell you that no, sadly, it's not. And much as reactionaries everywhere would like to pretend otherwise, Progressive Activists don't rule the world—hence the draining, often unrewarding *activism*.
I hope that clears things up here. Anyway, keep to the wit. Just skip the shit.
The local council in Bellevue Hill here in Sydney has decided to erect a little extra sign just under the street signs for my road. This secondary street sign point down the relevant thoroughfare stating "racism not welcome here".
IS the assumption that we need to be told this because otherwise racism would thrive in the very affluent corner of SYdney? One wonders how much money was wasted in this performative claptrap. But it's the same all over the world.
I'm trying to figure out how this very "woke" group that you mention became this century's biggest warmongers and champions of the surveillance state. All in a few short years. Too much screen time? Too much Pentagon propaganda inserted into video games and streaming services?
Thank you for this article. It reminds me of why I am constantly annoyed by the yard signs, with rainbow colors, stating ‘all are welcome here’. What the hell does that even mean? That, ‘all are *not* welcome’ at homes who don’t display that sign? It’s all so ridiculously stupid that I can’t stand it.
OK. I can socially tolerate people who are ignorant, stupid, obese, loud, arrogant, dishonest, delusional, and aggressive. Just don't tell me I have to like or respect them. And if such people attempt to evangelise their qualities at me, I regard this as a declaration of micro-war and I take no prisoners.
The State, and The Elites, are allowing this sort of tyranny of the minority because it does not affect their power. In fact, they are able to co-opt it to gain more power and control. Usually in the name of "disinformation" and their desire to control it.
Meanwhile, the corporatization of everything continues to run amok, as Big Media/Big Government/Big Tech consolidate power and influence.
One of the writers below pointed out that Bolshevik means majority. Actually it means biggest group or movement. They were one of the smallest , though, in the constellation of groups opposing the Czar and the Russian system, but they were the most ruthless and violent, even more so than the anarchists. The Nazis took power in Germany in '33 with less than a third of the vote, but like the communists to the east, were the most violent and murderous group there, using the Reichstag fire in '33, set by one Dutch communist, to seize power throughout Germany, very much the same as the Uniparty is using 6 Jan 21 to do so here. My point is that even though they are a small slice of the population all over the Western democracies, these people are totalitarians and have no moral basis to anything they do: it's all about their own power and aggrandizement. That's why they have to be opposed everywhere and about everything.
Chris Bray recommended I read this post. While reading I decided to confess a personal secret. I earned an economics degree at a top university in the US but just recently learned that Bolshevik means "majority".
It's a religion of the Uber Woke and Always Aggrieved. Unlike Christianity which has forgiveness as one of its biggest tenets, this Uber Woke religion has no forgiveness, but requires you to pay for your sins.
I like your writing, generally speaking—it's witty, sharp, insightful. But I'm not impressed here.
The setup to this piece had promise. You put Greta Thunberg and Andrew Tate into dialogue; great, my ears pricked up. But then you just went on about Progressive Activists—Greta, woke, etc.—not mentioning any reactionaries steering conversations. Where is Tate?
Why is Nigel Farage one of the most-invited panelists on BBC Question Time, by some margin? Why are all the top five most-invited non-politician BBC QT guests in 2014-2023 as follows: Isabel Oakeshott (13—Spectator, Daily Mail, GB News, Talk TV); Julia Hartley-Brewer (13—Spectator, Telegraph, Talk Radio/Talk TV); Kate Andrews (12—IEA/ Spectator); Tim Stanley (12—Telegraph/Spectator); Camilla Tominey (10—Express/ Telegraph Spectator)...?
You're imposing what, as far as I can tell, amounts to social science horoscope categories onto your pre-existing worldview. It's MBTI revamped. Then, since you're claiming—without bringing in further evidence, beyond the admittedly humorous anecdotes—that this Greta-esque minority actually rules the world, surely you have to account for things like Question Time appearances. Right-wing pundits on TV might be activists, but they're certainly not progressives.
Maybe your worldview's changed since you wrote this, or the world itself has changed and Trump 2.0 happened, and maybe you're smugly pleased that we don't have to "pander to minorities anymore" or whatever. But guess what: wages are still suck, the housing crisis hasn't vanished, and Americans are struggling to raise a family on three jobs, let alone one wage.
Yes, 'woke' capitalism is rather pathetic and jarring. No, the corporations don't really care. But your oh-so free-minded critique of companies paying bare-minimal lip service to their statutory obligations not to discriminate in hiring and HR practices is yawn-inducing. Recall why those laws had to be introduced in the first place—note also how many disappeared this year...
(see: Here Are All The Companies Rolling Back DEI Programs — Forbes)
You're historically shortsighted, nay blind, if you believe that anti-racism was an "obvious, universal" sentiment until recently in either the UK or USA. The police, the courts, the housing system, the job market—all revealed patterns of systemic marginalisation of minorities which persist today. Not to mention the BUF, National Front, KKK, etc., and daily attitudes besides. I'd press that it's still far from universal: see, for example, the 33:1 coverage of killed Israelis on the BBC versus killed Palestinians, and language used to describe each respectively. If anti-discrimination is "obvious, universal" as you say, and you don't think that the Progressive Activists of the Civil Rights campaigns in the UK as much as the USA—not to mention anti-apartheid or the feminist movement—are to thank for it, you're tapped.
I'd like to believe that you're genuinely convinced that anti-discriminatory sentiment is universal and obvious to the rest of the world as—I hope—it is to you personally. But I'm here to tell you that no, sadly, it's not. And much as reactionaries everywhere would like to pretend otherwise, Progressive Activists don't rule the world—hence the draining, often unrewarding *activism*.
I hope that clears things up here. Anyway, keep to the wit. Just skip the shit.
(See that BBC QT analysis here: https://theconversation.com/bbc-question-time-analysis-of-guests-over-nine-years-suggests-an-overuse-of-rightwing-voices-232315#:~:text=The%20Nigel%20Farage%2Dled%20parties%20Ukip%2C%20the%20Brexit,on%20panellists%20who%20shine%20in%20the%20combative )
The local council in Bellevue Hill here in Sydney has decided to erect a little extra sign just under the street signs for my road. This secondary street sign point down the relevant thoroughfare stating "racism not welcome here".
IS the assumption that we need to be told this because otherwise racism would thrive in the very affluent corner of SYdney? One wonders how much money was wasted in this performative claptrap. But it's the same all over the world.
I'm trying to figure out how this very "woke" group that you mention became this century's biggest warmongers and champions of the surveillance state. All in a few short years. Too much screen time? Too much Pentagon propaganda inserted into video games and streaming services?
'spring through the floorboards'
'pseudish academics'
Priceless.
Thank you for this article. It reminds me of why I am constantly annoyed by the yard signs, with rainbow colors, stating ‘all are welcome here’. What the hell does that even mean? That, ‘all are *not* welcome’ at homes who don’t display that sign? It’s all so ridiculously stupid that I can’t stand it.
The great irony of 'non-judgementalism' is that it is, by definition, judgemental.
'I don't judge anyone' is making a judgement! Bizarre world.
Thank you for reading.
Chris Bray recommended this, you're like a British version of him! At last! Love the skit on Harry and Meghan 😂😂😂 thanks for this, very relatable 👍
I am urged to respect and embrace everybody.
OK. I can socially tolerate people who are ignorant, stupid, obese, loud, arrogant, dishonest, delusional, and aggressive. Just don't tell me I have to like or respect them. And if such people attempt to evangelise their qualities at me, I regard this as a declaration of micro-war and I take no prisoners.
The State, and The Elites, are allowing this sort of tyranny of the minority because it does not affect their power. In fact, they are able to co-opt it to gain more power and control. Usually in the name of "disinformation" and their desire to control it.
Meanwhile, the corporatization of everything continues to run amok, as Big Media/Big Government/Big Tech consolidate power and influence.
Beautifully and brilliantly written; thank you. Sadly, only too relatable as well.
It is actually less than 1%. So why are we allowing this? Nobody wants to be called "racist."
This world is many Seinfeld episodes.
"is like revealing one doesn’t shit on a bus seat in full view of other passengers. That one is anti-shitting-in-public."
Are you kink-shaming? Bigot.
/sarc
One of the writers below pointed out that Bolshevik means majority. Actually it means biggest group or movement. They were one of the smallest , though, in the constellation of groups opposing the Czar and the Russian system, but they were the most ruthless and violent, even more so than the anarchists. The Nazis took power in Germany in '33 with less than a third of the vote, but like the communists to the east, were the most violent and murderous group there, using the Reichstag fire in '33, set by one Dutch communist, to seize power throughout Germany, very much the same as the Uniparty is using 6 Jan 21 to do so here. My point is that even though they are a small slice of the population all over the Western democracies, these people are totalitarians and have no moral basis to anything they do: it's all about their own power and aggrandizement. That's why they have to be opposed everywhere and about everything.
Danny Huckabee
Chris Bray recommended I read this post. While reading I decided to confess a personal secret. I earned an economics degree at a top university in the US but just recently learned that Bolshevik means "majority".
It's a religion of the Uber Woke and Always Aggrieved. Unlike Christianity which has forgiveness as one of its biggest tenets, this Uber Woke religion has no forgiveness, but requires you to pay for your sins.
It's very frustrating to get wagged by the tail.