Reality dawns on (some) lefties

In a world of echo-chamber opinion-forming, it's always important to keep up with What The Other Side Thinks.  My go-to for what is sometimes called the 'Movement Left'** is Novara Media, a fairly businesslike collective containing its rag-bag share of humourless, mulish identitarians but also some very intelligent people, occasionally with sufficient of an empirical bent to pay attention when it really becomes obvious they are barking up the wrong tree, doctrine or no doctrine.  The recent US election can have that effect on people.

By way of an end-of-year review, their three leading lights (Bastani, Sarkar & Walker) put out this video which I commend to you.  Note in particular the second main section - "Did 'Woke' Die in 2024?" - starting around 25 minutes in.  It contains some pretty trenchant critique of a lot of stuff their general political tendencies would have strongly inclined them towards fairly unreflectively in the past, as they pretty much admit.  Marks the (grudging) acknowledgement of a lost battle in the culture war, I'd say.

The best critiques of those baleful leftist manifestations often come from the more intelligent & reflective corners of the Left itself.  I can also suggest Brian Leiter and Adolph Reed (both American) for more of the same.  Self-professed Marxists all - but smart with it, and contemptuous of what richly deserves contempt.  (Kathleen Stock ditto, but I'm not sure she's a Marxist.)

ND

UPDATE - here's an infinitely more verbose capitulation from the same stable.  Much less honest (1,000 fancy words on "well, of course I never fell for it"), and much funnier, albeit unintentional.  But boy, some of these lefties can't half go on.  You'll pick up some new words, too - if you can struggle through it. 

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** Roughly speaking, comfortably elitist middle-class leftists outside of regular party politics, mostly youngish & protest-oriented, generally woke and prone to 'language-/ thought-policing' - and thus also inevitably further left than anything as boring as Labour itself. 

Conspiracy theories run amok: and a nice Russian turn of phrase

Oh dear oh dear.  Perusing current US social meejah material - of both left and right this time, strongly suggests we need some kind of gullibility text to qualify for the franchise.  Sure as Hell, there's a heap of unanswered & genuine questions out there - but that doesn't stop people rushing in with Man-from-Mars theories of a pretty scary kind.

In the middle of all of this, there are plenty of Russian spectators online too, wondering with the rest of us what to make of it all.  Here's one with nicely-chosen phrasing - typical sardonic Russian stuff, always ready with a colourful idiom: 

In our opinion, hitting exactly the top of the ear with a bullet from an assault rifle from a distance of 130 meters, killing and wounding civilians, and then going to the next world yourself is top-notch aerobatics.

It's not funny: but it is.  If you see what I mean.

ND

Trump, political violence & the Green/Left

We've written about this before: I really do think some on the Left (red and green, with a big overlap these days) are toying with outright violence in a way not seen in the 'democracies' since the 60s and 70s, IRA and one or two other nationalist cults aside.  For present purposes, I'm also minded to park the years of Islamist terrorism, terrible though they were, because they are not the phenomenon I want to focus on.

In the UK & Europe, normalising for the periodic outbursts the French have been indulging in for centuries, the modern flirtation with the political hard stuff has mostly been on the 'green' side of things, Andreas Malm and Roger Hallam being the best known promoters.  (For the record, I've not read that either has actually advocated or specifically perpetrated anything more than vandalism to date).  In both cases their logic goes: if we really think climate change is globally life-threatening on that scale, well, ...  - and they are not-so-subtly hinting at a lot worse than vandalism.

So now someone in the Land of the Free and the Readily-Available Firearms has taken a real pop at Trump.  More detail to follow in due course, no doubt; but a round from a rifle that clips an ear is an astonishingly close shave.  (Mercifully, most people don't have much idea what a rifle-bullet wound looks like.)  

What's the next stage in this slow-motion escalation?  Of course, many on the Left would adduce ASBO-level racist behaviour on the Right as being a long-running form of political violence: "you started it".  The pro-Gaza crowd contains some whose behaviour is increasingly of the same kind - as many a Labour MP knows to their cost.  (Again, I'm parking the outright Islamist terror wave.)  Left/greens are inclined to say that globalisation etc (in the manner they'd frame it in their own doctrinal terms) is a form of violence against the masses: "you started it" again.  There have been outbreaks of "communal tension" in Leicester which are echoes, albeit faint, of the Subcontinent where that phrase originates from.  And in an extraordinary, chilling, but apparently fleeting episode, a column of drilled and uniformed black folk took to the streets of Brixton a few summers ago.   Political football?  Here's a quick-off-the-mark piece from the Graun this afternoon.

That 2020 Brixton episode, and how it was evidently quashed quietly but effectively & with great dispatch, might be a signifier that peaceful politics may be expected to prevail hereabouts, even in these fraught times.  Ditto the non-followup to the 2011 riots that seemed to have some political pregnancy at the time; and the significant lack of traction for XR / JSO / IB et al.  But it's simmering, with a certain type of "desperate", would-be planet-saving green evidently harkening to the likes of Malms and Hallams.  Is the USA sui generis in its gun-based lunacy?   We can only wait with a high degree of trepidation.  

ND

Outstanding Culture-war Satire

This is not a short read.

But it is a beautifully crafted piece of satire on the dreadful culture-war assault on freedom of expression in academia.  Worse in America, of course, but plenty of symptoms over here.

Enjoy.

ND

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  What did I just write?  Here's a very worthwhile crowdfunder (IMHO) for a lady academic being very badly treated indeed - by the Open University

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/almut-gadow-academic-freedom/ 

Culture War Cameo

Here's an entertaining extract from a recent Graun piece by Robin Moira White, "a discrimination barrister at Old Square Chambers, London, and joint author of A Practical Guide to Transgender Law": 

Trans people and their allies now know they will be better off under Starmer, Dodds and Cooper than Sunak, Badenoch and Braverman.

Now, what characterises the folks she doesn't like?  And the ones she prefers?  Oh my word, what might be the point she's making there ..?  

ND

Jacinda Ardern: not a record to be proud of

Let's assume Jacinda Ardern's drawing stumps is to be taken at face value: gotta admire a politico who resigns because they reckon they've had enough.  Most of them have never had enough - of power - and make spectacles of themselves (or worse) as they cling on.

That's just about as far as my charity towards her extends.  

So what has her 5-year rule encompassed?  Two truly shocking developments have worsened noticeably on her watch.

The first, and most strategic, is NZ's handing itself over to the Chinese.  You can readily research this for yourself.  Yeah yeah, we understand the geography: and plenty of others have taken the Chinese billion-shilling.  But NZ has completely sunk itself.  Is it recoverable?  I dunno: the revived combo of USA/UK/Oz might be able to offer an escape strategy, perhaps with Japan and a few other Asian countries that also don't enjoy Xi's ever-expanding colonial outreach.  I hope so.

The second is more subtle but, in its way, equally pernicious: the thoroughgoing intellectual surrender to government-enforced woke nonsense - possibly the worst in the western world (though somebody may have another candidate for that).  This includes the crazy business of insisting (and we do mean insisting, particularly in the education system) that "Maori science" is "true science", infecting even the NZ Royal Society.   In the spirit of open-minded curiosity, I'm all for obtaining the best available insights from traditional wisdom and holistic metaphorical world-views, which often give deeply worthwhile perspectives: but "true"?  In the context of science, only on the basis of successfully coming through the usual "western" intellectual scrutiny.  Not so many creation myths (etc) will pass that test.  Determined war needs to be waged on this rubbish.

Ardern herself may only have presided over these dreadful developments: maybe she bemoans them privately, I don't know.  But - it has still been on her watch.

An interesting insight comes from one of her responses to questions: 

Asked how she would like New Zealanders to remember her leadership, Ardern said “as someone who always tried to be kind”.

I often think that the only vaguely creditworthy sentiment associated with the mindless pandering to the more extreme demands of, e.g. "trans rights", is a well-meaning, if ill-considered desire to "be kind".  He thinks he's a girl - let's not upset him.  Well, kindness and consideration have their important place in human affairs.   Always worth revisiting Monty Python's Life of Brian on this: the way Reg's anti-Roman groupuscule tries to accommodate Stan's wish to be called Loretta - and have babies.  They're trying to be kind.  (And it's bloody funny.)

But kindness is sometimes not enough (and Reg's last word is still the last word).  Let's see if something better can follow at the hands of new leadership.

ND

Amusing Week in the Culture War

'Nuff said

Some smiles to be had from this week's Culture War exchanges.  Firstly, and hearteningly, the world swimming body FINA has banned participation by 'trans women' in women's competitive swimming.  This is judged by some as likely to be a domino moment as the equivocal figure of Seb Coe of World Athletics is limbering up to consider enacting the same principles for track and field.   Cue the inevitable outbreak of counter-lobbying, including muttering from the cycling body that maybe fairness in competition isn't important after all, compared to the great 'inclusivity' imperative. 

Mercifully, in rugby and the fighting disciplines it's a stark and simple matter of safety all the way, and the disingenuous bleating of Stonewall cuts no ice whatever.  Sport will always provide nice, clean examples of the fundamental contradictions and illogicalities of the more extreme trans positions (if I may use that phrase) - one of several reasons why SJW lefties et al hate sport (see also "I always knew it would start with sport").

Secondly and outright hilarious is Amy Callaghan, an SNP MP, who has been recorded saying something she now greatly regrets.  (Well, regrets having been caught, anyhow.)  Guido has the full gen here, and her grovelling apology which is a gem, nay, a veritable collectors item of the woke art.

... a wholehearted apology to anyone who have been hurt or triggered ... I have been searingly reflective and honest with myself. Whilst I can’t forgive myself for how inappropriate it was for me to frame my input in this way, I owe everyone, not least survivors and my constituents, an explanation: I am both sorry and, ultimately, take full responsibility for my words, as insensitive, poorly worded and misplaced as they were. I’m taking full accountability for the hurt and disappointment I’ve caused ... This isn’t good enough...  Zero tolerance can’t be a slogan, it has to be real...  I got it wrong... I can see now how hollow and inappropriate ... I cannot condone the way this was presented on my part. This was wrong, insensitive and I am deeply sorry. I am hugely saddened that I have let myself down in this way... this isn’t reflective of who I am as a person. There is a complainant who has been let down this week by my words and by my party. There is no moral high ground or false equivalence when it comes to misconduct. We must do better, myself included.

I am guessing there's a woke handbook that contains all these phrases, and you just cut-and-paste them into your statement of contrition when you feel the need to abase yourself.  This one must surely be an 8 or a 9 on some scale?  But curiously she doesn't offer to resign or get herself to a nunnery or anything meaningful; so we can't be plumbing the full depths of this turgid stuff.

ND

  

Nietzsche on Woke Identity Politics

We've had cause to mention Nietzsche over the weekend.  He is not to everyone's taste:  content-wise; stylistically; difficulty (or all three).  Nevertherless his insight into humanity is the most consistently penetrating I know, along with other tremendous contributions to philosophy, psychology and even wider still.  

And nothing changes.  This is from his famous Also Sprach Zarathustra (1884) - widely viewed as the most poetic expression of his thought, and extraordinarily influential in 20th century European literature, but (frankly) no easier read than his more conventional expositions.  Nevertheless, some passages need no contextual explanation for their force and astuteness to jump out at us.  His coinage for the woke warriors and 'intersectionalists' of his time is the tarantulas.  He wouldn't have been surprised by Edinburgh University's treatment of David Hume ...

   

"That the world may become full of the storms of our revenge, let precisely that be what we call justice"  -  thus the tarantulas speak to each other.   "We will wreak vengeance and abuse on all those who are not as we are"  -  thus the tarantula-hearts promise themselves.   "And 'will to equality'  -  that shall henceforth be the name of virtue; and we shall raise outcry against everything that currently has power!" 

You preachers of equality  -  from you the tyrannical madness of impotence cries out for "equality":  thus your secret desire to be tyrants disguises itself in words of virtue.

 

Nothing changes.

ND

 

Deafening Silence as Left's Worst Nightmare Becomes Reality on the Streets of London

I've been away for a few days but, having seen the shocking photos of the "FF Force" paramilitary march, I assumed the www would be awash with commentary.  Well yes, there's the predictable Daily Mail / Guido type of comment: the law prohibits paramilitary displays, so what's Commissioner Dick gonna do about it?  That kind of thing.  (And quite right, too**.)

But on the Left?  Nothing.   This is a genuine question: can anyone point me to even a story about this incident / phenomenon in the Graun?  Or a comment on it, from any "mainstream" leftie type on social meeja or elsewhere?  Because I can't find one.

Why?  Obvious.  This is the "academic" Left's worst nightmare.  Much as they tend to swoon at the feet of a Gerry Adams++, or a militant Islamic preacher, or indeed anyone who's actually willing to use violence for political ends (which they kinda wish they were, too), in today's "culture-war" context, they know this one is the finishing of them.

For just as Kier Starmer knows that if Labour becomes clearly identified as the party of Trans Rights he is doomed to lose even more RedWall-type votes, so equally if it becomes identified as the political wing of FF, it's all over for 2024.   The basic consensus on the left is that the Labour Party's bedrock has ceased to be the traditional "working class" of Everytown across the whole UK, and has become the multi-culti "new worker" yoof-oriented populations of the Big English Cities (- which, they think, isn't even a vote Labour can take for granted, any more than the RedWall voters were locked in).  

What's more, it's nowhere near a parliamentary majority for them - they need an alliance with other "progressive" demographics - county town greens and libs, or even not-so progressive C1C2D's - the sort they felt they already had.  The prospect of such an alliance evaporates the moment they are even loosely, (even unfairly) associated with FF.  Incidentally, what genius came up with that??  Nothing could more clearly signal it's an outright fascist venture - probably even a deliberate provocation as such.  Support us!  Even though we do this!

Nope: as a self-proclaimed anti-fascist movement, Labour must now categorically distance itself from FF.  There's no wiggle-room for a Sinn Fein style nod-and-wink; and we see that Starmer slams down heavily on nods-and-winks on the antisemitism side of the house, so I think we can guess his policy on this new one. 

And the Graun.  And Sadiq Khan.  And yes, Owen Jones, you too will need to make some clear pro forma statement on the matter (unless it all evaporates on Monday morning, as you'll be passionately hoping).  But ... what then for the multi-culti-"new-worker"-yoof-oriented-populations-of-the-Big-Cities vote?

This is Cummings' Culture War writ large and lurid.  (Did I say "unfairly" ..?)  It can't go well for any of us: but it bids fair to be the end of Labour.  Starmer knows it all too clearly - so he'll have some sort of a plan - though it may not be one the multi-culti Left will be too happy about.  Watch and wait.  Meantime, it'll be interesting to see this gradually break cover in leftie www circles.

ND

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** Knowing the way the security establishment works, BTW, I'd say they have a plan to handle this.  But sending PC Plod to invite a street demo to disperse peacefully, oh, and please hand over your uniforms on the way out, isn't any part of it.

++As Marina Hyde put it: You only have to look at the little faces of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell in the photos with Gerry Adams to conclude that they’d have been almost erotically impressed by the whiff of cordite.

Sajid Javaid says not return to Austerity

Even when Capitalism and right-wing orthodoxy are shown to have worked, these days the impact in denied. It is a truism today that the culture war started in the US is over in the UK; the left have won. Defeated at the ballot box, they have returned in social media, education and on the streets to reclaim their power.

I don't say this lightly as it is a sad endictment of the right, so good at winning elections but so bad at spelling out policies and facing up to dishonesty with the truth.

The example today is a typical one. Not long ago, Sajid Javaid was Chancellor. Boris and others were always keen to distance themselves from George Osborne, who was personally never very popular in power or policy. But the austerity policies from 2010 to 2018 worked a treat. The UK faced a dire macro situatio in 2010 and the path to reducing the burgeoning public debt was to decrease structural spend whilst also increasing immiediate social security spending to prevent poverty and starvation.

Labour and the communists started a long-campaign which has proved fruitful to say this austerity killed 100,000 people. Total fake news based one left-wing report which extrapolated average deaths over too long a time period.

Nonetheless, at the ballot box this has failed but in the minds of many it has succeeded. Even Javid here is a victim of the mind meld. He is now saying no to more austerity and let's go with more Laour inspired-spending. The fight is over. We are seeing this in a range of areas such as the BLM protests etc too that the left wing viewpoint prevails.