Tuesday 4 February 2020

"Oh No, They're Onto Us!"

 It seems some progressives are sensing which way the wind's blowing...

The exchange set in motion a predictable chain of events: Fox began a tour of Britain’s TV and podcast studios, making a series of increasingly reactionary and attention-seeking statements. Across left-leaning social media, meanwhile, Fox was mocked with a mix of amusement, disdain and pity.
And that was noted. What was also noted was that the man on the Clapham Omnibus...wasn't mocking. He was agreeing.

But the Left think that's something they can brush off, to stay cocooned in their little bubble. Ellie, however, is aware of the pitfalls of this approach:
But focusing on the shallowness of Fox’s opinions elides the most important element of the Question Time spectacle: the fact that a significant chunk of the audience groaned as soon as the phrase “white privilege” was uttered. Fox was not the only person in that studio who was weary of contemporary antiracist discourse, and he wasn’t the only person willing to show it.
The fact that she describes this as 'more people willing to show it' is the key: the Left is losing its power to scold and silence.

They can't say they weren't warned - call everything you don't like 'racist' and pretty soon, people stop reflexively cringing at that word.
...the idea that ordinary people are being driven into the arms of authoritarianism because of an excitable article they read on the internet is facile – and any progressives adopting it should ask themselves why they are parroting arguments that are largely advanced by the far right.
Ah, yes, the progressives see the hand of the 'far right' behind everything. But it's not 'far right' to think that the constant denigration of the majority population is not helping discourse, is it?
Progressives need to wise up to the fact that they are losing this argument and decide what they are going to do in response.
I think they have decided, Ellie; it's 'double down and keep on sneering'.

6 comments:

Rev. Spooner said...

"Fox began a tour of Britain’s TV and podcast studios, making a series of increasingly reactionary and attention-seeking statements."
Or, as everyone in the Reality-Based Community calls it: "Talking sense".
She and her thinkalikes only half get it. They don't listen, they reflexively attack when somebody presents even a mild pushback to bullythink.

Stonyground said...

Yes, it never occurs that the reason why they are "losing this argument" is because they are wrong.

Anonymous said...

But are they losing the argument? The magority of people are silent about almost everything. That makes it easy to pick off anyone of the few that's bothers to speak out against the tirade of Lettie rubbish we are subjected to. All that is required for evil to flourish is that good people do nothing.

Sobers said...

"But are they losing the argument? The magority of people are silent about almost everything. That makes it easy to pick off anyone of the few that's bothers to speak out against the tirade of Lettie rubbish we are subjected to. All that is required for evil to flourish is that good people do nothing."

You need to watch the straws in the wind. The Boris victory was predictable, if you noticed the reactions of the audience on Question Time to panellists fed up with the Great Sulk (aka the Remain campaign from 2016 to 2019). That murmur of approval was what should have told the Remainers they were on to a loser. The same goes for the woke brigade. If they don't realise what the reaction to Laurence Fox means, they're idiots. It was the sound of millions of people going 'He's not wrong you know.....'

But they won't notice it because they have tin ears, and moral superiority, and thus cannot possible ever be wrong.....

Anonymous said...

Your right when you say the Boris victory was easy to predict Sobers. In fact I did rather well betting on a Boris victory with those that thought Mr Corbyn would win. Easy money for a change :-)

JuliaM said...

"Or, as everyone in the Reality-Based Community calls it: "Talking sense"."

Exactly!

"But are they losing the argument? The magority of people are silent about almost everything."

But they'll be looking at the voluble ones and agreeing!And remembering that when asked to support barmy causes.

"The Boris victory was predictable, if you noticed the reactions of the audience on Question Time..."

And I fully expect Trump to win a second term. For the same reasons.