Well said, in every particular. So much about prevailing social and political attitudes stinks, it’s difficult to know where to begin. But I highlight your point about the “discussion”, involving three people who agreed; the mention of “offence archaeology” and the exaggeration of the so-called “offence” in the first place. This is not to mention the attack on rights to privacy, to freedom of speech and on ordinary, imprecise human utterance. Taken all in all, the whole affair offers an illumination by flashlight of an increasingly Orwellian public life: narrow, slanted, authoritarian and intrusive. Once cannot help attaching such conditions to the general esteem in which too many of our leading lights hold certain brutal regimes of the east, coupled with their readiness to receive funds from the same, tainted source. The slogan, “silence is violence”, says it all. Even the refuge of discretion is crumbling. Like so many Thomas Mores pursued by a posse of sadistic, enforcing Cromwells, those of us who retain a shred of dignity and independence in the face of this onslaught will find our own days of martyrdom delayed, not cancelled. As to whether any of this can be challenged or reversed, I have my doubts. If a Tory government with a majority of eighty can happily oversee such ideological persecution, there is little that can be done. We wait, in our castles of silence, for the knock on the door.
Beautifully put – however, I am probably more optimistic than you about the late/subtle ramping up of Government opposition to this stuff.
At long last there are positive signs emerging nearly every week now.
Last edited 2 years ago by Ian Barton
Matthew Powell
2 years ago
I’ve said it before but we need legislation to protect workers, which include sport stars, from being disciplined for non-illegal actions taken outside of work.
It should be no business of any employer what our opinions or behaviour are outside of work, unless perhaps the role is exclusively as an ambassador for the company, all that should matter is your ability to do your job.
Ian Barton
2 years ago
Ironically, I hope it won’t be long until the enemies of “offence archeologists” start using this tool on the wokerati themselves.
Maybe they drew something that looked like a swastika when they were 3 years old.
At some point, the monster will eat itself.
Last edited 2 years ago by Ian Barton
Richard Turpin
2 years ago
Its like the Stasi, being punished and vilified for saying something ten years ago when he was fifteen….utterley ridiculous and beyond the pale. He was a child. This really needs to stop and stop now. ” Offence Archeology” is nothing short of Orwellian and what is even more ridiculous are the educated clowns that can’t see how dangerous this is. I would love to meet the person who trolled through his account to find it, publish it and then sit back and enjoy the fallout. What kind of person are they?
Chris Wheatley
2 years ago
When the European Super League tried to destroy national football leagues there was a roar from the fans. Most of the 12 teams reversed the decision and apologised to the fan – apparently the fans were the most important people.
Today, the English team will kneel despite the boos of the fans because the players’ opinions are more important.
Wisden, a sort of unofficial spokesman for cricket, has now decided that it is more important than the fans. Time for the fans to boycott a test match, I think.
True. And I suggest that the word “solidarity” has outlived any useful purpose in this debate and many others because it now signifies little else than “Wot? Me put my head above the parapet? You must be out of your mind!”
James Rix
2 years ago
To pinch a bit from Douglas Murray, it is so frustrating that this particular offence archaeology only works one way. If you slip slightly right in the “good” peoples mind that is worthy of not only a grovelling apology but penance and 50 lashings. However if you slip slightly left (or extremely left as shown by certain leading lights in the Labour Party) sometimes an apology isn’t even necessary. Somehow, the left have managed to moralise their apparent crusade to be morally “Right” and the destination outweighs all the nastiness to get there. I see the same thing with people having massive problems with people standing under the nazi flag, but no problem with others standing under the hammer and sickle. It’s almost as if the Nazi flag is the sign of pure evil but the hammer and sickle is the sign of good intentions that went a bit wrong. They were both pure evil.
Andrea X
2 years ago
Isn’t the quotation, “tu quoque, Brute, fili mi!”?
Max Beran
2 years ago
Don’t cricketers wear “whites”? Or am I out of date?
Well said, in every particular. So much about prevailing social and political attitudes stinks, it’s difficult to know where to begin. But I highlight your point about the “discussion”, involving three people who agreed; the mention of “offence archaeology” and the exaggeration of the so-called “offence” in the first place. This is not to mention the attack on rights to privacy, to freedom of speech and on ordinary, imprecise human utterance. Taken all in all, the whole affair offers an illumination by flashlight of an increasingly Orwellian public life: narrow, slanted, authoritarian and intrusive. Once cannot help attaching such conditions to the general esteem in which too many of our leading lights hold certain brutal regimes of the east, coupled with their readiness to receive funds from the same, tainted source. The slogan, “silence is violence”, says it all. Even the refuge of discretion is crumbling. Like so many Thomas Mores pursued by a posse of sadistic, enforcing Cromwells, those of us who retain a shred of dignity and independence in the face of this onslaught will find our own days of martyrdom delayed, not cancelled. As to whether any of this can be challenged or reversed, I have my doubts. If a Tory government with a majority of eighty can happily oversee such ideological persecution, there is little that can be done. We wait, in our castles of silence, for the knock on the door.
Beautifully put – however, I am probably more optimistic than you about the late/subtle ramping up of Government opposition to this stuff.
At long last there are positive signs emerging nearly every week now.
I’ve said it before but we need legislation to protect workers, which include sport stars, from being disciplined for non-illegal actions taken outside of work.
It should be no business of any employer what our opinions or behaviour are outside of work, unless perhaps the role is exclusively as an ambassador for the company, all that should matter is your ability to do your job.
Ironically, I hope it won’t be long until the enemies of “offence archeologists” start using this tool on the wokerati themselves.
Maybe they drew something that looked like a swastika when they were 3 years old.
At some point, the monster will eat itself.
Its like the Stasi, being punished and vilified for saying something ten years ago when he was fifteen….utterley ridiculous and beyond the pale. He was a child. This really needs to stop and stop now. ” Offence Archeology” is nothing short of Orwellian and what is even more ridiculous are the educated clowns that can’t see how dangerous this is. I would love to meet the person who trolled through his account to find it, publish it and then sit back and enjoy the fallout. What kind of person are they?
When the European Super League tried to destroy national football leagues there was a roar from the fans. Most of the 12 teams reversed the decision and apologised to the fan – apparently the fans were the most important people.
Today, the English team will kneel despite the boos of the fans because the players’ opinions are more important.
Wisden, a sort of unofficial spokesman for cricket, has now decided that it is more important than the fans. Time for the fans to boycott a test match, I think.
True. And I suggest that the word “solidarity” has outlived any useful purpose in this debate and many others because it now signifies little else than “Wot? Me put my head above the parapet? You must be out of your mind!”
To pinch a bit from Douglas Murray, it is so frustrating that this particular offence archaeology only works one way. If you slip slightly right in the “good” peoples mind that is worthy of not only a grovelling apology but penance and 50 lashings. However if you slip slightly left (or extremely left as shown by certain leading lights in the Labour Party) sometimes an apology isn’t even necessary. Somehow, the left have managed to moralise their apparent crusade to be morally “Right” and the destination outweighs all the nastiness to get there. I see the same thing with people having massive problems with people standing under the nazi flag, but no problem with others standing under the hammer and sickle. It’s almost as if the Nazi flag is the sign of pure evil but the hammer and sickle is the sign of good intentions that went a bit wrong. They were both pure evil.
Isn’t the quotation, “tu quoque, Brute, fili mi!”?
Don’t cricketers wear “whites”? Or am I out of date?