2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

[the other bob wilson]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/26/culture-warriors-sallied-forth-only-to-be-defeated-by-their-own-ineptitude

[Dorcus]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...own-ineptitude

Pritti Patel in a (brand new) England shirt was one of the most absurd sights of the summer.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

Pritti Patel in a (brand new) England shirt was one of the most absurd sights of the summer.

Agreed, there are quite a few genuine football fans on the Tory backbenches, but it’s hard to imagine there’s many, if any, in the senior posts in the Cabinet.

[JamesWales]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

Pritti Patel in a (brand new) England shirt was one of the most absurd sights of the summer.

Why on earth is the Home Secretary wearing an England shirt absurd to you? Do you not view her as English?

[JamesWales]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...own-ineptitude

That the guardian and David Olusoga don't see themselves as big players in any supposed culture war is one of the most tone deaf things I've come across. Let us not forget this is the publication that finds racism in botanical gardens. https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...nked-to-empire

They demand nuance and understanding from what they say, and offer none in return. Honestly, I can barely think of a mainstream publication or an author or stokes the fire more. Perhaps the Daily Express.

This is just such unbelievably one sided stuff, that honestly, nothing is gained without reading something countering it. It's just complete polemical stuff.

With that in mind, here's an alternative viewpoint:

https://unherd.com/2021/06/do-the-culture-wars-really-exist/

[the other bob wilson]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

That the guardian and David Olusoga don't see themselves as big players in any supposed culture war is one of the most tone deaf things I've come across.

They demand nuance and understanding from what they say, and offer none in return. Honestly, I can barely think of a publication or an author or stokes the fire more.

This is just such unbelievably one sided stuff, that honestly, nothing is gained without reading something countering it. It's just complete polemical stuff.

Well offer something to counter it then.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

Why on earth is the Home Secretary wearing an England shirt absurd to you? Do you not view her as English?

Probably because she was accusing the England team of playing politics at the start of the tournament when she was fighting a culture war.

[JamesWales]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

Well offer something to counter it then.

I did. And heres another.

UnHerd is a very very good website to cut through the nonsense.

https://unherd.com/2021/04/nobody-will-win-the-culture-wars/

[JamesWales]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

Probably because she was accusing the England team of playing politics at the start of the tournament when she was fighting a culture war.

If you are suggesting that you must support a political movement in order to support the England team then I would suggest that you are therein recognising that that in itself is part of a culture war. Otherwise, you would shrug your shoulders and say, well of course she can criticise something, it doesn't mean they dont support the team more widely.

I'm pretty certain I've heard Cardiff City fans slag off the team and then support them when a goal gets scored.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

I did. And heres another.

UnHerd is a very very good website to cut through the nonsense.

https://unherd.com/2021/04/nobody-wi...-culture-wars/

Really? The first one you posted was just a right wing equivalent of what you say the Guardian does and I gave up on the second one because I couldn’t understand it.

[JamesWales]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

From the paper that produced probably the most genuinely racist cartoon in a British newspaper in 50 years too

And still shows it

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2020/mar/04/steve-bell-on-boris-johnson-defending-priti-patel-at-pmqs-cartoon

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/guardian-cartoon-of-cow-in-relation-to-priti-patel-sparks-outrage-amongst-diaspora-in-britain/articleshow/74557770.cms

[the other bob wilson]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

If you are suggesting that you must support a political movement in order to support the England team then I would suggest that you are therein recognising that that in itself is part of a culture war. Otherwise, you would shrug your shoulders and say, well of course she can criticise something, it doesn't mean they dont support the team more widely.

I'm pretty certain I've heard Cardiff City fans slag off the team and then support them when a goal gets scored.

No, I’m suggesting something much simpler than that, she changed her tune when it began to look like England could win the tournament.

[JamesWales]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

Really? The first one you posted was just a right wing equivalent of what you say the Guardian does and I gave up on the second one because I couldn’t understand it.

Thats my point - Dont read the first hopelessly biased (guardian) one without another, offering an equally biased opinion. That said, note Douglas Murray quotes statistics from social surveys and at least attempts to recognise the alternative position.

The second article is more balanced, and worth a read.

[JamesWales]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

No, I’m suggesting something much simpler than that, she changed her tune when it began to look like England could win the tournament.

Well thats what all politicians do. But ultimately she grew up in England and supported England in a football tournament. Why make a big deal of it?

[Swiss Peter]

Re: 2021 a bad year for British populists and their culture wars.

That the guardian and David Olusoga don't see themselves as big players in any supposed culture war is one of the most tone deaf things I've come across. Let us not forget this is the publication that finds racism in botanical gardens. https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...nked-to-empire

They demand nuance and understanding from what they say, and offer none in return. Honestly, I can barely think of a mainstream publication or an author or stokes the fire more. Perhaps the Daily Express.

This is just such unbelievably one sided stuff, that honestly, nothing is gained without reading something countering it. It's just complete polemical stuff.

With that in mind, here's an alternative viewpoint:
https://unherd.com/2021/06/do-the-cu...-really-exist/

Douglas Murray! Have you read 'The Strange Death of Europe' James?. I have. Interested in your views on it if you have.