No Balm Can Soothe the Agonies of the Left
Via 4d2b: A female student is catcalled. The University of East Anglia’s postgrad education officer immediately spots the problem.
He’s enabling rapists.
Look, everyone. See how complicated and fascinating Laurie is.
We can’t sleep until we hear about Laurie’s gender status.
He was six years old when she left Downing Street. But she haunts him, even now.
It just is.
She’s so egalitarian, you mustn’t question her.
As a fearless leftwing journalist, Laurie has lots of it. She channels it into her work.
Two words to save the world. I think Mr Ezra is sceptical.
We must flee the outspoken women.
The piety, like the agony, never ends.
It’s a total cultural assault on women’s self-esteem.
I think he’s confusing compassion with narcissism.
And finally, and obviously, it’s what the homeless need.
Previous instalments can be found here. And for those who missed it, this week the hat is being passed around.
It’s back! About time. Your tip jar has been hit. 🙂
April 2014: Laurie Penny for some reason named fellow of journalism
August 2014: is already using the appeal to authority:
“Don’t argue with me because I’m a fellow of journalism [no less!]”
Didn’t take long.
Didn’t take long.
You’ve almost got to admire the chutzpah. A self-styled ‘journalist/activist’ with a reputation for lying through her teeth, hallucinating “hatred” and inventing quotes points to her amulet, strokes it piously and says, “Don’t you know who I am…?
Thanks, Greg.
Meg: “I can’t find my keys. Have you seen them?”
Liam: “I hate capitalism. One day we will end it, Meg.”
drum workshops for the homeless
The icing on the cake is the ‘artsculturevalue’ hashtag.
Meg: “I can’t find my keys. Have you seen them?” Liam: “I hate capitalism. One day we will end it, Meg.”
Yes, it pretty much works for anything. Getting rained on, a lost earring, that mouthy cow at work.
Yes, it pretty much works for anything.
It’s astonishing to see how easy it is to replace words like Capitalism and Patriarchy with a phrase involving Satan and still find the sentence making pretty much the same sense:
@CaptainMeg I hate the power of Satan. One day will end it, Meg.
Grew up haunted by the horrifying shadow of Satanism. Surreal, mortifying to realise we’re now living through something even worse.
@JeffBurtonMusic The institution of marriage is the blasphemous work of Satan and all infidels.
“If I could take a red pen and annotate the world, I would scrawl ‘Jesus Saves’ in letters too big to ignore.” @PennyRed
“The institution of marriage is sexist, oppressive, homophobic and discriminatory.”
And yet same-sex marriage is for some reason the greatest and most urgent civil rights struggle of our time.
No, I don’t quite understand it either.
“Writers tend to the left because writers tend to have compassion.”
Or alternatively, because both writing and leftist politics require you to spend a considerable portion of your time inhabiting a fantasy world with only a contingent connexion to reality.
Their “compassion” is doled out in such grubby, limited ways, only to people who fit narrow, rigid categories and they’ll turn it to hatred for a word or a belief. I think a surfeit of education does it – useless education based on finding grievances. Even a BA in English, which could at least provide some beauty in life, has been perverted to that end.
Huge debt is rung up getting that education and there is a whole lot of bitterness waiting when that realization sinks in.
I thought Graham Linehan wrote the IT Crowd, which was quite funny. Didn’t realise he was such a drongo.
I thought Graham Linehan wrote the IT Crowd
He did. The episode with the underground ‘Countdown’ tournament is still funny. As is the scene in which Jen discovers that smoking is only permitted in a bleak and windy area several miles from the office.
God what a bunch of sanctimonious, cliche mongering, navel gazing creeps!
As someone once remarked about similar examples in another forum, a good many of these tweets suggest real problems with mental illness.
[German scholar Eric Voegelin] returned to the theme of Gnostic heresies as the key to understanding totalitarianism [ … ] He used the phrase, typical of his writings, ‘radical immanentizing’ to describe how class, nation, state or race forged a sense of community, giving spurious meaning to the chaos of existence through the substitution of a dream world for reality
[ … ] Gnostic ideologies were also inherently violent, since there was nothing above or beyond them to limit their activities within the dream turned nightmare. There were no restraints . Voegelin wrote: ‘In the Gnostic dreamworld … nonrecognition of reality is the first principle . As a consequence, types of action that in the real world would be considered as morally insane because of the real effects that they have will be considered moral in the dream world because they intended an entirely different effect.‘
– Earthly Powers, Michael Burleigh
Well, Owen Jones is right about something. What we have now is certainly worse than Thatcherism.
And Linehan is almost right. Writers – and other artistic types – tend to feel rather than think. They place emotion above logic. So, when an ideology comes along that says it’s “compassionate” and “caring”, they don’t think to question it. It feels good. (It doesn’t help that the guardians of that ideology lie through their teeth about what side it was on in some of the greatest intellectual conflicts of the last couple of centuries.)
Thankfully, a lot of these people have had their eyes opened by the various recent social-justice-warrior asssaults such as Gamergate and the controversies in the Science Fiction world.
Those comments by those women … they are not for real are they? Is this a comedy site or is it real … if it’s real … those women have some serious issues to deal with …. like they are nuts.
So we are to pick our fiction writing, not by the genre’s we like or quality of the writing, but by the author’s picture on the back.
Thus we have the problem with SFWA
So we are to pick our fiction writing, not by the genres we like or quality of the writing, but by the author’s picture on the back.
Oh, there’s a lot of it about. Guardian columnists, for instance, who proudly announce, “I will not be reading anything written by white authors.”
Or, the Fast Show meets the Guardian
Ha ha ha ha ha … *sighs*
I have been convinced for some time now that a neurotic obsession with seeing racism in everything and at all times leads, not surprisingly, to becoming racist.
How can anyone say openly “I will not be reading anything written by white authors.” and consider this to be a declaration of anti-racism?
A mind capable of that level of self-deception is surely capable of worse …
Still, nothing compares to the shock I received on returning back to the UK after almost 10 years living overseas and discovering a Channel 4 airing a documentary with the title I Won’t Marry White and being amazed that no one in the press seemed to find this even noteworthy, let alone quite blatantly racist.
Classic “the left have a monopoly of compassion” there from Graham Linehan.
Those comments by those women … they are not for real are they?
I had thought the same. She must be the absolute queen of trolls. Or the king of trolls. I don’t want to rile the cisgender crowd.
“I will not be reading anything written by white authors.”
I feel the same. I will NOT read anything written by Marx. Oh, nor anything by Laura Penny too, or by the likes of Graham Linehan, and certainly not read a word by Owen Jones.
See, I feel better already.
“Writers tend to be left because writers tend to have compassion.”
Of course they are. I mean sure, the list of leftist writers who were Stalin fanboys does read like a Whose Who of 1930’s luvviedom. And, yes, every subsequent generation of leftist intelligentsia have shared similarly universal crushes on Mao, Castro, Pol Pot and now Hamas.
But other than that, Compassion may as well be their collective middle name.
Not to offend any writers here, but my observation is that writers tend to be leftists because (usually) they don’t actua *do* anything. They write, they think, they write about thinking, they write some more, rinse, repeat. They rarely take their ideas out into the real world of hard knocks and attempt to apply them. Now there are many writers who held jobs of real objective and responsibility. I find I like many of such writers better, even when I don’t necessarily agree with such I value the perspective.
“Writers tend to the left because writers tend to make shit up.”
There, Graham, I’ve fixed that for you.
Did that crazy ginger steal exjon’s coffee cup meme?
That’s low, even for her.
Mr Hitler wrote a book and he was not renowned for his compassion. Marx wrote a lot and he positively salivated at the thought of his followers slaughtering the middle class (of which he was one), why….just because they were middle class. Totalitarian commie fan GB Shaw was as keen as Hitler on the idea of compulsory extermination of the burdensome members of society. Wells was a fellow Fabian who had rather non compassionate views on the fate of “useless eaters”.
Commie writer and egghead Harold Laski – a mentor of “Ralph” Miliband – thought Stalin’s vicious show trials, which ended in mass murders and slower death in camps were really no different to what they had then in England. Notoriously, that famously compassionate writer Eric Hobsbawn, a man welcomed into Miliband land and whose funeral Ed went to, thought oceans of blood were justified if you were creating “paradise” – the well known paradise in this case being the USSR. Leftie icon Brecht was probably one of the nastiest men ever to walk the earth towards those unfortunate enough to know him.
One could go on.
Well, what a compassionate bunch – the ignorant comments of those self righteous driveling prats make me laugh as much as Stalin probably did over Lady Astor asking him when he was going to stop killing people.
“Why are we afraid of outspoken women?”
Yes, why are you afraid of Sarah Palin? And Ayaan Ali Hirsi?
Neoliberalism makes alternatives to racist
capitalist patriarchy hard to imagine.
Therefore imagination is a tool of
resistance.
One takes one’s onanistic diversions where one finds them, I suppose. To each, his/her/its/cis-something or other possessive pronoun own.
They won’t bring an end to capitalism because capitalism is just while socialism is unjust.
“Imagination is the tool of resistance.”
No, imagination is the tool of people who don’t want to live in reality and prefer to play around in their own magical fantasy lands.
I note one of my Tweets appears in this post. In case my views are taken out of context, I reviewed Laurie Penny’s book Unspeakable Things here. As can be seen, I utilise the quote that appears in my Tweet in that review, a review, I can add, which was far from positive.
Capitalism developed naturally out of normal human interaction. Nobody sat down in a library one day and thought – “I’m going to write a book to invent a thing called capitalism and then set up some organizations to get it imposed on the whole of society”. But the latter is what happened with socialism – a creed which essentially “legitimizes” theft of people’s property by the state and a totalitarian system of coercion. When real socialism exists they build walls to keep people in. Rent a red should ask themselves why hardly anyone fled to communist states, but did to capitalist ones from the communist regimes. They should maybe think how just about all the idiot Bolsheviks who created the USSR ended up murdered by the rotten regime they made themselves. They should look at the case of Trotsky, who had to get out of his paradise to exile himself in the lands of the hated capitalist – though even then he wasn’t safe from the vicious regime he’d done so much to set up.
Michael,
Fear not, the sniggering is aimed at Laurie, not you. I assumed you were quoting her with at least one eyebrow raised. [Added:] I’ve tweaked the caption to hopefully make that clearer.
I hate capitalism. One day we will end it, Meg.
Non sequitur of the week, surely?
Non sequitur of the week, surely?
Well, it’s not enormously clear what the implied connecting dots might be. Though if you bear in mind how much of modern leftism, especially student leftism, is about peer group signalling, it may be slightly less baffling. Presumably there’s a certain type of young man who feels that “I hate capitalism. One day we will end it, Meg” is the kind of thing one very much ought to say, and ought to be seen saying, however incongruously.
Enlightening review by Mr Ezra.
What on earth does “slut power” mean that Ms Penny would like to write it all over the world? I have nothing against female promiscuity, but it doesn’t strike me as a viable revolutionary strategy. I must be missing something.
Sometimes I feel it might almost be worth having the full on socialism these idiots so desire come about – just to see the Guardian and BBC closed down, and the priceless looks on the faces of mad Penny, Owen Moans and the rest of these spoiled brats of the capitalist world as they’re being led away to the slave labour camps.
‘Presumably there’s a certain type of young man who feels that “I hate capitalism. One day we will end it, Meg” is the kind of thing one very much ought to say, and ought to be seen saying, however incongruously’.
The most charitable explanation I’ve got is that he wants to get insider her knickers. Playing radical as a gambit for getting a shag was quite a popular trick in my day.
As for Meg – I’m not sure why she should be stunned about the prospect of meeting drunk people on the way back from a club, but if she wanted to feel safe she could always walk back to digs or the hall with a friend.
Playing radical as a gambit for getting a shag was quite a popular trick in my day.
I’m tempted to ask whether it worked. I suppose it was either that or scraping together enough cash for a car, or motorbike, or nunchucks, or whatever it is one does to woo women.
I’m tempted to ask whether it worked.
Judging by Russell Brand’s biography, quite well I imagine …
[*Looks at McCafferty’s photo*]
Though, I suspect some practitioners may need to allow a certain margin for error.
or nunchucks, or whatever
Yes, David. All women like nunchucks. 🙂
“only reading novels by women of color” Wonder if she’s picked up any by Ayaan Hirsi Ali yet?
I think a surfeit of education does it – useless education based on finding grievances.
It’d be more accurate if indoctrination or leftist brainwashing were used.
All of this is the antithesis to education.
mojo,
Did that crazy ginger steal exjon’s coffee cup meme?
I see I’m not the only one who noticed. Of course, the meme is now HERS, and anyone who doubts her “originality” must sign up for sensitivity training.
Check your privilege.
or nunchucks, or whatever
Yes, David. All women like nunchucks. 🙂
I know Karate . . . and about fifteen other words in Japanese . . .
a good many of these tweets suggest real problems with mental illness.
People with actual mental illnesses, i.e., schizophrenia, make more sense than these people. And they have a good excuse for it: their brains are malfunctioning.
If you’re talking about personality disorders, OTOH, that’s the diagnosis.
PDs don’t have a biological underpinning: it’s all the result of a defense mechanism gone horribly wrong. Children raised in unbearably chaotic, combative, or humiliating circumstances develop fantasy versions of themselves wherein they’re IN CONTROL or constantly needing drama or The Most Important or The Most Loved person in the History of the World.
Once that fantasy self crystallizes (late adolescence), they’re no longer in any pain; instead, they inflict pain on all and sundry.
Our society’s primary problem is that people with such disorders are not recognized as disordered; rather, their sick musings are “radical” and “transgressive” and admired.
People with personality disorders do not suffer from them: it’s the rest of us who suffer.
The world bites, by the way.
This is why.
I don’t want them to stop. Laughter is good for the soul and they’re not even trying to be funny. It’s kind of amazing.
Writers tend to be left because writers tend to have compassion.
Leftism says that all the clever people ought to be in charge.
People like writers.
Even a writer (such as myself) can do that math.
They rarely take their ideas out into the real world of hard knocks and attempt to apply them.
Unless you’re writing technical documentation (as I do) and your writing absolutely HAS TO concord with reality.
That said, most tech writers come from English and other Humanities departments and are already rooted hard in their Leftism. Being a tech writer can be a real downer, because the documentation is rarely a priority in the company — oddly enough, getting the product to actually work and work well by the release date is where they focus effort and resources — and so it’s easy to nurse resentments about how your work product is not valued.
Same as teaching in the Humanities, actually, which is why they won’t change their Leftism: always someone to resent for being more productive than you.
fantasy versions of themselves
I once jokingly described the ‘Agonies’ series as part anthropological collage, part psych profile.
I have nothing against female promiscuity, but it doesn’t strike me as a viable revolutionary strategy.
Female promiscuity reduces marriage, because men can get the milk for free without buying the whole cow (literal cow or figurative, take your pick).
It also increases the number of single moms, who look to the state as surrogate husband.
Increased single motherhood also increases the number of people who lack self-control (which fathers tend to instill), thus justifying the need for state intervention in all aspects of a child’s upbringing.
In short, the nuclear family is the primary bulwark against the Leviathan State and therefore the State’s primary enemy. Families transmit values that are antithetical to the State’s interests, values such as self-reliance, self-governance, self-control, and worshiping a God that doesn’t answer to the State.
Which is why those annoying “social issues” aren’t as peripheral as many think: they’re central. If you want a nation of independent, self-reliant people who see the State as servant rather than Master, make sure that as many children as possible are brought up in a stable home where mom & dad live, are married to each other, and that attend religious services regularly.
If you want State-controlled drones, bust up the nuclear family and cast out religion.
Or didn’t you notice that in all those dystopian novels, children are raised in incubators and State facilities instead of in families?
Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?
Marx (Groucho)
In short, the nuclear family is the primary bulwark against the Leviathan State
This seems relevant. The last two paragraphs in particular.
[Added:]
And having just scanned them, quite a few of the comments.
I keep wondering why LP keeps writing. I mean, surely she realises that every tweet, every column, every TV appearance she makes is crowding out the voice of a WoC. All those opportunities for Women of Colour to be able to speak, and she keeps stealing them…
I keep wondering why LP keeps writing.
Money and ego. Pure and simple.
All those opportunities for Women of Colour to be able to speak, and she keeps stealing them…
Ah, but as you are one of her loyal supporters and worshippers, you don’t ever notice that . . .
It’s one of those parts about following faith, instead of fact and reason . . . .
Children raised in unbearably chaotic, combative, or humiliating circumstances develop fantasy versions of themselves wherein they’re IN CONTROL or constantly needing drama or The Most Important or The Most Loved person in the History of the World.
Weeelllll, except when that is not what happens . . You’ve completely and accurately described my background, and the result for me is an ongoing and rather reasonable distaste for liars and incompetents, particularly the variety that demand to hold a declared administrative position—and often salary—and be admired for it, with zero intention of actually doing the job . . . .
And then, in turn, I have developed a hobby—and have sometimes gotten paid for it—of being the local administrator, traffic manager, stage manager, Etc . . . where by definition with all those, the point is to never get seen, never get noticed, and just keep everything running effortlessly and smoothly for everyone else . . . .
Weeelllll, except when that is not what happens
Good on ya. Luckily for the world entire, the bad upbringing doesn’t warp everyone severely enough to perpetuate the cycle. My father’s entire family consists of people with personality disorders, and yet my siblings and I have not developed them ourselves, thereby breaking the cycle.
Being around my mom’s family more than his was a big help. My friends also didn’t have narcissistic fathers, so it didn’t take us sibs long to figure out that our father was messed up and not to be emulated. He had been raised in one of those isolated, toxic little towns with more feuds and falling-outs than you can shake a stick at.
Have NONE of you heartless bastards seen the real agony here?
Unless it’s a particularly tasteless hoax, there’s a WOC among the tweeters called La’trine…
. . . there’s a WOC among the tweeters called La’trine…
Hmmm. Let’s consult the expert.