A very sobering and astute article, Ed. Makes me think the Tories have messed up big time by talking about increasing immigration in the wake of the tax cut announcement. If they had come down on immigration like a ton of bricks before anything else they could have then sneaked in the tax stuff with out much fuss. The polls would be telling a different story now, and the MSM wouldn’t be able to do much about it but froth. Tories got no game. If they had game they would put Kemi Badenoch as PM.
Great piece Ed. You're talking about something here that is an obsession of mine.
The typical American voter is somewhat center right on social issues (moderate social/cultural conservatism) but a big fan of redistributive programs like Social Security and Medicare... and there are exactly ZERO major political parties who have such a combination as their platform. Our choices are "economic social democracy + encouraging your kids to mutilate their genitals" or "Reaganism/Thatcherism + ban abortion for rape victims." If a party or politician came along that was both moderately culturally conservative and supportive of New Deal-style economics, they would be massively popular, but also a huge threat to the status quo and therefore every elite institution, left and right, would go all hands on deck to destroy them.
This is why I insist that immigrations rates will never come down in the West, no matter how much the public opposes it. Democracy is now just laundered oligarchy. What really matters is differences of opinion between factions of oligarchs, and like Ed said if all factions of oligarchs want something it will definitely happen.
what's a mystery, at least in the UK, is that no party has really occupied this space. Maybe this issues are just too low preference, as Kristian N says, but I can't see how.
Well, for America, such a party would end up very powerful and if serious about its agenda would ruin everything left-neoliberals and right-neoliberals (those are the two ruling factions of the USA) love. Trump sort of came close to occupying that space at least with his rhetoric in 2015 and 2016, and we all saw what the establishment reaction to him was like.
I think it's mostly a matter that such a party (left on economics, conservative on culture) would pose too much of a threat to neoliberalism and thus can't really be allowed. By the way Ed try suggesting on social media that a major party should try occupying such a space. At least one and probably several people will inevitably pipe up with "Um, we tried that in Germany in the 1930s. Fascism much?!".
Referring back to your Denmark article I wonder if this juggernaut is an anglophone phenomenon. By which I literally mean America’s elite mores land so cleanly in Britain because they’re expressed in English.
That's exactly it, at least when it comes to cultural matters. America has always influenced the rest of the Anglosphere in the mass media age due to a common language and its status as cultural hegemon, but that has gone into overdrive with social media and its virality. So every dumb American social movement gets copied in the rest of the Anglosphere now, irrespective of whether it makes any sense in the local historical and cultural context, and you end up with things like students in Bristol chanting "hands up, don't shoot" to the unarmed local constabulary, complaints about an "all-white jury" in Wales, and the really hilarious shit like the Sinn Fein branch of Black Lives matter.
These things get picked up in the rest of the West but to a much lesser degree, and are often scorned, as seems to be the case in France.
Barely a month from announcing the most diverse government ever to the least popular in decades. Well done. Without your Queens unfortunate passing it could have been total collapse in less time than one of those long cricket matches.
This piece from The Critic today seems to fit with the basic thrust of your article, Ed. The public vastly underestimates just how reliant they are on the taxes of the rich, as well as being completely ignorant of the role of the City of London in papering over deficits. 'Listening to the public' on City regulation would likely lead to a much poorer (and more heavily taxed) society, much as I hate to admit it.
I do think the nature of the economy, being heavily dependent on finance and so concentrated in one city, seems unideal, but I'm not sure what alternatives we have. manufacturing pays better and means the country is less hyper liberal, but I'm not sure what could be done to make it happen.
I admired the phrase, "extremely sentimental about animals." This is true of so many people and I find it hypocritical from the same individuals who eat factory-raised beef, chicken and pork without a thought. Although hogs are far more intelligent than dogs or cats, they are often kept inside huge warehouses in cages so small that the animal cannot even turn around. In death, cows, pigs and chickens are 'slaughtered' but our pets, 'cross the rainbow bridge.' Even humans just 'pass.' The money spent on pet dogs and cats and other more exotic pets is embarrassing, and inconceivable to people who struggle in less-developed nations. It's hard to respect this blindness.
Yep, he went on Tucker Carlson and that was basically his semi-mainstream breakout moment. Since then he's been on everything except for the really mainstream platforms (I consider Tucker semi-mainstream).
Steve Sailer is the big one everyone reads secretly now, as you're aware.
A very sobering and astute article, Ed. Makes me think the Tories have messed up big time by talking about increasing immigration in the wake of the tax cut announcement. If they had come down on immigration like a ton of bricks before anything else they could have then sneaked in the tax stuff with out much fuss. The polls would be telling a different story now, and the MSM wouldn’t be able to do much about it but froth. Tories got no game. If they had game they would put Kemi Badenoch as PM.
thank you
Great piece Ed. You're talking about something here that is an obsession of mine.
The typical American voter is somewhat center right on social issues (moderate social/cultural conservatism) but a big fan of redistributive programs like Social Security and Medicare... and there are exactly ZERO major political parties who have such a combination as their platform. Our choices are "economic social democracy + encouraging your kids to mutilate their genitals" or "Reaganism/Thatcherism + ban abortion for rape victims." If a party or politician came along that was both moderately culturally conservative and supportive of New Deal-style economics, they would be massively popular, but also a huge threat to the status quo and therefore every elite institution, left and right, would go all hands on deck to destroy them.
This is why I insist that immigrations rates will never come down in the West, no matter how much the public opposes it. Democracy is now just laundered oligarchy. What really matters is differences of opinion between factions of oligarchs, and like Ed said if all factions of oligarchs want something it will definitely happen.
what's a mystery, at least in the UK, is that no party has really occupied this space. Maybe this issues are just too low preference, as Kristian N says, but I can't see how.
Well, for America, such a party would end up very powerful and if serious about its agenda would ruin everything left-neoliberals and right-neoliberals (those are the two ruling factions of the USA) love. Trump sort of came close to occupying that space at least with his rhetoric in 2015 and 2016, and we all saw what the establishment reaction to him was like.
I think it's mostly a matter that such a party (left on economics, conservative on culture) would pose too much of a threat to neoliberalism and thus can't really be allowed. By the way Ed try suggesting on social media that a major party should try occupying such a space. At least one and probably several people will inevitably pipe up with "Um, we tried that in Germany in the 1930s. Fascism much?!".
This piece by Michael Lind nicely explains the American situation: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/bush-restoration-michael-lind
Referring back to your Denmark article I wonder if this juggernaut is an anglophone phenomenon. By which I literally mean America’s elite mores land so cleanly in Britain because they’re expressed in English.
yes I think so. Tolkien warned this would happen - English dominance would be disastrous for England.
That's exactly it, at least when it comes to cultural matters. America has always influenced the rest of the Anglosphere in the mass media age due to a common language and its status as cultural hegemon, but that has gone into overdrive with social media and its virality. So every dumb American social movement gets copied in the rest of the Anglosphere now, irrespective of whether it makes any sense in the local historical and cultural context, and you end up with things like students in Bristol chanting "hands up, don't shoot" to the unarmed local constabulary, complaints about an "all-white jury" in Wales, and the really hilarious shit like the Sinn Fein branch of Black Lives matter.
These things get picked up in the rest of the West but to a much lesser degree, and are often scorned, as seems to be the case in France.
Barely a month from announcing the most diverse government ever to the least popular in decades. Well done. Without your Queens unfortunate passing it could have been total collapse in less time than one of those long cricket matches.
https://thecritic.co.uk/we-need-the-rich-more-than-they-need-us/
This piece from The Critic today seems to fit with the basic thrust of your article, Ed. The public vastly underestimates just how reliant they are on the taxes of the rich, as well as being completely ignorant of the role of the City of London in papering over deficits. 'Listening to the public' on City regulation would likely lead to a much poorer (and more heavily taxed) society, much as I hate to admit it.
the bankers, the bonuses.
I do think the nature of the economy, being heavily dependent on finance and so concentrated in one city, seems unideal, but I'm not sure what alternatives we have. manufacturing pays better and means the country is less hyper liberal, but I'm not sure what could be done to make it happen.
But would Boris Johnson make a better Boris Johnson than Boris Johnson??
I admired the phrase, "extremely sentimental about animals." This is true of so many people and I find it hypocritical from the same individuals who eat factory-raised beef, chicken and pork without a thought. Although hogs are far more intelligent than dogs or cats, they are often kept inside huge warehouses in cages so small that the animal cannot even turn around. In death, cows, pigs and chickens are 'slaughtered' but our pets, 'cross the rainbow bridge.' Even humans just 'pass.' The money spent on pet dogs and cats and other more exotic pets is embarrassing, and inconceivable to people who struggle in less-developed nations. It's hard to respect this blindness.
I don't think it ever has and I wasn't claiming otherwise; 1945-51 probably the closest.
Was just about to comment, Ed's piece here struck me as somewhat Moldbuggian!
it's ok to admit to reading Moldbug now right? it's all in the open.
Yep, he went on Tucker Carlson and that was basically his semi-mainstream breakout moment. Since then he's been on everything except for the really mainstream platforms (I consider Tucker semi-mainstream).
Steve Sailer is the big one everyone reads secretly now, as you're aware.
Lol