Don't get your stance on vaccines. What happened in 2021 was a staggeringly evil thing that has left many people nursing long term injuries that the medical system gaslights them about, it has left large chunks of the world's population barred from entering the USA and it was the worst assault on human rights in my life. To pick just a few of the things that could be said about it! It was left wing totalitarianism writ large and in the end all for nothing, as the useless vaccine lasted about five minutes before COVID evolved beyond it - exactly the thing that was predicted to happen right from the start!
I agree that some of the measure were not cost effective; public health experts failed us in giving individuals and public officials information on how to make cost effective decisions. I think vaccines worked well. What is your gripe? That they did not work better?
That they didn't work at all and may even have backfired. The way public health authorities approached the definition of success renders any proclamations from them worthless, so we are left with the evidence of our eyes - of the people I know, the unvaccinated have been doing better health wise than the vaccinated.
Apologies for not replying today - actually troubled by my hernia flaring up. Occasionally causes discomfort and last week or so has been bad. But usually goes away after a while
Please don’t change your spelling. Anyone reading you in America can probably figure out soccer vs. football references. We’re not all idiots, hence your subscriber statistics.
"Housing costs also change it a bit. Academia in Britain had a Left:Right ratio of 3:1 in the 1960s, while today this must be well over 10:1, probably 20:1 among the under 50s. Partly it’s because housing costs in the most desirable cities have made it far harder to afford both a career and a family."
Maybe so, but not all major academic institutions are in "the most desirable cities", or at least, not in the most expensive ones. An academic working in Durham, Glasgow or Lancaster could buy a house for around £200,000; an academic working in Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Leicester, UEA (Norwich) or Warwick (if he's prepared to live in Coventry) could buy a house for under £300,000. That's just sticking to universities currently ranked in the top 30.
As for the situation in the 1960s (when, as you say, there were more conservatives in higher education), I'm not sure the main issue is that house prices were then lower; surely it's that academic salaries were then higher. They were pegged to civil service pay in the 1950s, and there was been a sharp upward trend in the real value of academic pay between the mid-1950s and the mid-1960s. I don't have the comparative figures, but I'd also be willing to bet that academic salaries were then much more competitive, in terms of renumeration, with employment at equivalent levels in the private sector.
Finally, while you no doubt have a point about political discrimination in employment, the situation is not as one-sided as that. It's really something of a vicious circle; the left-wing dominance of academia has helped foster a hostility to higher education on the right; academics have been pushed further to the left by right-wing hostility to higher education. This is another of the trends that started in the US and has now migrated to Britain; and it's in stark contrast to the situation sixty years ago where all mainstream political parties had faith in university education and were committed to its expansion.
We've moved a long way from the early 1960s, and it now seems inevitable that higher education, here and elsewhere, ended up dominated by a progressive elite. But it's possible to imagine alternative histories, in which, say, left-wing parties had opposed mass higher education on the tactical grounds that it would recruit members of their core working-class constituency into the bourgeoisie, and in which paternalistic right-wing parties had fostered a more conservative form of higher education, perhaps with an at least tacit Christian slant.
I know everyone has seen it, but having worked for 25 years in an Anglo-American corporation, this list of 'How to translate British English into American' always makes me laugh - I can't fault any of the entries for their accuracy. https://kieranhealy.org/files/misc/anglo-feedback.png
"Conservatives don’t believe in equality or diversity, so having entire departments promoting it is going to make a job less attractive."
I refuse to work with American companies for precisely this reason. They're overly fond of weird American things like banging on about diversity or running credit checks on freelancers.
Defibrillators are great They are pretty much idiot proof - The batteries seem nearly immortal. Interestingly the voice which instructs you through the process of using the defibrillator- is male. Siri- Alexa etc are female.
In my experience, about 25%. But then that depends on the actual texts one reads ( or the wit of one's friends). Context, as always in such matters, is everything. British irony, however, is usually not intended to be sarcastic; at least as the OED defines those two terms.
I haven't really followed it first hand but I know about the terrible housing situation there and, even more than in England, the real determination of the media to dismiss any opposition.
Conservatives don’t like equality or diversity? I don’t think that is true (not in the UK, US or New Zealand, at least). Perhaps somewhat true in Morocco or Poland or Hungary (where conservatism is as much a traditionalist or religious movement as ideological(
I disagree with the guy from the FT who seems to be saying that the absence of Conservatives from institutions is down to greed or stupidity or whatever (what a terribly surprising take from the arch-metropolitan liberal. I'd never have guessed he would believe that /end sarcasm). Conservatives don't take over institutions because those institutions systemically drive us out, as anyone following academia with even half an eye, for example, would surely notice. Even the (London) Times now promotes terrorist-apologists (the Begum cover made me feel physically sick), so where would a Conservative journalist work (hello, Substack.) In corporations we are clinging on by pretending that the Marxists who run HR won't notice that we don't believe that men can become women. I wonder how that will work out long-term? Thank you for reading the FT so that we don't have to, but honestly I doubt it's worth the time.
No, Conservatives will not be recapturing any institutions because conservatism is dead. It's votaries don't yet realise it's dead and I suspect it will take a few more years of plaintively whining "Bring back Boris" before the terrible truth dawns on them. Well, some of them at any rate.
The Anti vax scene is one of the things that depresses me most.
Before Covid my ex wife was having work done on her home in Lima.- The workman felt entitled to berate my ex wife in front of my daughter about vaccines- People have stopped my ex wife on the street and denounced her - Or told her to repent
The problem is ASD simply has never really been understood. You can see the fads - Icebox Mother- Male Brain- Vaccines - Now its something innate like LGNTQ.etc.- You are not ASD dear you are a bit socially inept and you like rewatching friends
We are probably selecting for it somewhat - later age of child bearing and mass immigration
The good news is I have a hunch we are much closer to real effective treatments particularly at the harsher end of the condition.
I am glad they actually let the anti vax MP have gis moment of ignominy. The saddest thing is seeing people who otherwise I admire- digress on it
Don't get your stance on vaccines. What happened in 2021 was a staggeringly evil thing that has left many people nursing long term injuries that the medical system gaslights them about, it has left large chunks of the world's population barred from entering the USA and it was the worst assault on human rights in my life. To pick just a few of the things that could be said about it! It was left wing totalitarianism writ large and in the end all for nothing, as the useless vaccine lasted about five minutes before COVID evolved beyond it - exactly the thing that was predicted to happen right from the start!
I agree that some of the measure were not cost effective; public health experts failed us in giving individuals and public officials information on how to make cost effective decisions. I think vaccines worked well. What is your gripe? That they did not work better?
That they didn't work at all and may even have backfired. The way public health authorities approached the definition of success renders any proclamations from them worthless, so we are left with the evidence of our eyes - of the people I know, the unvaccinated have been doing better health wise than the vaccinated.
Apologies for not replying today - actually troubled by my hernia flaring up. Occasionally causes discomfort and last week or so has been bad. But usually goes away after a while
Being middle aged is great!
Please don’t change your spelling. Anyone reading you in America can probably figure out soccer vs. football references. We’re not all idiots, hence your subscriber statistics.
It's fine I would never do that of course.
Although I prefer the Z to S in civilization etc, I could never stomach 'defense'
"Housing costs also change it a bit. Academia in Britain had a Left:Right ratio of 3:1 in the 1960s, while today this must be well over 10:1, probably 20:1 among the under 50s. Partly it’s because housing costs in the most desirable cities have made it far harder to afford both a career and a family."
Maybe so, but not all major academic institutions are in "the most desirable cities", or at least, not in the most expensive ones. An academic working in Durham, Glasgow or Lancaster could buy a house for around £200,000; an academic working in Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Leicester, UEA (Norwich) or Warwick (if he's prepared to live in Coventry) could buy a house for under £300,000. That's just sticking to universities currently ranked in the top 30.
As for the situation in the 1960s (when, as you say, there were more conservatives in higher education), I'm not sure the main issue is that house prices were then lower; surely it's that academic salaries were then higher. They were pegged to civil service pay in the 1950s, and there was been a sharp upward trend in the real value of academic pay between the mid-1950s and the mid-1960s. I don't have the comparative figures, but I'd also be willing to bet that academic salaries were then much more competitive, in terms of renumeration, with employment at equivalent levels in the private sector.
Finally, while you no doubt have a point about political discrimination in employment, the situation is not as one-sided as that. It's really something of a vicious circle; the left-wing dominance of academia has helped foster a hostility to higher education on the right; academics have been pushed further to the left by right-wing hostility to higher education. This is another of the trends that started in the US and has now migrated to Britain; and it's in stark contrast to the situation sixty years ago where all mainstream political parties had faith in university education and were committed to its expansion.
We've moved a long way from the early 1960s, and it now seems inevitable that higher education, here and elsewhere, ended up dominated by a progressive elite. But it's possible to imagine alternative histories, in which, say, left-wing parties had opposed mass higher education on the tactical grounds that it would recruit members of their core working-class constituency into the bourgeoisie, and in which paternalistic right-wing parties had fostered a more conservative form of higher education, perhaps with an at least tacit Christian slant.
yes, declining academic salaries must be a factor. I think he's basically right that conservatives care more about money.
But a lot of universities are still located in expensive cities - Oxford, Cambridge and London are quite dominant.
I know everyone has seen it, but having worked for 25 years in an Anglo-American corporation, this list of 'How to translate British English into American' always makes me laugh - I can't fault any of the entries for their accuracy. https://kieranhealy.org/files/misc/anglo-feedback.png
"Conservatives don’t believe in equality or diversity, so having entire departments promoting it is going to make a job less attractive."
I refuse to work with American companies for precisely this reason. They're overly fond of weird American things like banging on about diversity or running credit checks on freelancers.
Defibrillators are great They are pretty much idiot proof - The batteries seem nearly immortal. Interestingly the voice which instructs you through the process of using the defibrillator- is male. Siri- Alexa etc are female.
A question from an American reader. How often is the British comment "Brilliant" sarcastic?
In my experience, about 25%. But then that depends on the actual texts one reads ( or the wit of one's friends). Context, as always in such matters, is everything. British irony, however, is usually not intended to be sarcastic; at least as the OED defines those two terms.
yeah that sounds about right
Brilliant question!
Ed, do you’ve any thoughts on the sudden eruption of anti immigration protests across Ireland? Or how something unspeakable in a society can turn rapidly into a movement. Feel this concept could do with some fleshing out: https://twitter.com/fitzfromdublin/status/1621504107071819777?s=46&t=qi1zAT8Uq74McA5scK-Tzg
I haven't really followed it first hand but I know about the terrible housing situation there and, even more than in England, the real determination of the media to dismiss any opposition.
Conservatives don’t like equality or diversity? I don’t think that is true (not in the UK, US or New Zealand, at least). Perhaps somewhat true in Morocco or Poland or Hungary (where conservatism is as much a traditionalist or religious movement as ideological(
I disagree with the guy from the FT who seems to be saying that the absence of Conservatives from institutions is down to greed or stupidity or whatever (what a terribly surprising take from the arch-metropolitan liberal. I'd never have guessed he would believe that /end sarcasm). Conservatives don't take over institutions because those institutions systemically drive us out, as anyone following academia with even half an eye, for example, would surely notice. Even the (London) Times now promotes terrorist-apologists (the Begum cover made me feel physically sick), so where would a Conservative journalist work (hello, Substack.) In corporations we are clinging on by pretending that the Marxists who run HR won't notice that we don't believe that men can become women. I wonder how that will work out long-term? Thank you for reading the FT so that we don't have to, but honestly I doubt it's worth the time.
Ganesh is a beautiful writer though!
*systematically, sorry. I have to type at a strange angle because our cat insists on helping.
Uh, oh, the colonials are taking over! I'll go put on a pot of tea and attempt once more to understand cricket, if that will make you feel better Ed.
ha. I don't really understand cricket tbh, I've tried but it's just so boring!
I have tried to watch but my inner conspiracy theorist keeps whispering "they're making it up as they go"
Nice one, Ed. It's nice to read a political writer who isn't afraid to reject the more fringe views on his side of the fence.
Both right and left are sorely in need of this. It creates common ground in the all but disappearing centre.
thanks!
No, Conservatives will not be recapturing any institutions because conservatism is dead. It's votaries don't yet realise it's dead and I suspect it will take a few more years of plaintively whining "Bring back Boris" before the terrible truth dawns on them. Well, some of them at any rate.
Nothing about Boris was conservative. :)
Thanks for your confirmation of my opinion and good luck with your PHd in 'Missing the Point'.
I'll admit to having about of a bug about "conservatives" who do not actually ... er .. conserve anything. :)
The Anti vax scene is one of the things that depresses me most.
Before Covid my ex wife was having work done on her home in Lima.- The workman felt entitled to berate my ex wife in front of my daughter about vaccines- People have stopped my ex wife on the street and denounced her - Or told her to repent
The problem is ASD simply has never really been understood. You can see the fads - Icebox Mother- Male Brain- Vaccines - Now its something innate like LGNTQ.etc.- You are not ASD dear you are a bit socially inept and you like rewatching friends
We are probably selecting for it somewhat - later age of child bearing and mass immigration
The good news is I have a hunch we are much closer to real effective treatments particularly at the harsher end of the condition.
I am glad they actually let the anti vax MP have gis moment of ignominy. The saddest thing is seeing people who otherwise I admire- digress on it
You made me laugh! Plus I have no clever response.