The other day Michael Deacon wrote in the Telegraph about Just Stop Oil’s antics and likened them to a cult. He was right in every way, but his analysis didn’t quite go far enough.
As a writer I have long indulged the conceit that I am a sort of historian. This has left me with a lifelong sense that I am a voyeur at a car crash, a passive witness to an endless cascade of confusion, stupidity and brutality, punctuated by moments of brilliance and invention, that defines our existence.
There is a long history of cults stretching back over thousands of years. A common, but not ubiquitous, feature is the notion that the world is about to end, usually as a punishment for human misdemeanours, and sometimes accompanied conveniently by a date. When the date passes and the world fails to end, the cult is obliged to reinvent itself or disappear. Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion are not so foolish as to name the day our evil way of life will destroy the planet, though they are obsessed with the five minutes to midnight idea. The day the Earth catches fire is depicted as being merely imminent. Both organisations predicate their ideologies on the basis that this will be as a consequence of humanity’s failure to take action to avert the crisis.
With this devastating prospect, the gloves of course are off. With such a catastrophe looming, any action they take is legitimate, however crass (such as throwing soup over a painting) or stupid (like hanging off a bridge). Underpinning all this is the defining feature of the incipient totalitarian state: an intolerance of diversity of thought. Everyone must be coerced into their way of thinking, their views must be those held by the entire population, and any action is justified to force that to happen.
One only need look at some of Extinction Rebellion’s ramblings to see the truth about them. They profess to want ‘direct democracy’, a vision in which they will not stop until their ‘demands are met’. This flagrant abuse of the word ‘democracy’ is as lost on them as it was under former totalitarian regimes.
The underlying foundation is the reactionary fantasy of some pre-industrial utopia where everyone lived a life of sustainable sanctity, all the while overlooking the crippling effects of starvation and disease and being subject to – guess what? – the vagaries of the climate.
I of course would be an enemy in their eyes. But I have no problem with the idea that climate is changing. But it has always changed, and a central part of human ingenuity is the ability to adapt to a constantly changing climate. No-one has yet demonstrated to me how much of the current rate of change is attributable to human activity, or the extent to which changing that activity would have any effect on slowing down that change. These are crucial questions, but usually ignored in the race to create a sense of millenarian doom and turn our world upside down in the pursuit of the Net Zero fantasy.
I have also invested thousands of pounds in solar panels and batteries. They have almost annihilated my electricity bills and, given the worthlessness of savings, make obvious sense if one has the capital to spend. I’m all for increasing renewables, but I profoundly object to being confronted by eco gangsters, bent on panicking everyone into futile gestures. Having just spent a month travelling in the American West where I saw precisely one (unused) EV charging point, I now know the truth meaning of Britain’s Net Zero targets – set against the rest of the world, they will make Net Zero difference.
That doesn’t mean we don’t do everything we can to change the way we live and improve how we do things, but in a measured and considered way and not in a panic. Panic will get us nowhere except somewhere worse than we already are.
The Dartford Bridge stunt also has to be seen for what it really was. Early Christian martyrs competed with each other to be tortured and killed in the most extravagantly awful fashion. Ostensibly, they were dying for their faith, and some certainly thought they were, but they had fallen over themselves to make sure the Roman authorities did their worst. These high-end martyrs were not doing this for the sake of impressing the wider Roman public. Their real purpose was showcasing their righteousness to other Christians like St Jerome who regaled others with titillating tales of hideous deaths. The worst thing that could have happened to them was if they had been ignored.
Competitive martyrdom was a real phenomenon. The Dartford Bridge stunt fell into the same category. The two idiots involved were showing off to their eco chums, upping the stakes, raising the bar for the other saints among their ranks who – if they want to be eco celebs – will have to come up with something even more insane and dangerous if they want prestige and fame within the movements.
And therein lies a very interesting prospect. Since the world is unlikely to end any time soon, and no government worth its salt can possibly give in to these tactics and blackmail, the eco warriors are going to become gradually more frustrated.
By boxing themselves into a corner with uncompromising demands, they are presented only with either giving up and losing face or having to push their campaigns ever further.
They have probably also reached already the maximum extent to which their tactics can garner wider support. A story has emerged of a woman who died after a road accident, the ambulance allegedly having been held up in the congestion caused by the Dartford Bridge protest. There is only so far the public will stomach the movement’s claims that such outcomes are an acceptable price to pay.
All this makes it almost inevitable that the eco movements will begin to splinter, breaking up into factions among which will be some extremists who believe they must resort to outright violence to get their way. Since the groups include some youthful hotheads and, as we all know, ‘there is no sinner like a young saint’, I’d say this is a virtually inevitable outcome.
It is precisely the direction the women’s suffrage movement took over a century ago, dividing into two organisations: the suffragists and the suffragettes. The suffragettes (the Women’s Social and Political Union) under the leadership of among others Christabel Pankhurst resorted to violence, justifying it with quasi-religious binary thinking by depicting the battle as one between good and evil, in which the government is the prime force of evil (exactly how the eco movements depict their campaigns). The war the suffragettes waged was thus a ‘just war’, the justification wheeled out across history to beat someone else up when they don’t do what you want.
Arguments have raged ever since about the impact of the suffragettes’ violent acts, but the arrival of the Great War changed everything and it is now simply not possible to determine whether suffragette violence led to women being given the vote.
The prospect of violence will horrify the ranks of retired vicars and other comfortably-off leisure protesters with their plastic boxes of sandwiches whose only ambition is to warm the cockles of their hearts with an afternoon of righteous zeal in the middle of the road while destroying other people’s businesses and preventing those selfish enough to be ill from getting to hospital. The sight of violence breaking out in eco protests (whether by the eco warriors or by their victims), or even eco suicides, will traumatise the moderate wing.
This is a serious prospect, and another is that if the protests are dragged out long enough the movements will lose momentum and simply dwindle. We can at least hope for that, but in the meantime these useful idiots are playing directly into the hands of an ever more controlling state. One of the most likely outcomes in the near future as a result of economically damaging protests is more state surveillance of everyone, and more restrictive laws on wider freedoms, such as being able to look at paintings in galleries without having to stand a long distance away.
There is one conspicuous difference between the eco warriors and early Christians though. The early Christian martyrs were only focused on their own salvation. Everyone else could go to hell (literally). The eco warriors are the ultimate narcissistic cult. Everyone must be recast in their image and fall down in abeyance before their righteousness. Their Inquisitorial intolerance is a frightening facet of the human condition.
I’ll finish with a story about a friend I’ve known for 48 years. She castigated us recently for our recent trip to the U.S. since she is now an Extinction Rebellion supporter and goes on marches and demonstrations. In the same breath she proudly showed us the architectural plans for the £200,000 extension she is having built and which will cover half her garden in concrete, cement and bricks. She was wholly oblivious to the irony. Oh, and she won’t have solar panels ‘because I don’t like the look of them’. No doubt her zeal will keep her warm when electricity gets too expensive. That’s your middle-class eco warrior. You really couldn’t make it up.
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“Comedian Jerry Seinfeld was met with a wave of boos when students at Duke University walked out before his commencement speech”
Just left out a little detail: The ‘boos’ were directed at the protesters.
You do not have to look far to see what lies in store when you have imported too much Islam. They get their feet under the table, they reproduce at a higher rate than indigenous people and they adhere strictly to their ideology. Of course they’re going to form caliphates and aim to fulfill their objectives, as a glimpse into history will show anyone. And Nazi Faeser here is an out and out hypocrite. You can’t be so enthusiastically pro-immigration, mainly of people who have such incompatible and contrasting values as we do, then complain about them doing exactly what they’ve always done since forever. Stupid woman!
”Thousands of Islamists took to the streets of Hamburg again on Saturday for what organizers called a “defense of Islamic values” in the face of political intimidation and media censorship.
The protest was organized by Muslim Interaktiv, a group under investigation by Hamburg’s domestic intelligence agency for “extremism.” It claimed on its social media accounts that over 6,000 Muslims had turned out to participate, although police estimates put the figure closer to 2,300.
The demonstration was in response to recent attempts by German politicians to restrict the group’s activities after a recent march in the port city sparked outrage amid calls for Germany to become a caliphate under Sharia Law, and participants chanted anti-Semitic slogans.
Muslim Interaktiv claimed it wanted to “set an example” to protect “Islamic identity,” and posted that the requirement for Muslims to “commit to Western values” was the “lie of the year.”
After the controversial protest held last month, Germany’s Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser denounced the demonstration despite overseeing the country’s open borders immigration policy in recent years that has seen millions of Muslims, many of whom have originated from countries that practice fundamental Islam, arrive in Germany.
“Seeing an Islamist demonstration of this kind on our streets is difficult to bear. It’s a good thing that the Hamburg police counteracted crime with a large presence,” she told Tagesspiegel.
“Anyone who would rather live in a caliphate, and therefore in the Stone Age, is against everything that Germany stands for. We defend our constitution — with the means of our constitution,” she said.”
https://rmx.news/article/thousands-of-islamists-protest-against-censorship-in-hamburg-after-calls-for-a-caliphate-in-germany-are-banned/
The reason the politicians want to ban these demonstrations is to hide the consequences of their ignorant and malicious open border policies. The more we see them the more ordinary people will react to what’s happening on their doorstep rather than being distracted by far-away conflicts.
Climate Zealots Burn Your Money – latest leaflet to print at home and deliver to neighbours or forward to politicians, including your local Reform Party candidate, your local vicar, media and friends online.
“UN seemingly halves estimate of Gazan women, children killed” – The UN has revised the estimated number of women and children killed in Gaza from 9,500 women and over 14,500 children down to 4,959 women and 7,797 children, reports the Jerusalem Post.
That’s alright then. /sarc.
At some point they’ll actually deny there were any people in Gaza at all – despite nearly 100,000 bombs being dropped – and expect us to believe them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH87z84jiII
Gawd almighty, this man and people like him….”Suicidal empathy” is what Gad Saad calls it. Apparently you can’t have too many jihadis and sexual predators who demonstrably hate the West. But these Leftard people are sick in the head. Does it never occur to them what society might look like for their kids and grandkids? Do they never ever wonder why all the Arab countries, which are majority Muslim as well as in the actual geographical region, are not taking these people in, so they have to travel thousands of kms to Europe instead? These two points are no-brainers, surely? Is it possible to demonstrate both sadistic and masochistic traits simultaneously? Seems so;
”What an utterly catastrophic suggestion. The current UK asylum system has difficulty keeping out sex offenders, even when it’s well known to them.
The last thing we need is Hamas supporters who Arab nations do not even want, living amongst us.”
https://twitter.com/ArchRose90/status/1790117234158776585
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/eurovision-and-a-salute-to-the-jews/
There was some merit in this year’s Eurovision.
And look at the countries who supported Israel and these were public votes.
IOF commenced bombing of Rafah at the weekend:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-israel-unleashes-heaviest-bombing-months
Wonder how many people won’t die in this latest onslaught.
The Palestinian civil defence said the bombardment was reminiscent of “the war’s first days”, but far more devastating.
They said this was due to medical services and emergency efforts being depleted after months of Israeli targeting.
“We have lost 80 percent of our capabilities,” the civil defence said in a statement.
“It has become very difficult for our crews to rescue the wounded and recover the martyrs.”
Ambulance workers said they were fired at by Israeli drones in Rafah and northern Gaza in recent days, preventing them from carrying out their work.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military continued to block the entry of aid through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings for a seventh day, according to Palestinian officials.
Who knows what’s going on in Gaza and while we are distracted arguing about it – unnecessarily taking sides in my view – much is going on in our country that needs attention. The Gazans are caught up in a conflict between extremists who don’t want peace and I see no solution while the globalist interference remains strong. Meanwhile we are facing takeover of our cities and institutions by Islamist extremists …
Are we facing a takeover or is a flash point being manufactured which is not intended to benefit anyone involved, including Muslims?
Yes. We are being played by bad actors who want to enslave us one way or other. Ordinary people, whatever their beliefs, need to speak out against them.
I think it’s possible to believe we are being played by bad actors but also to believe that Europe would be better off if it remained predominantly white and Christian/post-Christian.
Well, I have stated many times on DS that there will be blood on the streets. I believe that is now being deliberately engineered.
Spot on.
Germany’s ambassador to Israel and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan condemn the attacks and looting of Gaza-bound aid trucks by right-wing Israeli activists.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-05-14/ty-article-live/u-s-germany-slam-right-wing-israelis-attack-on-gaza-bound-aid-convoy/0000018f-74c8-dd07-adbf-fffa73560000?liveBlogItemId=1038231259#1038231259
Back in February:
“‘The most important lever of pressure is food and water. If we provide them with that, we are missing a lever of pressure’ – Orit Zweig and Zofit Liebman, the sister and brother-in-law of Eliakim Liebman who was kidnapped in Gaza, participated in the blockade of aid trucks to Gaza at Ashdod port”
https://twitter.com/KnessetT/status/1753058324369613042
I think Hamas might be a “terrorist organisation” (though I am not keen on labels of this sort) but I don’t need or want “Lord” Cameron or the BBC to tell me this. Can we just aim to find out as much as possible about what’s going on in the world and make our own minds up?
I’m not sure how anybody, other than those who have outed themselves as traitors to the West and supporters of terrorism, can dispute the fact that Hamas is a terrorist organization, and there are of course more than just Hamas operating out of that region. What other atrocities would you need to see happen before people are able to make their minds up? Or are we now at the point in Clown World where hostage taking/rape = resistance, murder of innocents = liberation? Because that sounds a lot like terrorist sympathizing to me.
You may well be right but neither you nor I need to be told this by a “journalist” or by “Lord” Cameron. If other people think that what Hamas are reported to have done is justified, I want to hear their arguments, as I want to hear arguments from those who fully support Israel’s actions, and all shades in between.
Here’s how pressure is applied to get people to align their views:
“I’m not sure how anybody, other than those who have outed themselves as traitors to the West and supporters of terrorism” – if you don’t agree you must be a terrorist supporter and traitor
“What other atrocities would you need to see happen before people are able to make their minds up?” – if you ask for further information, you have a skewed moral compass
“Or are we now at the point in Clown World where hostage taking/rape = resistance, murder of innocents = liberation?” – use the government mandated term or be seen as a supporter of rape, murder and all manner of atrocities
“Because that sounds a lot like terrorist sympathizing to me.” – get in line or you’re One of Them
Note how Cameron insisted on using “Daesh” to refer to the Islamic State group – an indicator of his alignment?
Ironically my views on this specific issue and the wider ones surrounding it are probably closer to Mogwai’s than to yours, but I certainly don’t think a government minister should be calling for a supposedly impartial state broadcaster to start labelling people. I might agree with this label, but tomorrow they may apply similar to labels to “anti-vaxxers”, “climate deniers”, “conspiracy theorists” etc.
I think we’re in agreement on the important points: get as much information as possible and make your own mind up and no government influence on journalism.
“How Doctor Who went from paternalistic liberal to woke warrior”
Haven’t watched the crap for years now, it was much better back in the day when all the sets used to wobbly around!
“Drax burning magic money trees”
The insanity of burning trees from half way round the world and calling it environmentally friendly is monumentally breathtaking! Millions of tons a year, but your not allowed to burn logs on your little wood burner because it pollutes the atmosphere! Ffs
“Fears for Rwanda policy after Belfast high court ruling”
Yet another example of the creeping Globalist “Kritocracy = Rule By Judges”
“Melinda Gates quits the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation” Well done to her! Maybe her eyes have been opened to the terrible harm that foundation has done to humanity.
“The spirit of Lee Kuan Yew lives on…” Excellent video. Singaporeans are lucky to have such a sensible Prime Minister.