Europe Imploding | Andrew Doyle & Graham Linehan | EP 505

13 Dec 2024 (5 days ago)
Europe Imploding | Andrew Doyle & Graham Linehan | EP 505

Coming up (0s)

  • In a small village, a person may claim a title, such as "mayor," and be treated as such by the locals, who listen to their advice, illustrating the concept of affirmation (10s).
  • However, this concept becomes untenable when applied to a larger societal scale, as it falls apart outside of the small village setting (17s).
  • Gay clubs were once a safe space for outsiders to express themselves freely, but this empathy has been exploited by individuals, such as straight white men in the AGP (Autogynephilic) community, who manipulate the empathy of women and gay people for their own gain (42s).
  • This manipulation is particularly concerning, as it takes advantage of the natural empathy that women and gay people have for outsiders (42s).

Intro (46s)

  • A tour is scheduled to start in December and run through April, with dates and cities available on jordanbpeterson.com, focusing on the issues raised in the new book "We Who Wrestle with God" (1m7s).
  • The book, released on November 19th, takes apart a sequence of Old Testament stories and explains their meaning in a comprehensible and practically applicable way (1m18s).
  • The stories are considered fundamental to understanding oneself, others, society, and relationships with nature and the Divine (1m47s).
  • Andrew Doyle, a comedian and creator of Titania McGrath, has been a long-time critic of the woke left and has been in touch with the host for several years (2m5s).
  • Andrew Doyle and Graham Linehan are establishing a new entertainment enterprise in Phoenix, aiming to create humor in a world where it is in short supply (2m27s).
  • Graham Linehan, a successful sitcom writer in the UK, had his life and career severely impacted after expressing reasonable opinions, leading to the end of his marriage and persona non grata status in the artistic community (3m2s).
  • Andrew Doyle, on the other hand, has managed to turn the woke mob into commercial success, and the two have joined forces with Rob Schneider to start their new enterprise (3m47s).
  • The conversation touches on the dismal state of the UK and Europe, the revolution in the US and Canada, and the importance of free speech and common law (4m12s).
  • The discussion also mentions the pathology of the Canadian liberal landscape under Justin Trudeau and the potential for damage in the coming year (4m43s).

The nature of Graham’s sins and crimes: writing comedy (5m10s)

  • Graham Linehan was a successful sitcom writer and comedy writer, having received a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Comedy Awards and multiple BAFTAs and an Emmy, with notable works including the influential sitcom Father Ted, which had a significant impact on the Irish Church's influence in Ireland in the 90s (5m23s).
  • Linehan's career took a turn when he was supposed to teach comedy in Australia, but was told that security problems made it impossible, which he believes was due to the potential for offending certain groups (7m0s).
  • He began speaking out against gender ideology and its impact on women, including those who were being bullied and receiving death threats for discussing the topic, and raised money for the Vancouver Rape Relief after they were sent a dead rat nailed to their door for refusing to accept men in their sessions (7m57s).
  • Linehan's views led to him being targeted by propaganda, with the Pink News publishing over 75 stories about him, and he was labeled a "trans exclusionary radical feminist" (8m42s).
  • He notes that the feminism of women he was supporting did not seem exclusionary, but rather a response to the bullying and harassment they were facing (9m9s).
  • The concept of basic feminism, which acknowledges the existence and value of women, is being challenged, and men who identify as women are participating in women's sports, leading to controversy (9m14s).
  • The speaker lost their jobs due to being labeled a "bigot" after expressing their opinions on men participating in women's sports, and they suspect this is the reason they were replaced as the director of a project with Steve Martin (9m41s).
  • A musical based on Father Ted was taken away from the speaker due to their name being associated with it, which would have made millions (10m19s).
  • The speaker reflects on the biblical text as an inexhaustible source of wisdom, but admits to not believing in the promise of seeking first God's kingdom and righteousness (10m46s).
  • The speaker realizes that one ideology that has supplanted Christianity and done good for humanity is Judaism, which has a rich history and tradition of wisdom and love (11m17s).
  • The speaker emphasizes the importance of love and wisdom, stating that attempting wisdom without love is going radically wrong (11m47s).
  • The speaker believes that when people are no longer cynical and greedy, but instead genuinely care about others, society is in trouble (12m15s).
  • The speaker is considered one of the most successful sitcom writers in the UK, possibly in the top five, with notable works such as Father Ted (12m49s).
  • The writer of several famous sitcoms, including Father Ted, The IT Crowd, and Black Books, also created a show called Motherland that was quite successful recently (14m26s).
  • The writer noticed the internet becoming a thing around 2005 and decided to write about it, as suggested by a writer's course instructor, who said a sitcom should always be about social change (13m22s).
  • The writer took inspiration from shows like The Jeffersons and All in the Family, which were on the cutting edge of social inquiry (13m47s).
  • The writer believes that the internet has caused whiplash and people still don't know what it's done to them as a species (14m19s).
  • The writer had a bit of "Trump derangement" when he won the first time and thought the world was going to end, but later realized that what was being done to Trump would be done to others, including the writer (14m59s).
  • The writer became famous for saying that the right never called them a bigot, but the left did for saying basic things like not cutting off little girls' breasts or putting men in women's prisons (15m42s).
  • The writer believes that putting men in women's prisons is against the Geneva Convention and cites a terrible story in Ireland where a disturbed man, Barbie Kardashian, was allowed to share living space with female prisoners due to self-ID laws (15m58s).
  • The writer thinks that psychopaths would pretend to be women to get access to women and that self-ID laws can be exploited by such individuals (16m43s).
  • Some individuals can gain advantages by applying makeup, such as eyeshadow, and complaining about the use of eyeshadow as a marker of gender, as the rules surrounding these issues are constantly changing (16m55s).
  • The rules and language surrounding identity are fluid and often intentionally confusing, making it difficult for people to understand and engage in conversations about these topics (17m10s).
  • The fluidity of the conversation around identity can make it challenging for people to stand up for themselves or others, as the cost of doing so can be high, although not standing up can have even higher costs (17m24s).
  • The complexity and confusion surrounding the language of these issues can be a reason why some people, including those in the same career, may not stand up for others who are affected by these issues (17m29s).

Why people stay silent when they should speak (17m47s)

  • It is understandable why people choose to remain silent in certain situations, although it is not an excuse for doing so (17m47s).
  • A historical example is the widespread assumption that ordinary Germans were afraid of being terrified or tortured during the Nazi years, but the actual reason many went along with it was due to career advancements (18m12s).
  • The situation is comparable to the present day, where people may choose to remain silent due to fear of cancellation or career repercussions, but the difference is that it is now easier for people to be informed about what is happening (18m31s).
  • The crimes committed by the Nazis were of sufficient magnitude that it is not surprising people did not believe they were happening, and a similar phenomenon can be observed today where people may initially disbelieve information that is later proven to be true (18m51s).
  • An example of this is Michael Shellenberger's initial response to the conversation about child mutilation and sterilization, where he did not believe it was happening, but later investigated and found it to be true (19m0s).
  • The people involved in such activities are often truly malevolent, fetishistic, and demented, and it is important for people to stand up for what is normal and right (19m37s).

The fundamental truth of sex, and why it’s being subverted (19m41s)

  • Andrew Doyle created a character named Titania McGrath, a satirical representation of the social justice movement, and wrote two books as her, as well as performing a live show and a West End show in London, although the latter was canceled due to the theater owner discovering the true nature of the show (20m22s).
  • Doyle was never "canceled" in the classical sense, as he was not a successful or established figure in the same way that Graham Linehan was, but rather was put in a "bad pen" for satirizing the social justice movement (20m44s).
  • Doyle was an early part of the movement to monetize the social justice movement, but his intention was to satirize it, and he believes that the movement is based on a power-obsessed and identity-obsessed ideology that plays with language to justify its actions (20m57s).
  • Doyle's background is in standup comedy, playwriting, and writing musicals, and he believes that creative people are often on the front line of the culture war, as they are often pushing the boundaries of tolerance or addressing issues through satire (21m16s).
  • The social justice movement, or "wokeness," has become a powerful force in society that is ring-fenced from satirical attention, with its proponents claiming that any criticism is a form of bullying, despite the fact that the movement itself legitimizes bullying (21m51s).
  • The movement is based on the idea that every form of interaction can be construed as a form of bullying, and that there is no human motivation other than the desire for power, which allows its proponents to play elaborate word games and justify their actions (22m24s).
  • The fundamental distinction between male and female is being challenged, and if people can be made to accept the equivalence of this fundamental pair of opposites, there is no lie they will resist (23m20s).
  • The concept of empathy, particularly among gay people, has been weaponized to promote the idea that the distinction between male and female is not fundamental (23m54s).
  • The government is now pursuing policies based on the inversion of what man and woman means, and what truth and fiction is, which is a problem because it compels people to accept this inversion (24m10s).
  • The government's compulsion to accept this inversion is a concern, as it undermines the freedom to express one's own opinions and beliefs (24m23s).
  • The UK government has been asked to define its working definition of gender identity, but has failed to provide a clear answer, instead turning the question around and blaming the person asking (24m54s).
  • There have been cross-party discussions in the UK on the definition of Islamophobia, which has been agreed to be a type of racism based on Muslimness or perceived Muslimness, despite Islam not being a race (25m32s).
  • Governments proceeding on this slippery linguistic terrain, where they don't understand the terms they are deploying, means that activists promoting the inversion of fundamental concepts have won (25m56s).
  • Baroness Jackie Smith, the government spokesperson for equalities in the House of Lords, was asked to define gender identity but turned the question around and blamed the person asking (24m50s).
  • A member of the House of Commons has called for blasphemy laws to be reinstated, specifically to make the desecration of the Quran illegal (25m21s).
  • A YouTube channel was created to discuss the gender issue, with a focus on showing people that it's safe to laugh at the topic because it can be ridiculous (26m11s).
  • The channel's creator got into trouble for responding to Eddie Izzard's statement that he would have been a victim of the Holocaust, by pointing out that the Nazis were not famously bigoted against straight white men with blonde hair (26m23s).
  • This response led to the creator being called a Holocaust denier by trans rights activists, a label that was also applied to JK Rowling and others who supported this point of view (26m38s).
  • The creator notes that JK Rowling is now also being called a Holocaust denier, which they find absurd (26m47s).

Michel Foucault’s small village analogy (27m0s)

  • Michel Foucault's observation is that in a small village, there might be a person who claims a title, such as "mayor," but isn't officially recognized as such, yet the villagers still acknowledge and respect them, which is similar to how affirmation works in certain contexts (27m9s).
  • However, when this concept is applied to a larger society, it becomes unsustainable and falls apart, as it relies on a small, tight-knit community (27m28s).
  • Gay clubs used to be a safe space for outsiders to express themselves freely, but this empathy has been exploited by some individuals, such as straight white men in the AGP (autogynephile) community, who manipulate the empathy of women and gay people for their own gain (27m45s).
  • A promotional message interrupts the conversation, discussing the work of Pre-born Ministries, a charity that helps women with unplanned pregnancies and provides ultrasounds, with the goal of saving the lives of unborn children (28m1s).
  • The promotional message explains that a donation of $28 can help save a life, and due to a matching grant, the gift is doubled, potentially helping 10 mothers and their unborn children (28m36s).
  • The charity, Pre-born Ministries, has a four-star charity rating, and all gifts are tax-deductible (28m54s).

Balancing the center and the margin (29m5s)

  • The concept of the center and the margin is akin to the problem of power dynamics, where the center is seen as oppressive and the margin as liberating, but this concept is flawed as it assumes a dialectical relationship between the two (29m7s).
  • The center is a unity that is surrounded by a margin, where experimentation and change take place, allowing the center to propagate itself over time (29m35s).
  • However, the margin also has its own margins, and if you go far enough into the margin, you encounter the truly monstrous, which is a big problem (30m5s).
  • The problem is that we no longer tolerate eccentricity, and instead, demand conformity, which empowers those further marginal states that are considered monstrous (30m30s).
  • The empowerment of eccentricity is not the problem, but rather the empowerment of those who are truly monstrous, such as extremists (30m47s).
  • In the past, eccentrics were tolerated by their friends and society, but now, with the internet, they can find like-minded individuals and become a movement (32m7s).
  • The aggregation of the truly monstrous is a possibility that we have no idea what it means, and it's a consequence of the technology that we use (32m16s).
  • If we don't cherish eccentricity, we don't have the arts, creativity, or freethinking types, and demanding conformity from artists is not a coincidence with the empowerment of extremists (32m26s).
  • One way to tell when empathy for the marginal has exceeded its boundaries is when the marginalized start to restrict eccentricity and become intolerant (32m50s).
  • When the marginalized become powerful and make the rules, the empathetic endeavor has gone too far (33m5s).

Fleeing the UK to continue working in satire, village gossip on the global scale (33m8s)

  • The creative arts in the UK have departed, leading to a situation where some artists feel they must work in America to have artistic freedom, as seen with the relocation of Graham Linehan and the speaker to Arizona (33m17s).
  • The speaker believes that the UK no longer provides the necessary creative freedom and supportive social infrastructure for artists to think creatively and produce good work (33m59s).
  • The best comedy often pushes boundaries and risks being offensive, but the current climate in the UK makes it difficult for comedians to create freely (34m37s).
  • There has been a shift in the comedic community, with some clubs now having contracts that list topics comedians cannot discuss, and comedians policing each other in a more surreptitious way (35m7s).
  • This environment favors "regime comedians" who thrive in a restrictive environment and are often mediocre (35m40s).
  • The emphasis on ideological purity has led to a situation where mediocrity is tolerated, as seen in the publication of "woke books" with poor illustrations that are only published due to their political message (36m8s).
  • This phenomenon is not limited to the publishing industry, as it was also observed in universities where ideological purity was used to excuse poor performance (36m21s).

Lectures dressed up as entertainment, men dressed up as women (36m44s)

  • Many comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival have become lectures disguised as comedy, with some venues being closed to certain performers due to their views (36m45s).
  • The image of a person can be distorted through global "village gossip," as seen in the case of a person's Wikipedia page highlighting a comparison between gender surgeries and Nazi experiments on children (37m19s).
  • The comparison between gender surgeries and Nazi experiments is not just a comparison, but an identity, as the medical atrocities and psychological motivations behind them have been researched and found to be similar (37m36s).
  • The trans surgical procedures being performed today are comparable to the experiments conducted by Unit 731 in Japan, which is considered one of the worst medical atrocities in history (37m57s).
  • The first vagina plasty was performed by a doctor who had also conducted hypothermia experiments on prisoners, drawing a connection between the two (38m22s).
  • The practice of performing surgeries on mentally unstable people, those with autism, and those with depression is unjustifiable and considered medical horror (38m45s).
  • The use of puberty blockers on children is also unjustifiable, as it is based on a pseudo-religious belief in a gender identity that cannot be defined (38m55s).
  • The idea that gender is entirely fluid and divorced from sex, except in the case of children who are confused about their gender, is a logical impossibility (39m16s).
  • The surgeries performed to transform children into the opposite sex are barbaric and have severe side effects, with some surgeons attempting to create complex body parts that barely work even when naturally occurring (39m33s).
  • The creation of false genitalia often involves farming skin from other parts of the body, resulting in scars and a non-functional organ (40m10s).
  • The procedures are considered a form of body horror, with some comparing them to a Cronenberg movie, a reference to the medical horror genre (40m43s).

Chloe Cole, body dysphoria, and negative emotion during puberty (40m57s)

  • Chloe, one of the early "Trend desisters," was interviewed about her experience with puberty blockers, hormonal transformation, and surgery at a young age, which led to a discussion about the psychological aspects of negative emotions in women during puberty (40m57s).
  • Research has shown that women experience increased negative emotions, including bodily self-consciousness, after puberty, and this sensitivity to negative emotions remains throughout their lives (41m38s).
  • Various theories attempt to explain this phenomenon, including differences in body size, sexual risk, and the societal expectations placed on women, particularly in terms of their physical appearance (41m57s).
  • Women are more likely to experience anxiety disorders and depression worldwide, with these findings being cross-culturally stable and emerging during puberty (42m43s).
  • Chloe had fantasies of having a curvy body like Kim Kardashian, but realized she would likely have a boyish figure, which led to her body dysmorphia and desire for surgery (42m54s).
  • Chloe was not informed that an increase in negative emotions during puberty is common in girls, nor was she told that 90% of people with body dysmorphia desist by the time they are 18 (43m31s).
  • Despite the standard approach for treating gender dysphoria involving a wait-and-see approach, Chloe underwent a double mastectomy after a 20-minute consultation, and her surgical scars never healed properly (44m16s).
  • The long-term effects of such surgeries can be severe, with some individuals experiencing complications and regret, highlighting the need for more comprehensive and informed approaches to treating gender dysphoria (44m39s).
  • Some individuals who undergo breast removal surgery may still experience physical reactions, such as pain, in response to their baby's cries due to remaining fibers from the breast muscle, despite being unable to breastfeed. (44m54s)
  • Surgeons may reassure patients that they can have new breasts installed if they change their mind, which is seen as a marketing ploy by some. (45m7s)
  • There are concerns that some individuals promoting breast removal surgery are manipulative, narcissistic, and malevolent opportunists who take advantage of vulnerable people. (45m33s)
  • The case of Mercure Giselle, a woman who was raped in her sleep by her husband, is mentioned as an example of how some men may take advantage of opportunities to harm others. (45m48s)
  • The idea is put forward that if societal boundaries are pushed, some men will follow and take advantage of the new norms. (46m5s)
  • A promotional message is included, advertising Jeremy's Razer cyber deals, offering 50% off one-year razor bundles for men and women, with a deadline of December 15th for Christmas delivery. (46m10s)

The pathology of perpetrators and bystanders (46m36s)

  • Leah Thomas, a 6'4" male swimmer, ranked 400th in the US among American swimmers of his age, participated in women's sports, which raises concerns about the unfair advantage he had over female competitors due to his physical characteristics (46m43s).
  • The behavior of individuals like Leah Thomas, who participate in women's sports despite having a physical advantage, can be seen as a sign of malignant narcissism, as they seem to believe they deserve to win and are heroic victims (47m34s).
  • Laurel Hubbard, a male weightlifter and son of a billionaire, competed against and beat two indigenous women in New Zealand, taking the first place and highlighting the issue of men competing in women's sports (48m15s).
  • The people who stand by and allow this to happen are often motivated by a desire to be seen as empathetic, which has become a cardinal moral virtue, but this can be exploited by narcissists and individuals who seek to take advantage of others (49m24s).
  • Empathy is a complex issue, and while it can be a valid motivation for positive change, such as the American Civil Rights Movement, it can also be used to manipulate others and create a sense of moral obligation (49m52s).
  • The problem with empathy is that it can be exploited by individuals who do not reciprocate it, creating a situation where cooperators are taken advantage of by those who do not cooperate, as demonstrated by game theorists working in the biological realm (50m21s).
  • Established non-cooperators can infiltrate and dominate societies that are trust-based, creating an ambivalence between trust and skepticism that is bound to emerge (50m41s).
  • Societies that are very trust-based, where empathy can function effectively, can be exploited by psychopaths and narcissists who use language to get what they want and are predatory parasites (50m59s).
  • These individuals are narcissistic, seeking undeserved attention, and sadistic, making them effective at weaponizing empathy (51m9s).
  • The effectiveness of empathy being weaponized is partly due to the fact that agreeable, empathetic people do not believe that parasitic, predatory narcissists exist, and their default assumption is that anyone misbehaving is a victim (51m41s).
  • While it is true that many people in prison were victimized, not everyone who is victimized turns into a criminal, and this leaves room for the existence of psychopathic individuals who commit crimes (52m0s).
  • The Scottish national Parliament's decision to allow men to be considered the same as women and to be housed in women's prisons is an example of how agreeable people can be misled into thinking that psychopathic individuals do not exist or are just misunderstood (52m21s).

The cost of writing someone off, the “where there’s smoke” assumption (52m38s)

  • Standing up for someone in a situation where they are being attacked online can be daunting, as it may make the defender a target, and this fear should not be underestimated (52m40s).
  • The online environment enables people to make accusations without facing consequences, and this lack of accountability emboldens those who delight in making accusations (52m58s).
  • The body horror and extreme beliefs that are being discussed would have been incomprehensible to people 15-20 years ago, making it difficult for many to understand and defend against these ideas (53m19s).
  • Many people may not comprehend the complexity of the situation and instead rely on the assumption that "where there's smoke, there's fire," making it easier to write someone off as a bigot rather than taking the time to understand the issue (53m41s).
  • The cost of writing someone off can be significant, and it may take time for people to trust and defend someone who has been accused, even if they know that the accusations are likely false (54m7s).
  • Defending someone in this situation requires admitting to the existence of an evil that many people cannot comprehend and do not want to acknowledge, which can be a difficult and unpopular thing to do (54m40s).
  • When someone does apologize and admit to being wrong, as in the case of author John Boyne, it can be a brave act, but the backlash they may face can also serve as a deterrent to others who might consider defending someone who has been accused (55m3s).
  • The demonization and destruction of those who do defend someone who has been accused can send a message to others that they do not want to be in that position, making it even more difficult for people to defend those who are being unfairly attacked (55m20s).

False premises are being protected under law (55m27s)

  • In Canada, physicians or psychologists who object to gender-affirming care can be reported by activists, leading to years of legal entanglement and a high probability of losing their professional status and license (55m27s).
  • The law is being used as a weapon in the UK, with the concept of non-crime hate incidents being a key tool for activists (56m6s).
  • Non-crime hate incidents are a phenomenon in the UK where individuals can report incidents that are not necessarily crimes, but are perceived as hateful, and these incidents can have serious consequences for those reported (56m47s).
  • The UK does not have a codified constitution like the US, which means that freedom of speech is not as strongly protected, and this has led to concerns about the erosion of free speech (56m54s).
  • The concept of hate speech is being used to limit free speech, with some politicians, such as Tim Waltz, suggesting that hate speech is not covered by the First Amendment (57m7s).
  • The definition of hate speech is often subjective and can be leveraged by those who want to silence others, leading to a chilling effect on free speech (57m26s).
  • Some individuals, including the speakers, have chosen to move to the US or spend more time there due to the instability and erosion of free speech in their home countries (56m18s).
  • The US is seen as a place where individuals can flee to pursue their goals and be appreciated for their creativity, despite its own problems (56m35s).

Where “non-crime hate incidents” originated (57m50s)

  • The concept of "non-crime hate incidents" originated from the Macpherson Report in 1999, which investigated the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence and found institutional racism within the police. The report recommended that both racist incidents and non-criminal incidents be reported (58m14s).
  • The College of Policing in England and Wales, a body responsible for training police forces, introduced the idea of "non-crime hate incidents" in 2014, building on the Macpherson Report's recommendations (59m4s).
  • According to the College of Policing, a non-crime hate incident is recorded if someone perceives that a non-criminal offense has been committed, motivated by prejudice or hatred against a protected characteristic, such as race, gender, or trans identity (59m18s).
  • The police are required to record these incidents, even if there is no evidence of hate, and the person being recorded is not notified (1h0m51s).
  • The Crown Prosecution Service and the College of Policing have stated that no evidence is required for hate to be recorded, and it is solely based on the perception of the victim (1h0m54s).
  • The system has been criticized for being a form of "pre-crime," as it allows for the recording of incidents that may not escalate into actual crimes, and can be used to weaponize against individuals with grudges (1h1m45s).
  • The implementation of non-crime hate incidents has been linked to high-ranking activists within the police and the College of Policing, including Alex Marshall, who was the Chief Executive of the College of Policing at the time of implementation and had previously won Stonewall's top award (1h1m13s).
  • The system has also been compared to a "social credit system," as it can affect an individual's ability to obtain certain jobs or pass background checks, even if the incident is not a crime (1h0m28s).

Bill C-63: fear of non-crime as a precursor to crime (1h2m6s)

  • Bill C-63 is a Canadian bill currently in its second reading in the House, which may be passed by the Liberal party before Trudeau is removed from office (1h2m12s).
  • The bill is presented as a measure to protect children from online sexual abuse, but it contains provisions that allow for the restriction of individuals who may potentially commit a hate crime in the future (1h2m29s).
  • If a provincial magistrate is convinced that someone might commit a hate crime within the next year, based on a justified fear, the individual can be subject to severe restrictions, including wearing an electronic ankle bracelet for a year (1h2m59s).
  • These restrictions can include confinement to one's house, limited communication with the outside world, and restricted social media use (1h3m22s).
  • Individuals under these restrictions may also be required to provide regular samples of their bodily fluids to the authorities, possibly to monitor alcohol or marijuana consumption (1h3m32s).
  • This bill has been criticized for its focus on the fear of non-crime as a precursor to crime, rather than addressing actual crimes (1h3m58s).

A competition of stupidity — straight out of Kafka (1h4m6s)

  • A competition of stupidity and authoritarianism is being observed, with Canada and the UK being prominent participants (1h4m6s).
  • In the UK, around a quarter of a million non-crime hate incidents have been recorded, with an average of 62 incidents per day (1h4m20s).
  • The College of Policing has been instructed twice by the Home Office to stop recording non-crime hate incidents, but has ignored these guidelines and seen an increase in incidents (1h4m37s).
  • The High Court has ruled that the recording of non-crime hate incidents has a chilling effect on freedom of speech, comparing it to the Stasi (1h4m55s).
  • Despite this, the College of Policing continues to record non-crime hate incidents, and the current Labor government has expressed a desire to ramp up these efforts (1h5m22s).
  • A journalist, Allison Pearson, was visited by police officers on Remembrance Sunday and informed that she was being investigated for stirring up racial hatred, but was not told what the complaint or the specific tweet in question was (1h5m46s).
  • This incident has been compared to the novel "The Trial" by Kafka, in which the protagonist is not informed of the charges against him (1h6m33s).
  • The lack of due process and presumption of innocence in these cases has been highlighted, with some individuals receiving visits from police officers without being informed of the charges against them (1h6m16s).
  • One individual has reported receiving three visits from the police, including one on a Sunday morning, in relation to their reporting on a serial con man (1h6m47s).
  • A person, referred to as a "prison lawyer," was described as someone who knows the law and uses it to put people under stress, often dropping cases at the end, and was found to have been imprisoned for sexual offenses against a 14-year-old boy (1h7m21s).
  • This individual had the British police working for him, visiting people's houses and knocking on doors, despite his own history of sexual offenses (1h7m58s).
  • The police were described as not knowing what was going on and simply following procedure, with one officer suggesting that the person being visited should block the individual on Twitter (1h8m15s).
  • The person being visited had already blocked the individual years ago and found the police's actions to be confusing (1h8m34s).
  • The real fear is that this kind of situation cannot be voted out, as the police and colleges are policing themselves and deciding their own actions, regardless of government instructions (1h8m55s).
  • The situation is not seen as a right or left issue, but rather a problem with the police and colleges, with the labor government potentially making things worse (1h9m9s).
  • There have been cases of people being jailed for non-crimes, such as tweeting objectionable things in anger, with judges giving harsh sentences as examples to others (1h10m28s).
  • One example given was a woman named Lucy Connelly, who was sentenced to 31 months in prison for tweeting that hotels housing certain individuals should be burned down, despite the tweet being deleted quickly (1h10m11s).
  • Kama had previously stated that he wanted judges to expedite cases, which has been done efficaciously, resulting in sex offenders being removed to make room for women who were victims, but the issue is manifold, including the Draconian jail terms for language and speech (1h10m40s).
  • The speaker does not approve of the speech but notes that there is no evidence that a tweet by a woman caused any violence in the real world, and decades of research have shown that people don't tweet and then violence happens as a direct result (1h11m3s).
  • The UK and US have the Brandenburg test for incitement to violence, which requires an intention to cause violence, likelihood of causing violence, and imminent risk of violence, but none of the people currently in prison in the UK for tweets meet this threshold (1h11m24s).
  • The chilling effect of this is not just on people saying nasty things but also on people expressing themselves in any way, as seen in the case of a guy who was found guilty of stirring up hatred for wearing a Halloween costume of the Manchester bomber (1h11m54s).
  • The case of the man wearing the Manchester bomber costume is considered sick and unpleasant, but it's also a joke, as Halloween is about wearing gross and unpleasant costumes, and he is now waiting for a prison sentence (1h12m1s).

Count Dankula, everyone is susceptible to mass hysteria (1h12m23s)

  • Count Dankula, a comedian, was involved in a controversy for teaching his girlfriend's pug to do a Hitler salute as a joke, but it was misinterpreted as promoting anti-Semitism (1h12m23s).
  • At the time, people believed the comedian was sending hidden messages and being anti-Semitic, rather than just playing a joke on his girlfriend (1h13m12s).
  • The comedian was actually just messing about and having a joke, but the situation escalated and he had to apologize (1h13m21s).
  • Graham Linehan wrote a satirical piece mocking the court's decision in the Count Dankula case, but was attacked online for it, with some people calling him alt-right or fascist (1h13m55s).
  • The experience highlights the importance of recognizing one's own susceptibility to mass hysteria and being willing to admit when one has been wrong (1h14m25s).
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, Graham Linehan got vaccinated twice, despite initial reservations, and even encouraged others to get vaccinated on a podcast, but later realized that the situation was more complex and that pharmaceutical companies had become corrupt (1h14m43s).
  • The experience taught him that it's difficult to question the dominant narrative, especially when it comes to issues like vaccine policy, and that it's easy to get caught up in groupthink and cognitive dissonance (1h15m30s).
  • The conversation suggests that there is a real problem with the expectation of moral purity from all sides, where people are expected to think the same way on every issue, and that this can lead to a kind of group identity that is damaging to cooperation and consensus-building (1h16m3s).
  • The need for cooperation and consensus is universal, but something has changed in recent years, leading to a more divisive and polarized environment (1h16m41s).

“We used to relish the disagreements” (1h16m46s)

  • University debates used to be a place where friends could engage in fundamental disagreements without it affecting their friendship, but that's no longer possible due to the rise of online reputation savaging (1h16m47s).
  • Reputation savaging is a form of bullying where individuals, often women, damage someone's reputation rather than resorting to physical violence, and this behavior has been amplified by social media companies and their algorithms (1h17m4s).
  • Men can also engage in reputation savaging, but online, there are no consequences for this behavior, allowing individuals to aggregate and make accusations anonymously (1h17m30s).
  • The consequences of reputation savaging can be rapid and devastating, and it's not just mobilized by activists, but also by a societal change where this behavior has become the norm (1h17m48s).
  • The rise of social media has created a "frictionless" panopticon, where everyone's actions are being monitored and recorded, often without realizing it, and this has become a part of everyday life (1h18m19s).
  • The Pokémon Go phenomenon is an example of how people can be manipulated into doing tasks, such as providing GPS data, without realizing it, by using gamification and other tactics (1h18m50s).

We have built a Tower of Babel and are now seeing the results (1h19m20s)

  • The story of the Tower of Babel in the biblical account of Genesis is relevant to the current societal collapse, as it represents the imposition of the all-seeing eye of control, leading to catastrophic consequences (1h19m20s).
  • The Tower of Babel was built by engineers, descendants of people who built cities and machines, aiming at the wrong goal, resulting in words losing their meaning and people being at odds with each other (1h20m12s).
  • Similarly, the current interconnected world, built with revolutionary technology, has led to words losing their meaning, and people having different understandings of the same thing (1h21m5s).
  • The consequences of this interconnected world are still unknown, with possibilities ranging from the spread of bad ideas to the unleashing of psychopaths, and the potential for infinite education (1h20m49s).
  • China is an example of a country that has gone far down the totalitarian road, with 600 million CCTV cameras and perfect face recognition technology, tracking every move of its citizens (1h21m20s).
  • The same technology is being implemented in airports, with automated gates and facial recognition, raising concerns about the loss of freedom and the potential for a dystopian future (1h21m44s).
  • The causes of this societal collapse are complex, with possible factors including the progressive left, but also the fact that people do not know how to handle the new technology (1h22m14s).
  • Historical examples, such as the invention of the printing press, show that new technologies can lead to periods of hysteria and readjustment before people understand how to deal with them (1h22m27s).
  • The printing press, for example, led to a major transformation, making the world literate, but also causing altercations between Protestants and Catholics (1h22m43s).
  • It is possible that the current period of upheaval will eventually lead to a settling down period, and that people can conduct themselves in a way that tilts the world towards freedom (1h23m14s).
  • Creating comedy and entertainment that is genuinely funny and free can be a way to counteract the all-seeing eye of control and promote freedom (1h23m22s).
  • The idea of tilting the world towards freedom is not new, but it is a necessary goal, and people need to find ways to achieve it (1h23m50s).

The struggle to recognize the threat of authoritarianism (1h23m54s)

  • The enduring appeal of authoritarianism throughout human history is a persistent threat that can manifest in various ways, and it seems to be happening faster than ever before (1h23m55s).
  • The struggle to recognize the threat of authoritarianism is a separate battle from the struggle between Liberty and Authority, as the attack often comes from an unexpected position (1h24m17s).
  • The labor government, for instance, may not think of themselves as authoritarians, but their actions, such as condemning the desecration of a holy book, can be a gateway to authoritarianism and blasphemy laws (1h24m30s).
  • The well-intentioned authoritarian, who wants to appear benevolent but has no further thought or effort, is a particular challenge to address (1h24m53s).
  • The fellow travelers who subscribe to tyranny out of a sense of doing what's best for the world are also concerning, as they want moral approbation without putting in the work to be good people (1h25m11s).
  • Figures like Keir Starmer and Justin Trudeau fit into this category, as they want to be seen as good people without doing the actual work required to be good (1h25m26s).
  • Being a good person requires constant effort and work against one's alternative inclinations (1h25m34s).
  • The story of Abraham and the destruction of cities for ethical impropriety serves as a relevant example of the consequences of authoritarianism and the importance of recognizing its threat (1h25m50s).

Sodom and Gomorrah — the crucial message (1h26m12s)

  • The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is mentioned, where God tells Abraham that the cities will be destroyed, and Abraham questions the fairness of this decision, asking if there are good people living there (1h26m14s).
  • Abraham negotiates with God, asking if the city would be spared if he could find 50, 40, or 10 good people, and God agrees to spare the city if 10 good people are found (1h26m32s).
  • The moral of the story is interpreted as: if there are 10 people in a city willing to tell the truth, the city won't be destroyed, highlighting the power of truth in a culture (1h27m9s).
  • This message is seen as relevant and crucial, especially in the context of a culture becoming totalitarian, and the importance of truth-telling is emphasized (1h27m15s).
  • The ability to tell the truth through comedy is highlighted, and the fact that comedians can still perform and speak truthfully is seen as a reason for hope in the West (1h27m30s).
  • The necessity of standup comedy is discussed, suggesting that it is popular and entertaining because it is necessary for people to be allowed to be funny and tell the truth (1h27m55s).
  • The election of Jay Bateria to head the NHS is mentioned as a relevant event, occurring the day before the conversation, and is seen as an example of an outsider being able to make a change (1h26m59s).

Comedy is a form of spontaneous honesty (1h28m1s)

  • Comedy is a form of spontaneous honesty, as people can't laugh on purpose and it's often a preconscious reaction, making it a very effective way to gauge genuine reactions (1h28m2s).
  • A clip of a woke comic in the UK showed an audience forcing themselves to laugh to show approval for the message, highlighting the distinction between genuine laughter and "clapter," which is applause for moral virtue (1h28m21s).
  • The best kind of laughter is when you're ashamed of yourself for laughing, as it's an escape valve and a way to release tension, and comedy and satire can serve as a great place to let out steam when everyone notices the same thing at the same time (1h28m55s).
  • The show "Have I Got News for You" in the UK deliberately avoids discussing sensitive topics to avoid complaints, making it a toothless satirical show, and there's a need for comedy that makes people feel sane and reestablishes a consensus of truth (1h29m38s).
  • Laughter has the power to establish a new consensus of previously unspoken truths, as when everyone laughs together, it's a sudden and uncontrollable response that renders the person defenseless and vulnerable, yet intensely pleasurable (1h30m31s).
  • Many comedians in the UK don't recognize the problem of comedy being stifled by orthodoxy and activist pressure, and some comedians have had their gigs canceled due to activist complaints, highlighting the challenges faced by comedians who want to tackle sensitive topics (1h31m20s).
  • The current comedy landscape provides an avenue for success for mediocre people who can claim to be morally superior, and some comedians genuinely believe that others are spreading hate through humor, while others may be using comedy as a way to recruit people to their cause (1h31m56s).

The scribes, the lawyers, and the Pharisees (1h32m31s)

  • The attractiveness of unearned moral virtue is a concept where individuals claim to be good without actually being so, as seen in the gospel accounts where the Pharisees, who are described as religious hypocrites, crucified Christ (1h32m34s).
  • The Pharisees are an example of people who claim to be good but are not, while the scribes, who are academics, use truth to serve their own self-interest, and the lawyers use legalism as an alternative to morality (1h32m48s).
  • The proclivity to claim moral virtue while pursuing self-interest has been around forever and is a temptation that needs to be understood (1h33m1s).
  • The Commandment "do not use the name of God in vain" is often misunderstood as not swearing, but it actually means not claiming to do the work of the Divine while pursuing one's own self-interest (1h33m7s).
  • Signaling moral virtue can be a form of temptation, as seen in the example of encouraging people to get vaccinated, where the motivation may be to appear good rather than actually being good (1h33m24s).
  • This form of moral signaling can be identified by the language used, such as implying that all sensible people are doing the same thing, and can be a way of claiming moral virtue without actually earning it (1h33m40s).

Feeling the need to speak on every subject (1h33m52s)

  • The constant need to share opinions and thoughts on social media has become a normal part of life, with many people feeling pressured to comment on current events, even if they don't have anything meaningful to say (1h33m53s).
  • In the past, celebrities and public figures would only occasionally share their thoughts and opinions, but now they are expected to constantly express their views on various topics, which can be overwhelming and may not always be genuine (1h34m21s).
  • The line between personal opinions and those that are expected to be shared has become blurred, with some individuals feeling forced to express certain views in order to maintain their public image or career (1h34m41s).
  • The example of an actor friend being told by their agent to post a black square in support of Black Lives Matter or risk losing work highlights the pressure to conform to certain opinions, even if they are not sincerely held (1h36m3s).
  • The distinction between sincerely held convictions and those that are expressed out of obligation or fear of repercussions is an important one, and it's essential to recognize the difference (1h35m51s).
  • Social media platforms like Twitter can create a false sense of intimacy and informality, leading people to share thoughts and opinions without fully considering the potential consequences (1h36m35s).
  • The risks of sharing opinions on social media include facing backlash, losing work, or damaging one's reputation, and it's essential to be aware of these risks and to approach online interactions with caution (1h36m28s).
  • The idea that "if you play with fire, you're going to be burned" is particularly relevant on social media, where even seemingly innocuous comments can have serious consequences (1h36m56s).
  • It's essential to remember that social media is a public platform, and anything shared online is essentially being published for the world to see (1h37m7s).
  • Social media platforms, such as Twitter, can be performative, making users more focused on appearing to win an argument rather than seeking the truth, and this can be driven by anger and a desire to humiliate others (1h37m25s).
  • The performative element of social media can be difficult to be aware of due to the ease of posting and the instant gratification it provides (1h37m51s).
  • Twitter's setup incentivizes impulsive behavior, which is not suitable for long-term strategy or meaningful discussions, and this can lead to the platform degenerating over time (1h38m7s).
  • Elon's decision to introduce the "For You" tab on Twitter seems counterproductive, as it can create discord and arguments by aggregating content from bad actors (1h38m22s).
  • Some users, including the author, avoid the "For You" tab and instead focus on the content from accounts they follow, as it can be too pathological and toxic (1h38m31s).
  • There is confusion about how to effectively manage and utilize Twitter, and it seems that no one knows what to do with the platform (1h38m38s).

Andrew Doyle on Peterson Academy (1h38m44s)

  • Many people believe human progress is inevitable when it comes to the Arts, which is a kind of wishful thinking, and the psychological complexity of characters and insights into human nature in works like Shakespeare's are what make them timeless (1h38m54s).
  • Shakespeare's plays, such as Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Romeo and Juliet, are about human beings and have never stopped being relevant because they broaden our sense of what it means to be human (1h39m28s).
  • Shakespeare's characters, including Iago, Cleopatra, Titus, Cordelia, and Brutus, think differently, and his works have the capacity to illuminate the modern world without attempting to preach (1h39m43s).
  • The line between good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being, as Solzhenitsyn said, and Shakespeare's works reflect this complexity (1h39m48s).
  • A course on Shakespeare's tragedies was taught, which was filmed in London and allowed the instructor to focus on the aspects they wanted, with the premise of giving instructors the freedom to teach as they see fit (1h40m9s).
  • The instructor, who has a background in teaching Shakespeare at Oxford University, retained their love for Shakespeare and continually reads his works, and the course was a way to share this enthusiasm (1h41m2s).
  • The instructor was drawn into the culture war due to their creative work, including comedy and playwriting, and felt a duty to address the obstacles and impediments to creativity posed by politics (1h41m21s).
  • The study of Shakespeare and other great works is an enthusiasm that can be lasting and is worth fighting for, despite attempts by activists to problematize these works, such as the Globe Theater's annual anti-racist Shakespeare webinar (1h41m48s).
  • The instructor started their course with a lecture that likely addressed the problematic elements of Shakespeare's works and the idea that some people think they are morally superior to Shakespeare (1h42m15s).

Why Shakespeare has never been surpassed, modern deconstruction ruins timeless art (1h42m20s)

  • Shakespeare's works have remained unparalleled for four centuries, and this phenomenon can be attributed to the prioritization of genius, which has become suspect within the academy, where his work is often reduced to the idea of a white male trying to empower other white men (1h42m20s).
  • The current trend in art and museums is to provide explanations that imply the commentator is morally superior to the artist, which detracts from the masterpiece itself and focuses on the commentator's political opinions (1h43m15s).
  • An example of this is an exhibition of Hogarth's work in London, where a self-portrait was accompanied by a panel explaining that the chair Hogarth sat on was likely made from wood from a plantation connected to slavery, which was used to judge Hogarth's character (1h43m29s).
  • This approach to art says more about the current time than the art itself and its transcendent capacity, leading to a careful approach when researching and attending productions of Shakespeare (1h43m52s).
  • Many productions of Shakespeare are now used to promote ideology, which is not a problem in itself, but the issue arises when everyone is doing the same thing, making it feel like mandatory, state-sanctioned art propaganda (1h44m10s).
  • As a result, theatrical presentations that become "woke" often lose their audience, leading activists to claim that Shakespeare is no longer relevant, when in fact, it is the presentation that has become unappealing (1h44m40s).
  • The current culture demands that art convey a specific message, making it feel like propaganda, and this is the only way to get commissioned or have a play produced, which is increasingly the case in classical music and theatrical productions in the UK and the US (1h44m57s).
  • Theaters in the US are predicted to go broke within two years, as the problem with propaganda is that no one wants to watch it, and even writers like Graham Linehan would have their scripts passed by sensitivity readers and be told which bits to remove if they were working today (1h45m22s).
  • A poet's work was reviewed by a sensitivity reader who deemed the word "disfigurement" as an ableist slur, despite its poetic context relating to the landscape (1h45m46s).
  • A biographer of a famous 1950s figure had a heart attack due to stress from dealing with sensitivity readers who took issue with historical language used by the subject, including derogatory terms for gay men and racial slurs (1h46m13s).
  • The story of Tom Stoppard and Sonia Friedman's canceled musical production is recalled, highlighting issues with theater funding and censorship in the UK (1h46m45s).
  • Tom Stoppard had expressed concerns about the inclusion of black people in a play about the Warsaw Ghetto, prompting questions about the rules of diversity in casting and whether it is only about visual diversity (1h47m10s).
  • The concept of diversity is discussed, with the observation that there are many types of diversity, but the focus often seems to be on visual diversity (1h47m37s).

Monty Python is now considered problematic, when you punish brilliant artists… (1h47m44s)

  • The Old Vic theater had to move a Stephen Sondheim musical to Bath due to issues with the content, and also had trouble with a stage version of Monty Python's Life of Brian because of a character named Loretta, who wants to be a woman and have babies (1h47m44s).
  • The actors in the stage version of Life of Brian wanted to remove the scene with Loretta, but the writer, John, refused to take it out, which is seen as a great example of artistic integrity (1h48m23s).
  • The question is raised whether it is possible for artistic genius to emerge within the current cultural conditions, which are seen as restrictive and oppressive (1h48m57s).
  • Victor Hugo estimated that about three or four major artistic geniuses emerge in every generation, and described masterpieces as miracles and a kind of divine distribution (1h49m17s).
  • However, it is argued that Hugo's view assumes a culture that values the arts and does not punish creativity, which is not the case in the current cultural climate (1h50m0s).
  • Despite the oppressive conditions, great artists have emerged in the past, such as Michelangelo, who found ways to create masterpieces within narrow parameters (1h50m34s).
  • The example of Russian realist art from the 20th century is also mentioned, which shows that even under oppressive regimes, artists can still produce great works (1h50m50s).
  • Art can be spectacular from an artistic and technical perspective, even if it is subordinated to propaganda, and true creative genius can find a way through impediments, as seen in the works of Shakespeare, where the beauty of his poems shines through despite the effusive praise of his patron, Henry Rusley (1h51m11s).
  • Cinema is a marriage of art and economics, and despite this, classic films have broken through and become timeless, showing that great stories can circumvent propagandists and totalitarianism (1h52m4s).
  • Telling a great story is a way to circumvent propagandists, as a great story is not subservient to propaganda, and greatness is destructive to propagandistic totalitarianism (1h52m24s).
  • The current oppressive "woke" culture could produce something amazing, as humans have a tendency to overcorrect, and this could lead to a comic overcorrection (1h53m31s).
  • There is a market for genuinely funny content, as seen in the success of Rogan's comedy club in Austin, which is fostering a new generation of comedians who will say anything as long as it's funny (1h53m2s).
  • The guests have plans for a new enterprise, which will be announced soon, and they are excited to start this new project and produce content that is genuinely funny (1h54m17s).
  • The plan is to continue discussing topics on The Daily Wire, focusing on the "ugly underbelly of totalitarian woke wokeness," particularly in the UK and Europe (1h54m46s).
  • A correction against totalitarian wokeness has already occurred in the United States, and it is hoped that this will have a lasting impact (1h54m58s).
  • In Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau's days in office are considered numbered, and he is unlikely to survive beyond next October, although he may still cause damage in the intervening period (1h55m5s).
  • Europe and the UK are in a difficult situation due to the influence of totalitarian wokeness, and a discussion on potential practical and useful solutions to this issue is planned (1h55m18s).

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