When you can't live without bananas

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Saturday, March 02, 2024

Links - 2nd March 2024 (2 - Women)

Trajectories of antidepressant use before and after union dissolution and re-partnering in later life: a prospective total population register-based cohort study - "In adjusted FE models, for both genders AD use increased during the 4 years before divorce (men: 5.00 percentage points (95% CI 4.50 to 5.50); women: 6.96 (95% CI 6.34 to 7.59)), non-marital separation (men: 3.20 (95% CI 2.72 to 3.69); women: 5.98 (95% CI 5.30 to 6.66)) and bereavement (men: 4.53 (95% CI 3.97 to 5.09); women: 5.64 (95% CI 5.25 to 6.04)), with the increase accelerating immediately before the event. AD use gradually declined after union dissolution, after which it stabilised on a persistently higher level compared with pre-dissolution. Re-partnering was only associated with a small and transitory reduction in AD use (0.1–1.5 percentage points). The increases in AD use associated with union dissolution were larger in women than in men, whereas the small reductions in AD use associated with re-partnering were particularly short-lived among women."
Weird. The misandrists keep pushing the myth that single women are happier than married/partnered ones (not to mention the fact that high antidepressant use among housewives in the 50s supposedly shows that that was not a good life - when it's even higher now)

My IVF failed. I will not be a mother. And I’m OK with that - "I do come from a huge family of enthusiastic breeders, and I suppose had always blithely assumed it would probably happen one day. So I spent my twenties in London working hard, partying hard and dating unsuitable men (which I maintain is precisely what your twenties are for). Then, in my early thirties, when my peers were beginning to couple up, settle down and start families, I moved to New York, a city synonymous with singledom. It wasn’t, I don’t think, a deliberate and total rejection of a more traditional path. But even then it occurred to me that for all the effort I put into directing my career, I put scarcely any into finding a partner with whom I might want to have a family. It simply wasn’t my priority. I was excited, fulfilled and stimulated, both personally and professionally. And I never felt remotely conspicuous in my childlessness in New York, where less traditional lifestyles are the norm. In my late thirties, I did think at various points that I should probably do something about it before the Fertility Window slammed firmly shut. Then I’d look at my circumstances: living abroad with no family in the country, self-employed, with no health insurance and no prospect of maternity pay in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Oh, and I was still single... I’m not blaming anyone else for my tardiness in getting off the reproductive blocks — that’s on me — but I do think women of my age have been given mixed messages... By the time I’d decided to seriously investigate the options, Covid was closing the city down. And by the time clinics were open again, I was turning 43."
Of course, if you had told her younger self lessons her older self learnt, that would've been misogyny and boomer talk

Jasmine Ellis on X - "I gotta work hard because my feet pics are unsellable"

Meme - "A world without women would be a pain in the ass *naked man standing behind another naked man*"

What is your favorite sex position to achieve orgasm (people with clitorises)? : AskWomen - "Discovering grinding cowgirl on a fat guy (it never worked on someone with no belly) honestly changed my life I still bring it up any time I can lol"
"Funny you mention it, I’ve noticed my wife gets off much quicker if I push my belly up as she’s grinding. Fit men hate this one simple trick, lol."
"Fr I'm only really attracted to bigger guys now 👀"

Meme - "I hate strip clubs. I can't touch her, she won't touch me, I can't touch myself, and she gets all my cash. It's like being home with the wife!"

Meme - rose @roselyddon: "opened a DM picture from a man expecting it to be a dick pic but it was a poem, which is somehow worse"

Meme - "When you get a new rifle and want to show your friends... *man posing sexily in mirror with sex toy fake vagina toothbrush holder*"

Meme - chivo @aneesahbritz02: "i blocked him last night, and i got this email Inbox"
"SHEIN SALE
99% off your next order!!
Our BIGGEST sale yet
unblock your last contact to redeem"

Meme - "When you ask God for a sign and then she brings you to this restaurant... JUST FRIENDS RESTAURANT"

[SERIOUS] Why many Christian girls still single and looking? : SingaporeRaw - "Keeping it real, my experience (as a Christian guy) is that SG Christian girls often have unrealistic expectations, are overly entitled and offer little in terms of attractive characteristics guys look out for.  I have observed God and Christianity being used as weapons by many of the SG Christian girls I’ve dealt with in order to get their way in the relationship. Even if things were going really well prior, I’ve seen girls I dated change up almost overnight with their demands and I noped out of there so quickly.  It’s really frustrating because my parents would love for me to settle down with a fellow Christian girl, but the truth is that I’ve had far more success and connection dating outside my religion over the years.  As a guy you’re told by every corner of society through adolescence on how you should behave a certain way, or develop certain traits to attract girls. This forces you to get real, work hard, level up, and cut out weird/loser behaviours if you ever want to have a shot at love. But few people give this talk to girls on how to attract or keep a guy, so (from my experience) a lot of women, especially attractive ones bombarded with constant attention, grow up thinking the entire world revolves around them, and that guy’s purpose in a relationship is to cater to their every need. It’s easy to get a guy on their level to be initially interested in them through their looks or sugary small talk, but any guy worth his salt and looking to commit is going to want to be around someone pleasant and who doesn’t cause him headaches all day with their demands.  In a relationship, I’m always thinking about how I can make my partner feel special or do something to make their life easier. Instead of reciprocating, a lot of the girls I’ve dealt with are extremely passive, only looking out for what their partner can do for them. One sided love is no love at all.  Be careful out there, it’s a cold world. We all seek warm love but as a guy you gotta stay sharp (and always keep working on yourself) to not get absolutely finessed."

I spent my savings on an 'elite' matchmaking agency – only to meet an array of mediocre men - "A couple of years ago, I too joined an expensive matchmaking agency. I had just come out of a seven year relationship, and was on the wrong side of 50.  I soon tired of online dating and receiving messages from over weight baldies who peppered their emails with childish emojis. I hankered to find Mr Right-for-me, a man who was suitably educated and a successful professional.   And so this is how I found myself, throwing money (my entire savings to be precise) to an upmarket matchmaking agency in central London. The agency claimed to filter out the undesirables, the mediocre and give clients the personal touch, so I handed over the hefty sum of £6,000... These agencies trade on their exclusivity, yet the men I met were far from the international super elite they promised. And the so called experts were a group of ex pr girls with swishy hair and ability to write up a nifty ‘press release’...  the debonair man who had seemed laid-back in London had morphed into a raging chauvinist in the countryside. When I started to chat to waiter in Italian, it became clear that my date was not happy. He muttered something under his breath and rolled his eyes like a stroppy teenager.  "I WAS WONDERING when you were going to let me join your conversation," he boomed. I tried to laugh it off but clocked this was a man with a fragile ego... It is a tough time for midlife dating today, and there are a lot vulnerable educated women like me who are so desperate for love they are willing to try anything whatever the price. Yet, the quality of men were, I no different to those on online dating sites."
Of course, if someone were to call her substandard...
When female hypergamy persists beyond delusion
Clearly, all women deserve a high-status men, and men need to step up. But at the same time don't you dare pay women less or have them in less than 50% of high paying jobs
Apparently in the UK it is not considered rude to talk in a language other people in your party don't understand, and to object to that makes you a "chauvinist"

54 dates in 8 months: How this 32-year-old single woman tackled her search for love and romance - "The Singapore education system prepared me adequately for academic excellence and the rigours of work. But it had not taught me how to interact with the opposite gender. I had scant knowledge of boy-girl relationships, of how exactly I should behave with a romantic interest.  So I went to the next best source of reference: Korean idol dramas, Japanese anime and Hollywood rom-coms...   Most of my dates stopped after the decisive three-dates count. The guys I met always gave me the same feedback: You are a great conversationalist over text, but there is no spark in real life...   Many experts suggested that I lose the glasses. One of them said: “It’s rare to see a Chris Evans type of man dating a cleaner.”  At the back of my mind, I thought of the 2002 classic Maid in Manhattan, but I took the words of the expert as a sign: I should start working on my physical appearance"

Anyone else watched Shermin's March on CNA? : askSingapore - "Male and Female experienced on dating apps are quite different. Shermin’s match rate (8/9%) is very close to average match for females.  AFAIK male match rates on tinder is ~0.5%. Would love to see a similar documentary for an average looking guy."
"If such a documentary ever exists, it'll just be the guy pointlessly swiping on the app for 90% of the show, and the ending is him finally getting a match after 4 weeks and then getting ghosted after the only one date he could get."
Anyone else watched Shermin's March on CNA? : askSingapore - "Is it weird that I pondered whether she could claim the 2 trips she went with both of them as work expenses?"

More Japanese women buying Valentine's Day chocolates for themselves - "The number of women who plan to buy Valentine's Day chocolates for themselves in Japan is over threefold more than those giving the treats to their sweethearts... In Japan, women traditionally give a box of chocolates to the men in their lives, including husband or boyfriend, father and coworkers, on Valentine's Day."

Meme - "'He is my world!
'Sister, This is your 6th world. Are you building Solar System?'"

Meme - "Stephanie, 42
Tight *sshole, very giving lover, will swallow the whole load, can make a good steak, very affectionate and constantly crave you if we are together, like it rough sometimes, I don't mind if I were to get pregnant. Must be willing to have sex and oral daily. Can be submissive to the right person. I enjoy pleasing my partner. Optimal make out partner, not afraid to have adventurous sex, can take a punch as good as I can give, very accepting of differences, doesn't tolerate liars"

Meme - "HER: I DONT LIKE THESE THINGS ABOUT YOU. YOU NEED TO CHANGE"
"HIM: OK BUT HERE ARE SOMETHINGS YOU COULD CHANGE"
"HER: IF YOU CAN'T ACCEPT ME AS I AM WE SHOULDN'T BE TOGETHER"

Meme Lil J @undoalaska: "Wtf my mom used my dildo and didn't even wash it off after... I fucking hate this family.
I've used this woman's vibrator countless times and clean it every single time when I'm done but she can't even do something so simple... wtf 12
Uhmmm u guys are acting like this is weird.. My mom and I I have shared the same dick before so this is nothing. Get out of my mentions stinky.
Yes I've fucked my step dad. Big fucking deal"

Meme - babydaddyBandit @Wstlaaa: "How did you meet your bd/bm ???"
Habibl BAIVOUGE @versosaxxl: "She was a hostage at a gas station I was robbing, long story short I told her I would find her after I surrender and serve me time.. 3.5 years later I kept my promise"

Meme - "NaNcy DREW RUINED MYSTERIES
Everything' a Dildo If You're Brave Enough
*model ship*"

Teacher formerly known as Rachel Dolezal loses job over OnlyFans account - "The Arizona-based educator formerly known as Rachel Dolezal has been ousted from her position in a local school district due to content posted on her OnlyFans account.  Dolezal, who legally changed her name to Nkechi Diallo in 2016, had been teaching at an elementary school in Arizona since August 2023"
How come deadnaming is okay?

Flirty Fishing - Wikipedia - "Flirty Fishing (FFing) is a form of evangelism by sexual intimacy practised from around 1974 to 1987 by the cult Children of God, currently known as The Family International (TFI). Female members of Children of God, or "fisherwomen", would apply their sex appeal on "fish" — men from outside the cult (often, but not always, having sex) — using the occasion to proselytize for Jesus and seek donations. Children of God have defended it as a way of "bearing witness" for Jesus to people who would not otherwise be open to it.[2] According to some sources, over two hundred thousand men were "fished" and over 10,000 babies were born to cult women between 1971 and 2001. The practice was curtailed as sexually transmitted diseases spread through the cult, and then abandoned in 1987, reportedly because of the spread of AIDS."

Meme - "UNIVERSAL HOT CRAZY MATRIX
EVERY WOMAN IS AT LEAST A 4 CRAZY
THE HOT-CRAZY LINE *45 degree line*
No go zone: *below 5 hot*
Danger Zone: (Redheads, Strippers, Girls Named Tiffany, Hairdressers...) *Hot from 5-10, above 45 degree line so 7 crazy and above*
Fun Zone (try to move to a permanent zone): Hot 5-8, below 45 degree line
Date zone: hot 8-10, just below 45 degree line
Wife zone: *Hot 8-10, below date zone*
Unicorns do not exist: *Hot 8-10, below wife zone*
Outside chart (below 4 crazy and hot 8-10): "Tranny. It's a guy."

Sydney Sweeney's mom warned her against breast reduction: 'You’ll regret it in college' - "Sweeney, 26, confessed, “Flaunt what you got. Own it. Love them. When I was in high school, I used to feel uncomfortable about how big my boobs were and I used to say that when I turned 18, I was going to get a boob job to make them smaller.”  Her mom intervened and prevented that from happening, she revealed.  “My mom told me, ‘Don’t do it. You’ll regret it in college,’ ” Sweeney said. “And I’m so glad I didn’t. I like them. They’re my best friends. Everybody’s body is beautiful. When you are confident and you’re happy within is when it really shows to other people.”... Sweeney is best known for her roles in “Euphoria,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The White Lotus.” Up next, she’s set to be in the Marvel superhero film “Madame Web” with Dakota Johnson, and she currently stars in the rom-com “Anyone But You.”"

Woman faked pregnancy after suffering miscarriage before murdering friend to steal six-day-old baby - "An expectant mother who suffered a miscarriage arranged to meet a friend who had just given birth, murdered her and stole her baby, claiming it was her own.  Yesenia Sesmas did not tell any of her family and friends when she lost the baby she was expecting and carried on 'like before'."

Daliman- bottom 2.6% OF on X - "It's funny how it's always on the men to be romantic, never on the women."

More women than men report being aroused by aggression in porn, according to study - "both men and women emphasized a preference for aggressive porn that was consensual and pleasurable for both performers... researcher Eran Shor, a professor of sociology at McGill University, noted that little is known about pornography viewers’ feelings about aggression in porn.  “I became interested in this topic while I was teaching a Sociology of Deviance class, which included a section on the pornography industry,” he told PsyPost. “I noticed that much of the literature talked about aggression in mainstream pornography as a growing phenomenon (my findings show that this is not the case), claiming that this is driven by men’s desires for domination over women. Very little attention has been given in this literature to female viewers, their preferences, and their desires.”... many women shared that they only enjoyed aggression within the context of porn videos, but did not wish to experience aggression within their own sex lives. This suggests that for most women, the enjoyment of aggression in porn reflects a fantasy centered around being dominated and relinquishing control... "I think that the common tendency to ignore, belittle, sanction, or stigmatize women’s sexual preferences when these do not conform to some feminist expectations is problematic. This tendency promotes moral judgment and stigma, resulting in feelings of guilt and shame among women who hold a preference for viewing aggression or acts of dominance in pornography.”"
Damn patriarchy! Time to ban aggression in porn to "protect" women

‘I let my husband have sex with other women – it makes our marriage stronger’ - "A woman with a low sex drive lets her husband have sex with other women and says it makes their marriage stronger.  Monica Huldt, 37, believes the unusual set-up between her and her husband John, 40, makes the couple's relationship better and improves their own sex life...   Monica is originally from Sweden but now lives in Arizona, US, and says she earns around $150,000 (£109,000) a month on OnlyFans.  She first began struggling with a low libido while working as a stripper in 2015...   The model credits launching an OnlyFans account with boosting her sex drive, though she still struggles – which is why she allows John to stray from their marriage.  Feeling apprehensive, the couple opened up their relationship slowly, starting by having a threesome together...   Monica suggested John set up his own OnlyFans page and told him he could have sex with whoever he wants.  At the moment John only has sex with other women for his OnlyFans page, an arrangement Monica is happy to continue... "We are friends with a lot of the women so I never feel threatened...   “I don't mind sharing my husband though. I find it sexy.""
What are the odds this is made up for views?

Wife hires mistress to keep her husband happy; says, 'I guarantee there will be no fight between you and me' - "A Thai woman has hired a "beautiful and educated" mistress to keep her husband happy. Pattheema Chamnan, 44, from Bangkok, said that she has not been sleeping with her husband and it makes her feel like a bad wife. She sent out a video advertisement seeking young, single women with a college diploma. She is offering 15,000 baht (Rs 33,800) for the role. "I want to hire three mistresses for my husband," she said in the video. "You will get paid at least 15,000 baht a month, get free accommodation, and free meals. But you need to help me out. Two will be hired to help with document work in my office, and another one will be hired to take care of me, my husband, and my child." She added, "I guarantee there will be no fight between you and me." "My husband has been working hard alone and I just want him to be happy. I will also have friends to be with at home"... The woman added that it was important for the candidates to be able to "please my husband." She said, "His mistresses must also be able to keep him company and entertain him, so they must have a good personality and be fun." Chamnan said that she is struggling with chronic depression and that is the reason why she wants help... Her husband Pattagorn was surprised when he found the advert circulating on social media. What does he think about it? Well, he was shocked about it but he's not against it. "My wife told me she wanted to find somebody to take care of me. "The women will also be treated like family and work in our company like family," the husband said. He added, "Other men that wish to be like me should communicate with their wives about it. They should ask their wives for permission so there won't be problems in the future. I never wanted to have any mistress but since my wife is offering, I won't reject.""

‘The Netflix effect’: Why Western women are heading to South Korea in search of love - "There was something puzzling about the young Western women staying at the youth hostels in Seoul, thought researcher Min Joo Lee.  Unlike their Asian counterparts, who she saw squeezing in as many sights and shops as possible during their stays in the South Korean capital, these women – mostly in their early 20s – seemed uninterested in the usual tourist trails.  Instead, for most of their days they would remain inside their hostel, sleeping or watching Korean TV shows – venturing out only after dark...   After visiting eight hostels and interviewing 123 women, mostly from North America and Europe, Lee came to the conclusion that many had been drawn to the country by what she calls “the Netflix effect.”  Hit Korean television shows like “Crash Landing on You” and “Goblin,” were selling more than men with beautiful faces and chiseled bodies like their stars Hyun Bin and Gong Yoo. They were offering a glimpse into a world where men were romantic and patient, an antithesis to what the women saw as the sex-obsessed dating culture of their home countries.    The women Lee interviewed were fascinated with Korean men who were portrayed on TV as being in touch with their emotions and willing to embrace their “effeminate sides,” Lee said.  They considered Korean men cultured and romantic while complaining that men in their home countries often neglected their appearances and had one-track minds...   She was struck by how men in the show did not jeer at or catcall women on the street, as happens in her home country.  In her eyes, Korean men are “gentlemen, polite, charming, romantic, fairytale-like, chivalrous, respectful.” She said it also helps that Korean men dress well and groom themselves.  “(English men in comparison) are half drunk, holding a beer, holding a dead fish,” she said – a reference to what she said was the prevalence of fishing pictures in British male dating app profiles.    And the appeal is not entirely about the men.  As Thornton puts it: “In England, I’m very common looking and sound the same as everyone else. In Korea, I’m different, exciting and foreign. People pay attention to me. I felt special.”  The popularity of Korean television shows with global audiences has coincided with a steady increase in the number of women tourists to South Korea.  In 2005, 2.3 million women visited the country – compared to 2.9 million men, according to government data. By 2019 – the last year before the coronavirus played havoc with tourism – nearly 10 million women visited the country, compared to just 6.7 million men.   At the same time, there has been an explosion in social media content centered on couples featuring Korean men with women from abroad.  On YouTube, the hashtag “#Gukjecouple” (“#international couple”) has become a genre covering 2,500 channels and 34,000 videos, the most popular of which feature a Korean man with an American or European partner... Among the proponents of the genre is Heo Jin-woo, a Korean YouTuber based in Seoul who once ran a channel devoted to videos in which he pretends to be the viewer’s boyfriend...  Nichola says the image of Korean men has transformed since she met her husband 10 years ago in Sydney.  Back then, she grew used to hearing prejudiced comments such as peers saying that her husband was good-looking “for an Asian.” When she googled “Korean husband” after their engagement, most results were horror stories of Southeast Asian migrant wives married to abusive Korean men. Today, the search yields pictures of Korean celebrities and her blog, along with a Quora link to an anonymous user asking how one can find a Korean husband.   She says the best “international couple” channels promote cultural understanding, but warns some are only selling looks and fantasies.  The reality she says, is that women who are serious about settling down with a Korean husband should recognize there will be cultural differences to adjust to, such as living in a society known for long work hours and patriarchal gender norms.    “(At first) you’re going to the Han River on picnics, and it’s all wonderful and you feel like you’re in a K-drama but then what’s the reality of actually having a family in Korea?” she said.  Unfortunately, some women find after their arrival that the men they encounter are not as perfect as the ones portrayed on their screens...   The men she saw on TV were depicted as “respectful, good looking, rich men who are protective of you,” she said.  But during her nights out, she was groped in a bar and propositioned for sex from strangers on the street. She felt some Korean men tended to believe that foreign women are more open to casual sex than local women.    “We are temporary pleasure,” she said, adding, “Men are men, humans are alike everywhere.”  Since then she has lost her enjoyment of Korean TV shows and no longer wants to date Korean men...  some men felt they could treat foreign women badly with impunity because, as foreigners, they were limited to smaller social circles...  “They clearly see that not all Korean men are (perfect), but they just need an alternative to the disappointing dating market back in their home countries,” she said.  “They can’t really let go of it because they hope that the ideal dating relationships exist somewhere in the world,” she said."

Meme - @barbmp4: "when I breastfed my son i use to masturbate at the same time. the way he sucked my nipples gave me the best orgasms"

Meme - "Girl won't let her Dad walk her down the aisle because she's a strong independent woman. Dad refuses to pay for the wedding. Naturally, she complains about it to TikTok."

When extremist activists drive the left to oblivion, what will remain?

Opinion: When extremist activists drive the left to oblivion, what will remain? - The Globe and Mail

"In November, Toronto police arrested 11 people – the so-called “Indigo 11″ – on charges of hate-motivated mischief for allegedly postering Indigo founder and chief executive Heather Reisman’s face over a fake quote on the company’s flagship store in downtown Toronto and smearing the windows with blood-red paint. In early January, the first of the defendants arrived in court, and it has turned out that most of them are, for lack of a better word, intellectuals – many with PhDs, and many employed by universities, schools and other cultural institutions.

Their trial, therefore, is about more than an act of vandalism: It is a painfully clarifying reflection on the ideological state of the Canadian establishment.

The Indigo case is shocking not because the alleged perpetrators attacked a Jewish business on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, and not because the incident happened during a week in which Jewish schools were shot at and a Montreal synagogue was firebombed. Neither was it shocking because the targeting of Jewish businesses would later develop into a tactic of the anti-Israel movement in Toronto, with a Jewish grocery store burned in January and a highway off-ramp to a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood occupied by protesters.

No: The shocking part is that the people of Canada effectively paid for the vandalism – which turned out to be entirely consistent with the politics of our cultural institutions as they have devolved over the past decade.

In 2022, York University paid Lesley J. Wood, one of the Indigo 11, an annual salary of $168,878.14 plus benefits as a prominent scholar of social movements... Karl Gardner, is currently on administrative leave from the University of Waterloo pending the outcome of an investigation. Nisha Toomey was working as a curriculum-design consultant for Toronto Metropolitan University, and in 2023 served as a research consultant for the federal government, before being charged earlier this month.

The situation in which the accused academics find themselves must, I imagine, be confounding to them. The state, which has actively funded their research and the promotion of their ideology, has now suddenly charged them with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence for allegedly performing it.

Current debates about Gaza in Canada will have exactly zero effect on the future of the Middle East, obviously. Canada has no power to alter its messy reality one iota. The effects of the Gaza conflict on Canadian electoral politics will also be negligible; the appetite for left-wing extremism in the Canadian population is highly limited, a fact that even the Ontario NDP understands, having removed MPP Sarah Jama from caucus in October. Ms. Jama has actively denied Hamas’s rape and torture of Jewish women. (“There’s no actual evidence of these rapes and the babies with their heads cut off. All of these are pieces of misinformation,” she said.)

But the Gaza debates will certainly have an effect on Canadian institutions. They have set off the implosion of progressive activism as a force in public life here, particularly cultural life, because its pure toxicity is actively driving people and institutions away.

The foundation of Canadian multiculturalism rests on a basic piece of common sense: Leave your shoes at the door. Importing the world’s geopolitical nightmares into our country would end multiculturalism, and right quick. If the police and the courts allowed Ukrainian Canadians to vandalize the businesses of Russian Canadians who support Vladimir Putin, or if Sikhs were allowed to vandalize the businesses of Narendra Modi’s supporters, the result would be chaos, despite the entirely justifiable rage of those communities.

But common sense, as usual, doesn’t apply when it comes to the Jews.

Naomi Klein, Canada’s most famous living political writer, is a prime example of how far the left has declined into self-consuming purification, having become a prominent defender of hate-motivated mischief over the past three months. “The extraordinary raids, arrests and property seizures of the Indigo 11 represent an attack on political speech the likes of which I have not seen in Canada in my lifetime,” she wrote in the aftermath.

Ms. Klein’s defence of the Indigo 11 is grounded in the idea that Indigo is a fair target because Ms. Reisman has supported Israel and its military, co-founding an organization that provides scholarships and other awards for Jewish people who have moved to Israel and completed service in the Israeli Defence Forces. By that logic, hundreds of thousands of Jews in this country could become legitimate targets, given that, through one vehicle or another, a vast number has given money to the state of Israel and, thus, the IDF, at some point over the course of their lives. She has also staunchly defended Ms. Jama, whom she has called “morally courageous” – a woman who, just to reiterate, claimed that the reports of the rapes committed by Hamas on Oct. 7 were “misinformation.”

Ms. Klein, of course, has just published a book about misinformation – and her book is still available behind the very window that was vandalized. Boycotts, divestment and sanctions are for others, one supposes.

The old phrase typically used to describe such loud and credulous cause-pushers was “useful idiots.” But describing tenured radicals such as Ms. Klein or academics such as those among the Indigo 11 as useful would be a misnomer: They are quite useless. Everywhere they survive, they are losing. Academic humanities departments, which regularly promote identity politics using government funding, are struggling: In Ontario, there was a 20-per-cent decline in undergraduate enrolments in the humanities between 2008 and 2017. The extremist champions of the establishment left are driving progressivism toward a lonely, impotent future.

Their defeat is already under way, especially among the young. In August of last year, Abacus Data found that nearly 40 per cent of millennial Canadians and 32 per cent of Gen Z Canadians planned to vote for the Conservative Party, support that had been tracking upward for some time. Support is now strongest for the Liberals among Boomers. It’s a new reality, but it’s coming: “left-wing” will soon mean “old-fashioned.”

The youthful right turn is happening around the world, too, and it’s often not toward rational centrism, but rather to radical populism. The majority of young Americans disapprove of Joe Biden’s handling of the Gaza conflict, a Times/Siena poll showed, but that same poll showed that voters in the 18-to-29 age group prefer Donald Trump over Mr. Biden by a 49-to-43 per cent margin. In last year’s French presidential run-off election, Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally won nearly 40 per cent of the 18-to-24 demographic and almost half of the 25-to-34 demographic. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy was the preferred party among Italians younger than 35 before the country’s 2022 election. In Holland, Geert Wilders’s hard-right Party for Freedom is the most popular party among those younger than 34.

Last month, in the left-wing journal In These Times, investigative reporters Kathryn Joyce and Jeff Sharlet mourned the enormous number of committed leftists who have decamped to the far right. “We, the authors of this article, each count such losses in our own lives, and maybe you do, too: friends you struggle to hold onto despite their growing allegiance to terrifying ideas, and friends you give up on, and friends who have given up on you and the hope you shared together,” they wrote.

Why are the young turning away from progressivism so sharply? The answer must lie, at least partly, in the sheer divisiveness of its discourse. I remember interviewing an FBI specialist on political extremism for my book The Next Civil War, and asking him about why right-wing groups managed to organize so much more effectively than left-wing groups, even though they had similarly violent intentions. He told me that the left tends to blow itself up before it can blow up anybody else.

The war in Gaza has been a perfect flashpoint for self-immolation. Progressive politics as it has come to exist in the social-media era has lived off the dopamine hit of moral clarity, but the Middle East is the graveyard of moral clarity. Whatever side you pick in the Israel-Gaza conflict, you are on the side of monsters...

The Gaza war, then, is a moment of clarity for Canada’s administrators. They are realizing that affiliating themselves with today’s progressive activism is a particularly unpleasant form of institutional suicide.

There used to be a magazine called Canadian Art which, in 2020, embroiled itself in debates about white supremacy and colonialism. It began a process of being “collectively reimagined,” and then in 2021, amid financial woes, decided that the best structure would be to stop existing. A similar process of self-immolation was under way at the National Gallery, until Jean-François Bélisle took over as director and CEO. “What is decolonization? What would it entail?” he asked in a recent interview. “I’m not even sure I’m interested in thinking about it. I’m interested in building something, not de-building it.”

The Canadian cultural institutions that have not yet cut themselves free from identity politics are waking up to find themselves chained to the corpse of a dead ideology. The CBC, for instance, has plenty of money and talent, but a 2017 survey found that a majority of Canadians believed that it was the most biased national news media outlet in the country, an opinion shared by Canadians of all political stripes. Since then, it has lectured Canadians about who they ought to be, rather than telling them stories they might want to hear. Last year, the CBC’s third-quarter report contained the phrase “trending below target” more than any document should; the viewing audience of CBC Television dropped to 4.4 per cent of the Canadian public.

I want the CBC to exist; I love the CBC, even. But if it continues to marginalize itself, who will defend it when a Prime Minister Pierre Poilievre comes to kill it off?

For years, in the United States, liberal campuses were the major bastions of the left, and they have devoted themselves intensely to the exclusion of conservatives. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which tracks academic crackdowns on freedom of speech, noted that there are more attacks on professors now than during the McCarthy era...

The left has been hoist with its own petard. If you can be driven out of a university for your opinion on Halloween costumes, say, you can be fired for attending a rally where speakers call for the extermination of the Jews. If a university demands a statement for diversity, equity and inclusion from its professors, it will eventually make other political demands, like declarations of loyalty to the state.

There is a way out of this profoundly stupid cycle of purge and counterpurge, however: standing for values that transcend politics.

In 2019, Vickery Bowles, as city librarian for Toronto, resisted transgender rights activists who tried to shut down a feminist speaker at a local library. More than a dozen police officers had to shepherd the speaker out the back door with bodyguards. The office of then-mayor John Tory even asked Ms. Bowles to cancel the event; she refused on principle.

Because she stood her ground on freedom of speech, Ms. Bowles doesn’t have to worry about the news cycle. Her decision was courageous, but it was also eminently practical. Activists are like mosquito bites: if you don’t scratch, the itch will go away. Once you touch it, it gets worse and worse...

The institutions that ignore activists will survive; the ones that don’t, won’t. The question that follows is how much of our cultural infrastructure will be left standing in the aftermath."

 

When the left complains about censorship of "pro-Palestinian speech", they mean not tolerating violence, vandalism, harassment of Jews and anti-Semitism


Left wingers keep mocking those who believe in CBC media bias. Because of course the rest of the country is wrong because they are not on the right side of history

We are told that conservatives deserve to be censored because they are wrong

 

Links - 2nd March 2024 (1)

Actual Fact Bot: Revived | Facebook - "The Space Invaders game was intended to always be played at the same speed, but as you destroy more aliens, the computer can render faster. This is why the aliens speed up as you near the end of the level."

"Violin Scam Artists" operating in Richmond Hill parking lots : richmondhill - "Also a bunch of “refugees” that beg for money at Bathurst and Rutherford. Follow them at the end of the day and they get in a Mercedes to drive home" "One of my friends used to work as an assistance for a personal injury lawyer. One time, she was assigned to work with a panhandler who was run over by a car. Her job was to find out how much money panhandler was losing for those days she was hospitalized because of unable to go out and beg. My friend went out with that panhandler for a week and took note of how much money she made. Turned out, she made 1500/day on average. My friend was like “maybe i should quit my job and start panhandling”. That was 10 years ago by the way."
If you cast aspersions on beggars, you're a heartless monster

Meme - "We threw our Landlord a surprise party"

Meme - "My Ex Wife"
"I'm sorry to inform you that the daughter you kept for 20years is not your daughter.... She belong to your best friend Johnson. Foolish man, Take heart byeeee"
"Thank you Jesus for answering my prayers, I'm free now. All this years I thought I was sleeping with my daughter. Kindly encourage her not to abort our pregnancy"

Meme - "If i was superman I would convince bad guys my one weakness was getting sucked off so that they would suck me off and i would act all crazy nutso lol toes curling like nooo ahh wooah anything but this noo oh god ooo fuuukc my one weakness as blast one across lex luthors stubble"

Meme - Joseph Bronski @BronskiJoseph: "Do cigarettes increase GPO? Countries with higher GDP see significantly higher cigarette usage. Maybe nicotine built modernity."

Meme - "Poop in the church brownies
When I was younger I used to make brownies for church every month. I feel guilty because I used to include a special ingredient no one knew.... I used to go to the bathroom with a ziplock bag and poop in it, then I would rinse it a little just to clean them a bit, and I would work it into my brownie mix. If I ate something that didn't digest like corn or broccoli I would obviously pick it out. I tried to eat nuts and things of that nature if I was making brownies that weekend. It wasn't a lot, just like 2-3 tablespoons for a batch. Everyone loved my brownies, I got special requests for baptisms, confession, confirmations, and some events for Jews. This went on for years and I didn't realize what I was doing was wrong, thankfully I realized it pretty early on and stopped when I turned 19. I feel bad that I had done this since I was like 6 years old, but I was still very young when I realized it was wrong. Honestly they tasted amazing though, better than without. But now I know it's wrong and I wouldn't do it again."

Meme - Salty Irish Girl: "This is a straight up lie." "INSTITUTE FOR BLACK IRISH TRUTH
DUBLIN WAS BUILT BY PEOPLE OF COLOUR. The Viking name for Dublin was the 'Black Pool' this was named for the original black Irish who built the city, including Christ Church Cathedral. The Vikings invited the black Irish to a large banquet where they teamed up with their white Celtic fellow racists and kidnapped the black children to stop us ruling the next generation. Those children were deported and became the Igbo tribe."
The accurate history squad is nowhere to be seen. Because they are for falsifying history to push a political agenda. Soon, we will be told it is racist to criticise this

Music as aposematic signal: predator defense strategies in early human evolution - "The article draws attention to a neglected key element of human evolutionary history—the defense strategies of hominins and early humans against predators. Possible reasons for this neglect are discussed, and the historical development of this field is outlined. Many human morphological and behavioral characteristics–musicality, sense of rhythm, use of dissonances, entrainment, bipedalism, long head hair, long legs, strong body odor, armpit hair, traditions of body painting and cannibalism–are explained as predator avoidance tactics of an aposematic (warning display) defense strategy. The article argues that the origins of human musical faculties should be studied in the wider context of an early, multimodal human defense strategy from predators."

A father’s desperate – but dangerous – strategy to keep his ‘brain dead’ son on life support - The Washington Post - "Pickering recounted that his son had had seizures in the past, so he knew the procedure. He also knew that contrary to what the hospital told him in January, his son wasn’t “brain dead.” Call it father’s intuition. Something told Pickering that the hospital was wrong to order a “terminal wean,” which would have slowly removed his son from life support. According to KPRC, someone had even already notified an organ donation organization of an incoming donation. “They were moving too fast. The hospital, the nurses, the doctors,” Pickering told KPRC. “I knew if I had three or four hours that night that I would know whether George was brain dead.” No one was listening, Pickering said, so he bided his time the only way he could think of — by pulling out a gun... His desperate strategy worked. During the hours in which Pickering refused to leave his son’s room even at the behest of SWAT officers, he felt his son squeeze his hand several times on command. With confirmation that his son was responsive and wasn’t brain dead as doctors believed, Pickering peacefully surrendered... Today, George Pickering III is healthy and fully recovered, an indication perhaps of his father’s prescience. According to KPRC, the pair share “an unbreakable bond,” running a small electrical engineering business and building their own home together. The younger Pickering, his father’s spitting image, was moved after learning about what took place. “Everything good that made me a man is because of that man sitting next to me,” he said. “There was a law broken, but it was broken for all the right reasons. I’m here now because of it. It was love.”"

A Bank That Accepts Parmesan As Collateral: The Cheese Stands A Loan - "Besides holding the cheese as insurance, Credem stores and ages the wheels in climate-controlled vaults for the duration of the loan. The farmers save on operating costs. And in turn, the bank gains some expertise about a risky industry... The more it ages, the more delicious and valuable it becomes—like cash in an interest-bearing account. Eighteen-month cheese gives pasta zing. Thirty-six-month cheese makes angels sing. "The producers face very long lead times," Trichakis says. "They basically have working capital tied to inventory for two years. They could shorten the maturation to cut down on costs, but then the cheese that we eat would not be as tasty."... Prices for Parmigiano-Reggiano tend to fluctuate wildly, along with market demand. A one-percent difference in demand can equal up to a 10-percent change in price, according to the HBS case. Economic downturns hit the industry especially hard, as the expensive cheese is somewhat of a luxury item. Meanwhile, a lot can go wrong with the cheese as it matures: It can sweat, it can form bubbles, or, worst of all, it can swell so much that it cracks. Every flaw lowers the value of the cheese, regardless of the going market rate. Too many cracks will render a cheese wheel useless. "So, it's clear that you need a finance infrastructure that is tailored to this kind of environment," Trichakis says. "So the question is, can you do it? And the answer is yes." Credem accepts young cheese as collateral, valuing it at the current market price of mature cheese. The case explains that the typical loan-to-value ratio is 70 to 80 percent, which cushions the bank against market price fluctuations and product degradation... During the maturation process, only one percent of the cheese suffers degradation necessitating a value downgrade, compared with an industry average of 10 percent, according to the case. And because the cheese is aging under the bank's own roof, the bank is constantly aware of what the product is worth. If producers default on their loans, the bank sells their collateral upon maturation. "From the bank's perspective, it becomes almost risk free"... Lest students think the collateral model is totally risk-free, the authors of the case included an extreme cautionary tale—the so-called Salad Oil Swindle of 1963, in which crooked trader Tino de Angeles used his soybean oil inventory as collateral for huge loans from several Wall Street banks. Inspectors regularly conducted inventory checks, but the tanks contained mostly water, with just enough oil floating on top to fool them... While the Credem case study focuses on the cheese-as-collateral model, Trichakis notes that this comprises only one percent of the bank's overall business. But in terms of goodwill, the model is worth a lot more than that. "It allows Credem to be perceived as a bank that cares about the community, cares for the region, and cares for the producers," he says. "Lending is something that people don't really like in Italy. They think of usury, going back to Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Many people still perceive lenders and banks that way. So for a bank to be able to set up this infrastructure, and to showcase their value to the community, it's significant.""

23andMe’s Fall From $6 Billion to Nearly $0 - WSJ - "23andMe’s valuation has crashed 98% from its peak and Nasdaq has threatened to delist its sub-$1 stock. Wojcicki reduced staff by a quarter last year through three rounds of layoffs and a subsidiary sale. The company has never made a profit and is burning cash so quickly it could run out by 2025... At the center of 23andMe’s DNA-testing business are two fundamental challenges. Customers only need to take the test once, and few test-takers get life-altering health results... In another blow to its brand, 23andMe had a data breach this fall that exposed nongenetic information of 6.9 million customers, highlighting the same privacy concerns that Wojcicki once blamed for slowing sales and exposing the company to a class-action lawsuit, which was filed last Friday... She’s also dedicated to her personal brand, those who know her say. Last March, Mattel made Barbie dolls based on her and her two sisters, former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and pediatrics professor Janet Wojcicki, in a promotion for International Women’s Day. Anne said she had to convince her more press-shy sisters to do it. Some 23andMe employees had found it odd that she spent time on it so soon after the year’s first round of layoffs... Wojcicki said she jumped at the chance as a way to encourage science education for girls and connected it to 23andMe’s genetic tests for quirky traits such as asparagus odor detection in urine. “I mean, honestly, there’s parts of this in my personality that come through in the product,” she said. “Like, if you make things fun, people engage more.”... A small percentage of customers have a rare genetic variant increasing their risk of breast cancer, for example, and 23andMe’s test is a reliable screen that can lead to lifesaving doctor follow-ups. But most people don’t have a life-changing disease lurking in their genetic code. It’s not clear 23andMe has a compelling product worth $69 annually for either group."

Meme - "My child sent this to me and told me to find the truck"

Dare to Approach: Single Dose Testosterone Administration Promotes Threat Approach in Patients With Social Anxiety Disorder - "Persistent fear and avoidance in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) has been associated with reduced testosterone levels. Because threat avoidance is a major maintaining factor in SAD, and because testosterone administration promotes social approach, we tested whether testosterone administration can directly facilitate threat approach behavior in SAD. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 17 female participants with SAD received a single dose of testosterone before performing a well-established social Approach-Avoidance Task. This objective implicit measure of social motivational action tendencies requires participants to approach or avoid visually presented emotional faces. After testosterone administration, the patients showed increased approach tendencies to angry facial expressions. These results suggest that testosterone can counteract persistent automatic social avoidance tendencies in SAD. This finding advances our understanding of steroid involvement in the regulation of social motivational action in general and in SAD in particular, and may have important clinical implications, promoting testosterone’s candidacy for pharmacological treatment-enhancement studies."

Pasta and Rice May Be Healthier as Leftovers. Here’s Why. - The New York Times - "It sounds like just another internet health hack: Cook some pasta or white rice and let it cool overnight in the refrigerator. By the next day, some of the natural starches in the food will have transformed into healthier versions, called resistant starches, which have been linked to a range of health benefits including lower blood sugar, better gut health and a reduced risk of certain types of cancer. The idea that you could change the health properties of a food by merely cooking and cooling it may sound too good to be true. But according to experts like Balazs Bajka, a gut physiologist at King’s College London, there’s something to it. Cooling starchy foods can cause some changes to their structure that may benefit your health... Cooking and cooling causes the food’s starch molecules to become tightly packed together, making them more difficult to digest, Dr. Bajka said. When this happens, some of the starch becomes “resistant,” meaning its sugar molecules aren’t as easily broken apart and absorbed into your bloodstream as they normally would be. Even if you reheat the food as leftovers the next day, most of the resistant starch formed during cooling will remain... Because resistant starches aren’t easily digested, they don’t spike your blood sugar as much as regular starch does, said Kimberley Rose-Francis, a dietitian in Florida who specializes in working with patients with diabetes. Instead, the resistant starch continues on in your intestines, where it can feed the good microbes in your gut... There’s also some evidence that resistant starches may play a role in reducing the risk of certain types of cancer, said Annette M. Goldberg, a dietitian at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, though more research is needed... When you cook and cool a starchy food, you’re also effectively increasing its fiber content, said Mindy Patterson, an associate professor of nutrition and food sciences at Texas Woman’s University. Fiber has been linked to a host of health benefits including a reduced risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. And when consumed as resistant starch, it seems less likely than other forms of fiber to cause unpleasant effects like gas or bloating... aside from eating foods that naturally contain resistant starch, like beans, barley, green bananas and oats, you can increase the levels of resistant starch in foods like pasta, potatoes and rice by cooking and cooling them, Dr. Patterson said. This technique may be especially useful for those with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes"

'Drugged, robbed, killed': The city catching US tourists in dating trap - "Tou Ger Xiong loved coming back to Colombia. "He talked about the high spirited people… just enjoying life," his brother, Eh Xiong, told BBC News. "He even picked up Spanish. "It never, ever even crossed his mind that he would end up in a tragic incident this way." Tou Ger, 50, was a Hmong-American community activist and comedian from Minnesota. Prior to his most recent trip to Medellin, he had been speaking to a woman online... his death is one of eight in Medellin that prompted a warning from the US embassy about the risks of using dating apps. All eight victims were Americans who died in suspicious circumstances in November and December. The US state department said it was aware of a gang in the city that previously used dating apps to isolate victims before abducting and killing them. But it's unclear if a gang was behind the US deaths. In the first 10 months of 2023, Medellin's tourism observatory had already recorded 32 violent killings of foreigners in the city - including at least 12 Americans and three from the United Kingdom - a 40% increase from the previous year... Prostitution is legal in Colombia and widespread in tourism hotspots like the cities of Medellin and Cartagena. But there's nothing to suggest the men killed were using prostitutes... The Texas resident had matched with a Colombian woman in her mid-20s on Tinder. They first went out for coffee, but Shah later decided to buy beers and bring her to his hotel. He says he hadn't felt unsafe during his previous frequent visits to Medellin, or like prostitution was as prevalent when he first came in 2017. But he knew women were a draw to the city. "If you're a single guy, the women are very lovely here," a friend had told him. Before his watch, jacket and $200 in cash disappeared that night, he remembers his date rubbing a powder on his neck. But he stayed conscious enough to realise something was wrong, threatening to call the police and chasing her away. "I generally don't interact with the locals there now," he said. "There's just too much danger, there's too much risk." The new US embassy notice recommends its citizens avoid taking dates to private places like hotels, plus inform friends, family or building staff about who they're with. And don't resist a robbery because that could be fatal."
Murder culture is out of control. Damn victim blaming! Don't tell foreigners to take precautions. Tell Colombians not to kill foreigners

Meme - Dilbert: "THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE LOOKED LIKE THIS... ONE MONTH FOR A MANAGEMENT DECISION AND ONE YEAR TO DO THE PROJECT. THE REVISED SCHEDULE IS THIS... ONE YEAR OF INDECISION FOLLOWED BY INTENSE PRESSURE TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE BEFORE THE DEADLINE. NOW IF YOU'LL EACH TAKE A PAIR OF 3D GLASSES... YOU CAN SEE THE LAYERS OF MANAGEMENT INCOMPETENCE PRACTICALLY JUMP OUT AT YOU. NOW SCRATCH ONE OF THESE SCENTED CARDS TO SNIFF THE UNMISTAKABLE ODOR OF DOOM."
Pointy Haired Boss: "I DON'T SMELL ANY- THING. IS MINE BROKEN?"
*Wally and Alice stunned*

Bob Reisner's answer to Scott Adams is clearly finished, but was he making very much off Dilbert before he imploded? - Quora - "Scott Adams supposedly lost everything. Comics in newspapers, book deals and maybe appearance fees. I’m not saying that Scott Adams wanted to be ‘canceled’, just that it might be financially rewarding. Before the big ‘cancel’, Scott Adams appeared to earn money from books and a terminally declining newspaper comic strip. He shared earnings from these activities with his syndicator, agents, legal, accounting, etc. people. He got far less than 100% of the revenue generated. And likely, his partners partially owned much of the IP. Then came ‘cancel’ and all of his partners unilaterally closed their business relationship with him without any regard to contracts in place. Remember, this cancellation involved no crime or conviction. It’s unlikely common ‘morality’ clauses would apply to the cancellation situation, especially without some form of adjudication. So to me this looks like a huge opportunity for Scott Adams"

The Differences Between Thai, Indian & Japanese Curry Dishes - "Indian curries are made with dry spices like coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and chili powder to provide intense, lingering flavors. They are combined with yogurt, oil, ghee, or dal, a purée made from chickpeas or other lentils... Thai food uses a variety of ingredients including hot chilies, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallot, shrimp paste, and dried herbs like cumin, coriander seeds, and turmeric. These fresh ingredients make Thai curry spicy and flavorful... Contrary to Indian and Japanese curries, Thailand is famous for its signature ingredient of wet rice agriculture - coconut milk... Japanese curry sauces are made with spice powders, flour, and oil to give it a distinct brown color. This base remains consistent, but the spice levels vary. The ingredients to make the right Japanese curry include onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, etc. There are also turmeric, red peppers, and saffron pistil for coloring. Pepper, chili, and ginger create a spicy taste. And there are cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom seeds to help stimulate the taste buds. It is because of these ingredients that Japanese curry sauce is considered extremely healthy and contains very little harmful cholesterol."

Meme - Dilbert: "I'M PREPARING FOR THE COMPLETE MELTDOWN OF OUR FINANCTAL SYSTEM. I'VE GOT SIX MONTHS OF FOOD AND WATER. I HAVE BATTEAIES, FLASHLIGHTS, AND GOLD COINS"
Alice: "I'M PREPARED TOO. I HAVE YOUR HOME ADDRESS. AND I NOTICED THAT YOUR PREPARATIONS ARE LIGHT ON DEFENSIVE WEAPONRY. CAN YOU ADD SOME PROTEIN BARS TO THE SHOPPING LIST?"

Meme - "Gypsy-Rose Anderson
Hi Gypsy, I am very happy to see that you are finally able to live your life free. I do have to inform you though that many consider your first name to be an ethnic slur. Might I recommend possibly changing your name to Romani-Rose Anderson?"

How Much Does (And Should) It Cost to Have a Baby? - "There is an assumption out there that to effectively raise kids you need to constantly upgrade your surroundings, a bigger house and bigger car, more stuff, more money... two of the biggest factors in determining how unaffordable kids are, are driven by housing and transportation. Even for the statisticians there’s an unspoken understanding that parents must, and will, move on to larger homes — adding a bedroom for each kid, of course — and if not multiple cars, at least a bigger one with more and roomier seats. Are either of those things actually necessary? I’m not convinced... That extra bedroom, roomier car, and pricey stroller won’t change the real work of caring for a child"

Meme - "Trying to bond with my male cat, but idk what men do for fun so I took him to Home Depot"

Commentary: Are Singaporeans losing their competitive edge by staying within their comfort zones? - "Many of my business counterparts have observed that it is often difficult to get Singaporeans to take up overseas roles. Many of us are risk-averse, shying away from unfamiliarity and choosing to remain within the structured comforts of our home environment. One big reason is remuneration, particularly if one is not on an expatriate package or where pay is not equalised. Workers in Singapore are among the highest-paid in Asia, with a median annual income of around S$60,000 (US$44,000). In comparison, the average salary is around US$17,000 in Malaysia, US$9,600 in Indonesia, US$35,400 in South Korea and US$42,000 in Japan... Another reason is family: It’s difficult to move to another country with children. There is also the concern over reintegrating them into Singapore’s education system upon return... Ultimately, leadership is like a muscle that needs to be trained - it is all about practice. Learn to volunteer for various roles. Hone your resiliency and adaptability by seeking international experience. Such moves will also help build Singapore’s pipeline of local leaders with global capabilities, ensuring that we are ready to take charge on the world stage. But we must first take that first daunting step out into the unknown."

Cecil the dog ate $4,000 in cash. His owners recovered most of it, but they had to wait a few days. 😭 - "in the end, they were able to piece together $3,550 of the cash."

The Mind as a Coloring Book - "What if I told you there was a society in which all the young men marry elderly widows? If you had even an entry level understanding of evolutionary biology, you might think I was making it up. The Tiwi of North Australia, at first glance, seem like solid support for the old school view of the Mind as a Blank Slate. According to anthropologists C.S.M. Hart and Arnold R. Pillig: "... nearly every man in the tribe in the age group from thirty-two to thirty-seven was married to an elderly widow...But very few of them had a resident young wife." The Tiwi seem like a blatant exception to an assumption widely held by evolutionary psychologists - of a universal male attraction toward younger fertile partners... Because menopause is a feature of our species, not of any particular culture, it made evolutionary sense that older men in all societies would be attracted to relatively younger women (who are more likely to be fertile). Indeed, we reported data from several societies and historical time periods that supported that argument. For example, on the remote island of Poro in the 1920s, older men married substantially younger women - "trophy wives" just like the ones sought by CEOs of American corporations. Several anthropologists commenting on our paper chimed in with consistent data from yet other societies. Social psychologists Alice Eagly and Wendy Wood have suggested that many such sex differences in mating behavior might disappear in a society in which gender differences in social power were erased. If their social roles model applied to Tiwi society, you might expect Tiwi women to be relatively powerful. But Tiwi society is highly patriarchal. In fact, Tiwi men dictate who a woman is to marry. So the Tiwi pose a puzzle from both sociocultural and evolutionary perspectives"
The Mind as a Coloring Book 2 - "How do the Tiwi reproduce themselves? Several features of Tiwi society help us resolve the puzzle. And when we put the pieces together, it helps us see why cultural diversity does not equal support for the Blank Slate viewpoint (or any of its modern disguises). Although young Tiwi men are married to elderly women, a closer examination reveals that it's not because of a strong sexual attraction between the two age groups. Tiwi men are, like men in other societies, strongly attracted to young women. Unfortunately for the young guys, the powerful elder Tiwi men monopolize them all. Indeed, the elders enforce a strict rule that all Tiwi females must marry. As soon as she is born, every young girl is betrothed to one of the elders. The society is polygynous, and the powerful older men betroth their young daughters to other patriarchs. So the older men exchange younger wives with one another, and young men, with no daughters to offer, are thereby excluded from obtaining young partners. If a young man was caught with the young wife of a patriarch, he could be punished severely - by being gored with a hunting spear, or expelled from the group (which in Northern Australia would be tantamount to a death sentence). So that explains why younger men do not marry women, but why do they marry older widows? That's because all Tiwi females (but not all males) are required to be married. So an older widow must remarry as soon as her husband dies. The powerful older men, who have used the marriage rule to obtain several young wives, are not interested in marrying older women. At this point, a younger man steps up. What's in it for the young guy? By marrying a widow, a young man builds alliances with her relatives, and he gets the right to determine who her younger daughters marry if they become widowed early (remember, all the young girls are also officially married to elderly guys, who may kick off and leave some fertile younger wives as well as the older ones). Once a young man marries a widow, then, he is in the game of acquiring younger wives. The Tiwi pattern demonstrates a dynamic interaction in which new social norms emerge from the combined influences of different evolved psychological mechanisms (men's attraction toward women in the years of peak fertility, women's attraction toward high-status men) and local social factors (a geriatric patriarchy that monopolizes younger women, in combination with a rule that all women must be married). The Tiwi are one example of why I argue that social scientists' default metaphor for the mind should be a Coloring Book, rather than a Blank Slate. While a Coloring Book can, in one sense, be colored in an infinite number of ways, in not so passively receptive as a Blank Slate, since the outlines in a coloring book strongly suggest (though do not determine) particular palettes of inputs to be used on the different pages"

Friday, March 01, 2024

Links - 1st March 2024 (2 - Islamism in the UK)

After threats and abuse, British lawmakers question their safety over Gaza - "It was 10 minutes of shouted accusations of being a "genocide enabler" and having "blood on your hands" that made a British lawmaker fear for his safety over his decision to voice support for Israel in its war with Hamas. Almost touching noses with his accuser before walking away and warning he would call the police, the opposition Labour Party member said the incident in a town in his constituency was just the latest of several that made him change his behavior." He now makes sure he sits near the door on public transport and limits meetings with the public. "It feels like it could just need one spark to flip from someone giving you tuppence (criticism) in the street to escalating to actual violence," the lawmaker said. After the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza, more than 10 British politicians spoken to by Reuters said the abuse directed at them had become more intense. At least one cited this as a factor in deciding not to seek a new term in parliament in an election later this year. All spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were fearful that giving their names would increase the threats and abuse... In Britain, even politicians who are no strangers to receiving abuse from the public say the tone has become ugly and dangerous, with some fearing it could easily slip into violence. Many are considering taking steps to protect themselves, such as wearing stab vests in meetings or building safe rooms. Last week, parliamentary speaker Lindsay Hoyle sent parliament into chaos when he broke with precedent to allow the three main parties to set out their positions on a call for a ceasefire in Gaza. That was designed to prevent lawmakers from having to choose between backing a ceasefire, abstaining or voting against one to follow their party orders... After seeing his office in his North London constituency targeted in a suspected arson attack in December, Conservative lawmaker Mike Freer said he was standing down at the election after a "constant string of incidents." He had defended Israel. Dozens of protesters demonstrated outside the home of Tobias Ellwood, another Conservative lawmaker, earlier this month, with signs accusing him of being "complicit in genocide" in Gaza. The Labour lawmaker who now watches where he sits in public transport said he had been advised by police to install a partition at his constituency or voting district office so that people waiting to see him could not get near to him quickly... Another lawmaker said he had discussed with his wife getting a safe room installed at home. "No one should have to think about having a safe room just because they want to serve their communities," he said. A veteran politician said there had been other times when public anger meant lawmakers were in the firing line, such as over Britain's departure from the European Union, but that the threat of violence over Gaza marked a change for the worse."
Obviously, they need to crack down more on "Islamophobia" and the "far right"

Rishi Sunak urged to speak out by Tory peer as Islamophobia row deepens - "Ministers also faced questions over why no action had been taken against Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, who wrote an article for the Telegraph saying: “The truth is that the Islamists, the extremists and the antisemites are in charge now.”... The row comes after Labour faced its own crisis over antisemitism. The party stood by its Rochdale byelection candidate, Azhar Ali, after he was recorded claiming Israel had allowed the 7 October attacks as a pretext to invade Gaza, saying he had immediately apologised. The party withdrew its support when it emerged that Ali also blamed “people in the media from certain Jewish quarters” for the suspension of another Labour MP."
Denouncing terrorism means you're racist. Amazing

This is no longer the great country I knew. Islamists are bullying Britain into submission - "They started with the Jews; there were stern words of disapproval from the top but things only got worse. The Islamist cranks and Left-wing extremists then took control of the streets; the police looked meekly on. They harassed teachers through the courts; our human rights and equalities laws were used against us. They threatened to kill an MP; he decided, justifiably, to leave public life. A respected peer, Lord Austin spoke out against terrorism and Islamism; he was suspended from a job he loves. They have hijacked a by-election in a deprived town in northern England. We see their influence in our judiciary, our legal profession and our universities.  And then they came for Parliament. On a day when Keir Starmer should have shown strength of character, he bowed to the mob, abused his position, and undermined the integrity of Parliament. Conventions cast aside, the Speaker’s legitimacy destroyed, and democracy denied. Trust was shattered by Starmer’s grubby backroom deal. The mask has slipped: in hock to the Islamists, he is responsible for one of the most shameful days of our democracy. By effectively taking the Speaker hostage, he brought Parliament into disrepute. This is the behaviour of tyrants. Just imagine what Starmer would do as Prime Minister.  The truth is that the Islamists, the extremists and the anti-Semites are in charge now. They have bullied the Labour Party, they have bullied our institutions, and now they have bullied our country into submission. But what is our response? Our leaders bury their heads in the sand, preferring the illusion of a “successful multicultural society”, terrified of being called “racist”. But the law has not changed, mass extremism parades itself proudly, campuses remain dangerous places for Jews, and Labour is still rotten to the core... What is happening to our great country? That one which was respectful, welcoming, and where speaking your mind did not mean losing your job, or your life? Where different faiths and races co-existed peacefully? I remember that country, but it’s not the Britain I see now.  We cannot accept defeat. We need to find our courage. But we can only do that with honesty and determination. That’s why we must resist the attacks against the Prevent programme, designed to tackle extremism in whatever form it takes and stop people being radicalised into terrorism. It has been labelled “Islamophobic” and “racist” because, in the main, it is set up to tackle the most dangerous terrorist ideology facing our country: Islamism... we need to keep the spotlight on Hamas networks in the UK. We know that some on the marches have links to that Islamist terror group.  We need to get over our cultural timidity to refer budding Islamists, where they are a threat, into the programme. The Government has failed if 75 per cent of MI5’s caseload consists of Islamist terrorism yet the proportion of Islamist referrals into Prevent is only 11 per cent and falling. It’s not Islamophobic to challenge Islamist fanatics; it’s a civic duty.  Lastly, no progress has been made on introducing guidance to stop blasphemy laws being introduced by the backdoor. We cannot allow teachers to be hounded out of schools because a picture of Muhammad was shown, or children to be censured because a Koran was scuffed accidentally. In this country, it is perfectly lawful to criticise any religion or God. One may disagree passionately, but it is not criminal. None of this is easy. I’ve written about how the protests could be policed better. Others have set out how we can clean up campuses, mosques and councils and, more fundamentally, how we can promote better integration. I may have been sacked because I spoke out against the appeasement of Islamists, but I would do it again because we need to wake up to what we are sleep-walking into: a ghettoised society where free expression and British values are diluted. Where sharia law, the Islamist mob and anti-Semites take over communities. We need to overcome the fear of being labelled Islamophobic and speak truthfully. Enough of the hand-wringing and apologies. Turning a blind eye to fanatics has got us into this terrible situation: it needs to stop.  This is a crisis. And the fightback must start now, with urgency, if we are to preserve the liberties we cherish and the privileges this country affords us all. If we are to have any chance of saving our country from the mob."
Of course, by going after her for pointing out the problem, they proved the point

Sunak urged to act against Truss for spreading rightwing conspiracy theories - "Rishi Sunak should take action against Liz Truss for appearing alongside the far-right commentator Steve Bannon and spreading conspiracy theories about the “deep state” ousting her from power, Labour has said... Truss also appeared alongside Bannon, a former strategist to Donald Trump, on Real America’s Voice, a far-right TV channel, in a hallway outside the main conference auditorium.  When Bannon raised recent comments by Nigel Farage warning of a radical Islamic party gaining seats in the British parliament, Truss replied: “There’s going to be a byelection in the next few weeks, and it could be a radical Islamic party win in that byelection. So that is a possibility.”... “Liz Truss was never fit to be prime minister and certainly is not fit to be given a six-figure allowance of taxpayers’ money. It represents another slap in the face to all those paying hundreds of pounds more a month on their mortgages due to her disastrous policies and should be stripped immediately.”"
Amazing.
It's only sexist to criticise women when they're on the left

Burkina Faso: At least 15 dead in Catholic church attack
Max on X - "Yet another Islamist attack. This one has left at least 15 people dead. Islamist terrorism claims thousands of lives globally each year. It will result in virtually no outrage among western liberals and many Muslim activists. But use the phrase ‘Islamists’ and they’ll blow a fuse"

Konstantin Kisin on X - "Some bigoted people say Rishi Sunak isn't British. That's silly. He thinks the way to solve the problem of Islamist intimidation is to write a letter! What could be more British than that?"

Labour’s Islamic blasphemy law - "The Tories have suspended Lee Anderson for his daft comments last week about London mayor Sadiq Khan being ‘controlled’ by Islamists. UK prime minister Rishi Sunak weighed in earlier today to say that Anderson’s assertions were ‘wrong’ and ‘not acceptable’.  Crucially, Tory higher-ups have not called the comments ‘Islamophobic’. And this reluctance to use the magic I-word has been pounced on by Labour. ‘Why are senior Conservatives finding it so hard to call out Islamophobia?’, asked shadow equalities minister Anneliese Dodds. ‘Perhaps because the Conservatives still refuse to adopt the definition used by every other major political party in Britain.’  It’s true that the Tories are alone on this. In 2018, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims defined ‘Islamophobia’ very broadly as a ‘type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness’. Labour, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the mayor of London all subsequently adopted the definition. But after much deliberation, the Tory government announced in May 2019 that it would not be following suit. Dodds and many others among our political and cultural elites clearly think that this is some sort of gotcha. That this is proof of the government’s ‘structural Islamophobia’, as the Muslim Council of Britain put it over the weekend. But it’s not. The Tories’ refusal to embrace the idea of ‘Islamophobia’ is actually one of the few things they deserve credit for.  Make no mistake, ‘Islamophobia’ is an inherently dangerous concept. The term was first coined by the Runnymede Trust in 1997 to describe an ‘unfounded hostility towards Islam’. Since then, the idea of Islamophobia has done virtually nothing to tackle instances of anti-Muslim hatred. But it has served as a way to impede and restrict freedom of thought and speech. It acts, effectively, as a form of Islamic blasphemy law.  Promoted by assorted NGOs, politicians, journalists and indeed Islamists themselves over the past few decades, the idea of Islamophobia has exerted an ever more stifling grip over public life in the UK. It has served to protect reactionary Islamic practices from challenge and, increasingly, to insulate the tyrannical theocratic creed of Islamism from any sort of criticism. As the National Secular Society pointed out a few years ago, the charge of Islamophobia has had a chilling effect on public debate. Liberal and secular Muslims have been labelled ‘Islamophobes’ for voicing opposition to Muslim clerics on issues such as women’s rights and gender segregation. Gay-rights campaigners have been branded ‘Islamophobic’ for standing up to Islamists’ rampant homophobia. And just about anyone condemning Islamist terrorism is today deemed an Islamophobe. The charge of Islamophobia silences criticism from the left just as much as from the right. In 2015, Iranian-born dissenter and feminist Maryam Namazie was No Platformed from UK campuses for challenging Islamic conservatism. In 2016, Nick Lowles, the director of anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate, was disinvited from a National Union of Students event for daring to ‘condemn Islamist extremism’. The 2018 APPG definition of Islamophobia is the culmination of two decades worth of Islamocensorship. Damning criticism of ‘expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness’ as racism, it potentially outlaws everything from opposition to Iran’s mandatory hijab law to criticism of the theocratic terror of the Islamic State as ‘Islamophobic’. The APPG even called explicitly for ‘appropriate limits to free speech’ and for the policing and regulation of matters ‘far beyond what can be captured as criminal acts’.  Since the APPG issued its definition of Islamophobia in 2018, and most of the UK’s party-political establishment then adopted it, Islamocensorship has been further emboldened. We’ve seen a film pulled from cinemas across the UK for promoting the Shia interpretation of Islam. We’ve seen a teacher in Batley forced into hiding for showing a cartoon of Muhammad during a religious-studies class. And we’ve seen an autistic schoolboy in Wakefield hauled before local clerics for a dressing down, after he lightly scuffed a Koran.  An informal regime of Islamocensorship has now consolidated and justified itself in the UK in the name of combating ‘Islamophobia’. Rather than challenge this constriction of thought and speech, Labour is cheering it on. Its embrace of the APPG definition of Islamophobia – which would likely be introduced into law if and when it enters government – is far more concerning than the stupid things Lee Anderson has said. It threatens to turn criticism of Islamism into a crime. It would represent an astonishing capitulation to theocratic extremists."

Frankie Boyle Updates on X - "If I see the word Islamist, I just assume I’m about to read the incoherent ramblings of a crazed racist"
Josh Howie on X - "I’ve known and liked Frankie for a long time. But if Islamists aren’t real, and Islamists aren’t a problem in the UK, then I’d challenge him to post the Hebdo cartoon? I’ll even make it easier, just post a handsome heroic image of the Prophet Mohammed."
Michael Deacon on X - "You missed the big news. There is no Islamism. 9/11 never happened. Or 7/7, Charlie Hebdo, the Bataclan, Lee Rigby, Madrid, ISIS, PC Keith Palmer, Sir David Amess, Manchester Arena..."

The shameful silencing of radical Islam’s critics - "What Tory MP Lee Anderson said this week was dumb. But what the cultural elites are doing on the back of Anderson’s comments is outright sinister.  They are using his outburst about ‘the Islamists’ having ‘control’ over London mayor Sadiq Khan to distract attention from the very real threat Islamists pose in 21st-century Britain. They are holding him up as oafish proof that the ‘real threat’ is the ‘far right’ and ‘Islamophobes’ – gruff gammon like him – not those mystical ‘Islamists’ people keep banging on about. They are exploiting the Anderson scandal to achieve something they’ve wanted to achieve since the 7 October pogrom and the orgy of bigotry it licensed in Britain and other Western nations – that is, shift the public’s attention away from Islamism and back to ‘Islamophobia’. It is one of the most cynical political manoeuvres of modern times... Khan hasn’t turned London into a demented caliphate but rather into a woke hellhole where you can’t go five minutes without being bombarded by some eyesore Trans Pride flag or official finger-wagging about the evils of junk food. Khan has sacrificed our capital not to political Islam, but to political correctness... Political influencers have not contented themselves with criticising him, or branding him a raging Islamophobe, if that’s what they want to do. No, they’ve made him into the archetype of ‘Islamophobic Britain’. They’ve crowned him King Gammon, who merely gives voice to a phobic derangement that is all-pervasive. The irony is too much – they damn the conspiracist mindset that sees Islamists as the puppeteers of public life while promoting their own unhinged theory that actually it’s Islamophobes who haunt every corridor of power... This giddy extrapolation from one loudmouth’s musings on a TV show to the end of tarring the entire nation as ‘Islamophobic’ is not only cynical – it’s ominous. The intention is as clear as it is repellent: to send the message that it isn’t Islamism that’s the problem – it’s ‘Islamophobia’. Worse, Anderson-bashers are implying, if not outright stating, that critics of Islamism pose a larger threat to the nation than Islamism itself. Especially its right-wing critics, those ‘far right’ goons like Anderson and Braverman, as they crazily view those outspoken Tories. We are witnessing nothing less than a top-down cultural assault on truth – the truth here being that radical Islam is indeed a major threat to life, limb and democracy. The Anderson scandal comes hot on the heels of the Commons antics of last week, when the speaker of the house, Lindsay Hoyle, said he permitted a vote on Labour’s ceasefire motion because he was concerned that MPs would face violent threats if they didn’t say something on Israel-Gaza. He didn’t say who might issue such threats – of course not – but we knew. He was hinting at Islamists. Hoyle’s intervention likewise ignited a binfire of outrage among correct-thinking liberals and leftists who accused him of demonising ‘pro-Palestine’ protesters and exaggerating the menace of Islamism. It’s the far right we should be worried about, they squealed, like they’ve been squealing for decades.   These people are peddling cynical fictions. It is measurably, demonstrably untrue that the far right is a larger or even equal threat to radical Islam. Almost a hundred people have been slaughtered by Islamists in the UK over the past two decades. Girls at a pop concert, people going to work on the Tube, a member of parliament. Hundreds of British-born Muslims went to Syria to throw their lot in with an Islamist death cult that enslaved women, executed homosexuals, slaughtered Christians. Since 7 October we’ve seen Islamists on the streets cheering the mass murder of Jews and demanding more ‘jihad’ against the Jewish State. We’ve seen a suspected Islamist threaten Jews with a knife. We’ve seen Islamists hound an MP from office. The far right – for all its venomous ideas and hooligan behaviour – hasn’t got anywhere close to such extremes of misanthropy. The idea that the far right are The Real Threat is a comforting lie for our cowardly elites. It allows them to posture against ‘fascism’ without having to address the fascistic violence of radical Islam. It means they never have to contemplate whether their precious ideology of multiculturalism might have played a role in whipping up Islamist fervour by constantly telling young Muslims that Britain is a racist hellhole that hates them. They prefer to live in the dreamscape of fighting far-right old blokes than in a reality where many young people – including people they march shoulder to shoulder with – have signed up to a belief system that is anti-Semitic, misogynistic, homophobic and anti-human.   The denialism of the comfortable classes reached deranged levels this week. Labour MP Jess Phillips said she has personally found anti-Israel protesters outside parliament to be cordial and kind. Bully for you. I’m sure many of them are. But try being someone who wears a kippah or Star of David necklace. That cordiality might soon evaporate. You might be all right, Jack, but others aren’t...   I wonder if Boyle would say this to the mother of the eight-year-old girl murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing. Is she racist if she talks about the Islamist who killed her daughter? Or to the friends of the three gay men stabbed to death by an Islamist in Reading, or to the family of Sir David Amess, or to the Jews of Golders Green who witnessed a knifeman threaten their co-religionists just a few weeks ago. Are these people ‘crazed racists’ if they accurately describe the ideology of the individuals who massacred or threatened their loved ones? Are Jews allowed to talk about the Islamist threat? What about women, including Muslim women, who live under the cosh of radical Islam in some parts of the UK? Can they name the thing that oppresses them, or would that also offend the moral sensibilities of this rich comic who faces no such neo-fascistic threat and therefore doesn’t have to give a fuck?   Boyle’s boorish intervention captures the Orwellianism of the ‘Islamophobia’ charge. That slur is expressly used to choke debate about the Islamist threat. The ‘anti-fascists’ of the cultural elite are no such thing. In fact, they’ve made themselves water carriers for a new fascism, the supine protectors of violent extremism from robust debate and protest. Their slippery censorship of any discussion of Islamism is far more dangerous than the far right they fight fantasy battles with. Let us not forget that one of the reasons security guards at Manchester Arena failed to question the suspicious-looking suicide bomber who massacred 21 people there in 2017 is because they feared being branded ‘Islamophobes’. Your white-saviour censorship poses a greater threat than any ‘gammon bigotry’ ever could. In silencing opposition to the Islamist ideology, in making people fear cancellation if they call out the threat in their midst, you aid and abet Islamist violence. The Manchester bomber directly benefited from the climate of moral cowardice you fake progressives have cynically constructed. I’m going to say the thing you’re not supposed to say: there is no comparison whatsoever between anti-Semitism and ‘Islamophobia’. The former is the world’s oldest hatred and has caused the deaths of millions. The latter is an idea dreamt up by Islamists and anti-racist NGOs to stymie criticism of Islam... To drag people’s focus from these crisis levels of anti-Semitism and back to the elite’s familiar, comfortable territory of handwringing over ‘Islamophobia’ is unforgivable. It is unconscionable. It represents the sacrifice of Jewish safety at the altar of protecting the elite’s ideology of multiculturalism from frank critique. For shame."

Konstantin Kisin on X - "I don't understand why all these Tory MPs won't explain that, to quote Hitchens, "Islamophobia is a word created by fascists and used by cowards to manipulate morons". I was critical of what Lee Anderson said about Khan but this he actually did very well in his interview after.  Anti-Muslim prejudice exists. But Islam is a set of ideas and Islamism is a political ideology. You can disagree with ideas and political ideologies without being prejudiced.   What is more, the real conversation we should be having is that in Britain we have imported the civil war raging within the Muslim world.  Whenever anyone brings up the issue of Islamist terrorism, the response is always that Muslims are the biggest victims of this kind of terrorism world-wide. This is true but no one ever explains WHY.  And the reason is (massive oversimplification coming) that within the Muslim world, there is a battle between people who want to live in nation states and Islamists who want to impose Sharia law and create a Caliphate, I.e. a transnational religious entity under one religious ruler. It is the Islamists who are terrorising their fellow Muslims.  And we imported this problem into the West and then gave no protection or support to the normal Muslims and empowered the Islamists.  The Gulf states, for example, have no interest in becoming part of a Caliphate - they would quite like to maintain their hereditary monarchies thank you very much. Which is why they don't put up with Islamists at all.   We are much more tolerant of Islamist extremists than many Muslim countries. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so dangerous.  So, to summarise, there are some people who are bigoted towards Muslims. But highlighting the problem with Islamists is not only not anti-Muslim, it is a way of protecting most Muslims from the extreme minority. And it needs doing."

Brianna Wu on X - "As the Iran/Saudi Arabia Cold War continues to destabilize the Middle East, there are VERY REAL QUESTIONS of how this will affect Europe.   Democracies are generally secular.  Theocracies are not.   It’s not prejudiced to have concerns about that core value.
’s the exact same objection I have to Christian theocracy in the US, but no one objects to having that discussion."
The left just hate Christians, Christianity, the West and white people

J Stewart on X - "Maajid Nawaz on Islamophobia:  “The word Islamophobia is used as a shield to reintroduce blasphemy as law through the back door”  “We’ve got to allow for scrutiny of our religion like every other religion is scrutinised”"

Meme - Frances Weetman @francesweetman: "Don't anyone tell me that the APPG definition of islamophobia wouldn't ban saying Aisha was nine. It's a blasphemy law by the backdoor, no matter how many literature reviews led to it."
"targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”
Contemporary examples of Islamophobia in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in encounters between religions and non-religions in the public sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:
Calling for, aiding, instigating or justifying the killing or harming of Muslims in the name of a racist/ fascist ideology, or an extremist view of religion.
Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Muslims as such, or of Muslims as a collective group, such as, especially but not exclusively, conspiracies about Muslim entryism in politics, government or other societal institutions; the myth of Muslim identity having a unique propensity for terrorism, and claims of a demographic ‘threat’ posed by Muslims or of a ‘Muslim takeover’.
Accusing Muslims as a group of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Muslim person or group of Muslim individuals, or even for acts committed by non-Muslims.
Accusing Muslims as a group, or Muslim majority states, of inventing or exaggerating Islamophobia, ethnic cleansing or genocide perpetrated against Muslims.
Accusing Muslim citizens of being more loyal to the ‘Ummah’ (transnational Muslim community) or to their countries of origin, or to the alleged priorities of Muslims worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
Denying Muslim populations the right to self-determination e.g., by claiming that the existence of an independent Palestine or Kashmir is a terrorist endeavour.
Applying double standards by requiring of Muslims behaviours that are not expected or demanded of any other groups in society, eg loyalty tests.
Using the symbols and images associated with classic Islamophobia (e.g. Muhammed being a paedophile, claims of Muslims spreading Islam by the sword or subjugating minority groups under their rule) to characterize Muslims as being ‘sex groomers’, inherently violent or incapable of living harmoniously in plural societies."
Tamara 🎗 @tm1fox: "‘Claims of Muslims spreading Islam by the sword or subjugating minorities under their rule…’  A lot of history books will have to be burned."
Holding Muslims collectively responsible for the actions of any Muslim majority state, whether secular or constitutionally Islamic."
According to this definition, no Muslim claims of Islamophobia, ethnic cleansing or genocide can be questioned, since that is "Islamophobia". They learnt well from the trash Ambivalent Sexism Inventory
Ironic. The terrorism supporters hold Jews collectively responsible for Israel and glorify "resistance" (i.e. terrorism) for Palestine
So if Muslims demand that other Muslims support Palestine because of Muslim solidarity, they are also "Islamophobic"
Teaching accurate history is Islamophobic, but of course liberals want to falsify history, since to them teaching accurate history means villifying white people

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