Society's Child

The so-called 'alt-right' Intellectual Dark Web is more liberal than you think

Toby Young
Spectator USA
Fri, 25 Oct 2019 20:24 UTC

Most of us hold opinions that 70 years ago would have placed us to the left of the Overton window

In February last year, Spectator Life ran an article by Douglas Murray on the arrival of a new group of unorthodox thinkers who were challenging the dogmas of the authoritarian left. People who maintained, among other things, that there are fundamental biological differences between men and women, that free speech is under siege on campus and elsewhere, and that some aspects of western civilization — in particular, the values of the Enlightenment — are worth defending.

Murray's list included Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Sam Harris, Christina Hoff Sommers: all members of what they jokingly referred to as the 'intellectual dark web' (IDW). When the New York Times's Bari Weiss used the same moniker in an article about these thinkers a few months later, it entered the mainstream lexicon. The IDW went global.

Needless to say, this oddball collection of writers and broadcasters were immediately dismissed by the defenders of progressive orthodoxy as beyond the pale. A piece in the Guardian described the IDW as 'the thinking wing of the alt-right'. Other left-wing commentators have said much the same, pointing out that most of its members are middle-aged white men — proof, apparently, that they want to withhold power from women and minorities. Peterson's defense of the patriarchy is often cited as Exhibit A in the case for the prosecution.

Comment: See also:

If it bleeds it leads: The role of American media in perpetuating and profiting from mass shootings

Ammo.com
Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:00 UTC

Video games. 4chan. "Toxic masculinity." These are just a few of the media's favorite folk devils when it comes to assigning blame for mass shootings in America. However, there is startling evidence that how the media covers these tragedies makes them culpable in perpetuating future ones.

This might sound like an outlandish claim, but it's supported by evidence from no less an authority than the National Institutes of Health. It's related to a well-established phenomenon of copycat suicides known as the Werther Effect. Other countries' medias have taken steps to minimize the Werther Effect through self-imposed industry standards on suicide reporting, and many of these standards have parallels with the coverage of mass shootings.

The American media currently has no industry standard practices for how to cover either suicides or mass shootings. However, one can easily see the difference between how mass shootings and suicides are covered. Whereas suicides are treated as sombre tragedies, mass shootings often have the sensationalism turned up to 11. There's a detailed discussion of the shooter's life story, motives and methods. Strong evidence suggests that this both encourages and instructs potential mass shooters.

Statistically speaking, mass shootings represent a tiny portion of all deaths in the United States. For example, 2017 was the deadliest year for mass shootings in America with a total of 117 people killed. For context, 102 people die from automobile accidents every day according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute.

Comment: See also:

2 dead as gunman shoots 16 people at Halloween party near Greenville, Texas, then RETURNS to open fire at media during vigil - Suspect at large

Dana Branham, LaVendrick Smith, Tom Steele, Cassandra Jaramillo & Chris Siron
The Dallas Morning News
Sun, 27 Oct 2019 01:39 UTC

© Ryan Michalesko
Officials work a crime scene after a shooting at Party Venue on Highway 380 in Greenville, Texas, on Sunday, October 27, 2019. As of early Sunday morning a gunman is still at large after killing at least two people and injuring 14 at Party Venue Saturday night, according to Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks.

The parking lot outside the Party Venue near Greenville was littered Sunday with signs of the panic of the night before. Halloween masks people had cast away lay near blue medical gloves that dotted the ground. Nearby, a pool of blood had soaked into the gravel.

Sgt. Jeff Haines of the Hunt County Sheriff's Office said even a brief glimpse inside the venue was worse.

"Horrific," he said, describing what he'd seen while authorities searched where a gunman shot eight people at a crowded party as nearby Texas A&M University-Commerce celebrated homecoming weekend. Two of the victims died, including 23-year-old Kevin Berry Jr. of Dallas. Four more were in critical condition late Sunday.

Comment: The number of injured has since been revised upwards to 16.

Comment: More on the follow-up shooting at the vigil for the first shooting:

Reports of multiple shots fired at vigil for victims of Texas university homecoming mass shooting

A series of what appears to be gunshots can be heard ringing out in the background of a video, posted by Matt Howerton, reporter with WFAA, ABC-affiliated TV station in Dallas, Texas.

The journalist reported that the incident forced those gathered at the vigil to flee in disarray, while he and his collegue scrambled to take cover in the nearby trees.

"We heard DOZENS of gunshots," he tweeted. It's unclear if anybody has been injured in the reported shootout.

Diana Zoga, a reporter with KXAS-TV, posted a video of her bullet-ridden car on Twitter, noting that it appears that more than one gunman was invoveld in the incident.

"Multiple shots. Our news unit was hit at least 3 times," Zoga tweeted.

So that's two mass shootings in the same location, and no suspects identified or caught.

England and the Union: Most voters agree all parts of the UK have the right of self-determination

Lord Ashcroft
Lord Ashcroft Polls
Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:00 UTC

In August, my research in Scotland found a slim majority for independence. In September, my poll in Northern Ireland found a tiny margin for leaving the United Kingdom and joining the Republic. This month, to round out the picture, I have surveyed voters in England to see how they feel about the union, especially the parts of it that voted to remain in the EU, and how they see the prospect of one or more of the home nations deciding to go its own way.

Who benefits?

Many English voters think Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively benefit more from the union than the rest of the UK. This is particularly the case among those who voted Leave in the EU referendum, and especially among Conservative Leavers - two thirds of whom say Scotland benefits most from being part of the union, compared to one in five who think all parts of the UK benefit equally from its membership.

Barcelona sees fierce clashes as pro-independence demonstrators & police face off

RT
Sun, 27 Oct 2019 19:04 UTC

barcelona protests catalonia independence

© Reutes/Sergio Perez
A Catalan pro-independence demonstrator throws a fence into a fire during a protest against police action in Barcelona, Spain, October 26, 2019.

Chaotic scenes played out in downtown Barcelona after supporters of jailed Catalonia independence leaders set off towards the national police HQ, throwing projectiles at riot officers who responded with batons and foam bullets.

Around 10,000 people swarmed the streets of Barcelona, the capital of Spain's autonomous region, on Saturday, in a pro-independence protest called by the CDR (Committees for the Defense of the Republic).

The demonstrators set off to march towards the National Police headquarters, but were met by hundreds of police in full riot gear. The protest, which began around 7:30pm local time, quickly turned violent as demonstrators began hurling objects such as eggs, plastic balls, and rocks at police armed with batons and shields.

Comment: Not every Catalonian thinks independence for the province is a good idea. Counter-protesters also held demonstrations:

Less than a day after tens of thousands of pro-independence protesters faced off with riot police on the streets of Barcelona, masses of demonstrators took to the streets voicing their opposition to autonomous Catalonia.
© Reuters / Sergio Perez
Anti-independence demonstrators march in Barcelona
Catalonians opposed to independence marched on Sunday, waving the Spanish flag and calling for national unity.

Police say 80,000 people showed up, a fraction of the number that pro-independence protests have drawn over the last two weeks.

However, Catalonia's 7.5 million people remain divided on the region's future, with roughly half supporting secession and half opposed. The pro-independence side remain angered at the Spanish government's crackdown on the 2017 referendum, which saw police raiding polling stations, beating voters, and seizing ballot boxes.

Liberals outing Trump donors as 'racists' could lead to full-blown civil war

Robert Bridge
RT
Fri, 25 Oct 2019 16:10 UTC

It would be difficult to name a dirtier political trick than calling opponents 'racist' and publicly disclosing their names. Is this mere dress rehearsal for the 2020 US election, or something far worse?

Today in America, when a sizable segment of the population is suffering from the acute, long-term effects of Trump Derangement Syndrome, even the simple act of supporting a political candidate - especially if the candidate's name happens to be Donald Trump - can make a person not only feel like a criminal, but treated like one as well. And that's not mere hyperbole.

Consider the following. In the US, when sexual predators are released back into the general population after serving out their prison sentence, they are required to register themselves in a state data bank. This is no dating site. Its purpose is to inform Americans if a potentially dangerous individual will be residing in their neighborhood, possibly in the vicinity of their children. This is the sort of blacklist most Americans could probably agree with.

But what about a blacklist made up of American voters who have had their names and addresses dumped into the public realm for the 'crime' of donating money to the Trump campaign? When it is remembered that supporting political parties and candidates with cash is a democratic form of 'free speech', it sounds almost too incredible to imagine.

Sorry Sweden, those hand grenade attacks are not an 'image' problem

Graham Dockery
RT
Sun, 27 Oct 2019 06:23 UTC

Stockholm was shaken by three explosions in one night last week. But the blasts didn't even make headlines. With violence rising, the country's government seems more concerned with downplaying the problem instead of tackling it.

Three explosions in one night would be front page news in any first-world city. But when Stockholm reverberated to multiple blasts in one night last week, national broadcaster SVT's nightly broadcast was silent, relegating the news to its web coverage instead. One of the targets, a Syrian Orthodox church, had already been bombed twice in the past year.

But in Sweden, explosions no longer make the news. In 2018 there were 162 bombings reported to police, and 93 reported in the first five months of this year, 30 more than during the same period in 2018. The level of attacks is "extreme in a country that is not at war," Crime Commissioner Gunnar Appelgren told SVT last year.

Comment: See also:

It's the Russians...again! This time meddling in Chile, warns US diplomat

RT
Sat, 26 Oct 2019 20:02 UTC

Guess who's stirring mass anti-government protests in Chile? Anybody? That's right, it's the Russians, at least according to Washington's chief Latin American diplomat.

Speaking before a congressional committee hearing on Wednesday, State Department diplomat Michael Kozak suggested that "foreign actors" were stoking protests in Chile. Pressed on the statement by Latin-American news agency EFE on Friday, Kozak elaborated further.

"We have identified on social networks false accounts that emanate from Russia, which are people who pretend to be Chilean, but in reality all the message they are doing is trying to undermine all Chilean institutions and society," he was quoted on Friday by Chilean media.

Comment: See also:

London Times op-ed parrots Bill Browder's anti-Russia lies

Lucy Komisar
The Komisar Scoop
Fri, 25 Oct 2019 17:17 UTC

William Browder, Anglo-American financial terrorist

Ben Brandon and Alex Bailin are London lawyers who have co-authored a fake story based on fabrications by William Browder about Russia's legal action against his tax evasion and the death of his accountant, Sergei Magnitsky. The writers of this London Times op ed managed to put eight lies into just five opening lines.

Co-author Brandon is the lawyer representing the U.S. in its request to extradite war crimes whistleblower Julian Assange. This raises questions about the connection between the U.S. and the U.K. in the promotion of the Browder/Magnitsky hoax and the attack against Assange.

Here is their story. And my proof of their fabrications.

Comment:

Lebanon protests: Demands are justified, but reform must proceed carefully to avoid chaos

Elijah J. Magnier
ejmagnier.com
Sat, 26 Oct 2019 17:08 UTC

After less than two weeks of generalized, impulsive and unorganised protests on the streets of Lebanon, a huge amount of money has been invested - by undeclared donors - in recent days to provide protestors with food, drinks and necessities so that they will stay in the street until "the fall of the political regime, the government and the rule of bankers - in particular the Central Bank".

Most Lebanese agree with the protestors' concerns about the corruption of the political-sectarian system which helps a handful of political leaders control the entire country. These figures have power over everything in Lebanon and can do anything without accountability or control. No wonder, because the judicial system is controlled by these same politicians who suspend any "unsuitable" judgement. Moreover, all top military and security officers - without exception - are appointed by the same political leaders who divide power amongst themselves. They spend their careers standing at the doors of the politicians they "belong" to (depending on their religion), asking for better and more senior positions within the security apparatus.

No one in Lebanon ever imagined this corrupt sectarian system could be shaken and that people would confront it on the streets. No political leader believed he would ever feel anxious about keeping his "throne", constructed over decades for the next family generation to take over when their fathers retire.

Telling the truth? What a fucking joke. Liz Cheney is the spawn of Satan.

tekdude

Why, even Inspector Clouseau could crack this case. His first and most important clue was THE GREAT DECEPTION (CB), from there on out it was an...

Solare

The covid smokescreen is slowly being lifted. This is bad. Really bad. I f the US go for this crap it is just a question of time for Canadians...

Demore

I can see a devious actor impersonating a witless dictator to ridicule and bring down a country. From memory and experience I know that worked...

codis

THE HIGHER LAW I think, for maximum safety and security, all citizens deemed to be of the 'lower type', should have their brains removed and...

nedlud

Society's Child

The so-called 'alt-right' Intellectual Dark Web is more liberal than you think

If it bleeds it leads: The role of American media in perpetuating and profiting from mass shootings

2 dead as gunman shoots 16 people at Halloween party near Greenville, Texas, then RETURNS to open fire at media during vigil - Suspect at large

England and the Union: Most voters agree all parts of the UK have the right of self-determination

Barcelona sees fierce clashes as pro-independence demonstrators & police face off

Liberals outing Trump donors as 'racists' could lead to full-blown civil war

Sorry Sweden, those hand grenade attacks are not an 'image' problem

It's the Russians...again! This time meddling in Chile, warns US diplomat

London Times op-ed parrots Bill Browder's anti-Russia lies

Lebanon protests: Demands are justified, but reform must proceed carefully to avoid chaos

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