This is an interesting contrast, the billionaires on one side and the 'woke mind virus' on the other... I think this especially interesting since it was the ultra wealthy in the US who adopted and promoted the strands of critical theory that led to the unchecked puritanism that the 'mind virus' phrase refers to... so either side of this divide is arguably tied up in the outsized influence of money on politics, culture, and life. What a shame we're not allowed to have that conversation right now! 🙂
Incidentally, while I totally understand your point about J.D. Vance it would be silly to use this to argue for one side or another in the US presidential election, since the blue team and the red team are both corporate-funded endeavours that ultimately service the same financial interests (or, if you're feeling retro, the same class interests). It's not a coincidence that the weapons manufacturers decided to hedge their bets and bring the blue team on board with suitable investments. The spice must flow!
I am also fascinated by the fact that 'woke mind virus' has taken off as a phrasing. It reflects the enormous resistance to the constructed category of 'religion' that most people feel today. If this had happened in the UK, where anti-religious prejudice is culturally normal, the 'mind virus' construction would have been unnecessary. This 'woke mind virus' phrasing is pursuing the same condemnation of religion that the term 'cult' is usually wheeled out for. It's noteworthy in this regard that 'trans cult' was a common phrasing during the second phase of the Rainbow Civil War. This absurd battle between (largely US) trans activists and classical lesbians eventually spilled out into the conservative mainstream and for the first time caused the religious right to politically ally with lesbians. Things I thought I'd never type! 😂
I wrote about this from the point of view of the Rainbow Civil War being an internecine feminist struggle on Stranger Worlds last year:
...although I think it's more than a decade now since I first tried to argue for peace on this battlefront. Sigh.
Everything about this situation has been mortifying, to be honest. It would have been very easy to win acceptance for trans folk if the plan had begun with tactical theology but the unacknowledged root problem is that the left wing of the United States harbours a passionate hatred for Christianity that as Brits is hard to appreciate (since as I already mentioned the British are culturally bigoted against religion wholesale, which is a different kind of problem even though it seems similar). If the trans activism had not begun in the US, where anti-Christian hatred thrives, I believe it would all have resolved peacefully and relatively unproblematically. Instead, the entire strategy for 'trans inclusion' set off on an insane footing, and has made matters immeasurably worse for trans folk in the short term.
Long term, thankfully, once the battle of the bathrooms and the sports issues resolve (which isn't anywhere near close yet!) this will work itself out rather well, as Wil Ferrell's new documentary somewhat foreshadows. To get there, however, the conversations have to happen. I'm sorry to report it is entirely the trans activists in the US who shut down this conversation with hysterical accusations of 'transphobia' on social media escalating the situation right on the brink of a major breakthrough. Gender metaphysics makes enemies just as effectively as religious metaphysics, alas.
Since I've been following this debacle from more or less the beginning (when it was a spat purely within the queer community), I can honestly say this is the worst attempt at civil rights campaigning ever attempted, one that downstream has entirely undermined the concept of civil rights. But at its root, as you correctly highlight, is a hopeless polarisation that has shut down civic conversation, and as such destroyed the validity of the discourse that ought to be at the centre of any honest democracy.
Anyway, since I am actually living in the US for this election, I have a radically different perspective upon it, and my advice to you is not to trust anything you read in any British news source about it (especially not from the BBC). I have, oddly, been quite encouraged by this election season - not by any of the politicians, chaos forbid! - but by changes it has wrought in the very fabric of US society that I view optimistically, and that are independent of whichever terrible president the US gets next. Unfortunately, since everyone is deep into the 'cardboard Hitler' rage at the moment it's not the time to explain what has given me hope in this ever-bizarre cornucopia of cornballery. I will, however, certainly be glad when it is over and we can get back to the attempt to have the conversation that big budget political campaigning so successfully prevents.
With unlimited love,
Chris.
PS: Will be plugging your new book in the November Bazaar at Stranger Worlds.
“So what, exactly, are the monsters of our current hyper-polarised age? At a time when the two political tribes are not only unable to communicate and negotiate, but lack shared accepted definitions about the nature of reality, how would a studio like Hammer create monsters that resonate with everyone?”
Always enjoy your writings. I think we all know who this timeframe’s real monster is. Thanks for the link to the Daily Grail post. Very insightful. USA here… at the beginning of the end.
‘There is something Lovecraftian about a billion.’ I bet you took the morning off after that sentence.
Midas Man is amazing ! Definitely should be called Midi John though .
Have a spooktakula evening 👻 here’s a video from Kate Bush hamming it up 🤓👍
https://youtu.be/XR4KnfcgLm0?feature=shared
Hi John,
This is an interesting contrast, the billionaires on one side and the 'woke mind virus' on the other... I think this especially interesting since it was the ultra wealthy in the US who adopted and promoted the strands of critical theory that led to the unchecked puritanism that the 'mind virus' phrase refers to... so either side of this divide is arguably tied up in the outsized influence of money on politics, culture, and life. What a shame we're not allowed to have that conversation right now! 🙂
Incidentally, while I totally understand your point about J.D. Vance it would be silly to use this to argue for one side or another in the US presidential election, since the blue team and the red team are both corporate-funded endeavours that ultimately service the same financial interests (or, if you're feeling retro, the same class interests). It's not a coincidence that the weapons manufacturers decided to hedge their bets and bring the blue team on board with suitable investments. The spice must flow!
I am also fascinated by the fact that 'woke mind virus' has taken off as a phrasing. It reflects the enormous resistance to the constructed category of 'religion' that most people feel today. If this had happened in the UK, where anti-religious prejudice is culturally normal, the 'mind virus' construction would have been unnecessary. This 'woke mind virus' phrasing is pursuing the same condemnation of religion that the term 'cult' is usually wheeled out for. It's noteworthy in this regard that 'trans cult' was a common phrasing during the second phase of the Rainbow Civil War. This absurd battle between (largely US) trans activists and classical lesbians eventually spilled out into the conservative mainstream and for the first time caused the religious right to politically ally with lesbians. Things I thought I'd never type! 😂
I wrote about this from the point of view of the Rainbow Civil War being an internecine feminist struggle on Stranger Worlds last year:
https://strangerworlds.substack.com/p/woman-man-neither
...although I think it's more than a decade now since I first tried to argue for peace on this battlefront. Sigh.
Everything about this situation has been mortifying, to be honest. It would have been very easy to win acceptance for trans folk if the plan had begun with tactical theology but the unacknowledged root problem is that the left wing of the United States harbours a passionate hatred for Christianity that as Brits is hard to appreciate (since as I already mentioned the British are culturally bigoted against religion wholesale, which is a different kind of problem even though it seems similar). If the trans activism had not begun in the US, where anti-Christian hatred thrives, I believe it would all have resolved peacefully and relatively unproblematically. Instead, the entire strategy for 'trans inclusion' set off on an insane footing, and has made matters immeasurably worse for trans folk in the short term.
Long term, thankfully, once the battle of the bathrooms and the sports issues resolve (which isn't anywhere near close yet!) this will work itself out rather well, as Wil Ferrell's new documentary somewhat foreshadows. To get there, however, the conversations have to happen. I'm sorry to report it is entirely the trans activists in the US who shut down this conversation with hysterical accusations of 'transphobia' on social media escalating the situation right on the brink of a major breakthrough. Gender metaphysics makes enemies just as effectively as religious metaphysics, alas.
Since I've been following this debacle from more or less the beginning (when it was a spat purely within the queer community), I can honestly say this is the worst attempt at civil rights campaigning ever attempted, one that downstream has entirely undermined the concept of civil rights. But at its root, as you correctly highlight, is a hopeless polarisation that has shut down civic conversation, and as such destroyed the validity of the discourse that ought to be at the centre of any honest democracy.
Anyway, since I am actually living in the US for this election, I have a radically different perspective upon it, and my advice to you is not to trust anything you read in any British news source about it (especially not from the BBC). I have, oddly, been quite encouraged by this election season - not by any of the politicians, chaos forbid! - but by changes it has wrought in the very fabric of US society that I view optimistically, and that are independent of whichever terrible president the US gets next. Unfortunately, since everyone is deep into the 'cardboard Hitler' rage at the moment it's not the time to explain what has given me hope in this ever-bizarre cornucopia of cornballery. I will, however, certainly be glad when it is over and we can get back to the attempt to have the conversation that big budget political campaigning so successfully prevents.
With unlimited love,
Chris.
PS: Will be plugging your new book in the November Bazaar at Stranger Worlds.
“So what, exactly, are the monsters of our current hyper-polarised age? At a time when the two political tribes are not only unable to communicate and negotiate, but lack shared accepted definitions about the nature of reality, how would a studio like Hammer create monsters that resonate with everyone?”
That's a peach.
Happy Samhain/Halloween/Walpurgisnacht John! Lovely to read your musings as always. Hopefully see you soon at some bit of malarkey or another...
I'm sure there will be malarkey soon Michelle! Much love!
Always enjoy your writings. I think we all know who this timeframe’s real monster is. Thanks for the link to the Daily Grail post. Very insightful. USA here… at the beginning of the end.