Free speech, political correctness, conversational in/tolerance and first principles

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

James, who's the person in your current avatar? She looks very familiar.

[dr. locrian]

Yeah, it's so easy to forget just how poverty stricken HPL was throughout most of his adulthood.

This is wildly off-topic.

I think there was the beginning of a synthesis of capitalism and communism in the Western Powers during the 1960s, and the process has accelerated dramatically thereafter. Capitalism prevails in the economic sphere and neo-Marxism prevails in the ethical and cultural sphere. Most folk on the left now are quite happy to accept private enterprise (even within the BBC), and those on the right have finally taken up the cause of the identity politics that usurped the class struggle. The new controlling “centre” of politics is so influential even the old school Troskyites were rendered irrelevant and kicked out of the Labour Party, as were the old school Nationalists who were kicked out of the Tory Party, and dwindled almost completely away. The battles they fight today amongst themselves, in the form of, say the SWP and BNP, here in the UK are as politically significant as historical re-enactments. It's in the mainstream mass media that control and influence are to be found and exerted.

Most leftists have recognised this and moved into the opinion-formers camp of the mass media. There, along with a host of journalists, authors, comedians etc etc, they can hawk their views around and make a very comfortable living parading their consciences about (in the past such folk were dismissed by those real leftists still committed to equality of incomes as “champagne socialists”).

Bankers, on the other hand, are even worse. But I suppose they're not such hypocrites about it and don't care about the mass media. Their vile philosophy, a la Ayn Rand, means they have a reason not to give a damn.

Mark S.

Quote Originally Posted by Robert Adam Gilmour

Weren't Lovecraft and Machen both poor for significant periods of their lives?

Yes, but they could hardly be considered working class men, and fundamentally shared the psychology of the elite. They're two of my weird fiction idols, but the attitude towards class in their works can be irksome. Thankfully their horror writing is of matters above social class or psychology, so it doesn't ruin my enjoyment by any means.

Quote

James, who's the person in your current avatar? She looks very familiar.

Krystal from Korean pop band (f)x.

Quote Originally Posted by mark_samuels

Capitalism prevails in the economic sphere and neo-Marxism prevails in the ethical and cultural sphere.

Strongly disagree. Capitalism prevails in the ethical and cultural sphere as the populace are taught to live their lives through the accumulation of wealth as their primary goal above all others. There are next to no leftist voices in the mainstream media or mainstream politics. It all runs on a right-wing capitalist narrative, whether we're talking the New Labour vs Tory dichotomy or Republican vs Democrat dichotomy. Each party is right-wing and props up capitalism, thus presenting the illusion of choice.

It's very difficult for left-wing ideas to get a voice in the mainstream media, which is why the Greens are barely given any airtime when compared to UKIP here, despite having more members.

BBC News - Ofcom says UKIP, but not Greens, are

Quote Originally Posted by James Sucellus

There are next to no leftist voices in the mainstream media or mainstream politics. It all runs on a right-wing capitalist narrative It's very difficult for left-wing ideas to get a voice in the mainstream media

Well, the BBC, the Guardian and the Independent (not to mention the Mirror) here in the UK seem pretty left-leaning to me.

I don't see the Left having any difficulty expressing their opinions in the mass media here in the UK. In fact, I see them as very much part of the common cultural currency.

Mark S.

Coda: The difference between Republicans and Democrats, as with Tories and Labour, is a game of musical chairs.

Re: Capitalism and Marxism. It is not a case of "either/or" but of "both/and" and one of differing emphasis. They share the same project of synthesis in contemporaneity I outlined.

At least for the moment.

Mark S.

[Druidic]

It's very difficult for left-wing ideas to get a voice in the mainstream media--James Sucellus


Hmm . That's a joke, right?

Quote Originally Posted by Druidic

It's very difficult for left-wing ideas to get a voice in the mainstream media--James Sucellus Hmm . That's a joke, right?

Nope, the mass mainstream media is run with a consistent right-wing corporate agenda. You think Rupert Murdoch is a socialist?

What has come to be seen as left-wing by some in our society is just a slightly more moderate strain of the right-wing that differs slightly on social issues with the others. Some multi-national corporations may ostensibly push a message less keen on Jesus or more keen on gay marriage than others, but they're still 100% in favour of keeping the social hierarchies and form of capitalism we're currently in.

I remember, many years ago in the late 1980s, when I worked in a record store, my former employer (who wasn't a very nice fellow, to be honest) took me to task for reading the Guardian.

"Why are you reading that lefty rag?" he asked.

"Well, it's politically impartial and is only concerned with fairness, equality and the truth." I said in naive fervour.

"Believe that and you're end up a bloody Christian." he replied.

About a month later he sacked me for filling out one order incorrectly.

Mark S.

[Druidic]

The majority of the hydra-headed beastie we call the media are liberal in thought and philosophy: We can debate questions of bias, fairness, unintentional slant, whatever, but we can't debate that.