One thing that has puzzled me for years is the tendency of Western liberals, when espousing perfectly unexceptional left-wing views, to act as if they’re being exceptionally brave: this cause, they imply, is more important than my career or my personal safety.
When a democrat of whatever stripe stands up to be counted in a fascist country, such as Iran, they are being brave: in fact they’re displaying heroism on a scale most of us outside the armed forces can barely begin to comprehend. As Iran’s smelly, illegitimate, thieving regime has demonstrated yet again in the past few days, expressing views in favour of freedom and democracy over there means you’re genuinely risking your life, let alone anything as trivial as a career.
When some silly British academic speaks out against Israelis being allowed to teach at universities here, or some hate-filled fool of a playwright spews out obscene anti-American doggerel, they risk nothing more than approbation from their colleagues and students, a smack on the wrist accompanied by a nod and a wink from the institution they represent (if any), and grovellingly adoring coverage in the liberal media. It certainly won’t in any way affect their next academic promotion, or award, or book deal, and no one’s going to kill them for speaking out.
Why do these people, and their acolytes at the Guardian and the BBC, act as if courage plays any part in these unedifying, posturing displays of self gratification masquerading as moral outrage?
Western liberals risk nothing by smugly espousing what they like to believe are “radical” views. If they want to try being brave, they could try supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against undemocratic terrorist regimes, or write poems or articles praising the role of the United States in protecting the rest of the world from modern-day fascist dictatorships and the stone-age death cults they fund. Let them speak up in favour of Western military action in Afghanistan and see how quickly the invitations to appear on Today and Newsnightevaporate, and how mysteriously elusive that next academic appointment or book deal or award suddenly becomes.
The point is well made by Roger Scruton in an article for the American Spectator, entitled “Totalitarian Sentimentality”. It makes the point, brilliantly, that there’s something rotten about being rewarded for saying things that make you feel good about yourself while carrying no personal risk whatsoever.
The article was pointed out to me by my old friend, David Moss, a great campaigner for privacy and freedom, as you’ll see if you visit his website, Dematerialised ID.
No comments:
Post a Comment