You know those silly online surveys that claim to determine your ideological standpoint? Yes, I know. They’re junk.
I should have understood this when friend and colleague Chris Kenny completed a survey this morning to discover he was a raging social justice warrior. I welcomed him to the collective but did warn him the parties aren’t what they used to be, what with having to obtain a signed and countersigned permission slip, several sworn statements and an expression of intent before one can awkwardly start a conversation with a member of the opposite sex.
An imaginary linear expression of political affiliation is not especially helpful in a complex society ideology tends to divide rather than unite. But as there is no other universally understood means of determining one’s political being, we are sort of stuck with it.
After spending a desultory hour or so on social media last night (it’s not my fault, there was no cricket on), I was reminded with a jolt the left has become the new moral majority and it is even more horrible, more censorious and more punitive than when its custodians were the Bible thumpers on the right.
Full column here.
No cricket Jack, but there’s AFLX. If you’ve got time to waste it’s the best of the worst on TV. It easily trumps watching snow sports in a heatwave, Spicks and Specks re-runs, and rivals Q&A for mind numbing worthless content. Even the commentators sound bored and perplexed. I can’t see AFLX as anything more than a money grab, rivalling the NRL sending an Origin game to Adelaide for outstanding stupidity. I miss the cricket too, but be of good cheer, footy season is moments away. Until then, the fish are on the bite, with shoals of big lizards fighting over my poorly presented baits just steps from my front door.
Watched some last night. Meh.
Meh, indeed…..someone said it was the first step towards Victorian euthanasia laws
Yes, sadly agree, Lou.
Not nice.
In this wired, or unwired world Jack ideology seems to have been overtaken by idiotology. Thanks to relative annonymity the crazies can have a field day with largely no consequences. I find rampant abuse, and we have examples close to home here, reflective of the disrespect for what used to be healthy debate of ideas and of course personal biases.
As for the much maligned pub test, how would these new age ideologues go spouting their comments in person in the front bar?
Havent you got a bit of sport on record so you can avoid the temptation of social media? The Zuckerbergs of this world have a lot to answer for.
You’re telling the story. How would these new age ideologues go sprouting their comments in the person in the front bar?
Urgh, they might leave with a clean clock.
Oh, and a dismal look on said clock.
In truth the front bar is almost always full of blowhards who will only fight if they are too drunk to know any better and get themselves belted.
I can assure you, Lou, that barflies – and I have known a few – are far from ideal arbiters of what constitutes a sensible comment.
IMO a preferable test would be conducted pretty much anywhere where people are generally sober. For example, I’ve seen footage of many such tests conducted on public transport, involving old-age ideologues spouting their comments on who is entitled to be in Australia and who is not. They all failed.