[Malcolm Armsteen]

Wallis’s statement doesn’t just call into question what it means to be brave – it also challenges our understanding of what it means to be transgender. Tory colleague Michael Fabricant was quick to praise Wallis: ‘We are all very proud of Jamie and we are all here for them.’ A couple of hours later, Wallis clarified that he won’t be changing his pronouns and still wants to be referred to as he / him. So, Wallis is a biologically intact male, who has a man’s name, wears men’s clothes (in public at least), and goes by male pronouns. As he himself says: ‘I remain the same person I was yesterday.’ Other than having newfound heroism thrust upon him, of course.

To be fair to Wallis, he doesn’t actually claim to be the nation’s first openly transgender MP. He has left others to do that on his behalf. His statement says he wants to be transgender. Of course he does! All that praise and glory, without having to achieve anything.

‘Bravery’ has never meant so little.

[Tubby Isaacs]

She's lovely, isn't she?

[Tubby Isaacs]

That's basically "gays just want the attention", isn't it?

[Andy McDandy]

All sounds a bit Kevin Spacey TBH.

[davidjay]

It's all part of the idea that if you think X you must also think Y, the sort of twisted logic that lumps Lib Dems and the SWP together as 'the left'.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I'll never get why people like this arguing about tedious stuff get away with it without a million people popping up and saying "Don't you agree with free speech then?" Why does only the left have to respect this right and not them?+

The article was written by the Argentine Foreign Minister, who funnily enough calls the Falklands what Argentinians call it. When the Guardian itself writes about it, you'll be amazed to hear that it calls it the Falklands.

[davidjay]

[Boiler]

The BBC asks:

Where are the new classic sitcoms?

The BTL answers are invariably... well, you can guess.

[Andy McDandy]

OK, here we go...

Sitcoms are expensive and risky, whereas panel shows are not, and are easier to adapt if they aren't working at first. Many classic sitcoms became so through osmosis and repeats, something that is hard to do in the current TV climate. The British model of short seasons and one or two showrunners leads to burnout, compared to the American writers room model.

Plus, rose tinted specs and all that.

[davidjay]

We only remember the good stuff. There was just as much unfunny rubbish in the 'golden age of sitcoms' as there is now, it's just been forgotten.

[Andy McDandy]

Yup. Even stuff like Monty Python, what people remember is perhaps a dozen sketches and 2 and a half films.

[Youngian]

The Mail is worried about lies being spread and wokes cancelling important historical works. The PC lefties are responsible for not publishing this author’s profound observations on empire

The publishing industry is killing free speech and spreading lies - by cancelling authors like me

Their unstated reasons were obvious as far as I was concerned. My book was called Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, and its conclusion was that the British Empire was responsible for some terrible crimes — but also brought much good to the world.

In particular, it was Britain's steadfast opposition to slavery, from 1807 and for the next 150 years, that led the way for an end to the global slave trade.

We were the leading proponent of abolition, especially after 1833, and for more than a century we campaigned to end the practice from Malaysia to Brazil.

And it was the Empire that stood almost alone, with the exception of Greece, against the Nazi threat after France fell in May 1940. The Empire kept Western democracy alive. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/ ... ke-me.html

[davidjay]

An entire piece about how his book won't be published finishes with this:

Fortunately, there are still people in the industry with the courage of their principles. My book was published this week by William Collins.

[Yug]

So it's a classic case of

I HAVE BEEN SILENCED

then.

[mattomac]

I thought I had seen that advertised as being published so I was confused until the last part.

White male fanboys of Empire can’t automatically expect their book to be published.
Evoking the war is some odd way of supporting empire.

[Youngian]

Take that wokes for a proper laugh. Jimmy Jones is 85 so fair play for an old trooper.

[RedSparrows]

The Mail is worried about lies being spread and wokes cancelling important historical works. The PC lefties are responsible for not publishing this author’s profound observations on empire

The publishing industry is killing free speech and spreading lies - by cancelling authors like me

Their unstated reasons were obvious as far as I was concerned. My book was called Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, and its conclusion was that the British Empire was responsible for some terrible crimes — but also brought much good to the world.

In particular, it was Britain's steadfast opposition to slavery, from 1807 and for the next 150 years, that led the way for an end to the global slave trade.

We were the leading proponent of abolition, especially after 1833, and for more than a century we campaigned to end the practice from Malaysia to Brazil.

And it was the Empire that stood almost alone, with the exception of Greece, against the Nazi threat after France fell in May 1940. The Empire kept Western democracy alive. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/ ... ke-me.html

Quelle surprise, now the book is being reviewed (cos it's been cancelled, obvs) by historians rather than ethical philosophers who seem strangely blind to their own ethical behaviour, it's being seen for what it is: apologia, unscholarly, dishonest.

For all the wailing about 'woke' stuff, for all the implied 'we're resting OUR views on PROPER history', for all the 'common sense' appeals and 'it's complex!!!!11', what actually ARE they keen on? Fairy tales and fucking wilful blindness.

A critique of empire should be just that. Not a 'defense', but a critique. Different interperetations, views, accents etc all exist in academia. Waving it all away in a frenzy of tabloidese is, curiously, not academia.

[Crabcakes]

Take that wokes for a proper laugh. Jimmy Jones is 85 so fair play for an old trooper.

Gary Bushell? Christ, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while and would have been delighted to not hear for even longer.

Also, what’s Bobby Davro doing on that lineup? Has he gone anti-woke in hope of snagging an audience?

[Youngian]

You must have missed Gary’s political career in a party for Kippers who can’t stand Jock and Taff anymore than the Krauts and Paddies

[Youngian]

There’s not even a St George’s Day in the Queen Vic, claims oppressed Englishman Gary Bushell, not like real East London pubs. When did he last go drinking in Shoreditch?

So packed with predictable cliches I can’t bare to watch the rest. To be fair Bushell is a less grim character than the likes of Farage obsessing about migrants and other enemies of the people.