Love this week’s title. I should be used to the fact Eastern European and Russian dissidents, carted off to Siberia, imprisoned, tortured and murdered, don’t matter, but it still dismays me. Poles - and many of us old enough to remember censorship - are the largest ethnic minority in the UK, yet walk into a branch of Waterstones and peruse new launches and you’d never know that’s the case. We are never asked about our views about freedom of speech, or anything else, really.
I’ve been thinking about the NHS a lot, having recently spent 22 hrs in A&E and a week in hospital. While I’m grateful I’m not saddled with ££££ bill to pay for it, I don’t think it’s apolitical. Not to the extent that the US system is, but this tender is very much ideological and utterly at odds with Dr Cass review: https://www.nhsconfed.org/news/lgbtq-network-tender-trans-and-non-binary-allyship-guide
I enjoyed your interview with Louise Perry. I agree with everything she says, in fact it all seemed obvious. So why does it feel such a grim point of view? Because she presents no hope for transformation of society or men’s behaviour? I can certainly see why young people would be more attracted to a glittery non binary revolution.
You might not be Joan Didion, but you are Helen Lewis. Thank you for the wry and also very funny meditation on learning new skills.
Smart journalism and always a good start to the weekend 👍
Love this week’s title. I should be used to the fact Eastern European and Russian dissidents, carted off to Siberia, imprisoned, tortured and murdered, don’t matter, but it still dismays me. Poles - and many of us old enough to remember censorship - are the largest ethnic minority in the UK, yet walk into a branch of Waterstones and peruse new launches and you’d never know that’s the case. We are never asked about our views about freedom of speech, or anything else, really.
I’ve been thinking about the NHS a lot, having recently spent 22 hrs in A&E and a week in hospital. While I’m grateful I’m not saddled with ££££ bill to pay for it, I don’t think it’s apolitical. Not to the extent that the US system is, but this tender is very much ideological and utterly at odds with Dr Cass review: https://www.nhsconfed.org/news/lgbtq-network-tender-trans-and-non-binary-allyship-guide
Yes, that’s an unhelpfully fuzzy job spec given it’s public money.
I enjoyed your interview with Louise Perry. I agree with everything she says, in fact it all seemed obvious. So why does it feel such a grim point of view? Because she presents no hope for transformation of society or men’s behaviour? I can certainly see why young people would be more attracted to a glittery non binary revolution.
I agree. It hovers between realpolitik and a counsel of despair. Not sure which.
Yikes! Those poor, poor fish!