ARE THE CULTURE WARS A DISTRACTION?

Filmed at the Battle of Ideas festival 2023, this inspiring panel sets the record straight.
Are the culture wars simply a Twitter sideshow to the more serious concerns of everyday life? Or is the way we relate to each other, and to our shared values, fundamental to how we plan for a future together? Given that dissent from so-called ‘woke’ ideas - whether on race, gender or culture itself - has become impossible without being demonised as stirring up toxic, divisive and dangerous trends, is there any choice but to engage in the culture wars? Will it have to be reckoned with if we are to have a serious discussion about anything else? And if, as some argue, today’s culture war is a continuation of the age-old conflict between liberty and authoritarianism, does the claim that the culture war is a ‘distraction’ not in itself become a distraction from the issues that matter?
The speakers are:
Professor Aaqil Ahmed - director, Amplify Consulting Ltd; professor of media, University of Bolton; former head of religion, Channel 4 and BBC
Andrew Doyle - presenter, Free Speech Nation, GB News; writer and comedian; author, The New Puritans: how the religion of social justice captured the Western world and Free Speech and Why It Matters
Professor Frank Furedi - sociologist and social commentator; executive director, MCC Brussels; author, 100 Years of Identity Crisis: culture war over socialisation
Lord Ken Macdonald KC - barrister, Matrix Chambers; crossbench peer
Nina Power - philosopher; senior editor, Compact Magazine; author, What Do Men Want? Masculinity and its discontents
The chair is: Claire Fox - director, Academy of Ideas; independent peer, House of Lords; author, I STILL Find That Offensive!
This debate was filmed by volunteers working with Worldwrite. Please help ensure the charity is able to edit a further 30 debates by hitting the THANKS button above and donating whatever you can afford. Thank you.

[@mikegray8776]

The “Guardian guy” making his comment (eventually) reminds us EXACTLY why opposition to GroupThink is so vital. They really believe “we’re all like them” deep down - and if they just patronise us a little more professionally, we’ll all fall into step behind them. 7th October, and its fall-out in Britain thereafter, should be enough to thoroughly disabuse us of that absurd hallucination.

[@VestinVestin]

If I remember this video correctly, I think his general point was that despite the extremists we should all be able to reach some common ground in the end. You'd best hope he's right, otherwise society will tear itself apart.

[@zeldagoblin]

He works for the guardian...

[@mikegray8776]

@@VestinVestin. Except that his definition of common ground would be that which is ideologically acceptable to Guardian readers (ie Anti-Anglo’s)

[@2ndCumminoftheAnti-Chrsitgau]

ahh yes the infamous.. incredibly dangerous anti-anglos.. wtf u on about

[@Sarahk150]

This is very good especially Andrew Doyle & Frank Furedi.

[@mikegray8776]

Andrew Doyle is magnificent. In intellectual terms he NEVER disappoints - and can make his point either with irony or with erudite depth as the subject requires. For a sane and balanced Britain, going forward, the Andrew Doyles, the Frank Furedis, and the Douglas Murrays are absolutely vital !!!

[@helenfalk3049]

Totally agree!!

[@bigbarry8343]

culture wars as they playout in the media are obvious distraction. the likes of murray and doyles have globalists granted monopoly on "common sense" views. think about it - why else would they enjoy wide open platform to voice common opinions which would get anyone else, i mean ANYONE fired, ostracised, put in jail. that one or the other is occasionally censored, makes it all the more engaging. there are several benefits to this arrangement for the globalists, but i am not going to get into details.

[@lewreed1871]

Doyles and Furedis, yes. Douglas Murray? Give me a break. He's nothing but a preening little third-rate poseur.

[@ashbrown1212]

Andrew Doyle for Culture Secretary now!

[@ashbrown1212]

I rescind this statement given his recent behaviour

[@Mrbobinge]

Yes Nina, 'projecting their negative aspects onto everyone' sums it up. Thanks for that. Negativity, so much of it around. In a word, Eccentricity.

[@dawnhollified2482]

Great to know there are wonderful people doing something about this.

[@Vintagevanessa99]

Like professor Frank very much

[@anaglyphx]

The Guardian worker says “I’m here with you lot”…what a horrible way of speaking about people.

[@radicalcartoons2766]

Thanks, worldwrite! I was a speaker in your Breakfast Banter session on the Sunday morning, "Gagged Cartoonists, is Satire Still Possible "? I hope you'll be able to upload it to KZbin. 👍

[@worldwrite]

Hi there, if it was in one of the rooms we filmed in, we certainly will.

[@anaglyphx]

Nina and Frank always amazing.

[@dgh5760]

I find the British habit of taking a series of questions rather than dealing with one at a time to be very confusing as I've already forgotten the first ones by the end of the last one. It doesn't seem very efficient or practical. Just a thought.

[@IIIIAmSHODAN]

Sounds like a you problem. Try being less American.

[@BurntOak]

They aren't a distraction... they're a symptom of our disunity.

[@charlytaylor1748]

Well said, Andrew. Very reasonable.

[@PRAR1966]

The guy's question at 42:00 needs to be noticed - because that's the reality of the UK masses

[@andybrice2711]

I think it's important to distinguish between "Culture Wars" and legitimate debate about cultural issues. These issues do matter. And it makes sense to discuss them, and reach some sort of democratic settlement on them. It becomes a "Culture War" when you're trying to get one over on the other team. When you're deliberately trying to antagonize or demoralize your opposition by capturing new ground and further politicizing culture.

[@doyle6000]

Happy to donate!

[@worldwrite]

That's brilliant of you, thank you so much.

[@doyle6000]

@@worldwrite no worries!

[@lenwilkinson672]

Andrew Doyle a good speaker with common sense.Aany programme he is on is worthy of watchin.

[@philipferguson8570]

Right on folks.

[@bjtucker5]

@42:45 These types that inevitably bring up these "issues" tend to have similar physiognomies

[@ionebarczak9383]

Who benefits? It is time to start asking that

[@editfazekas3854]

Prof. Furedi is sharp as knife.

[@dgh5760]

It doesn't seem like all the speakers got the same memo on the content of the subject matter to be discussed. Some seemed to think it was about the historical culture of a country or a race of people and others thought it was about current culture broadly and how it is affecting societies worldwide and whether we were ignoring important issues at the expense of culture wars.

[@mikegray8776]

I quite enjoyed the different takes on the same premise. Had they all made the very same points reflecting a micro-focus, this would not have been nearly as uplifting and entertaining as it actually was.

[@nascar0509]

Yes, very deliberate narcissistic abuse.

[@bigbarry8343]

yes

[@user-et5el9sg2i]

Hork, why. At end of interview you asked. Andrew: Snort, hork, clear phlegm, blow nose, pull stuff up from the back of your throat etc. this is the query. I have fifty years more experience than you (in this thought area) so I'll give you my take on it. The body makes that mucus, but why... first ask why so much: I'll posit it's because of accumulated external-enviro stress, similar to allergies, and perhaps it •is• on the scale from asthma to allergies to respiratory gunk excess. Details I know from experience. I now live in high-quality air like the air in the best museums, and my previous problems all went away. I used to hork every morning as the first thing to do... I used to hork during the day. I could blow nose gunk at any time too. Today I'm dry, drier. Healthy. I can't hork because I have no excess liquid to spare. I don't blow nose as I have no stuff to blow out of nose. Ask not why guys pull hork up when they're under shower water but why they have so much excess throatlining hork gunk to start with. And, why it happens to males. I've not heard of it ever as a female problem. I have seen some who get sniffles and puffy eyes from the indoor air but it's not horking-bad. On a happier note let's now say we have one more good reason to know why people have always enjoyed going to the mountains to breathe fresh country air for a few days and come back feeling rejuvenated. You cannot see the particles that you are breathing day to day in your indoor air environment. To human eyes they're invisible particles. It's very hard to tell someone that the years of fine dust that fell into their mattress is giving them phlegm. First they have to discover what a dust mite is. Then they have to figure out what the enzyme (that mites make) does to irritate the human respiratory tract and immune system. Then they have to get it that they're showing all the hork symptoms of a male. One day it might be commonplace to have a device to detect the presence of old dust in your mattress. Your pillows. Your carpets. It's your dust you made over years. Add to that... Other people's pet dander, their second hand smoke, city dust, pollen too. It all adds up, and so one fine day your immune system deep inside you starts overproducing phlegm mucus and liquid. Ta-daa! Your throat is now coated. (I wonder if beer makes it worse compared to other alcohols.)

[@balsarmy]

I think it is not a distraction, it is just a surface

[@lenwilkinson672]

If Scots,Welsh and English accept these laws without protest,get on with it and suffer the consequences.

[@benjones1717]

Whataboutery isn't a real thing in any political, economic or philosophical discussion where the triage of all events has to be considered.

[@ajs41]

True. I've always thought it was a stupid idea.

[@jonjuan1955]

The culture weapon is merely a political tool

[@Dazbog373]

Woman in the kimono standing up really wants to be the centre of attention

[@RichyGuyInTheChair]

I don't know who did the post production on this but the colour grading is awful and very distracting.

[@worldwrite]

All filming and editing is done by volunteers. Real problem of low light in this hall too. If you are in a position to colour grade or make a donation so that the charity can that would be a big help.

[@worldwrite]

NB If you know of any clever software (preferably free) that can help lighten this up without making it so 'noisy' (grainy) that it's unwatchable, please let us know. I think it's the darkness rather than colour grading that is irritating. Hopefully it does not detract from great content!

[@RichyGuyInTheChair]

I am absolutely in a position to grade footage and would be happy to consider it a donation to the charity.@@worldwrite

[@RichyGuyInTheChair]

It looks very much like a contrast curve has been added to the footage, if this has been done in post it is easily corrected, if it is from the original footage then it will not be possible to repair, I'm happy to take a look and assist you@@worldwrite

[@worldwrite]

Hi @@RichyGuyInTheChair That is great of you. NB no contrast curve added, edited with Avid media composer & basic colour correction done. Light appallingly low in hall which was not set up for filming- lots of sound problems too. We'd really love to have your help in the future. Do email me with your email when time so we can confer directly Thanks again [e-mail]

[@kay1625]

Omg...what a dim "professor" is Ahmed!

[@virtuallyme2518]

It’s his accent … 😂😂

[@vincemarshall8550]

these intelligent discussions are all very nice but they have no resemblance on whats really happening and therefore pointless

[@BurntOak]

They aren't a distraction... they're a symptom of our disunity.