Observers, commentators, journalists and others born in the last three decades of the 20th century when telling the world of the 1960s in word, film or speech often use the prefix "swinging". A more accurate though less catchy prefix would be "embryonic" describing how young people began to break out of the shell imposed by a world war and its financially restricting aftermath. Compared to current normalities profane speech was relatively heard only in anger and not as an emphasis to enhance an adjective and certainly not to signal a writer`s attempt at what became known as "kitchen sink drama". Poof or poofter was a common term for homosexual and was, I suppose, to a recipient be hurtful and degrading. Today the use of those words would probably give rise to a complaint of a hate crime; a term itself only in common use this century.
Fans of "At last the 1948 Show" will remember with unrestricted joy the sketch
The only phrase missing that might have added just an extra frissom of timelessness were that required for what is indeed a timeless comedy jewel might have been "back in the day" but that was a phrase originating about 5o years ago in American slang before the sketch was written. However the remarks of a judge describing those words at a recent employment tribunal as "barbed and unwelcome" indicate how far down the slope of restricted speech our society has tumbled. Judge Patrick Quill suggested that the aforementioned phrase could be deemed "unwanted conduct". A report and comment can be accessed here.
Are we as a society being led down the proverbial rabbit hole to a wonderland that even Lewis Carroll would not have imagined? Only a few days ago a police officer at a march supporting Hamas told a Jewish bystander that somebody waving a swastika was not in itself a hate crime and had to be considered in context. In what universe do a police officer and a judge offer such crass remarks and apparently find themselves in line with public opinion? The comments by observers in the article are a further indication of the depths to which this society appears to have shrunk insofar as innocent comment is now considered unlawful if the recipient so considers it. But when it comes to real hate directed at Jews they are expected to suffer as it is considered not unlawful. Compare that with the attitude on display if similar remarks were to be directed at Muslims or black people.
What we say in public [also in private if you live in Scotland] is one thing but our beliefs are now also coming within reach of those who want to put "Newspeak" on a statutory footing. Rachel Meade, a social worker employed at Westminster City Council made public her opinion on social media that a person cannot change sex: for that she was subjected to all the wrath that self serving "progressive" council officials and regulators could muster to castigate her. A report is available here.
It could be argued as per my opening paragraph that those fighting curtailment of everyday language began to bear their fangs with the establishment of Stonewall, the largest LGBT rights organisation in Europe. Named after the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, it was formed in 1989 by political activists and others campaigning against Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, including Ian McKellen, Lisa Power and Michael Cashman. Having been instrumental with others in rightfully securing protection for its supporters in word and deed it is in the process of self destruction in the so called "progressive" movement`s greatest self imposed struggle involving the rights or otherwise of those who consider themselves "trans".
Many people`s image of a fascist is one of a tall fair haired well built male in his early thirties wearing black leather riding boots and a black uniform topped with a military cap embossed with a skull and crossbones. They are wrong. Today`s fascists come in all shapes, sexes and sizes. They do not set about their tasks with senseless brutality but their intentions are as evil as those who wore the black uniform or their Italian and English counterparts of the 1930s who wore at least a black shirt. They are intent in subverting the English language as readily as Lewis Carroll`s timeless invention of Humpty Dumpty.
Fascists must stifle opposition. In Germany and Italy from the early 1920s that involved terrorising newspaper owners and editors into what they could and could not publish. Today for fascists, under their camouflage as "progressives", that translates into propagating lie and innuendo on social media and castigating and attempting to discredit those who attempt to show them up for what they are. Today it is often Israelis first then Zionists then just Jews who are targeted. Tomorrow their net will have widened. Already on one side the leader of the Opposition is in their gunsight and those who support Islamism are joined in a political pincer movement from the other. Sooner or later those who would destroy the basis of our Judeo Christian society must be confronted with words that actually have real meaning. Language is a tool and a weapon. In the wrong mouths words can kill.
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