The Neverending Story

With regret, I have to report that the culture wars have reached the hitherto docile and apolitical realm of the Tolkien Society. As we speak, there are people plotting to disrupt their proposed seminar on diversity. This is because some right-wing idiot (and UKIP candidate) called Sargon of Akkad (I kid you not) posted a whiny YouTube video about 'those leftist woke Tolkien Society people' (for context, the chairman of the TS is a Tory council leader in some part of England I never knew existed).

It was of course only a matter of time, because the narrative of 'cultural Marxism' and 'those damn woke people' needs constant feeding with further examples to agitate the online anti-intellectual gammons with, to constantly feed their victim complexes about being on the losing end of a titanic struggle. It would be ridiculous (and untrue) to say that diversity has a central place in either Tolkien scholarship or the Tolkien society, yet the narrative decrees that 'the woke are taking over' and 'we have to fight them' because we are up against a conspiracy theory that sees imaginary 'SJW' enemies everywhere it looks.

Tolkien's works are the sort that appeal to all - from left-wing hippies to blood and soil nationalists. This is why he is so popular and loved. His books teach basic human values that speak to all and are almost totally apolitical. But that sort of truce is unacceptable to the new disruptive force, because it does not recognise truces. To it, anything that has alignment with/inclusion of the Left must be controlled by the Left. It is of course a staple part of how conspiracy theories work - if you think a shadowy group (here, 'the Left') is behind everything, then unless they are visibly excluded you will keep thinking it.

For the record, I think many of the talks are ridiculous, applying theories in a way that just does not work, however none of that excuses the sort of 'gate-keeping' and attempted 'cancelling' of the whole TS that seems to be mooted.

In the last few weeks, the Guardian has introduced a new subgenre of articles about SME owners from a variety of sectors (some Brexiter, some Remainer) realising just how fucked they now are.  But I'm particularly loving this latest twist in the saga: the government is officially advising businesses that the only thing they can do to survive is to 'set up shop in the EU':

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/23/brexit-hit-firms-advised-government-officials-set-up-shop-in-eu
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/23/cheshire-cheesemaker-says-business-left-with-250000-brexit-hole

Of course, the big financial players knew this years ago - they've been moving operations and assets to the EU since 2016.  Now it's the turn of the small fry exporters/importers whose turnover is in the paltry millions. 

So maybe I've been wrong all along and the Brexit brigade have always been EU double agents? ;-))

Anyway, I'm personally more sorry for the culture/entertainment/performance industry workers who have been dealt a near-death blow by Covid and now are effectively barred from working in the EU.  The musicians have been in the news most lately (https://www.freemovement.org.uk/the-row-over-post-brexit-visas-for-musicians-explained/), but it's not just them.

Animal Farm:

It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune. You would often hear one hen remark to another, "Under the guidance of our Leader, Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days"; or two cows, enjoying a drink at the pool, would exclaim, "Thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon, how excellent this water tastes!"

White House spokesman:

“Under President Trump’s leadership, vaccine and therapeutic research, development, and trials have advanced at unprecedented speed to deliver groundbreaking, effective medicines driven by data and safety and not held back by government red tape."

LA CIGALE ET LA FOURMI

La cigale, ayant chanté
Tout l’été,
Se trouva fort dépourvue
Quand la bise fut venue :
Pas un seul petit morceau
De mouche ou de vermisseau.
Elle alla crier famine
Chez la fourmi, sa voisine,
La priant de lui prêter
Quelque grain pour subsister
Jusqu’à la saison nouvelle. —
Je vous paîrai, lui dit-elle,
Avant l’oût, foi d’animal,
Intérêt et principal.
La fourmi n’est pas prêteuse :
C’est là son moindre défaut. —
Que faisiez-vous au temps chaud ?
Dit-elle à cette emprunteuse. —
Nuit et jour à tout venant
Je chantais, ne vous déplaise. —
Vous chantiez, j’en suis fort aise !
Eh bien, dansez maintenant.

Стрекоза и Муравей

Попрыгунья Стрекоза
Лето красное пропела;
Оглянуться не успела,
Как зима катит в глаза.
Помертвело чисто поле;
Нет уж дней тех светлых боле,
Как под каждым ей листком
Был готов и стол, и дом.
Все прошло: с зимой холодной
Нужда, голод настает;
Стрекоза уж не поет:
И кому же в ум пойдет
На желудок петь голодный!
Злой тоской удручена,
К Муравью ползет она:
«Не оставь меня, кум милый!
Дай ты мне собраться с силой
И до вешних только дней
Прокорми и обогрей!» —
«Кумушка, мне странно это:
Да работала ль ты в лето?» —
Говорит ей Муравей.
«До того ль, голубчик, было?
В мягких муравах у нас
Песни, резвость всякий час,
Так, что голову вскружило». —
«А, так ты...» — «Я без души
Лето целое все пела». —
«Ты все пела? это дело:
Так поди же, попляши!»