The Madness of Crowds

Peter Robinson interviewed Douglas Murray about his latest book, The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity.  During the discussion, Murray outlined four issues that have been tearing at the foundations of America.  First, feminism.  Though initially a movement to provide equality to women, it has morphed into an excuse for misandry.  Hatred and revenge against men who are long dead is now the desire.  Second, civil rights.  Like with feminism, the initial goal of equality has given way to a desire for payback.  Again, those who committed the misdeeds against blacks are almost all long dead.  Third, gay rights.  As with the prior two, it is no longer acceptable to be equal under the law.  Churches must stop teaching against homosexuality.  Religion must tolerate us, but we do not need to tolerate religion.  Lastly, there is the trans-rights movement.  Murray was more circumspect with this one as it is in its infancy.  However, he notes that it has already had clashes with feminism.  Murray describes these four movements as a new ideology, a new religion.  With the vacuum created by the flight from religion, this has taken its place.  Unfortunately, they are not compatible with traditional Western values of the Enlightenment.  Is Western Civilization going to give way to this new ideology that embraces new prejudices?  Murray is on the fence.

His previous book was The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam.  That was touched upon in the discussion.  He brought up the murder of a French teacher by a recent Islamic immigrant.  President Macron reacted very strongly, seeking to defend the secular values of France against Islamist radicalism.  He was denounced by the leaders of Turkey and Pakistan.  Not surprising.  However, he was defamed by Western editorials in The New York Times and the Washington Post.  He saw this as very revealing that France was framed in the wrong for seeking to maintain the secular values.  If Islam were to gain control, there would be no tolerance the other way.

At one point, Murray likened the United States to an elephant being taken down by small predators.  If the elephant had just stomped them as they arrived, it could weather the attack.  He had recently toured America, notably Portland, Seattle, and Washington DC.  To him, the outlook is grim.

Peter Robinson is an excellent interviewer who does a great deal of preparation.  His Uncommon Knowledge interviews are highly recommended.  In fact, he has some of the best exchanges with one of my favorite economists, Thomas Sowell.