Quick links 15

As restrictions eased I've been more active this week, visiting Whitstable and Bluewater twice, as well as going to the pub Friday night. Am meeting another friend for dinner tonight so need to go get ready soon. Meanwhile here's this week's roundup of items that caught my interest.

SpaceX abandons fairing recovering- not surprising as it's a dead-end technology given their future plans. 

I'm shocked, shocked! UAE-Venezuela betrayal leave US scrabbling for influence. Especially ironic given how many on the left in the west had gushed over Venezuela the past 20 years

Yes to both- Cancel culture is real and its getting worse. This is especially true: 'Another reason why there aren’t that many examples we can point to is that cancel culture causes people to self-censor'- indeed that's why I don't use Facebook anymore and write here semi-anonymously.

My usual view is De mortuis nil nisi bonum, but given her role in abolishing Grammar schools I'll make a weak exception for Shirley Williams – her legacy for education- IMO it's not good, blighting the lives of countless and a large part of our decline. Also from the Critic- Thatcher and me

Nobody ever leaves North Korea. The sooner the Nork regigme falls the better.

On wokeness, a big haul this week: 

Wokeness is an insurance policy. The louder the damnation of American culture, the more likely a career will be saved or enhanced. 

Wokeness is classist and elitist. Those who made or inherited a fortune, got the right degree at the right place, made CEO or four-star rank, live in the right ZIP code, or know the good people, believe they have earned the right to decide what is moral for their inferiors. From Wealthy and woke. Also on this topic: 

How Diversity Training Widens the Gulf Among the Races

Why big business loves Black Lives Matter

The Coming Backlash

The Pushback Against Critical Race Theory

Merger of Big Corp and Big Law with Democrats Is Part of a Political Realignment

Good job that man: I Refuse to Stand By While My Students Are Indoctrinated 

A review of a book that sounds interesting:Professions That Have Stood the Test of Time for Hundreds of Years Quote- If quality of life consists merely of the abundance of possessions, if our value to society is based solely on our productive capacity, if money, things, careers and people are perpetually becoming obsolete, what have we profited by gaining the whole world?

And finally, video: Why Canon Matters



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