‘Morally lost’: Douglas Murray on ‘ignorant kids’ at pro-Palestine protests at universities

Summary

The transcript discusses various social and political issues, highlighting the ignorance or sinister intentions of individuals who chant for 'intifada' without understanding its historical context of violence. It criticizes those who downplay the persecution of minorities in certain regions while drawing false equivalencies with places like Texas. The speaker also addresses the Garrick Club's decision to admit women for the first time, questioning the necessity of integrating every space and suggesting that those concerned about gender segregation should focus on more significant issues, such as gender-segregated spaces in mosques. The conversation touches on the importance of diversity in professions, particularly in train driving, and the speaker sarcastically calls for an extreme form of diversity to counter systemic bigotry.

Takeaways

• 📰 The speaker praises Douglas for writing a column about college students who may not fully understand the implications of their political chants and slogans.
• 👨‍🎓 There is a concern that some students are either sinister in their intentions or simply ignorant of the full meaning of the terms they use, such as 'intifada'.
• 💥 The discussion touches on the historical context of the second intifada, including suicide bombings against Israelis, to highlight the seriousness of the term being chanted.
• 🧐 The speaker questions whether students at American universities are aware of the violent history associated with the terms they use and hopes for their education on the matter.
• 🚫 The conversation criticizes those who downplay the treatment of minorities, including gay people, in certain regions by making false equivalencies with situations in the United States.
• 🗣️ The speaker calls out a journalist, Taylor Loren, for what they perceive as ignorance and a lack of journalistic integrity in her coverage of the Palestinian issue.
• 🏛️ The Garrick Club, a historically men-only club, has decided to allow women to become members, causing a debate on the necessity of single-sex spaces.
• 🤔 The speaker humorously challenges those concerned about gender segregation to address the issue in mosques and other more prevalent locations before focusing on niche clubs.
• 🚂 A BBC report on the lack of diversity among train drivers in the UK is mentioned, prompting sarcastic remarks about the need for diversity in all areas of professional life.
• 🏳️‍🌈 The speaker uses irony to criticize the obsession with diversity, suggesting that only when every profession is represented by every possible demographic will society be considered free and equal.
• 📈 The discussion implies a broader commentary on the state of political correctness, media bias, and the importance of understanding the context and consequences of political话语 (discourse).

Q & A

What does the speaker praise Douglas for?

The speaker praises Douglas for writing a fantastic column that educates people about the term 'Intifada' and its implications.

What are the two types of people the speaker refers to in the context of chanting for 'Intifada'?

The speaker refers to 'Sinister' ones who know what they are talking about and 'silly' ones who chant the slogan without fully understanding its meaning.

What event from the Second Intifada does the speaker mention?

The speaker mentions the 2001 bombing of the Dolphinarium nightclub in Tel Aviv by a Palestinian suicide bomber.

What is the speaker's concern about students at American universities?

The speaker is concerned that students may not understand the full meaning of the slogans they chant, such as 'decolonization by any means necessary,' and worries about the moral implications if they do understand but still support such actions.

What does the speaker say about Taylor Loren from the Washington Post?

The speaker criticizes Taylor Loren as not being a real journalist, accusing her of downplaying the crimes against minorities in Gaza and making inappropriate comparisons to the situation in Texas and Florida.

What change has the Garrick Club recently made regarding membership?

The Garrick Club has decided to allow women to become members for the first time in its 190-year history.

What is the speaker's view on single-sex clubs like the Garrick Club?

The speaker believes that if women want to join an all-women's club and men want to join an all-men's club, they should be allowed to do so, and that the issue is being blown out of proportion by certain media outlets.

How does the speaker react to the BBC's report on the lack of diversity among train drivers in the UK?

The speaker finds the report banal and argues that the focus on the 'white' demographic is an insult, pointing out that the majority of train drivers in other countries tend to match the majority demographic of those countries.

What challenge does the speaker pose to those concerned about sex-segregated spaces?

The speaker challenges them to address the issue of sex-segregated spaces in mosques, which are more prevalent and significant than the issue at the Garrick Club.

What is the speaker's opinion on the need for diversity in professions dominated by white men?

The speaker is sarcastic about the notion, suggesting that the focus on diversity is misguided and that it is 'systemic bigotry' that must be addressed starting with the Garrick Club, mosques, and then moving on to other areas.

What does the speaker find ludicrous about the discussion around the Garrick Club's membership policy?

The speaker finds it ludicrous that the club, which has a long waiting list and requires recommendations from existing members, is now the center of a debate about inclusivity and diversity.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Campus Activism and Ignorance on 'Intifada'

The first paragraph discusses the issue of college students engaging in activism without fully understanding the implications of their slogans. The speaker praises Douglas for educating people about the term 'Intifada', questioning whether the students advocating for it are aware of its historical context, which includes suicide bombings and violence against civilians. The speaker expresses concern that some students might be morally lost if they truly understand what they are advocating for, while hoping that others are merely ignorant and can be educated on the matter.

05:00

🏛️ The Garrick Club's Decision to Admit Women

The second paragraph focuses on the Garrick Club's historic vote to allow women as members for the first time. The speaker finds the controversy over the club's exclusivity to be trivial and overblown. They argue that if women want to join an all-women's club and men an all-men's club, they should be free to do so. The speaker also challenges those concerned about segregated spaces to address the gender segregation in mosques, which is a more significant issue. They conclude by sarcastically suggesting that true equality will only be achieved when every profession is diversified, including having black teenage transsexuals driving trains in the UK.

10:02

🚂 The Call for Diversity in Professions Dominated by White Men

The third paragraph addresses the BBC's revelation that train drivers in the UK are predominantly white and middle-aged, and the subsequent call for diversity in the profession. The speaker criticizes the BBC and others for their focus on the ethnicity of train drivers, arguing that it is natural for the majority demographic to be represented in well-paid professions. They point out the absurdity of expecting every profession to be equally diverse and suggest that the real issue is systemic bigotry that needs to be addressed in various areas of society, starting with exclusive clubs, mosques, and professions like train driving.

Keywords

💡Decolonization

Decolonization refers to the process by which a colony or dependent territory gains independence from a colonial power. In the context of the video, it is mentioned in relation to the slogan 'decolonization by any means necessary,' which suggests a strong commitment to achieving independence or freedom, regardless of the methods used. The speaker questions whether those who chant this slogan fully understand its historical and political implications.

💡Intifada

Intifada, which means 'shaking off' in Arabic, historically refers to the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation. The video discusses the use of this term by college students, questioning their awareness of its full meaning and historical context, particularly in relation to acts of violence such as suicide bombings.

💡Ignorance vs. Sinister Intent

The video contrasts two types of people based on their motivations: those who are 'sinister' and fully aware of the implications of their actions or chants, and those who are 'silly' or ignorant, not fully understanding the slogans they use. This distinction is central to the discussion on whether the students advocating for certain political stances are misinformed or have a deeper, potentially harmful, agenda.

💡LGBT Groups for Palestine

This keyword refers to organizations or movements that advocate for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The video suggests that some on the political left find the alignment of LGBT rights with the Palestinian cause to be absurd, highlighting a perceived disconnect between the realities of LGBT rights in Palestine and the messaging of these groups.

💡Media Bias

Media bias is a perceived prejudice in the way that stories are presented in the media. The video criticizes certain media figures and outlets, such as Taylor Loren and The Washington Post, for what the speaker sees as a morally lost perspective that downplays the treatment of minorities, particularly LGBT individuals, in the Palestinian territories.

💡Garrick Club

The Garrick Club is a private members club for gentlemen in London, known for its long-standing tradition of not admitting women as full members. The video discusses the club's decision to allow women to join for the first time, reflecting on the broader societal debate about gender segregation and inclusivity in historically single-sex spaces.

💡Segregated Spaces

Segregated spaces refer to areas or institutions that are divided by gender, race, or other social categories. The video uses the example of the Garrick Club to question the necessity and fairness of maintaining such spaces, suggesting that the push for integration is hypocritical if not extended to other areas, such as mosques.

💡Diversity in Professions

Diversity in professions refers to the representation of different groups, including gender, race, and ethnicity, within a particular field of work. The video sarcastically addresses the BBC's revelation that train drivers in the UK are predominantly white males, criticizing the notion that there should be a push for diversity for its own sake, rather than focusing on merit and qualifications.

💡Systemic Bigotry

Systemic bigotry is the presence of widespread and ingrained prejudice or discrimination within a society or institution. The video uses this term to criticize perceived biases in various social structures, from private clubs to professions, suggesting that a focus on diversity and inclusion is necessary to address these issues.

💡Mosques and Gender Segregation

The video points out that mosques in the UK and elsewhere often have gender-segregated spaces, questioning why there isn't a similar push to integrate these spaces as there is with the Garrick Club. This highlights a perceived double standard in the way gender segregation is addressed in different cultural and religious contexts.

💡Train Drivers and Representation

The video discusses the demographic of train drivers in the UK, noting that they are predominantly white and middle-aged males. It criticizes the idea that this demographic should be changed to reflect a more diverse population, arguing against the notion that representation alone should dictate who is qualified to work in certain professions.

Highlights

The column discusses the issue of college students supporting or chanting for 'intifada' without fully understanding its meaning and history, including suicide bombings against Israelis.

The speaker questions whether the students are morally lost or simply ignorant of the implications of supporting intifada.

The comparison is made between the actions of suicide bombers in Israel and the ignorance of some American college students supporting the same ideology.

The importance of understanding the full meaning of words and slogans being chanted is emphasized.

The absurdity of LGBT groups supporting Palestine is questioned, given the lack of freedoms for LGBT individuals in Gaza and the Palestinian territories.

Taylor Loren of the Washington Post is criticized for downplaying the persecution of minorities, including gay people, in Gaza and Palestine.

The speaker mocks the idea that all professions dominated by white men, such as train drivers in the UK, must be diversified.

The Garrick Club's decision to admit women for the first time in its 190-year history is discussed, with some members reportedly threatening to resign.

The speaker argues that single-sex clubs should be allowed to exist if members so choose, and criticizes the focus on the Garrick Club as trivial.

A challenge is issued to those concerned about segregated spaces to first address gender segregation in mosques, which is far more prevalent.

The BBC is criticized for its focus on the majority of UK train drivers being white males, rather than addressing more significant issues.

The speaker finds it inevitable that most train drivers in a predominantly white country like the UK would be white.

The absurdity of the idea that every profession and institution, from the Garrick Club to train drivers, must be diverse is highlighted.

The need to address actual systemic bigotry and discrimination, rather than symbolic issues like Garrick Club membership, is emphasized.

The decline of the Washington Post and the presence of biased journalists like Taylor Loren is lamented.

The speaker expresses concern that many people, including media professionals, do not understand the full implications of the causes they support.

Transcripts

yes uh now I've got to praise you again

Douglas because you have written a

fantastic column for morons for the

college kids uh cosplaying uh being part

of some sort of a teror cell on campus

uh chanting for inata uh you've been

very good to educate him about what

precisely an inata means but I wonder

Douglas whether they actually know what

it means they are aware of its full

meaning and they're chanting it any way

many of them have said in recent months

decolonization by any means

necessary it's extraordinary isn't it r

i mean you effectively see once again

something you and I have talked about in

a number of contexts which is which is

people who must either be Sinister or

silly the Sinister ones know what

they're talking about when they chant

for in the silly ones are chanting a

slogan they C really don't understand so

so let me let me speak to the second

once for a moment as I tried to in this

article um if you call for interf you

should know what an interfa is there was

an interf when I was growing up in the

uh in the late 90s there was one in the

earli 90s but the the second intera

included uh suicide bombings against uh

Israelis of the most gruesome type uh I

mentioned in that piece the 2001 bombing

of the dolphinarium nightclub in Tel

Aviv where a Palestinian suicide bomber

detonated by a group of young women

trying to get into the club um these

these women are the same age were the

same age as these women chanting for

interart now at Colombia and in LA and

in other uh reprehensible educational

institutions in the US I wonder if if

these students know that a suicide

bomber went into the cafeteria of a

university in Jerusalem uh in that same

period and blew up and murdered uh among

other things American students who are

trying to have a cup of coffee in the

middle of their studies I wonder if

these disgusting and ignorant kids kids

at American universities have any idea

that that's what they're calling for and

if they do then they are morally lost to

an extent that they probably could come

back from but if they're just ignorant

which I really really hope they are I

hope that to steal one of the phrases

they're so keen on using themselves they

do the work and realize what the words

they chant actually

mean well uh that's that's the the

question and I do really worry that so

many of them do have an understanding of

what they're chanting for because uh

some of the justifications the Mad R

rationalizations we've heard in recent

months uh uh send a chill up your spine

and we're seeing some craziness also

from media folk who should know better

even much of the left uh sees the

absurdity of the LGBT groups for

Palestine uh I mean they understand how

ludicrous that is but apparently that's

lost on the Washington posts Taylor

laoren

many of the people in these marginalized

groups obviously they are fighting for

um Palestine right for the Palestinians

and for what's happening in Gaza but yet

in Gaza they would not have any freedom

you know they don't have freedoms in

Texas and Florida does that mean but

they don't but I understand

that oh my gosh

Douglas I don't know exactly what rights

gay people don't have in in Texas and

Florida but even Don Lemon had to step

in to uh bring some

sanity to that

discussion taylen Loren is a complete

Airhead know nothing she's not a

journalist never has been and

unfortunately the Washington Post has

given her a birth of a Kind where she um

does totally unimportant work and sort

of just jibbers away about obsessions of

her own but you know that what she just

said there is again a demonstration of a

complete lost person a morally lost

person she's so desperate to make her

points such as she can about the

Palestinians or Gaza that she honestly

wants to to not just deny what is

happening in Gaza in and in the

Palestinian areas towards uh gay people

and and indeed all minorities she has to

find a way to to get away from that

unfortunate problem that the people

she's essentially on the side of as

she's downplaying what they do they that

they throw gay people off buildings and

so on she's downplaying that by saying

well it's the same in Texas you know I'm

pretty sure I've been a fair amount to

Texas I love the great state of Texas

I'm pretty sure you can't just throw

gays off buildings there and I'm certain

that anyone tried it uh uh they would be

prosecuted to the full extent of the law

and because actually also throwing

people off buildings is as a whole in

its entirety illegal in the state of

Texas and not just the gays you can't

throw anyone off a building in Texas so

if Taylor Loren honestly wants to defend

her apparently friends in hamaz to such

an extent she should realize that she

should really find a new way of doing so

because all she's done here is tried to

ignore the crimes of hamaz and actually

smear uh the state of Texas among others

and uh so so well anyway good luck to

her with whatever Griff she's got coming

next but it's a great shame because the

Washington Post used to be a fine paper

and and used to employ and still does

employ some very good journalists so

they must be so embarrassed to have

Loren among their

midsts well yeah Washington Post isn't

what it used to be and before the

Washington Post she was at the New York

Times so she's been at some uh major

Publications but that's the thinking

right there let's talk a little bit

about men only clubs the Garrick Club

has succumbed to pressure and voted to

allow women to become members for the

first time in its 190e history Douglas

this is a famed club uh it's said to be

bitterly split on this issue though uh

BBC W Affairs editor John sibson last

week tweeted that various Garrett club

members including musicians sting and

Mark Nola and leading actors and

producers have reportedly uh written to

the chairman saying they'll resign if

the membership doesn't vote to accept

women next Tuesday that vote's taken

place and women will be accepted what's

your take on this Douglas is this fair

enough that in 2024 we shouldn't have

segregated spaces or should men and

women if they opt to be able to just be

amongst their own and uh I don't know

have some

peace yeah I mean you first of all isn't

it hilarious Rita the guard you know

really at the Forefront of the issues of

our day none of us will be free until

everyone can join the Garrick club uh

until they discover that it's club that

it takes years of waiting to be a member

and you have to be recommended by people

already members it's so ludicrous and

such a sort of Niche ridiculously Elite

sort of argument that these people like

the guardian obsess about I love John

Simpson and Stephen Fry and these other

celebrities they joined an all male Club

I mean they joined an all male club and

now they're say unless we accept women

after my 50 years of membership I've

just discovered that there are no women

members in the club it's appalling I I

don't know how observant these people

are um uh it's it's so ridiculous I mean

my view is that uh if women want to join

an all Women's Club and men want to join

an all men's club and by the way women

can come to the Garrick as guests if

they want to and so on it's not a big

deal there were some people going on

about segregated spaces and so on well

I've got a challenge for them and indeed

a challenge for the Guardians um if

you're worried about sex segregated

spaces why don't you go to mosques up

and down the United Kingdom and

elsewhere and find rooms that women Rita

are not allowed to go into and this is a

much bigger scale than the Garrick Club

the Garett Club has quite a large

membership but I bet it's not the same

membership as all of the mosques in the

UK and then they should go and they

should make sure that every one of these

male only areas in mosques are having

women introduced to them so good luck to

the guardian good luck to John Simpson

Stephen Fry and the rest of them in the

next step of your great Crusade after

the Garrick go for all of the mosques in

the UK and good luck guys you're going

to need it

and after they've done that they can get

on to the issue of workplace diversity

because you wrote a fantastic piece

about that on uh in The Spectator this

week uh it's apparently crucial that

every profession where white men

dominate is Diversified in every

meaningful way uh and I don't know how I

missed this BBC Splash uh they've uh

revealed uh train drivers are

overwhelmingly in the UK white male and

middle-aged goodness me uh and that just

won't do Douglas will it there needs to

be changed

immediately it's completely shocking rer

you and I know that women dream of the

thrill of becoming train drivers they

they they they just thrill to the the

Romance of the rail network and and so

many almost all women I know desperately

want to drive trains and no again nobody

will be free until 50% of people people

driving trains are women and uh the

other odity of this of course is not

just I mean it's the banality of the

observation of the bbcs I mean always

always this use of the term white as an

insult you know of course the majority

of people who drive trains are likely

likely to be male uh and uh just you

know there's a reason why it tends to be

men single men standing at the end of

train platforms noting the numbers of

trains you don't often notice single

women doing that um and then and then

this obession about the fact that

they're white oh middle aged of course

that's a terrible thing to be presumably

if they were all octogenarians that

would be fine but but but the uh but the

white thing is where the uh BBC and

others really want to attack here um

again uh Britain is an overwhelmingly

white majority country uh so it's sort

of inevitable that in a job like driving

a train which is quite well paid it's

not a high status profession but it's a

necessary and important profession it's

sort of inevitable that uh most people

would be white I I find when I go to

China that most of the people driving

trains there are Chinese and uh when

I've been to India I noticed the

predominance the appalling predominance

of Indian train drivers it's quite

outrageous and once again uh the BBC

should apply this this extraordinary

fact findinding that it does to these

other places uh uh none of us will be

free until everyone can be a member of

the Garrick club and uh every single

train in the UK is driven by a black

teenage uh uh

transsexual uh clearly that's the only

way to solve the problem you and I know

it it's systemic bigotry and it must

stop and we can start with the Garrick

but we've got to move on to the mosques

and then the trains and everything else