New Culture Forum

This week on #SWYSI, Peter Whittle's guest is author and journalist Ed West. Sitting firmly on the right, West is the deputy editor of UnHerd and was previously deputy editor of The Catholic Herald and a columnist for The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator. In his new book, "Small Men on The Wrong Side of History: The Decline, Fall & Unlikely Return of Conservatism", West argues that conservatives have lost almost every political argument since 1945. Ed looks at this litany of failure from the perspective of one of the losers. Since the 1950s, Ed argues, the western world has gone through a huge cultural shift, comparable to the rise of Christianity during the late Roman period and the 16th century religious revolution unleashed by Martin Luther. Both of these led to profound changes in public ideas about morality and sexuality, and eventually to 'culture wars' between two deeply opposed groups. Today what we're witnessing is a sort of second Reformation, and that's why it's going to be long, painful and boring, and both sides are going to get more idiotic and hysterical, just as religious divisions once drove Catholics and Protestants into prolonged insanity. According to West, conservatives, like the pagans and Catholics before them, are very much on the losing side. The future appears progressive and their defeat is inevitable, part of an 'arc of history' that leads irrevocably to a progressive utopia in which they're left in the dustbin. As Barack Obama said of al-Qaeda, another group of guys not entirely comfortable with the modern world, conservatives are 'Small Men on the Wrong Side of History'. In West's opinion, too many polemics and articles on the Right are tediously shouty, and too few of them explore where their arguments have fallen flat and why people find conservatives so repulsive. Small Men on the Wrong Side of History is aimed at being the rare conservative book that someone on the Left will enjoy. West looks at some of the idiocies of the modern Right and the strange characteristics shared by conservatives, including himself, but he also offers explanations as to why people are conservative, and explain some of the benefits conservatism offers. In particular he argues it's now necessary as a break on 'runaway liberalism', the competitive desire to appear Woker Than Thou which is driving progressive politics to extremes, and which has provoked a reaction with figures like the psychologist Jordan Peterson and his legion of fans. --------------- SUPPORT/DONATE: "So What You're Saying Is.." is still very new and to continue to produce quality programming we need your support. Your donations will help ensure the show not only continues but can grow into a major online platform challenging the cultural orthodoxies dominant in our institutions, public life and media. PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS - ONE TIME & MONTHLY: You can donate in a variety of ways via our website: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... It is set up to accept one time and monthly donations. ABOUT THE SHOW: So What You're Saying Is... (SWYSI) is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture / society at large.

This week on "So What You're Saying Is...": Dr. David Starkey argues that a calamitous series of events and decisions caused a panicked British government to recklessly abandon its sensible coronavirus plan for one that is likely to harm the nation far more than the virus itself. Comparing this virus with historical pandemics Starkey believes the dire situation we are encountering today has a different cause. Earlier pandemics such as the Black Death eradicated up to half of the population of Europe. In contrast, although it is profoundly tragic on a personal level to the individuals and familiies it afflicts, coronavirus is nowhere near as devastating on a population-wide level as previous pandemics. Consequently, Starkey argues, the Conservative government was correct to follow a similar path to Sweden which was far more relaxed than elsewhere in Europe. This approach suited Prime MInister Boris Johnson's libertarian attitude and personality. But on a single weekend there was a calamitous confluence of events and decisions that caused the Tory government to panic (Northwick Park hospital overwhelmed, Imperial College modelling showing potential 500,00 deaths etc.) and enforce an extreme lockdown without any plan to deal with the epidemic. It was simply a goal to protect the NHS. Protect the NHS: The Tory Government, says Dr. Starkey, was desperate not to be seen as responsible or the NHS being overwhelmed. Eager to prove to the traditional Labour "Red Wall" that the Conservative Party really was their natural home, the British government prioritised the NHS's capacity to deal with Covid-19 over everything else-- but disastrously this included its treatment of cancer patients etc. A bizarre and unprecdented abandoning of the Hypocratic oath that we have not seen in other countries, argues Starkey. --------------- SUPPORT/DONATE: "So What You're Saying Is.." is still very new and to continue to produce quality programming we need your support. Your donations will help ensure the show not only continues but can grow into a major online platform challenging the cultural orthodoxies dominant in our institutions, public life and media. PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS - ONE TIME & MONTHLY: You can donate in a variety of ways via our website: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... It is set up to accept one time and monthly donations. ABOUT THE SHOW: So What You're Saying Is... (SWYSI) is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture / society at large. JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

In this episode of CounterCulture we discuss the American response to the coronavirus pandemic and what this tells us about American society, government and culture. We examine how President Trump and the state governors have handled the crisis and what effect the pandemic might have on November's presidential election. The Panel: * Andrew Klavan: Award-winnning novelist & host of "The Andrew Klavan Show" on The Daily Wire site. * John O'Sullivan: President of The Danube Institute (think tank), political commentator and former policywriter & speechwriter for Margaret Thatcher. * Rafe Heydel-Mankoo of the New Culture Forum: Historian & Broadcaster ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUDIO: If you prefer Audio you can subscribe on itunes or Soundcloud. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/s... SUPPORT/DONATE: "So What You're Saying Is.." & NCF CounterCulture are still very new and to continue to produce quality programming we need your support. Your donations will help ensure the show not only continues but can grow into a major online platform challenging the cultural orthodoxies dominant in our institutions, public life and media. PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS - ONE TIME & MONTHLY: You can donate in a variety of ways via our website: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... It is set up to accept one time and monthly donations. ABOUT THE SHOW: NCF CounterCulture is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture / society at large. JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

This week on "So What You're Saying Is..." Peter speaks with artist Jon Long, founder of The Renaissance Workshop, an arts and humanities initiative which offers life drawing classes in the 15th and 16th c. tradition and workshops exploring the history and development of Western art and culture. During the lockdown these are now available world via Zoom and YouTube: www.therenaissanceworkshop.com Jon is motivated by the passionate belief that the creative and intellectual legacy of Western Culture, from Antiquity to the Early Modern Period, is something that can be profoundly empowering for individuals and can stimulate artistic advancement today. Jon feels stronglythat in this time of lockdown, we cannot allow ourselves to become culturally and creatively emaciated. We can still participate in Western heritage and draw meaning and value from it. He founded The Renaissance Workshop with the aim of widening participation in traditional Western art and heritage in order to enable people to connect to our culture in a practical and life-enhancing way. He now believes that in this time of social isolation, we need not be alone; we may interact with the legacy of those who generated and shaped our cultural heritage through the arts and humanities and thus bring their contributions into the living present. The Renaissance Workshop is an arts and humanities initiative which offers life drawing classes in the 15th and 16th c. tradition and workshops exploring the history and development of Western art and culture. Jon promotes a positive vision of western heritage and aims to widen participation with its legacy. He has adapted his teaching to the lockdown moving all his classes online on YouTube and Zoom. He is now launching a series of online courses on art and history which anyone can take part in. To find out how The Renaissance Workshop can inspire and uplift you, visit www.therenaissanceworkshop.com --------------- AUDIO: If you prefer Audio you can subscribe on itunes or Soundcloud. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-923838732 itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/s... SUPPORT/DONATE: "So What You're Saying Is.." is still very new and to continue to produce quality programming we need your support. Your donations will help ensure the show not only continues but can grow into a major online platform challenging the cultural orthodoxies dominant in our institutions, public life and media. PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS - ONE TIME & MONTHLY: You can donate in a variety of ways via our website: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... It is set up to accept one time and monthly donations. ABOUT THE SHOW: So What You're Saying Is... (SWYSI) is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture / society at large. JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

Dave Rubin, host of The Rubin Report -- YouTube's largest free speech talk show -- joins "So What You're Saying Is..." this week to talk about his brand new book *Don't Burn This Book*, "a road map for free thinking in an increasingly censored world". Speaking from the R.R. studio in his Los Angeles home, Dave also discusses President Trump and his chances in the 2020 Presidential Election, as well as the tensions arising from the US federal & state governments' handling of Coronavirus . "Don't Burn This Book" is available from Amazon UK & Waterstones. Synopsis: "The left is no longer liberal. Once on the side of free speech and tolerance, progressives now ban speakers from college campuses, "cancel" people who aren't up to date on the latest genders, and force religious people to violate their conscience. They have abandoned the battle of ideas and have begun fighting a battle of feelings. This uncomfortable truth has turned moderates and true liberals into the politically homeless class. "Now, Rubin gives you the tools you need to think for yourself in an age when tribal outrage is the only available alternative. Based on his own story as well as his experiences from the front lines of the free speech wars, this book will empower you to make up your own mind about what you believe on any issue and teach you the fine art of: • Checking your facts, not your privilege, when it comes to today's most pervasive myths, from the wage gap and gun violence to climate change and hate crimes. • Standing up to the mob against today's absurd PC culture, when differences of opinion can bring relationships, professional or personal, to a sudden end. • Defending classically liberal principles such as individual rights and limited government, because freedom is impossible without them. "The Progressive Woke Machine is waging war against the last free thinkers in the world. Don't Burn This Book is the definitive account of our current political upheaval and your guide to surviving it." #SWYSI --------------- SUPPORT/DONATE: "So What You're Saying Is.." is still very new and to continue to produce quality programming we need your support. Your donations will help ensure the show not only continues but can grow into a major online platform challenging the cultural orthodoxies dominant in our institutions, public life and media. PAYPAL/ CARD PAYMENTS - ONE TIME & MONTHLY: You can donate in a variety of ways via our website: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk/#do... It is set up to accept one time and monthly donations. ABOUT THE SHOW: So What You're Saying Is... (SWYSI) is a weekly discussion show with experts and significant figures from the political, cultural and academic worlds. The host is Peter Whittle (@PRWhittle), Founder & Director of The New Culture Forum, a Westminster-based think tank that seeks to challenge the cultural orthodoxies dominant in the media, academia, and British culture / society at large. JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Web: http://www.newcultureforum.org.uk F: https://www.facebook.com/NCultureForum/ Y: http://www.youtube.com/c/NewCultureForum T: http://www.twitter.com/NewCultureForum (@NewCultureForum)

In the third week of the UK's coronavirus lockdown, CounterCulture discusses the state of our culture and whether it is generally in good health. What can we expect to happen in our culture in the weeks and months ahead. How have we reacted as a nation? How have our institutions handled the crisis? How has the media portrayed the situation and how open has it been to differing opinions? The panel this week: Peter Whittle (Host: Founder & Director of the New Culture Forum) Daniel Johnson: Founding Editor of The Article & contributing editor to The Critiic. Brendan O'Neill: Columnist, Podcaster & Editor of Spiked Online Rafe Heydel-Mankoo of the New Culture Forum, Historian & Broadcaster

[Recorded prior to the UK government's imposition of social distancing measures to combat the spread of coronavirus.] Is there "good" and "bad" feminism? According to today's "4th wave" feminists there is. They seem keen to shut down critical debate on certain issues (such as the #MeToo movement, gender pay gap and trans rights) -- even where those being shut down include leading figures in the traditional feminist movement (e.g. Germaine Greer, Julie Bindell etc.). Traditional feminism sought to empower women to take control of their destiny, assert themselves and personally battle misogyny. Modern feminism, by contrast, seems to suggest that women are victims who need protections as they are incapable of defending or advancing their own interests. Does this mean that women are being infantilized, their agency to negotiate their social and sexual engagements removed? Have today's "4th wave feminists" created a hostile environment which alienates the majority of women? Joining Marc Sidwell on this week's #NCFCounterculture are 4 women champions of free speech who appear frequently on television and radio to debate and discuss current affairs: * Emily Carver of the Institute of Economic Affairs. * Claire Fox, founder of the Institute of Ideas and former M.E.P. for the Brexit Party. * Lionel Shriver, novelist and journalist best known for her novel "We Need To Talk About Kevin", which one the Orange Prize in 2005. * Ella Whelan assistant editor at spiked, specialising in the relationship between free speech, feminism and women's liberation.

This week on #SWYSI, Peter Hitchens attacks the UK government's Coronavirus lockdown policy ("the Great Panic") and explains why its enthusiastic embrace by the British public disturbs him greatly. From the outset, Hitchens maintained that restricting civil liberties, locking down a healthy population, and stalling a healthy economy are very dangerous -- and reckless -- activities that risk irreparable harm to individuals, society and the nation. Indeed, he argues that they are a threat to our very way of life.

As coronavirus/covid19 grips the world, historian Tom Holland reflects on the impact past pandemics and plagues had on the Ancient World and whether any lessons can be drawn from historical experience. Holland & "So What You're Saying Is..." host Peter Whittle also discuss his recent book *Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind* (titled Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World for the U.S. edition), in which he examines Christianity's influence on Western civilization. Holland argues that Christianity's influence continues to be seen in ethics and cultural norms throughout the world today, even when the religion itself is rejected: "To live in a western country is to live in a society still utterly saturated by Christian concepts and assumptions."

Comedian Simon Evans (BBC TV's "Live at the Apollo" & "Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow", BBC Radio 4's "News Quiz" & "Simon Evans Goes to Market" etc.) is often described as a "right-wing comedian" and has written and presented a radio show on the subject (BBC Radio 4's "Simon Evans is Right"). He has also appeared on various current affairs discussion shows (including BBC's "Question Time", "The Big Questions" and "This Week" with Andrew Neil). On this week's episode of #SWYSI, Simon and Peter Whittle discuss the state and variety of modern comedy and whether it is correct to state that it is dominated primarily by left-wing comedians. Simon also compares today's comedy with that of previous decades. This interview was recorded during Simon's tour promoting his new show “The Work of the Devil”, which he describes as unlike most stand-up performances in that, far from his usual detached style of show, it is an intimate and “personal revelation” that is unexpected and extraordinary. At the time of taping, coronavirus had not spread to the extent that public events were being cancelled. Please check: www.TheSimonEvans.com for details of future tour dates.