In a multipolar world your social problems will be weaponised against you.
by Daniel Barge
Abortion is a tricky issue, and it's clear to any sane man that British women are not having enough kids; but it's also clear that the kind of women who want abortions are probably the least suitable to be forced to have babies.
But this aside, it is exactly the sort of emotive issue that can be "cooked up" into becoming a fracture line and point of polarisation in any society, which is what it has become in America, where the nutjob "religious right" and the nutjob "radical feminist" camps continually keep it bubbling away, dividing and weakening America in the process.
The kind of religious fanaticism we see deployed in the abortion controversy in America is not, however, native or indigenous to the UK. But recently this video started to go viral on social media:
Arrested for praying, in her head
— Winston Marshall (@MrWinMarshall) December 22, 2022
In England
In 2022
pic.twitter.com/HIx7TFEcye
It shows a woman being spoken to and then arrested by the police, all the while being filmed in what looks like a clearly pre-planned way. Yes, this video is well-produced and is designed to go viral. That is the point. It is ammunition for an on-line army of shit-stirrers and trolls to use to foment division, and has, predictably, been widely shared by the usual suspects:
Useful idiots
Needless to say, many of these have a track record of pushing fake news, conspiracy theories, and other Russian disinfo. So, let's be clear, this is nothing less than a Russian-backed attempt to import polarising American extremism into the UK.
The UK police are frequently criticised, often quite correctly for their heavy-handed approach, but they are, at least, aware in their higher ranks of how various forms of radicalisation are used to destabilise British society. Thanks to a mistaken policy of mass immigration and multiculturalism, this has become extremely fragile and inherently divided over recent decades.
This means that the authorities are hardly naïve about these foreign-inspired attempts to stir up trouble and social division over complicated issues like abortion.
This means that the authorities are hardly naïve about these foreign-inspired attempts to stir up trouble and social division over complicated issues like abortion.
The fact of the matter is that the abortion clinic in this case is in what is described as an “abortion buffer zone,” in which prayer, as a form of protest and intimidation of the clients visiting the clinic, is banned. Christians and other religiously inclined people are still free to pray their socks off elsewhere for any aborted foetuses that they care to, and to make any arguments they want on behalf of their cause. It is not a free speech issue.
But, no, this one video is clearly too useful to the social media maggots and their overseas enablers who think, "let's open a franchise of that American insanity in the UK."
The awareness of the authorities of these divisive tactics and the still generally phlegmatic nature of the Brits will make this a harder proposition than they think. But a story like this will still have its utility, being reimported back into America to provide yet more ammunition for its simmering culture war.
The awareness of the authorities of these divisive tactics and the still generally phlegmatic nature of the Brits will make this a harder proposition than they think. But a story like this will still have its utility, being reimported back into America to provide yet more ammunition for its simmering culture war.
Any proof this is Russian-backed?
ReplyDeleteYes, there is plenty of evidence. Start here:
Deletehttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-019-0227-8
"Influence activities directed at the populations of Europe aim to disrupt and create distrust. The divide and rule approach is to create as many cleavages at as many levels as possible. Russia, as a large power, would then more easily deal with a multi-fragmented Europe (EFIS, 2018: p. 6). We can see three levels of the divide and rule approach. First, at the European level, attacking the alliances, NATO and EU. Second, at the interstate level, creating division and distrust between nations. Finally, at the intrastate level, creating division internally between various groups in individual countries. The lines between these levels are blurred, any activity fueling discontent with the EU can certainly also create division between countries and within a country with an EU-friendly government.
According to SAEPO, Russia is using information operations and disinformation campaigns to influence public opinion and democratic decision-making. One technique is to question the credibility of political leaders, equating democratically elected leaders with authoritarian ones, thus reducing openness and trust in democracy (SAEPO, 2016: p. 63). BfV assess that disinformation and propaganda is used to destabilize the German government (BfV, 2018; p. 276). NPSS describes how intelligence services work actively to weaken confidence in the authorities or sowing division between population groups or regions (NPSS, 2016: p. 8). GISS, under the headline “Divide and rule”, describes how Russia´s principal weapon is to amplify Europe´s own internal divisions, assessing Russia is running a global campaign to influence public opinion (GISS, 2015: pp. 12, 30)."
Any evidence praying outside of abortion clinics in the UK is backed by Russia? Any evidence this specific incident was backed by Russia?
DeleteWhat would you like? A signed contract between President Putin and Isabel Vaughan-Spruce. LOL? Try to use a little common sense. There is plenty of evidence that Russia uses its bots and on-line ops to push, distort, and polarise any divisive narrative it can get its hands on. Sadly for them, most British people thing “abortion buffer zones” are OK and nothing to work up a froth about.
DeleteThis provocation would not have gotten anywhere if the britbong cops were not such vile vermin. There is a reason why they call them "filth" over there. They are filth and they push radicalization along all by themselves.
ReplyDeleteAlso they are unarmed by the way. Just a reminder that they are unarmed.