1/
The Spectator USA (the new sister version of its much older British magazine) is now pushing the “Russian solution” to Ukraine.
One can see why it would - this is Trump’s policy - but don’t kid yourself this is “Conservative” - it’s not it’s rightwing Putin appeasement.
The Spectator USA (the new sister version of its much older British magazine) is now pushing the “Russian solution” to Ukraine.
One can see why it would - this is Trump’s policy - but don’t kid yourself this is “Conservative” - it’s not it’s rightwing Putin appeasement.
2/
I must admit i’ve some affection for the old Spectator - sure it was more conservative than me. But I detected hints of young fogeyism in myself in my 20s so expected to “grow into it”.
Not anymore, if you’re still buying it as a conservative then you really need to wake up.
I must admit i’ve some affection for the old Spectator - sure it was more conservative than me. But I detected hints of young fogeyism in myself in my 20s so expected to “grow into it”.
Not anymore, if you’re still buying it as a conservative then you really need to wake up.
3/
As befits a conservative publication it was often quite wary of the USA. Unashamedly posh “the Speccie” ploughed an oft lonely furrow of detached moral nostalgic conservatism - upholding standards that the rest of society no longer adhered to.
This personality has now gone.
As befits a conservative publication it was often quite wary of the USA. Unashamedly posh “the Speccie” ploughed an oft lonely furrow of detached moral nostalgic conservatism - upholding standards that the rest of society no longer adhered to.
This personality has now gone.
4/
The Spectator is now unashamedly a conduit for Trumpian relativism, Brexit anti-Europeaniasm (note not merely -totally valid- euro sceptic) and increasingly a gateway to pro Putinism & the “intellectual” end of the far right.
The Spectator is now unashamedly a conduit for Trumpian relativism, Brexit anti-Europeaniasm (note not merely -totally valid- euro sceptic) and increasingly a gateway to pro Putinism & the “intellectual” end of the far right.
5/
This far rightism has as much to do with old fashioned English conservative values as the NF has with public school educated Rory Stewart.
There are so many examples of this but one should give you a clear idea.
This far rightism has as much to do with old fashioned English conservative values as the NF has with public school educated Rory Stewart.
There are so many examples of this but one should give you a clear idea.
6/
Of all the 27 EU countries none has so far been singled out for contact, business & praise than Viktor Orban’s Hungary - a country beyond the pale for virtually every other democracy - why so?
Because it’s pro Putin, pro Trump & seen as a way to weaken EU liberal democracy.
Of all the 27 EU countries none has so far been singled out for contact, business & praise than Viktor Orban’s Hungary - a country beyond the pale for virtually every other democracy - why so?
Because it’s pro Putin, pro Trump & seen as a way to weaken EU liberal democracy.
7/
This relationship is too well documented to be some sort of accident-but fits in with the Spectator’s attempt to rebrand itself as a kind of tweedy version of Spiked online.
Indeed this shouldn’t come as a surprise as the 2 magazines now share a growing number of journalists.
This relationship is too well documented to be some sort of accident-but fits in with the Spectator’s attempt to rebrand itself as a kind of tweedy version of Spiked online.
Indeed this shouldn’t come as a surprise as the 2 magazines now share a growing number of journalists.
8/
Which brings us back to Trump. The Spectator US & UK are now employing Koch & other US far right funded journalists pushing a pro Trump/Putin policy agenda so that in any real sense the Speccie is not a British magazine anymore...
Which brings us back to Trump. The Spectator US & UK are now employing Koch & other US far right funded journalists pushing a pro Trump/Putin policy agenda so that in any real sense the Speccie is not a British magazine anymore...
9/
The Spectator is now a US tool in a global culture war pretending to be the heir to its tweedy English ancestors.
If anything could be more emblematic of Britain’s post Brexit loss of sovereignty this is it.
The Speccie, like the rest of us, has been taken over.
/ends
The Spectator is now a US tool in a global culture war pretending to be the heir to its tweedy English ancestors.
If anything could be more emblematic of Britain’s post Brexit loss of sovereignty this is it.
The Speccie, like the rest of us, has been taken over.
/ends
