Hello,

How are you?

You're looking well.

Wow, that shirt looks good on you!

Is that a tan?

Have you been working out?

What? Flatter my readers? Me!?

Obligatory shilling. This week I wrote for American Conservative, arguing that Donald Trump has been good for Europe inasmuch as he has forced European states to seek more civilisational independence.

I also wrote for Spectator USA about Democratic candidate and serial creep Aaron Coleman, and the nature of public forgiveness.

I also wrote for paid subscribers to this platform against the right-wing tendency to fetishise miserabilism, and in praise of happy warriors. If that interests you, subscribe!

On rewilding. Santi Ruiz writes a lovely, passionate piece about rewilding US national parks with bison. Derek Turner also writes in praise of rewilding the UK with beavers. I am no expert on the subject but I recently walked through a Polish forest at night listening to wolves howl. It made me somewhat nervous - somewhat absurdly as wolves almost never attack people - but unlike the nerves I feel in a speeding car there was something right about it. It was a kind of nervousness that men deserve to feel.

Killing a snake with a nuclear bomb. I do not support lockdowns in Europe anymore, but lockdowns in Africa, where economies and healthcare systems are fragile and populations are less vulnerable to coronavirus, are catastrophic. Ian Birrell makes that important case.

Inconvenient victims. Louise Perry wonders why left-wing anti-police activists forget women who are victims of male violence. I suppose they think that women beaters can be talked into non-violence. Good luck with that - but I don't think society should be forced to bear the risks of it not working out.

Meanwhile, in Lancaster, USA, BLM activists are rioting because a police officer, called to a scene of domestic violence, shot a man who attacked him with a knife. A social worker would doubtless have disarmed him with empathy and compassion.

All Manner of Thing. The estimable Niall Gooch has collected some of his lovely, thoughtful poems into a book. Especially recommended for admirers of Larkin and Betjeman.

Neutron Gun Reloaded. A new collection of writings by obscure zine author Gerry Reith, who I wrote about here.

Newsweak. Matthew Franck has a critique of the concept of “systemic racism” accepted, published and hastily withdrawn by Newsweek. According to Mr Franck, the EoC wanted to re-publish it along with another article making the opposite case. Heresy cannot stand alone.

Britannia rules the what? Jonathan Kitson advocates military modernisation.

Skinning puppies to raise awareness of animal cruelty. Cannibal Holocaust was a film inspired by cruel, exploitative journalism which ended up being a cruel, exploitative film. As Rod Dreher writes, the new film Cuties might have been intended as a critique of sexualising kids but also sexualised kids. Some things are not made acceptable by their framing.

Tribute for a Requiem. Happy twentieth birthday, Requiem for a Dream! Some people think that it's only enjoyed by miserable, pretentious white men but this is impossible because I like it.

Anyway, I stumbled across a Mel magazine article arguing that the notorious prostitution scene was “repulsive” (true) and yet somehow also “tame”. The charge of “tameness” is ironic because while it could be validly maintained that it was excessive and self-defeating, I took it to be - and am 99% sure it was meant to be - a stylised reference to the pornification of culture and how it preys on women.

Have a lovely week,

Ben

The Zone

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