Every once in a while, polite society decides to take some commonplace aspect of human existence, blame it for all the world's evils, and attempt to eradicate it, with peculiar but predictable results.
In Victorian times, it was sex. There was still plenty of sex going on everywhere, but everyone was expected to pretend that (1) there wasn't, except (2) there obviously was, but it didn't involve them, and (3) if it did involve them, it was only of the mildest sort and taking place within safe socially sanctioned limits, such as matrimony or gentlemen's clubs or discreet affairs. Being caught involved in sex (or even an ambiguous situation that could be construed as involving sex) outside said limits was grounds for blackmail or public disgrace. Of course, the fashionable upper classes continued to engage in their own predilections barely missing a beat, but those who only aspired to the upper classes and were clinging to their threatened middle-class privileges had to be very careful to remain absolutely pure themselves to prevent their competitive colleagues from gaining advantage over them by snitching. (Hence, morality leagues and the like.) They could and did reinforce that status by joining in the condemnation of the working class and underclasses as being largely composed of irredeemable fornicators too vulgar to even know which fork to use.
In present times, it's hate. There's still plenty of hate going on everywhere, but everyone is expected to pretend that (1) there isn't, except (2) there obviously is, but it doesn't involve them, and (3) if it does involve them, it is only of the mildest sort and taking place within safe socially sanctioned limits, such as hating nazis or pedophiles, or only hating haters. Being caught hating (or even an ambiguous situation that could be construed as expressing hate) is grounds for blackmail or public disgrace. Of course, the fashionable upper classes continue to act hatefully without missing a beat, but those who only aspire to the upper classes and are clinging to their threatened middle-class privileges have to be very careful to remain absolutely pure themselves to prevent their competitive colleagues from gaining advantage over them by snitching. (Hence, corporate conduct policies, and the like.) They can and do reinforce that status by joining in the condemnation of the working class and underclasses as being largely composed of haters, racists, nazis, and other deplorables too vulgar to even know which pronoun to use.
Of course, this is just a neutral observation that doesn't involve me, because I don't hate anyone. Just like my ancestors in Victorian times never had sex, not even once.
(The words above are my own, but I didn't originate the analogy. It came from a posting last year on the Ecosophia blog.)
In Victorian times, it was sex. There was still plenty of sex going on everywhere, but everyone was expected to pretend that (1) there wasn't, except (2) there obviously was, but it didn't involve them, and (3) if it did involve them, it was only of the mildest sort and taking place within safe socially sanctioned limits, such as matrimony or gentlemen's clubs or discreet affairs. Being caught involved in sex (or even an ambiguous situation that could be construed as involving sex) outside said limits was grounds for blackmail or public disgrace. Of course, the fashionable upper classes continued to engage in their own predilections barely missing a beat, but those who only aspired to the upper classes and were clinging to their threatened middle-class privileges had to be very careful to remain absolutely pure themselves to prevent their competitive colleagues from gaining advantage over them by snitching. (Hence, morality leagues and the like.) They could and did reinforce that status by joining in the condemnation of the working class and underclasses as being largely composed of irredeemable fornicators too vulgar to even know which fork to use.
In present times, it's hate. There's still plenty of hate going on everywhere, but everyone is expected to pretend that (1) there isn't, except (2) there obviously is, but it doesn't involve them, and (3) if it does involve them, it is only of the mildest sort and taking place within safe socially sanctioned limits, such as hating nazis or pedophiles, or only hating haters. Being caught hating (or even an ambiguous situation that could be construed as expressing hate) is grounds for blackmail or public disgrace. Of course, the fashionable upper classes continue to act hatefully without missing a beat, but those who only aspire to the upper classes and are clinging to their threatened middle-class privileges have to be very careful to remain absolutely pure themselves to prevent their competitive colleagues from gaining advantage over them by snitching. (Hence, corporate conduct policies, and the like.) They can and do reinforce that status by joining in the condemnation of the working class and underclasses as being largely composed of haters, racists, nazis, and other deplorables too vulgar to even know which pronoun to use.
Of course, this is just a neutral observation that doesn't involve me, because I don't hate anyone. Just like my ancestors in Victorian times never had sex, not even once.
(The words above are my own, but I didn't originate the analogy. It came from a posting last year on the Ecosophia blog.)
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