A top journalist has criticised the “culture of denunciation” in Britain which leaves people too scared to speak out on certain issues.
Charles Moore, former editor of The Daily Telegraph, said it tries to determine what side people take on controversial subjects by fiercely denouncing those who voice a dissenting opinion.
He compared the situation to a scene in George Orwell’s seminal book 1984, where workers in a fictional totalitarian state Oceania express their hatred for political opponents.
‘Hideous ecstasy’
Orwell describes how during the ‘Two Minutes Hate’, a “hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture… seemed to flow through the whole group like an electric current”.
Moore wrote: “Nowadays, modern technology permits this to happen not just for two minutes, but 24 hours a day”.
few health professionals could publicly challenge the new orthodoxy without risk to their careers
The journalist said this “culture of denunciation” is particularly apparent with the issue of transsexualism.
Moore said: “As a mere journo, I can probably get away with writing these words, but few health professionals could publicly challenge the new orthodoxy without risk to their careers.”
Govt fear
He added that a fear of the mob also manifests in the present Government which “lets these new doctrines slice through the old like a knife through butter”.
“It, too, is scared. The same goes for doctrines about race, ‘diversity’, marriage and green issues.
“Institutions must be firmer in the face of the series of little coups that technological flash mobs use to get their way.”
Radical proposals
The Government has faced strong criticism in recent months for its plan to make it easier for people to ‘change sex’.
Equalities minister Justine Greening announced that the Gender Recognition Act will be reviewed, saying ‘intrusive’ medical checks should be removed.
The Government says it wants to “streamline and de-medicalise the process for changing gender”.