Thanks for this, genius Kate. I have no words for how much I despise the ignorance f the young who would rather let people suffer and die than actually...you know...hold out a hand to help. By the way, in 1973 my ex-husband's ITV documentary on the fanine Hailie Selassi had concealed shocked the nation, and he was allowed to do an appeal on both ITV and the BBC which raised what was at the time a record amount of money for the Disasters Emergency Committee. By filming in Ethiopia at the request of leftish students who wanted the horror exposed was he being a 'white saviour'? Bah!
Thank you so much, Bel. Personally, I think it's OK to be 'ignorant', if only because we all start off ignorant... the truly unforgivable thing is remaining ignorant! I don't think youngsters like my son's friend — a middle class Kenyan educated in the UK who presumably considers 'themself' to be at least as culturally far removed from starving Ethiopians in 1984 as perhaps the average Brit does from a middle-class Kenyan — understands (or is capable of acknowledging) that accusing his 20 year-old peers of racism/white privilege is just deeply divisive.
I have infinitely more in common with, for example, Trevor Phillips than I do with a 20-year-old non-binary Nigerian student, simply because we're closer in age. So while I get that cancelling me is probably appropriate for a 20 year-old — I'm a 58 year-old white woman so I'm the easiest of targets! — I'd like to see this kid try to take down someone like Sir Trevor or Dr Tony Sewell... ANYWAY, Happy New Year to you and yours, Bel! X
Well that was a discusion I did not see coming - Having to explain a 1984 - Having to explain the kind getures of the world during a pretty horrific time for most of Africa & it contiues may I add - I am aghast TBH - Concerned gay by the sea
I do worry about how the fragmentation of old skool media and *trusted sources* means that young people (and indeed plenty of old people too!) just mop stuff up on the socials and then use it to rail against, well, everything. There will be people who accuse me of being *right wing* simply for daring to comment on race... but hey, I know who I am. HNY David...
I was in Ethiopia after the famine , around 1993. It was in a relatively small localised area of the country. Band aid was a sick project, Geldof a prat and Bono a moron. Any one that actually worked with this project in Ethiopia resided in the gated Holiday Inn and shot out into the begging people in their Landcruisers, with windows firmly closed. That being said the present day youth are just indoctrinated without a single original thought in their head, the state owns them and they do the states bidding like good little robots.
The arrogance of youth can be frustrating to say the least. Parents ‘know nothing’ ‘have never lived’ ‘never listen or understand’
Grandmothers though are a whole other ballgame. I am 68 and have 5 aged from 12 to 25. My 23 year old gorgeous granddaughter is staying with us during her Xmas break from her masters. She soaks up the stories from my youth, my teenage years in apartheid South Africa, she was born there 9 years after Mandelas release and is amazed at the level of brutal racism my generation lived through. She loves listening to my music from the 60s through to the 90s. As grandmothers are ‘wise’ who ‘listen’ who ‘understand the hell their ignorant parents put them through. My youngest informed me when about 15 that I had never lived, that I didn’t even know who Limp Bizkit was!’ (I tried to hide my laughter as it would have added insult to injury. She now has a 13 year old daughter, sweet karma!
As someone once said ‘grandchildren are your reward for not killing your kids when they were teenagers’
Hang on in there Kate, if you one day have grandchildren your reward will be ever so sweet ❤️
So sorry Kate, my reaction to your wonderfully graphic description of the conversation between the two of you. I agree with every point you made, the lyrics appear absurd & hideously condescending without putting them into an historical context especially as it’s part of our lived history.
Thanks for this, genius Kate. I have no words for how much I despise the ignorance f the young who would rather let people suffer and die than actually...you know...hold out a hand to help. By the way, in 1973 my ex-husband's ITV documentary on the fanine Hailie Selassi had concealed shocked the nation, and he was allowed to do an appeal on both ITV and the BBC which raised what was at the time a record amount of money for the Disasters Emergency Committee. By filming in Ethiopia at the request of leftish students who wanted the horror exposed was he being a 'white saviour'? Bah!
Thank you so much, Bel. Personally, I think it's OK to be 'ignorant', if only because we all start off ignorant... the truly unforgivable thing is remaining ignorant! I don't think youngsters like my son's friend — a middle class Kenyan educated in the UK who presumably considers 'themself' to be at least as culturally far removed from starving Ethiopians in 1984 as perhaps the average Brit does from a middle-class Kenyan — understands (or is capable of acknowledging) that accusing his 20 year-old peers of racism/white privilege is just deeply divisive.
I have infinitely more in common with, for example, Trevor Phillips than I do with a 20-year-old non-binary Nigerian student, simply because we're closer in age. So while I get that cancelling me is probably appropriate for a 20 year-old — I'm a 58 year-old white woman so I'm the easiest of targets! — I'd like to see this kid try to take down someone like Sir Trevor or Dr Tony Sewell... ANYWAY, Happy New Year to you and yours, Bel! X
Context seems to be alien to these young angry people. Do their degree courses just not bother with it?
Youth wasted on the young... etc
Well that was a discusion I did not see coming - Having to explain a 1984 - Having to explain the kind getures of the world during a pretty horrific time for most of Africa & it contiues may I add - I am aghast TBH - Concerned gay by the sea
I do worry about how the fragmentation of old skool media and *trusted sources* means that young people (and indeed plenty of old people too!) just mop stuff up on the socials and then use it to rail against, well, everything. There will be people who accuse me of being *right wing* simply for daring to comment on race... but hey, I know who I am. HNY David...
I was in Ethiopia after the famine , around 1993. It was in a relatively small localised area of the country. Band aid was a sick project, Geldof a prat and Bono a moron. Any one that actually worked with this project in Ethiopia resided in the gated Holiday Inn and shot out into the begging people in their Landcruisers, with windows firmly closed. That being said the present day youth are just indoctrinated without a single original thought in their head, the state owns them and they do the states bidding like good little robots.
Such a well written tale of our times Kate.
The arrogance of youth can be frustrating to say the least. Parents ‘know nothing’ ‘have never lived’ ‘never listen or understand’
Grandmothers though are a whole other ballgame. I am 68 and have 5 aged from 12 to 25. My 23 year old gorgeous granddaughter is staying with us during her Xmas break from her masters. She soaks up the stories from my youth, my teenage years in apartheid South Africa, she was born there 9 years after Mandelas release and is amazed at the level of brutal racism my generation lived through. She loves listening to my music from the 60s through to the 90s. As grandmothers are ‘wise’ who ‘listen’ who ‘understand the hell their ignorant parents put them through. My youngest informed me when about 15 that I had never lived, that I didn’t even know who Limp Bizkit was!’ (I tried to hide my laughter as it would have added insult to injury. She now has a 13 year old daughter, sweet karma!
As someone once said ‘grandchildren are your reward for not killing your kids when they were teenagers’
Hang on in there Kate, if you one day have grandchildren your reward will be ever so sweet ❤️
Oh, Caroline - this really isn’t a piece about my relationship with my son… we’re very close and get on brilliantly! X
PS Too old a mother to get the most out of any prospective grandkids - envy you that! 😘
So sorry Kate, my reaction to your wonderfully graphic description of the conversation between the two of you. I agree with every point you made, the lyrics appear absurd & hideously condescending without putting them into an historical context especially as it’s part of our lived history.
Thank you 😘