Pity the British

The Brits are descending further and further into madness. How did the remnants of the Empire come to this? A city council has banned representations of pigs from the workplace because it offends Muslims. I think Mark Steyn has the final word on the issue:

Is it really a victory for "tolerance" to say that a council worker cannot have a Piglet coffee mug on her desk? And isn't an ability to turn a blind eye to animated piglets the very least the West is entitled to expect from its Muslim citizens? If Islam cannot "co-exist" even with Pooh or the abstract swirl on a Burger King ice-cream, how likely is it that it can co-exist with the more basic principles of a pluralist society?

Well, the short answer is that Islam cannot co-exist with a liberal, pluralist society in the current form of either. Given a choice, I‘d rather Islam changes. That is an argument for another day.

What’s amusing is the tactic of claiming offense and demanding redress didn’t originate with Muslims. We have the radical movement here in the West to blame for that load of crap. At some point in the not-too-distant past, claiming offense became a trump card in civil discourse. If something offended someone, it is verboten, never to be discussed again. Ask Larry Summers if you don’t believe me. Somebody got offended when he suggested a possible explanation for observed facts, and he had to eat shit and grovel before the whole world.

Eugene Volokh discusses the larger issues in his usual calm and thoughtful manner. He’s right, but is too polite to come and say what really needs to be said. What needs to said to people who get offended is have a nice cup of STFU. Of course, I’m in the small group of people who can’t normally be offended without physical violence, barring one or two issues. All the people that think the world has some obligation to care that they’re offended? They’re wrong. The world in general does not care, nor should it. Quit whining and go on about your business. I will bet money the kind of people who whine about being offended are, in their own right, just as offensive in many aspects of their personal behavior. In any event, I find that rule of thumb to be pretty valid around here. I can’t imagine Britian being too far removed from us in that regard.

Honestly, if a picture of a freakin’ cartoon pig causes enough distress to warrant complaining to the city council, the doctor needs to start upping the meds. The Prozac obviously ain’t working.