Brilliant piece, so on point, and to answer your implied question, yes, it seems the Ministry of Truth has now expanded into interior decorating.
Because what could be more symbolic of managed decline than removing Lord Nelson , one-eyed, one-armed titan of Trafalgar, and replacing him with the patron saint of beige managerialism, Yvette Cooper? A woman so inspiring that even her portrait looks like it’s midway through telling you off for not separating your recycling properly. But hey, this is progress, right? Out with the man who saved the nation, in with the woman who saves simpletons from hurt feelings. And don’t worry, the thousand-flowers halo isn’t Maoist at all. Totally organic. Grown in the fertile soil of HR memos and diversity impact assessments.
We’re not replacing heroes with mediocrities, you understand, we’re “reimagining national symbols through an inclusive lens.” Which is bureaucracy-speak for setting fire to history while smiling for the Guardian.
Excellent analysis and very apt comparison with “the maggot folk of Mordor.” Generally the replacement of cherished heroes involves some obscure figure from antiquity (as you observed) to deflect criticism, but it shows how drunk with power they are to replace Nelson with this sniveling cow whose incompetence is and no doubt will continue to be on display for those with eyes to see. May the day when this portrait is hurled onto the bonfire along with all the other revisionist tripe come soon!
If you want to see real Ketman in play spend some time on LinkedIn- no shortage of moral peacocking to catch the eye of a prospective (hiring) mate. It’s quite funny in a way - like David Brent dialled up to 11.
And for those that do own one it shows the lemming brain at work. In a whiny tone of righteous indignation with a lisp for seasoning: 'Five years ago I bought this car. He was a hero and I was too. Now this fascist has ruined it. I am selling this and will never support this villainous Hitler again!"
Stunning bravery in evidence circa 2025
May the resale value plummet to zero since either only shitlibs or East Asian colonizers own them. The former won't be bidding. The latter will be laughing while the sellers grovel in pain as the laws of supply and demand ruin the luxury of their, "beliefs."
The bit about the telly licence letter dropping through the letterbox of a half ruined building in a post-apocalyptic world gave me a laugh, because I could actually imagine it. Don't forget the fine from the DVLA too- societal collapse, brutal civil conflict, starvation and disease or WW3 are no excuse for not obtaining a SORN for the untaxed, incinerated husk of your vehicle, even if you are having difficulty being a shadow scorched into the pavement by a 5 Megaton flash of starfire, starved to death or suffered a lethal dose of Gamma radiation, you can now do it quickly and easily online!
Nonetheless, whatever horrors the present time will be remembered for in the future, something tells me it won't be for banal, narcissistic nonentities such as Yvette Comrade Cooper or Two-Tier-Kier- or for the longevity of the regime itself either...
She replaced the great admiral and Lord, Lord Nelson? And she relaced it with a picture of herself?
Great warriors, leaders and defenders of the realm were once venerated by towering geniuses in works of unparalleled grandeur, (See Lord Nelson Mass by Hadyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSzYLdpWac), at the express wish of society's greatest men inspired by distinguishing achievement.
Now we have less-than-nothings taking down greatness and replacing it with ... ... their own likeness.
Then: Englands greatest admiral as measured in battle celebrated by Haydn's great mass!
Now: The First Female who erected a picture of herself in place of a great man.
Well, this is merely the latest in a now logical sequence of events. When a talentless heroin addict like Mick Jagger is knighted, the entirety of the regime involved in such a desecration is fully degraded and exhausted. The Romans had it right. And the English are lucky to have Jagger. Ireland has Bono - who along with his business manager demonically celebrate the ethnic cleansing of his own people in his homeland. We abandoned the wisdom of our Roman forefathers and we see the results.
If you could rally someone to perform a candlelight performance of the Lord Nelson Mass that would be amazing. Short of that, a gathering of men playing it on a stereo outside of Parliament would be great. And when you do play it, remember that the Kyrie is a warning and a resolve fortifying final regret that the only merciful one who can spare mercy now will be the Lord himself.
The real danger of iconoclasm, the propaganda like this portrait being a perfect example, is the subconscious effect it has on all of us. The theory and practice of ketman is comforting but we should always remember that as we mouth the platitudes, there is a level of our consciousness that has trouble telling lies from truth.
This is the real power of the regime. Much like our ancestors who knelt at the river and agreed to be baptized (while secretly believing in Odin), these ceremonies have an effect on us whether we like it or not. So do the symbols. For the eight years of the Obama admin we lived under the most comprehensive propaganda campaign that I've ever seen in America. Every single photo of him and his family was as flattering as possible, sometimes approaching the sacred in how they were treated. Countless articles about how elegant and beautiful Michelle was. Constant references to his skills at speaking, his intelligence, his amazing sense of style. You can witness the effectiveness of this propaganda on women to this day when you ask them if they think Michelle Obama is beautiful. They'll universally agree. Contrast that with how they view Melania Trump, a literal model who speaks five languages and has never misspoke in public once. Women are much more susceptible to propaganda than are men, though of course it impacts us as well.
This is a long winded way of saying that I'm sorry you all have to live through this, because even though it seems laughable to you, your children may very well grow to venerate this woman in the same way you venerate Nelson. That's their goal, at least.
That was a great video. I know this probably going to be an unpopular opinion but I think the painting itself is a good piece of art. I wouldn't replace Lord Nelson or any other historical figure with it though. Yvette Cooper has never and probably never will do anything to match Nelson's achievements. If she does then she can have a portrait.
I like to think the majority of policemen and bureaucrats are lying to keep their jobs or get a promotion but I have horrible feeling they aren't. I think there are millions of people who genuinely believe everything they've been told all their lives by the education system and the media.
I likes the way the colour of the painting changed over the course of the video. That was also art.
It is technically proficient, and heartening to see there are still artists who know how to use a brush. it's representational, recognizable, it reminds me of Laura Ashley, but done in oils. So as I read that sentence back, I wonder if we can call this art, seems too superficial, there's no ambiguous twist to spark thought.
I get what you mean, there's at least a display of artistic skill on display compared to a banana taped to a canvas or something (I mean, given the subject of the artist's work, she was really polishing the proverbial turd with this one) but still, the picture immediately made me cringe as the opening notes of the USSR anthem begin blaring through my mind when I looked at it...
Elegant yet depressing piece. My only solace is that everything they've done can be undone, and ideally this will happen in my lifetime, while I'm still vigorous enough to enjoy their undoing.
Well said as always, but you didn't do justice to the practice of Ketman. It can be those things you described, but it's also a survival strategy under a regime of lies. The idea is to put on an act of conformity, playing along with the lies, while safeguarding the sanctity of your mind by not actually believing them. In other words, you deceive the totalitarian government with a show of cooperation, while retaining full freedom of thought; mouthing the correct platitudes skillfully, all while knowing how false they are. In this way, you avoid the gulag while minimizing the internal effects of ideological poison.
I'm not saying this is the most honorable course of action, but it can be understandable in some cases. It's like that Chinese proverb about the tree that gets blown down in a storm, and the grass that bends and survives -- there are times to be the tree, other times to be the grass.
Brilliant piece, so on point, and to answer your implied question, yes, it seems the Ministry of Truth has now expanded into interior decorating.
Because what could be more symbolic of managed decline than removing Lord Nelson , one-eyed, one-armed titan of Trafalgar, and replacing him with the patron saint of beige managerialism, Yvette Cooper? A woman so inspiring that even her portrait looks like it’s midway through telling you off for not separating your recycling properly. But hey, this is progress, right? Out with the man who saved the nation, in with the woman who saves simpletons from hurt feelings. And don’t worry, the thousand-flowers halo isn’t Maoist at all. Totally organic. Grown in the fertile soil of HR memos and diversity impact assessments.
We’re not replacing heroes with mediocrities, you understand, we’re “reimagining national symbols through an inclusive lens.” Which is bureaucracy-speak for setting fire to history while smiling for the Guardian.
Excellent analysis and very apt comparison with “the maggot folk of Mordor.” Generally the replacement of cherished heroes involves some obscure figure from antiquity (as you observed) to deflect criticism, but it shows how drunk with power they are to replace Nelson with this sniveling cow whose incompetence is and no doubt will continue to be on display for those with eyes to see. May the day when this portrait is hurled onto the bonfire along with all the other revisionist tripe come soon!
If you want to see real Ketman in play spend some time on LinkedIn- no shortage of moral peacocking to catch the eye of a prospective (hiring) mate. It’s quite funny in a way - like David Brent dialled up to 11.
A lot of people putting their Teslas up for sale on LinkedIn.
even if IRL they aren't actually for sale.... or they even own one...
And for those that do own one it shows the lemming brain at work. In a whiny tone of righteous indignation with a lisp for seasoning: 'Five years ago I bought this car. He was a hero and I was too. Now this fascist has ruined it. I am selling this and will never support this villainous Hitler again!"
Stunning bravery in evidence circa 2025
May the resale value plummet to zero since either only shitlibs or East Asian colonizers own them. The former won't be bidding. The latter will be laughing while the sellers grovel in pain as the laws of supply and demand ruin the luxury of their, "beliefs."
Great article mate.
The bit about the telly licence letter dropping through the letterbox of a half ruined building in a post-apocalyptic world gave me a laugh, because I could actually imagine it. Don't forget the fine from the DVLA too- societal collapse, brutal civil conflict, starvation and disease or WW3 are no excuse for not obtaining a SORN for the untaxed, incinerated husk of your vehicle, even if you are having difficulty being a shadow scorched into the pavement by a 5 Megaton flash of starfire, starved to death or suffered a lethal dose of Gamma radiation, you can now do it quickly and easily online!
Nonetheless, whatever horrors the present time will be remembered for in the future, something tells me it won't be for banal, narcissistic nonentities such as Yvette Comrade Cooper or Two-Tier-Kier- or for the longevity of the regime itself either...
She replaced the great admiral and Lord, Lord Nelson? And she relaced it with a picture of herself?
Great warriors, leaders and defenders of the realm were once venerated by towering geniuses in works of unparalleled grandeur, (See Lord Nelson Mass by Hadyn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSzYLdpWac), at the express wish of society's greatest men inspired by distinguishing achievement.
Now we have less-than-nothings taking down greatness and replacing it with ... ... their own likeness.
Then: Englands greatest admiral as measured in battle celebrated by Haydn's great mass!
Now: The First Female who erected a picture of herself in place of a great man.
Well, this is merely the latest in a now logical sequence of events. When a talentless heroin addict like Mick Jagger is knighted, the entirety of the regime involved in such a desecration is fully degraded and exhausted. The Romans had it right. And the English are lucky to have Jagger. Ireland has Bono - who along with his business manager demonically celebrate the ethnic cleansing of his own people in his homeland. We abandoned the wisdom of our Roman forefathers and we see the results.
If you could rally someone to perform a candlelight performance of the Lord Nelson Mass that would be amazing. Short of that, a gathering of men playing it on a stereo outside of Parliament would be great. And when you do play it, remember that the Kyrie is a warning and a resolve fortifying final regret that the only merciful one who can spare mercy now will be the Lord himself.
The real danger of iconoclasm, the propaganda like this portrait being a perfect example, is the subconscious effect it has on all of us. The theory and practice of ketman is comforting but we should always remember that as we mouth the platitudes, there is a level of our consciousness that has trouble telling lies from truth.
This is the real power of the regime. Much like our ancestors who knelt at the river and agreed to be baptized (while secretly believing in Odin), these ceremonies have an effect on us whether we like it or not. So do the symbols. For the eight years of the Obama admin we lived under the most comprehensive propaganda campaign that I've ever seen in America. Every single photo of him and his family was as flattering as possible, sometimes approaching the sacred in how they were treated. Countless articles about how elegant and beautiful Michelle was. Constant references to his skills at speaking, his intelligence, his amazing sense of style. You can witness the effectiveness of this propaganda on women to this day when you ask them if they think Michelle Obama is beautiful. They'll universally agree. Contrast that with how they view Melania Trump, a literal model who speaks five languages and has never misspoke in public once. Women are much more susceptible to propaganda than are men, though of course it impacts us as well.
This is a long winded way of saying that I'm sorry you all have to live through this, because even though it seems laughable to you, your children may very well grow to venerate this woman in the same way you venerate Nelson. That's their goal, at least.
That was a great video. I know this probably going to be an unpopular opinion but I think the painting itself is a good piece of art. I wouldn't replace Lord Nelson or any other historical figure with it though. Yvette Cooper has never and probably never will do anything to match Nelson's achievements. If she does then she can have a portrait.
I like to think the majority of policemen and bureaucrats are lying to keep their jobs or get a promotion but I have horrible feeling they aren't. I think there are millions of people who genuinely believe everything they've been told all their lives by the education system and the media.
I likes the way the colour of the painting changed over the course of the video. That was also art.
Haha I appreciate the courage it took to praise the painting.
Thanks.
It is technically proficient, and heartening to see there are still artists who know how to use a brush. it's representational, recognizable, it reminds me of Laura Ashley, but done in oils. So as I read that sentence back, I wonder if we can call this art, seems too superficial, there's no ambiguous twist to spark thought.
I get what you mean, there's at least a display of artistic skill on display compared to a banana taped to a canvas or something (I mean, given the subject of the artist's work, she was really polishing the proverbial turd with this one) but still, the picture immediately made me cringe as the opening notes of the USSR anthem begin blaring through my mind when I looked at it...
It’s a photograph.
Elegant yet depressing piece. My only solace is that everything they've done can be undone, and ideally this will happen in my lifetime, while I'm still vigorous enough to enjoy their undoing.
Well said as always, but you didn't do justice to the practice of Ketman. It can be those things you described, but it's also a survival strategy under a regime of lies. The idea is to put on an act of conformity, playing along with the lies, while safeguarding the sanctity of your mind by not actually believing them. In other words, you deceive the totalitarian government with a show of cooperation, while retaining full freedom of thought; mouthing the correct platitudes skillfully, all while knowing how false they are. In this way, you avoid the gulag while minimizing the internal effects of ideological poison.
I'm not saying this is the most honorable course of action, but it can be understandable in some cases. It's like that Chinese proverb about the tree that gets blown down in a storm, and the grass that bends and survives -- there are times to be the tree, other times to be the grass.
Why is it all in italics?
I wanted to differentiate it from a standard post because it is written with an eye on speaking it out loud.