THE UNITED KINGDOM
“Stand up and fight… etc. Stand up and fight – because when you stand up and fight,… etc… stands up and fights. And when… etc… stands up and fights,… etc… stands up and fights. And when… etc… stands up and fights,… etc… stand up and fight. And they stand up and fight for… etc. That is what… etc. Stand up and fight. Stand up and fight! Thank you, conference!” [See note]
(Penny Mordaunt, Conservative Party MP)
THE UNITED STATES
“This all goes back to our reward structure, and how that’s gotten turned on its head… As long as you’re talking about fighting — regardless of whether you have a strategy to land a punch or win a round — you never actually have to win, because that’s what gets the most attention… And that means Republicans are now sort of always talking between ourselves, and the rest of the country we either don’t engage or hold in contempt.”
(Doug Heye, Republican aide)
“[Winning election to Congress] has come… to mean winning a prominent platform for performative outrage…”
(Yuval Levin, Opinion writer)
Sources
Kate Nicholson, HuffPost, “Penny Mordaunt Couldn’t Stop Herself Using This 1 Phrase During Her Tory Conference Speech,” 10-5-23.
Michael C. Bender, “For Republicans in the Trump Era, Chaos Often Seems to Be the Point,” New York Times, 10-6-23.
Yuval Levin, “What We Can Do to Make American Politics Less Dysfunctional,” New York Times, 10-9-23)
Note
Full text of the Mordaunt fight chant:
“Stand up and fight for the freedoms we have won. Against socialism, whether it is made of velvet or iron, have courage, and conviction – because when you do, you move our countrymen, our communities and capital of all kinds to our cause. Stand up and fight – because when you stand up and fight, the person beside you stands up and fights. And when our party stands up and fights, the nation stands up and fights. And when our nation stands up and fights, other nations stand up and fight. And they stand up and fight for the things for which the entire progress of humanity depends! Freedom. That is what Conservatives do. That is what this nation does. Have courage. Bring hope. Stand up and fight. Stand up and fight! Thank you, conference!”
(Penny Mordaunt, Conservative Party MP)
(c) 2023 JMN — EthicalDative. All rights reserved
EthicalDative 
I read about the Mordaunt speech a few days ago and couldn’t believe it! What is it about this mad world that people like her need to fight everyone and every reasonable idea? I despair.
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I happened to hear her speech on LBC radio, and if possible it sounded even more shrill when voiced than in print. Join me in keeping despair at bay, Sue. We’re needed by the forces of reason that push back against the noise of the loudmouths! Be of good cheer. — Jim
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Thank you for your good cheer Jim. I will try to push back against despair, but it is becoming increasingly difficult. In Australia right-wing groups and politicians have turned a referendum on what is a simple, sensible change to our constitution to give indigenous peoples a voice to government (a committee!) – into a political campaign that has incited deeply racist comments, created fear and worry in the population, and looks like resulting in the referendum being lost (it’s on tomorrow). I also look with horror at what is happening in the middle-east …. what can I say? I should turn off the news and do some gardening! I will try not to despair!
Best wishes to you. Sue
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Sue, I’m deeply sympathetic to your revulsion over events. Just today I’ve become aware of the failure of the referendum you mention. I heard that all 6 states voted it down. I’ve been curious about what the rationale of its opponents is. The reports have called the issue deeply divisive, but I haven’t seen elaboration on the arguments brought to bear on either side. It’s hard to imagine a convincing case against the referendum. The Israel-Gaza event is indeed beyond horrific. Being something of a news hound I’ve been immersed in hearing voices and reports from both sides, and they are shattering. Gardening sounds good. Also, keep doing your art, please! I’ll keep studying Arabic poetry, a holdover from college days, and thus we seek the light. I’m sounding portentous, aren’t I?! Kind regards to you, Sue. — Jim
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Thanks for your consoling comments Jim. The dissection of why the referendum was so resoundingly defeated is taking place now – and it seems that those with education and living in a higher socio-economic part of the country (mainly urban) voted yes to the change, and those who are poorly educated and living in regional areas voted no. (Aboriginal people living in the outback in remote communitites voted yes). The mainstream media did a poor job of calling out misinformation and lies told by the no camp, and Murdoch has a lot to answer for. People appear to have got their information from Facebook and Tiktok and the no campaign preyed on a fear of indigenous people – that the voice would take people’s backyards and bbqs away(!) The no campaign also played on the idea that this voice would divide the country and give indigenous people more rights and privileges than settler Australians have. The facts are that settler Australians have many more privileges than aboriginal people who are discriminated against in many ways. It’s going to be a long time before we get to anything like real reconciliation but we won’t give up. However, I think the malign influence of social media is going to bedevil us for many years.
Keep up your Arabic and your paintings too – and no, you never sound portentous! Many thanks for being a sounding board for me!!
Regards Sue
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Gosh, this is an astute, cogent, informative commentary, Sue! Your rundown of the various parties, their conflicting interests and claims, and the corrupted messaging inflicted by the Murdoch press and social media rings so familiar for America and Great Britain (and Canada to some extent?). The Murdoch machine reviles globalization, yet has itself globalized reactionary obfuscation and mendacity, undermining virtually every good cause I can think of. Thank you for your excellent words. Respect and cheers. — Jim
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Thanks Jim!
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