I remember... contentious debates about most of the points he brings up, so few of which resulted in clear cut answers after loads of aggro, which was frustrating and confusing. Should've 'done my own research' really, and there probably was a degree of cowardice involved in not doing so, or just skimming the surface. Didn't take the mandated jab at least, but not exactly a stellar performance when you only object to something when it touches you personally...

His depiction of the Professional Managerial Class and associated brand of left-ish politics is correct IMO, though again it lands uncomfortably close to home. Why were so many dissenting figures silent over covid and the govt/corporate authoritarianism that ramped up over it? Why did some like Chomsky even collude in it and call for the punishment of those who didn't follow government/pharma diktat? I think they are important questions, and Allen is right to continue bringing them up, as irritating as some may find it.

It goes to the heart of what people view as the correct response to crises or even the best way to run society. Despite so much disillusionment, apathy and mistrust of institutions, I was surprised to see that people were on the whole still looking to the state for solutions to the crisis. Some even started taking TV news seriously! And when the state predictably harnessed the pandemic to advance its own agendas the only real pushback came from the libertarian right. That's a problem, especially going deeper into the age of energy, climate and ecological crises.

Anyway, thanks for posting.

cheers,
I