Irene

wine educator in London

[Mike Jones @technopopulist]

I haven’t been following J.K. Rowling’s tweets for very long (yes, I know, late to the party), and I only had a vague sense of the mobbish, unrelenting vitriol hurled her way. But I did know it was bad... really bad.

What’s struck me since is the sheer contrast between her and Emma Watson. Rowling comes across as a grafter: level-headed, grounded despite her immense wealth, and above all, principled. You may not agree with every word she says, but you can’t accuse her of inconsistency or cowardice.

Watson, by contrast, embodies the opposite. She strikes me as the archetypal Hollywood prima donna. Self-entitled and lacking even a flicker of loyalty to those who once boosted her. A weathercock for fashionable opinion, she blows wherever the cultural wind takes her - and she’s more than happy to throw anyone under a bus if it helps keep her on-trend.

Weirdly, I see this same personality clash in politics all the time. Sadly, it’s the Watson-types who so often rise to the top of parties and organisations.

[Irene @irenephfung]

@jk_rowling A strong statement, love your words.

[J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling]

Words are not violence. When you pretend that views that oppose your own are violence, you are justifying the use of actual violence towards the speaker.

Gender ideology’s reliance on tropes and slogans like ‘words are violence’, its constant rationalisation and justification of using force against opponents and its preference for enforcing compliance through fear rather than permitting debate, are straight out of fascism’s playbook.

‘The function of propaganda is . . . not to weigh and ponder the rights of different people, but exclusively to emphasize the one right which it has set out to argue for. Its task is not to make an objective study of the truth, in so far as it favors the enemy, and then set it before the masses with academic fairness; its task is to serve our own right, always and unflinchingly.’

The words are Hitler’s, but I must have seen trans activists say the same thing, barely rephrased, a thousand times. Your movement seeks to remove rights from others. It is anti-truth and critical thinking, pro-violence, pro-dehumanisation of those who disagree with you, and you are so lacking in self-awareness you cannot see that you are precisely what you pretend to hate.

[J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling]

If you believe free speech is for you but not your political opponents, you're illiberal.

If no contrary evidence could change your beliefs, you're a fundamentalist.

If you believe the state should punish those with contrary views, you're a totalitarian.

If you believe political opponents should be punished with violence or death, you're a terrorist.

[Irene @irenephfung]

@minkaur5 @TfL @guardiannews Hi @minkaur5 where can I watch the news?

[Irene @irenephfung]

That’s crazy. We have been in Elizabeth line for more than two hours. Power off. All dark. I got a newborn with me. A lady fainted. We’re on the way to airport to go back home for Christmas. Missing a flight first time in my life time. #elizabethline @TfL @guardiannews

[Irene @irenephfung]

Luckily we were all safe from the #Elizabethline power failure. The very helpful passengers and London Fire Brigade team were all heroes to us. @Newsflare

To licence, please contact [email protected]

[Irene @irenephfung]

To license, please contact [email protected]

[Irene @irenephfung]

That’s crazy. We have been in Elizabeth line for more than two hours. Power off. All dark. I got a newborn with me. A lady fainted. We’re on the way to airport to go back home for Christmas. Missing a flight first time in my life time. #elizabethline @TfL @guardiannews

[Irene @irenephfung]

That’s crazy. We have been in Elizabeth line for more than two hours. Power off. All dark. I got a newborn with me. A lady fainted. We’re on the way to airport to go back home for Christmas. Missing a flight first time in my life time. #elizabethline @TfL @guardiannews

[Irene @irenephfung]

@Accoid Waking up seeing loads of views/ replies but no solution so far… who’s accountable for this?

[Irene @irenephfung]

@RiderDWC @TfL @guardiannews Yes please

[MKY @tickets144]

@dlipalon @irenephfung @BritishXAirRBLX @TfL Pay her

[Irene @irenephfung]

@lennonsghirl @BritshA1r Yes I just saw that thanks

[Irene @irenephfung]

We haven’t been home for four years. In still stuck in #elizabethline while on the way to airport. Called @BritishXAirRBLX but they said so far nothing they can do. It’s unlikely that we can get on another flight during the festive season. @TfL can you send help please

[Irene @irenephfung]

@elenaukc @TfL @guardiannews Yes can do

[Irene @irenephfung]

@DiegoFuego71 @Numbnuts1992 @hollypatrick_ @Independent I don’t know how the insurance will work I just want the next flight 😭

[Irene @irenephfung]

@natonudo @TfL @guardiannews Same! Did you also miss a flight! I’m so stressful

[Irene @irenephfung]

@networkrailwest @TfL @guardiannews Hello @networkrail how do we claim our compensation??

[Irene @irenephfung]

@Numbnuts1992 @hollypatrick_ @Independent Do you know how can I do this

[Irene @irenephfung]

@Numbnuts1992 @hollypatrick_ @Independent Thanks that’s a good idea I need this for my next ticket!!!

[Irene @irenephfung]

@hollypatrick_ @Independent Yes I filmed this! Please help we’re getting hopeless now

[Irene @irenephfung]

@hollypatrick_ yes I filmed this the whole train is getting hopeless now