This Is Insane – Carl Benjamin

Summary

Carl Benjamin explains the UK right’s internal conflict through competing ideas about identity and group rights. He says the term “woke right” is often used to exclude non-liberal conservatives from debate, which he sees as mirroring tactics associated with the woke left.

Benjamin describes the political mainstream as broadly liberal and individualist. In his account, it assumes people can move between societies and integrate without major cultural or political difficulty. He contrasts this with the left’s emphasis on social groups, power structures, and collective rights. Benjamin argues that the liberal mainstream has already accepted some group-based claims—for example, women’s rights to women-only spaces and national claims involving Palestinians and Jews—and says the right is applying similar reasoning to the English.

He contends that the English have a collective claim to England and that concerns about demographic change should be discussed politically. He claims the English share of the population is falling and argues that, if this continues, they could lose the ability to govern according to their preferences. He presents this as a concern about demographic security, while distinguishing it from the most extreme proposals associated with some figures on the right.

The interviewer challenges how these principles apply in practice, including whether Israel belongs to the Jewish people or to all its citizens, and whether demographic arguments could justify excluding or removing minorities. Benjamin responds that group-based national claims are common internationally and argues that political representation may work differently in societies with sharply divided groups. He says stable demographics make it easier for a broadly neutral political system to function, while demographic change can increase fears that one group will favor another.

Presenters and Contributors

• Carl Benjamin
• Andrew Gold