Turner is obviously a maniac and it's shocking that anyone could see him as anything other than, at best, an insecure worm, or, at worst, an evil tyrant hell bent on destroying lives to flatter his own ego.
This is very moving Nina. I follow you only as an admirer of your book, your politics and your mind and had no idea you were embroiled in this legal nightmare.
What a relief it is over for you and what a masterclass on postmodernity it must have been.
I am a visual artist who has been, and still is, cancelled and ostracised by multiple social media and the arts community for refusing to believe men can turn into women and making my view public. Regardless of the pain, loss of time and income I can honestly say having the integrity to stand up for truths sincerely believed in is something only fleetingly regretted on my worst days. It has been worth it to find out with certainty the answer to that question - would I have been a Nazi? - is a resounding and absolute NO.
I used to read your stuff back in the old Infinite Thought days - and we even met up once (remember the Non-Aligned Lefties for Left Unity...? lol) but I hadn't been keeping up, so when I saw these reports I'll admit my first thought was: "oh no, Nina Power has gone down the neo-reactionary path..." But then I listened to a few podcasts you did recently and was like: "eh? This is more or less the same old Nina Power" - and reading this clears a lot up for me. Really horrible to hear that you have received threats - such cowards!
Thanks for sharing, Nina. The outcome of all this seemed ludicrous even from Turner's deranged thread...er...perspective, but now even more so with your retrospective. But something you didn't mention: it seemed like Compact threw you under the bus and your resignation was not entirely voluntary. Is that inference true? What really happened there?
Well, I have a lot of respect for the magazine and my colleagues. I offered to step back and on Thursday they said that I should do that. So I did resign, but I don't know what would have happened if I had not. I don't envy their choice either way.
It's so disappointing that they did this to you. Compact was one of the very few media outlets that I trusted. This trust is now severely damaged. I understand that they must have made a business calculation and feared that the mob would go after them. But on the other hand, I suspect that a large proportion of their subscribers hate cancel culture, and given that you were such an integral and highly visible member of the team (with the two podcasts and the weekly newsletter that you co-hosted), I suspect that they have severely damaged their reputation among subscribers. It seems like a very bad decision. I will miss the podcasts and your inspiring weekly newsletter!
Compact is toast. I'm not wishing them ill but skittering and rolling over *never works*. Never never never. It's like pasting a "kick me" sign to your own back. It's like the fifth skittish pony of the apocalypse. When people and institutions do it it's like they are announcing "I am just going outside and may be some time".
Really? On what grounds? Why do institutions and the media care so much about a few online psychopathic bullies with social media bully friends and witch-hunt-voyeurs? The majority of readers never notice or care about such things and are able to take a differentiated position on their own. I'm really sorry for you, Nina.
This is one of the great mysteries. It seems like none of this would work in real life. Generally these people are so repellent that no-one would put any stock in their opinion. Somehow the internet changes all that and the mutants take over everything.
I suppose the description of the campaign they were subjected to is pretty revealing. You have to be some kind of jobless religious zealot to dedicate yourself to that type of online activity.
I am working on an article: Standing up to the Authoritarian Left's ruination and purity campaigns and Plots (see livestream below for some context).
If any of you have any tips, examples, anecotes, cautionary tales please let me know. And thanks again Nina for coming on my infant podcast & sorry for the accidental abrupt end to the stream.
It was chilling to read those message transcripts because it was the kind of random dumb stuff I'd say. I am just so happy that you say you've got faith and friends and support and other good things, because I was worried when your Twitter account disappeared.
Wow I had no idea about any of this, I came into your work through podcasts and YouTube talks you’ve had. I’m sorry you experienced the cruelty of these wonks. I can relate to feeling crazed and unmoored about community’s that were once so intellectual and creative seemingly overnight falling in lockstep with the most vile and detestable anti-art and really anti-life dogma of the last ten years. I want you to keep writing and working because as a writer that’s caught in this culture war dialectic the most important fact about you (to me) seems lost which is: your sheer pedigree of writing is fantastic and you’re a unique thinker. You’re way above being a figure that’s simply some counterpoint to a silly culture war. You are a fantastic writer, keep working and history will remember you Fondly.
What I find interesting - actually, disturbing - is how people seem to be completely glossing over your clear mental illness in the text messages. These people teach young people at universities? Through additionally Tara van Dijk - thank her public service - one can also put together what seem to be the main players in this play: Luke Turner, Lulu Nunn, Andrew Osborne, ME O’Brien, Sophie Lewis. I’m not even necessarily taking sides, but I wouldn’t trust these people as far as I can throw them if this is how they deal with “enemies” - concocting a hare-brained conspiracy theory-type dossier and writing open letters and anonymous emails. Those private messages also happen to be from years ago - says who you’re the same person now? The more time passes, the more you look like the principled one and everyone else involved looks like a two-bit Stasi officer.
Yes: Tara has been a warrior here. The first three people you list have for sure been involved in the active (and behind the scenes) denouncing campaign. Dossiers, fake astroterf groups, emails (anon, fake names and otherwise), "open letters", etc. The fully on-board academic "gender" academics who are also fully signed up to the techno-capitalist elimination of women as a category of human beings have also joined in—their status is very much at stake in these positions. Antifa/trans activists are very much the same people. They use many of the techniques we know about from previous authoritarian regimes: Zersetzung, character assassination, projection, splitting, dossiers, surveillance, etc. But they won't win because what they're defending is untenable and their tactics are offensive to most people outside of their pathocratic little bubbles. Their bullying should not have been tolerated for so long, perhaps, but it is more apparent as you say what they're really doing. And no one wants to live in their world, if these are the techniques somehow necessary to bring this new world about.
I don’t know the ins and outs, but it sounds like you were full on harassed. As it is, I don’t think you’re a Nazi, or the “most evil person alive”. This is very much lacking in complexity, but social media lacks in complexity by nature. You will bounce back, as I see you are already starting to.
I’ll also admit that some of my WhatsApp messages probably wouldn’t withstand close scrutiny, especially if people were reading them out of context and reading them very literally (which is stupidity at its finest)!
I have been vaguely aware of this astonishing imbroglio from afar, having attended to some adjacent-adjacent writers and having read your work, Nina, since the late 'aughts. But I had not fathomed the exhausting extent of it. I salute you for maintaining your sanity. At the risk of invoking a philosophical canard, it didn't kill you -- and you seem pretty damn strong now, judging by this piece. What you say about forgiveness is right; but remember, strictly speaking, forgiveness is a miracle, and that is in a serious sense not up to you. You can only consent to it. [Here ends the unsolicited advice]. Thank you for posting this so frankly and openly. I will be reading along more closely as you go forward.
Thank you, Seersucker. My thoughts on forgiveness are...let's say...in formation, but I agree that it would be foolish to image I somehow possess the power to judge or forgive exactly (or alone).
“As usual nobody really believes that this is evidence of anything [ . . . ] What people recognize is that pretending it does grants an outlet to discharge their desires for sadistic aggression and restore a feeling of agency to their unhappy lives.”
This, said by Daniel Miller, sums up the whole sorry saga. Nothing else really needs to be said.
Turner is obviously a maniac and it's shocking that anyone could see him as anything other than, at best, an insecure worm, or, at worst, an evil tyrant hell bent on destroying lives to flatter his own ego.
None of his friends seem to care about his state of mind. I assume he'll just keep doing this Nazi routine forever to more people. It's very sad.
This is very moving Nina. I follow you only as an admirer of your book, your politics and your mind and had no idea you were embroiled in this legal nightmare.
What a relief it is over for you and what a masterclass on postmodernity it must have been.
I am a visual artist who has been, and still is, cancelled and ostracised by multiple social media and the arts community for refusing to believe men can turn into women and making my view public. Regardless of the pain, loss of time and income I can honestly say having the integrity to stand up for truths sincerely believed in is something only fleetingly regretted on my worst days. It has been worth it to find out with certainty the answer to that question - would I have been a Nazi? - is a resounding and absolute NO.
I used to read your stuff back in the old Infinite Thought days - and we even met up once (remember the Non-Aligned Lefties for Left Unity...? lol) but I hadn't been keeping up, so when I saw these reports I'll admit my first thought was: "oh no, Nina Power has gone down the neo-reactionary path..." But then I listened to a few podcasts you did recently and was like: "eh? This is more or less the same old Nina Power" - and reading this clears a lot up for me. Really horrible to hear that you have received threats - such cowards!
I stayed the same and everyone around me went insane. I woke up one day and realised the Earth had shifted on its axis and...we were in trouble!
Thanks for sharing, Nina. The outcome of all this seemed ludicrous even from Turner's deranged thread...er...perspective, but now even more so with your retrospective. But something you didn't mention: it seemed like Compact threw you under the bus and your resignation was not entirely voluntary. Is that inference true? What really happened there?
Well, I have a lot of respect for the magazine and my colleagues. I offered to step back and on Thursday they said that I should do that. So I did resign, but I don't know what would have happened if I had not. I don't envy their choice either way.
Well, given everything, they should have rejected your offer to resign and stood by their gal. What do we even have if we haven't loyalty to friends?
I agree.
It's so disappointing that they did this to you. Compact was one of the very few media outlets that I trusted. This trust is now severely damaged. I understand that they must have made a business calculation and feared that the mob would go after them. But on the other hand, I suspect that a large proportion of their subscribers hate cancel culture, and given that you were such an integral and highly visible member of the team (with the two podcasts and the weekly newsletter that you co-hosted), I suspect that they have severely damaged their reputation among subscribers. It seems like a very bad decision. I will miss the podcasts and your inspiring weekly newsletter!
I'll miss them too. I really loved this job and my colleagues.
You dindu nuffink wrong except believe they myth about the quality of British justice.
Compact is toast. I'm not wishing them ill but skittering and rolling over *never works*. Never never never. It's like pasting a "kick me" sign to your own back. It's like the fifth skittish pony of the apocalypse. When people and institutions do it it's like they are announcing "I am just going outside and may be some time".
It was too editorially supine to say anything of interest.
Really? On what grounds? Why do institutions and the media care so much about a few online psychopathic bullies with social media bully friends and witch-hunt-voyeurs? The majority of readers never notice or care about such things and are able to take a differentiated position on their own. I'm really sorry for you, Nina.
Thank you, that's kind.
This is one of the great mysteries. It seems like none of this would work in real life. Generally these people are so repellent that no-one would put any stock in their opinion. Somehow the internet changes all that and the mutants take over everything.
I suppose the description of the campaign they were subjected to is pretty revealing. You have to be some kind of jobless religious zealot to dedicate yourself to that type of online activity.
I am working on an article: Standing up to the Authoritarian Left's ruination and purity campaigns and Plots (see livestream below for some context).
If any of you have any tips, examples, anecotes, cautionary tales please let me know. And thanks again Nina for coming on my infant podcast & sorry for the accidental abrupt end to the stream.
X https://x.com/TaravanDijk7/status/1810644732407595180
YT https://rumble.com/v562wkb-trans-left-stasi-cancel-nina-power-part-2.html
Rumble https://www.youtube.com/live/WZ8TCp71kSc?si=4AnYhGmoK6jmlA1T
Maybe the best defense is good offense? Our next Morbid Symptoms episode will be: Vaush's Greatest 'Ultrafeminist' Hits: https://x.com/TaravanDijk7/status/1811354309738561996
So wasteful of your precious energy to have been forced to engage with a psychopath.
Perhaps we learned some things, perhaps we didn't. Either way, we got Nick Land into the British High Court records in perpetuity.
Show us your first editions, you tease!
But warn us first: I have a weak heart.
I hope you continue to stay on The Lack. I love the conversations you have with Benjamin on the Patreon episodes.
Thank you. We shall carry on.
Tremendous news.
Oh God, I just read many tweets responding favorably to Luke Turner. Blows my mind how stupid and vengeful (but mostly stupid) people can be.
I'm sorry this happened to you, keep fighting the good fight.
It was chilling to read those message transcripts because it was the kind of random dumb stuff I'd say. I am just so happy that you say you've got faith and friends and support and other good things, because I was worried when your Twitter account disappeared.
My intellect's proceed...with Nina Power!
90's pop culture references aside, Nina, you have my support.
Yes
Wow I had no idea about any of this, I came into your work through podcasts and YouTube talks you’ve had. I’m sorry you experienced the cruelty of these wonks. I can relate to feeling crazed and unmoored about community’s that were once so intellectual and creative seemingly overnight falling in lockstep with the most vile and detestable anti-art and really anti-life dogma of the last ten years. I want you to keep writing and working because as a writer that’s caught in this culture war dialectic the most important fact about you (to me) seems lost which is: your sheer pedigree of writing is fantastic and you’re a unique thinker. You’re way above being a figure that’s simply some counterpoint to a silly culture war. You are a fantastic writer, keep working and history will remember you Fondly.
Thank you. I will.
What I find interesting - actually, disturbing - is how people seem to be completely glossing over your clear mental illness in the text messages. These people teach young people at universities? Through additionally Tara van Dijk - thank her public service - one can also put together what seem to be the main players in this play: Luke Turner, Lulu Nunn, Andrew Osborne, ME O’Brien, Sophie Lewis. I’m not even necessarily taking sides, but I wouldn’t trust these people as far as I can throw them if this is how they deal with “enemies” - concocting a hare-brained conspiracy theory-type dossier and writing open letters and anonymous emails. Those private messages also happen to be from years ago - says who you’re the same person now? The more time passes, the more you look like the principled one and everyone else involved looks like a two-bit Stasi officer.
Yes: Tara has been a warrior here. The first three people you list have for sure been involved in the active (and behind the scenes) denouncing campaign. Dossiers, fake astroterf groups, emails (anon, fake names and otherwise), "open letters", etc. The fully on-board academic "gender" academics who are also fully signed up to the techno-capitalist elimination of women as a category of human beings have also joined in—their status is very much at stake in these positions. Antifa/trans activists are very much the same people. They use many of the techniques we know about from previous authoritarian regimes: Zersetzung, character assassination, projection, splitting, dossiers, surveillance, etc. But they won't win because what they're defending is untenable and their tactics are offensive to most people outside of their pathocratic little bubbles. Their bullying should not have been tolerated for so long, perhaps, but it is more apparent as you say what they're really doing. And no one wants to live in their world, if these are the techniques somehow necessary to bring this new world about.
I don’t know the ins and outs, but it sounds like you were full on harassed. As it is, I don’t think you’re a Nazi, or the “most evil person alive”. This is very much lacking in complexity, but social media lacks in complexity by nature. You will bounce back, as I see you are already starting to.
I’ll also admit that some of my WhatsApp messages probably wouldn’t withstand close scrutiny, especially if people were reading them out of context and reading them very literally (which is stupidity at its finest)!
I have been vaguely aware of this astonishing imbroglio from afar, having attended to some adjacent-adjacent writers and having read your work, Nina, since the late 'aughts. But I had not fathomed the exhausting extent of it. I salute you for maintaining your sanity. At the risk of invoking a philosophical canard, it didn't kill you -- and you seem pretty damn strong now, judging by this piece. What you say about forgiveness is right; but remember, strictly speaking, forgiveness is a miracle, and that is in a serious sense not up to you. You can only consent to it. [Here ends the unsolicited advice]. Thank you for posting this so frankly and openly. I will be reading along more closely as you go forward.
Thank you, Seersucker. My thoughts on forgiveness are...let's say...in formation, but I agree that it would be foolish to image I somehow possess the power to judge or forgive exactly (or alone).
“As usual nobody really believes that this is evidence of anything [ . . . ] What people recognize is that pretending it does grants an outlet to discharge their desires for sadistic aggression and restore a feeling of agency to their unhappy lives.”
This, said by Daniel Miller, sums up the whole sorry saga. Nothing else really needs to be said.