Don't You Dare Disagree!

Another day, another moral panic.

Having unusually - these days anyway - found myself in a van between 9 and 10 this morning (half term and all that), I managed to catch part of a phone-in on Radio 5 Live. Now, these things are generally quite off-the-wall affairs and, yes, I know you shouldn't take much of it seriously.

The subject was today's brow-furrowing over 'child sexualisation'. Yes, you can imagine.

While it may be true that there are some extremes, I really can't subscribe to this view that societal collapse is imminent because Rihanna prances around in hot pants or that there are a few (and yes, only a very few) dodgy fashion items being marketed for kids.

But that's not the point I'm intending to argue here. What was deeply weep-inducing was the attitude of those calling in. After hearing one after another screeching about "kids wearing short skirts in the High Street" and "buying high heels", I was already sighing while wondering what on Earth it had to do with them what other kids (or, indeed, parents) did.

It was then that a quite extraordinary exchange occurred between the Mail's Sonia Poulton and Sean Gabb of the Libertarian Alliance. I do urge you to listen to it here from 41 minutes in. Or just click below for those reading beyond seven days.



Poulton came to the table already either whacked up on caffeine or just naturally aggressive. Within the first minute she had dismissed as 'deluded' anyone who disagreed with her stance and set out a stall as some kind of unassailable expert. Gabb came over calm by contrast.

However, while Poulton was waxing hysterical about how we needed controls for "our children", Gabb challenged her. Exactly as he should. "Our children?", he said, "you look after your children, I'll look after mine". The result was as predictable as it was shrill.

From then on, Poulton issued insults; demanded people who held that view "be quiet"; refused to debate; and became madder the more it was insisted that others might not share her opinion. She embarrassed herself by asserting that she knew - knew no less - that Gabb wasn't a parent simply because he believed other people's kids were not hers to control, and when the host revealed that Gabb was indeed a parent, simply called him names and became even more insulting.

This, sadly - in fact, soul-destroyingly - is modern Britain. A place packed full of arrogant people who feel it perfectly acceptable to interfere in every aspect of the lives of others. If you disagree, or resist, they will shout and scream; make a call to their own delusional authority; and denounce you as a heretic or anti-social abuser.

I'm a parent too, and am terrified that someone like Poulton claims to have any kind of input into how my kids are brought up. I'm trying my hardest to make sure they are independent, the best they can be, and respectful of those around them. If they ended up as nosy, self-aggrandising, bad-mannered, and intolerant to others as Poulton, I'd be horrified.

Unfortunately, while we have this rather tired debate raging about child sexualisation - which hasn't changed much in tone since Victorians were appalled by ankles, those in the 50s were disgusted by Elvis's hips, and the easily-scandalised were shocked by Frankie Goes To Hollywood - no-one seems to be caring much about hideous mares like Poulton.

We used to have a few of these prodnoses dotted around, but they're everywhere now. Self-aggrandising, aloof, condescending of others, and entirely dismissive of choices different from their own.

Put this latest over-wrought moral panic to one side for a minute. Let's instead try to investigate why we have an army of shrieking curtain-twitchers who insist on getting involved in everyone else's life as well as their own.

Now that's something that government should be doing if it cared for society, instead of encouraging the most objectionable to forcibly dictate their own personal gripes on the rest of us ... as they seem to do at every turn nowadays.

It's none of their piggin' business.