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My ‘moral equivalency’ point refers to Andris Heks’ comment rather than David’s. Andris clearly does draw an equivalence between Trump supporters and the Chinese autocrats.

I contend that Western civilization does have some significant virtues that many in academia nowadays deprecate, especially all the freedoms and liberties we nowadays take for granted, and the capacity of this civilization, especially since the Enlightenment, to critique itself, and thereby provide an impetus for reform. Unfortunately the latter virtue has in our time morphed into a morbid self-loathing that prevents us from seeing clearly the dangers we now confront.

And just to be clear, I don’t resile from making value judgements about the relative merit of a civilization that extols universal human rights to one that makes all such rights subject to Sharia. I strongly prefer the former. What about you David?

I would add that when I talk of Western Civilization I don’t regard it as the exclusive property of the countries of the traditional Western world, any more than the scientific revolution. I am a huge fan of Taiwan, a superb civilizational hybrid that combines the best of West and East.

On the matter of violent right-wing groups: Yes, they exist and they are a pretty nasty. They are also miniscule, and it is a gross misrepresentation to lump anyone who voted for Trump and wears a MAGA hat in with them.