Virtue-Signaling: Cheap for Katy Perry, Deadly for the Rest Of Us - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
Virtue-Signaling: Cheap for Katy Perry, Deadly for the Rest Of Us
by

In the wake of the Manchester bombing, it seemed that those in the West might be willing to take the threat of Islamic extremism seriously. And then Katy Perry opened her mouth.

On “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,” the pop diva said, “Whatever we say behind people’s backs, the Internet can be a little bit ruthless as far as fan bases go but I think that the greatest thing we can do is just unite and love on each other.” She added, “No barriers, no borders, we all just need to co-exist.”

My first thought on hearing that was, “Gee that’s great, Ms. Perry! But why lecture people in England?  Tell it to the people behind the bombing. In fact, why don’t you deliver that message to ISIS personally? I’m sure they’ll be happy to ‘co-exist’ with you!”

What is so despicable about this instance of virtue-signaling is that Perry does not pay much of a price for flaunting her supposed moral superiority, but the rest of us are endangered by her foolish naivete.

The 32-year-old earned more than $350 million before taxes from 2008 to 2016, so when Perry advocates “no borders” and “no barriers,” she knows that she will be able to afford security to keep her safe for the rest of her life. But if Perry’s whims were ever to become reality, people without her wealth would be put at grave risk.

What Western nations need is more border enforcement and more barriers to entry. That Perry doesn’t understand that “no borders” would give terrorists free reign is a testament to her low-wattage brain. Perry should consider that Manchester bomber Salman Abedi traveled to both Syria and Libya where he may have received terrorist training. Perhaps Britain (and the U.S.) should have a policy that if you visit a country with heavy terrorist elements, you will be put under surveillance until authorities can be sure that your visit did not involve interaction with terrorist groups. Twenty-two people might be alive today if Britain had put up these types of “barriers” to Abedi’s re-entry.

Perry’s advice that we “love on each other” is as dangerous as it is silly. Threats in the world won’t go away because we welcome everyone else with open arms. There are people in the world, like those in ISIS, who have no interest in “loving on” Westerners. If ISIS was involved in the bombing, the proper response to them is not “love” but bombs and missiles. That is the strategy that will yield fewer Manchesters in the future.

It is tempting to dismiss Perry’s words as insipid yapping by someone who thinks her fame makes her a deep thinker. The danger is that 1) people will take her ideas seriously because of her celebrity and 2) those who are like-minded and in a position to influence policy will try to use her celebrity to further their ends.

Perry’s comments will no doubt send a strong signal to her colleagues in the entertainment industry that she is a good person who is opposed to so-called Islamophobia, xenophobia, and claustrophobia. And her wealth all but ensures that she will never suffer the effects of her words. The victims will be the middle and lower-class parents who just want to get their kids home safely.

Crossposted at Bombthrowers.

Sign up to receive our latest updates! Register


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

Be a Free Market Loving Patriot. Subscribe Today!