The Danish party leader Alex Vanopslagh has admitted to using co*aine while serving as party leader, and by now, every conceivable take on the story has already been exhausted. So rather than adding another take, this is a short post about the takes themselves. A meta post in the literal sense.
What stands out is not the admission itself, but the reaction to it.
A familiar pattern emerges. Commentators go out of their way to establish distance before offering acceptance:
“Although I have never used co*aine, I think it is perfectly fine.”
“I would never do it myself, but I don’t think it makes him a worse politician.”
Why is that qualification necessary?
If one genuinely believes the behavior is unproblematic, then personal abstention is irrelevant. The need to state it suggests the opposite. That the act still carries moral weight, one the speaker is careful not to share.
What presents itself as tolerance is, in reality, a careful balancing act: moral distance paired with social signaling.
It would be more honest to drop the preface. Either it is acceptable, or it is not. The attempt to occupy both positions at once reveals more about the speaker than about the subject.
My response to Alex Vanopslagh:
It’s completely fine that you’ve done dr*gs. Everyone does it all the time anyway. I wouldn’t have expected anything else, tbh. If you do it again, though, don’t take up the bathroom stalls at Toga. It’s seriously annoying when you have to pee.
//
Den danske partileder Alex Vanopslagh har indrømmet at have taget ko*ain, mens han var partileder, og da alle ledige standpunkter allerede er taget, kommer her et kort skriv om at skrive om sagen. Et slags metaopslag. Ikke det Meta, men begrebet, hvor man gør sig selv eller det samme til genstand for analyse.
For pludselig vælter det frem med skriv fra folk, der gerne vil signalere, hvor rummelige de er:
“Selvom jeg aldrig har taget ko*ain, så synes jeg faktisk, det er helt fint.”
“Jeg kunne aldrig selv finde på det, men jeg synes ikke, det gør ham til en dårligere politiker.”
Men hvis du oprigtigt synes, det er uproblematisk, så er det jo ligegyldigt, om du selv har gjort det. At du føler behov for at sige det, afslører det modsatte.
Moralsk afstand og social kapital på samme tid.
Så drop forbeholdet. Ellers er opslaget bare en måde at sende et signal til omverdenen om dig selv.
Mit svar til Alex Vanopslagh er:
Det er helt fint, du har taget stoffer. Alle gør det alligevel hele tiden. Jeg havde ikke forventet andet, tbh. Skal du gøre det igen, så lad være med at tage toiletbåsene på Toga. Det er mega irriterende, når man skal tisse.