The Candace vs Mikhaila show.

Last night, Piers Morgan invited us to watch his latest spectacle. Instead of two gladiators in the ring, we saw two ladies sat with their microphones, ready to duel it out. In one corner was Candace Owens and in the other was Mikhaila Peterson. If you’ve read my work you’ll know my thoughts about Candace, as well as Piers. Still, I decided to tune into this spectacle, not least because I like Mikhaila.

I have time for her, not because she’s Jordan Peterson’s daughter but because I see her many good points. I have watched Mikhaila’s podcast and I like her honesty and humility. I like the way she interviews people.

Mikhaila’s interactions with Candace served as an observation of my own with those who frequently deny what they say. As Mikhaila correctly pointed out, Candace tends to make a sentence out of half truths and so there is no success in trying to call her out. All she does is deny. I have seen Candace do this on her show with regard to issues like vaccines and child birth. I have seen how she critiques famous women and yet supports dubious personalities like Kanye West and Andrew Tate.

Not long ago, Candace appeared on Piers Morgan and presented such a twisted narrative on Israel Palestine, that with the help of J-TV, I had to address this in a post. Candace is all too invested in her own abilities but denies other women’s. She also thinks they should not have the vote. This display of ego is all on her show or channel. I gave her a few chances and decided she was so corrupt in her arguments that I had to unsubscribe.

What Candace does well is the perfection of fast and confident delivery, which to use a rather progressive term is what makes her dangerous. She has a big platform and is a role model to the black conservatives who are fed up of the victim mentality and low expectations when it comes to their group. Candace’s audience will be full of people who admire her and see her as a role model. So, she has a huge responsibility, that is dangerous when she appears to continually pursue an easy narrative rather than the truth. I don’t know how she is in her personal life but in terms of her how she comes across as a media personality, I find Candace to be narcissistic.

On Piers’ show and up against the confident Candace, Mikhaila came across as less experienced. It was understandable that many comments supported Candace but I think she has pulled the wool over people’s eyes. In time, if they are open to checking Candace’s claims, they will change their mind, like I did.

As well as calling out Candace, Mikhaila got something else right also. The H-1B visa row in America that centres around Indian immigrants did expose some racism. Mikhaila saw it on X, whereas I saw it on substack. Public figures like Ann Coulter posted some rather backwards statements. This then attracted racist remarks where commentators called Indian people smelly, dirty and untrustworthy. This is a narrative I see elsewhere online, such as Reddit and YouTube (eg Lotus Eaters’ podcast comments) but also across the world. My husband’s oldest daughter teaches in Hong Kong and found this sort of rhetoric in her school.

Racist name calling is not merely critiquing, like people do towards the ideology of Islam. It is not comparable with criticising a dangerous ideology responsible for extreme incidents and terrorist attacks. It is not necessary and it is uncivilised to call any group of people undeserving names based on old assumptions and to paint the whole group with one brush. You can still have your debate about the exploitation of Indian workers and how that costs Americans. You can also still criticise Islam without name calling innocent Muslims. (And that too is different to asking for some accountability amongst the community).

Piers equates the criticising of Islam with the racism towards Indian people, as do numerous Muslims whenever Indian people talk about their experiences. All this does is facilitate the already protected identity of Muslims and Islamists, at the cost of western democracy and safety.

As frustrating as it can be for Indian people to have to protect themselves from slurs, often unsupported, at least they are abiding by free speech laws and rights. Advocating for basic respect is one thing, asking for special treatment is another.

I don’t condone any racism or injustice and so I call it out when I see it. Mikhaila was right to do so also. In the comments, people want to take sides but that’s the too easy approach. Credit where it is due; Candace for all her faults is brilliant at what she does. Mikhaila needs more experience but in my opinion, is the better, more humble and truth seeking person.

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