Not On Your Team, But Always Fair

Not On Your Team, But Always Fair, authored by retired lawyer and novelist Helen Dale, examines societal and political issues with a critical lens, offering unique perspectives on meritocracy, speech control, identity politics, and the impacts of bureaucracy. The newsletter delves into the consequences of social engineering, the dynamics of power, and cultural shifts, advocating for reasoned analysis over popular sentiment.

Meritocracy and Society Speech and Censorship Identity Politics Educational and Legal Systems Cultural and Political Commentary Social Engineering and Its Impacts Bureaucracy and Governance Gender Dynamics Race and Equality Financial Regulations

The hottest Substack posts of Not On Your Team, But Always Fair

And their main takeaways

Quibbling with Cofnas: I

1690 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Ideology Genetics Race relations
  1. The hereditarian thesis acknowledges that different human groups have varied traits, but using the term 'race realism' may not be the best way to describe this concept.
  2. Social outcomes are influenced by both genetic differences and cultural patterns, making 'race' a limited descriptor for these variations.
  3. While genes play a role in social outcomes, factors like culture and social circumstances also significantly impact these outcomes, suggesting that a broader perspective than 'race realism' is needed.

Quibbling with Cofnas: II

1100 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social justice Activism Diversity Ideology
  1. The dominant form of equalitarian politics known as 'wokery' is rooted in the acceptance of the equalitarian thesis among intellectual elites.
  2. The rise of 'wokery' and Critical Social Justice can be traced back to historical and social processes beyond just race, like gender, feminism, and decolonization.
  3. 'Wokery' perpetuates a false equalitarian principle through lies, censorship, and intimidation, evolving into a mechanism for public policy even in the face of contrary evidence.

Celebration of a Nation

1100 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics National Identity Citizenship Immigration
  1. Australia Day citizenship ceremonies are for immigrants to formalize their introduction to the country.
  2. The celebration of Australia's 1988 Bicentenary highlighted nation-building aspects despite controversies.
  3. Australian national identity and values are rooted in historical concepts like citizenship and democracy, contributing to national cohesion.
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Dude, Where's My Car?

1218 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
  1. Sometimes both sides of an argument can be right, making it challenging to find a resolution.
  2. Legislative perfectionism can lead to unintended negative consequences in trying to correct conflicting principles.
  3. In legal disputes, even with good claims, sometimes someone must lose as the law cannot always be perfect or just.

Creating insular information bubbles

943 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Media Migration Identity Progressivism Nationalism
  1. Narratives are about making meaning, not just facts, and protecting them from facts is crucial for them to continue to make meaning.
  2. Dysfunctional policy responses can suppress feedback and drive mainstream media narratives that may lack accountability.
  3. Internationalisation can reduce accountability in policy-making and contribute to undermining democratic systems across large populations.

The Transcult

1434 implied HN points • 27 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Beliefs Identity Activism Institutions Language
  1. Understanding the Trans phenomenon involves accepting weird beliefs with no evidence.
  2. Historically, getting rid of longstanding practices like religion doesn't always lead to societal improvement.
  3. The Transcult showcases how denying reality can signal loyalty to status-strategy groups.

What is a Woman?

1906 implied HN points • 04 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Gender Satire Religion History Literature
  1. Matt Walsh seemed to struggle with using comedy to address trans issues
  2. Christianity may not be a strong defense against Wokery and victim culture
  3. To effectively mock societal issues, we may need to adopt a different cultural mindset

Debanking, PEPs, KYC, & AML

1198 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
💰 Finance Banking Regulations
  1. PEPs and KYC checks can lead to issues for individuals and businesses needing banking services.
  2. Debanking can affect not just high-profile figures but also small businesses like window-cleaning firms.
  3. Regulations around PEPs, AML, and KYC may lead to overzealous interpretation by financial institutions.

The Transcult: II

943 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Feminism Academic Marxism Activism Identity
  1. Feminism and academic feminism played a major role in rejecting evolution, a key component for the Transcult.
  2. The Transcult leverages historical treatment of homosexuals to push its agenda and can be monetized as a 'consumerist civil rights' cause.
  3. The Transcult's emergence is a mix of social contagion, intense sexualization, and a contradictory relationship with feminism.

Welcome to new subscribers

1022 implied HN points • 16 Jul 23
📚 Literature Authors Novels Awards Publication Genres
  1. The Substack newsletter welcomes 500 new subscribers with free access and showcases the work of writer Lorenzo Warby.
  2. The author, Helen Dale, uses her platform to promote and support Lorenzo's essays and work.
  3. The newsletter covers a wide range of topics including politics and culture, with a focus on unique perspectives and interpretations.

A Crusading Clerisy

963 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Religion Bureaucracy Academia Identity politics Law
  1. Marxism is not a religion, but post-Enlightenment progressivism ('Wokery') can be considered as one.
  2. The growth of the human-and-cultural capital class, along with technological evolution, has led to a shift towards jobs less grounded in physical reality, especially in entertainment, media, and education.
  3. Post-Enlightenment Progressivism (

Simply the Best

1139 implied HN points • 28 May 23
🎭️ Culture Music Sports History
  1. Tina Turner played a significant role in promoting Rugby League and making the sport more popular among viewers and players.
  2. In the 1980s, Australia had a unique sports landscape with different football codes in different states and a strong class divide between rugby league and rugby union.
  3. Attending a Tina Turner concert in Australia in the 1980s involved navigating issues of gambling, age restrictions, and the unique cultural and political climate of the time.

Feminisation has consequences: I

1120 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🚌 Education Evolutionary Psychology Gender Roles Social Behavior
  1. Human societies have presumptive sex roles that stem from transferring risks away from, and resources to, child-rearing.
  2. Men and women exhibit cognitive and physical dimorphisms due to different reproduction strategies.
  3. The evolution of pair-bonding in humans has shaped societal roles, emphasizing male dominance and the importance of male teams.