I find this open letter interesting. The premise of the letter is that Sally Rooney belongs to a class of individuals who should be treated differently from all other citizens. Ordinary people are not allowed to support Palestine Action. And if they do, there are consequences. But Sally Rooney apparently belongs - if we are to believe the open letter - to a group of people who are exempt from ordinary laws and rules. That is why she should be allowed to support Palestine Action. I have always had the feeling that there exists a group of artists and intellectuals who consider themselves members of an elevated caste. It is a feeling that is hard to prove — but here it is. It is clear from the French media that the riots in France are, to a certain extent, caused by extremely privileged people who like to play the game of hating France and the West. We need to break the vicious circle in which a small group of extremely privileged people can play this parlour game, when they meet each other, of hating Western civilisation. I understand the need to play parlour games. But this parlour game - which very much resembles the salon communism of the Soviet era - is dangerous. The fact is that there are a great many non-literary, non-intellectual and, frankly, uneducated people out in society who are completely unaware that all this is a game for educated people. They simply take it seriously, which was never the intention. And then they rampage and plunder their way through France. That is why I think we should do Sally Rooney the honour of taking her seriously.