It has been obvious for some time that there are basic concepts that the liberal British Establishment simply does not understand. Like money. Or tax. Or business. Or going to the pub. Or the fundamental value of free speech.

Well, now we can add a whole new roster of more baroque concepts to this list: meme culture, e-girls, semiotics, détournement, the subtext of black chokers and basic human nature. And all because of a purple-haired young cartoon woman called Amelia.

Before we get to Amelia, we need to understand what created her – because the joke can only be grasped once you appreciate the lunacy that came before her minxy pink dresses. Amelia comes from a game called Pathways: Navigating Gaming, the Internet and Extremism. It was developed last year by local authorities in East Yorkshire with public money as part of the Prevent anti-radicalisation programme. Ostensibly, it was an educational tool for schoolchildren and college students.

The player starts as ‘Charlie’, a new student trying to settle into college life. Charlie seems to be gender-fluid and is referred to throughout as ‘they/them’. And poor old Charlie’s task is to learn what kind of thinking is officially permitted.

The game is simple. Certain actions are ‘good’; others are ‘bad’. Make too many bad choices and you are, within the logic of the game,........

© The Spectator