"Lord" of Danger
- gpeavler1
- Jun 21, 2024
- 2 min read
“Lord” Miles Routledge is a controversial danger/war tourist styling himself as “The last great British explorer”. Though not exactly a journalist, and I am certain he would take offence if called one, his work is journalistic in nature. He travels to hostile territory (either socio-politically or physically, such as Chernobyl), lives and/or interacts with the people (most famously the Taliban) and posts his experiences and interviews with said people on YouTube or X. In contrast to most journalists, “Lord” Miles’ rhetorical style relies on his status as an everyman, his willingness to throw himself into extraordinary situations with little fear of death, his borderline supernatural ability to form a rapport with characters most journalists would dare not approach, and his independence as a seemingly completely free agent. He is not a prestigious Times journalist, he has no money, establishment, or government sponsoring him, holds no degrees, and claims to have an IQ of 89 based on a test he took at age 19. Yet, bizarrely, this only seems to enhance his ethos to his audience, a true average Joe posting about what he sees in dangerous locales and situations. Where other journalists will post polished press releases of wars from the comparable comfort of a Humvee behind a team of Marines, “Lord” Miles posts amateur pictures from his phone on the streets and maintains a near suicidal optimism. I believe his post after being released from eight months of Taliban custody is an apt summation of his unique style and appeal: “8 months in Taliban Intelligence “custody”, best adventure I’ve had yet!. . .Best mates with many top commanders after numerous picnics, lovely lads treated me as a guest! I will be returning to Kabul next month.”
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