The phrase "and the general drift" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the overall direction or tendency of a discussion, argument, or piece of writing.
Example: "While the details may vary, the general drift of the conversation was clear: we need to improve our communication strategies."
Alternatives: "and the overall trend" or "and the main idea".
Set out to only get the general drift and bust it out if you're truly stumped.
Just say nay to the horse-and-carriage business because it is inhumane and a safety hazard (seven accidents, and two traffic-related horse deaths in the last three years) is the general drift of their protests and billboard campaigns.
And the idea sits oddly with the general drift of pension policy, which is that people need to be "nudged" into buying pensions in the first place, via auto-enrolment.
The fellow prowls through your copy like an overzealous gardener with a pruning hook, on the watch for any phrase he senses you were rather pleased with, preferably one that also clinches your argument and if possible is essential to the general drift of the surrounding passage.
Perhaps a suitable headline for today would be "It was The Sun wot followed the general drift of public opinion and joined the winning side".
A&E, now a joint venture of Hearst, Disney and NBC Universal, began life in the 1980s as a channel focused on fine arts and high-brow entertainment, and it's easy to make fun of the changes it's gone through and to see in them a metaphor for the general drift of our culture.
People just did not like their situation or the general drift of the country, and seemed to hold everyone in a position of power — locally and in Washington — responsible.
I don't turn to greeting cards for wisdom and advice, but they are a fine reflection of the general drift of the culture.
Amid the general drift, cycles can be discerned: peace and freedom alternate with war and tyranny, eras of increasing wealth with periods of economic collapse.
"The general drift was that nobody's any good except you and me.
