Talking tough on immigration is a cynical, simplistic ruse that sidesteps the real reasons people feel estranged in their lives and keeps everyone alienated, writes Hardeep Matharu
Politicians don’t want to change the systemic problems. We should raise taxes. Governments around the world are in debt but we have all this lobbying going on on to keep taxes low, a corrupt press, politicians earning more from their second jobs, no PR, no Leveson 2, and a threat to NetZero by Farage. Even Starmer caved into pressure over his Green deal and rolled back on his initial proposals. There’s no real incentive for them to do their job well. They use private healthcare, go to public schools, the public are just a problem they don’t really want to fix. We deserve better. Farage is making unrealistic promises just like Johnson did. God the Tories will probably dig up Johnson in desperation, then it really will be a shitshow.
This is a truth that is has become ever more apparent as our talentless politicians are led up the path to corporate dominance and secure themselves a very well-paid job after their spell in what is still laughingly called 'public service'. There are still some dedicated MP's that want to make the difference they have longed for but they never get into positions of power.
Party leaders are captured by corporations and media pressure on the one hand and advisors who are much more like puppet masters on the other. These confidantes profit from the common practice of governments always turning to consultants for their steer on how to address a problem - a practice that has enabled the rise of the know-nothing politician.
I'm not an advocate of the "strong man" leadership style but given the poor excuse for a democracy that we are currently blessed with we could sure do with someone who had a clue.
The problem with using focus groups and attitudes “research” is that many opinions have already been tainted by populists like Johnson & Farage and blanks like Starmer and the endless scapegoating, demonising and dehumanising of various groups - migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, benefits claimants, the unemployed and others - by the gutter press and some of the “serious” press. These bad actors have already framed the terms and language of the debate and some people adopt this framing.
Did 53% of English people (whose votes overwhelmed those of Scotland and NI) in, 2010 or ‘12 say, really consider Brexit to be the most effective answer to the question of what concerned them most about life in the UK?
Politicians don’t want to change the systemic problems. We should raise taxes. Governments around the world are in debt but we have all this lobbying going on on to keep taxes low, a corrupt press, politicians earning more from their second jobs, no PR, no Leveson 2, and a threat to NetZero by Farage. Even Starmer caved into pressure over his Green deal and rolled back on his initial proposals. There’s no real incentive for them to do their job well. They use private healthcare, go to public schools, the public are just a problem they don’t really want to fix. We deserve better. Farage is making unrealistic promises just like Johnson did. God the Tories will probably dig up Johnson in desperation, then it really will be a shitshow.
This is a truth that is has become ever more apparent as our talentless politicians are led up the path to corporate dominance and secure themselves a very well-paid job after their spell in what is still laughingly called 'public service'. There are still some dedicated MP's that want to make the difference they have longed for but they never get into positions of power.
Party leaders are captured by corporations and media pressure on the one hand and advisors who are much more like puppet masters on the other. These confidantes profit from the common practice of governments always turning to consultants for their steer on how to address a problem - a practice that has enabled the rise of the know-nothing politician.
I'm not an advocate of the "strong man" leadership style but given the poor excuse for a democracy that we are currently blessed with we could sure do with someone who had a clue.
The problem with using focus groups and attitudes “research” is that many opinions have already been tainted by populists like Johnson & Farage and blanks like Starmer and the endless scapegoating, demonising and dehumanising of various groups - migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, benefits claimants, the unemployed and others - by the gutter press and some of the “serious” press. These bad actors have already framed the terms and language of the debate and some people adopt this framing.
Did 53% of English people (whose votes overwhelmed those of Scotland and NI) in, 2010 or ‘12 say, really consider Brexit to be the most effective answer to the question of what concerned them most about life in the UK?