By speaking solely of immigration, politicians and the media mask the underlying conditions that have created a country alienated from itself, argues Editor-in-Chief of Byline Times, Hardeep Matharu
They talk about immigration, or more particularly, about small boats, because they are the latest scapegoats for the dire state of the UK. Never do the media or politicians do any critical thinking and ask why are people coming in small boats and why are people blaming “illegal migrants” for many of the nation’s ills. The first is obvious as is the solution: no safe and legal routes. The second is perhaps not so obvious, but is partly, or maybe largely, due to the failure of governments since the late 70’s to care for all citizens.
Neoliberal ideas had been around, under the radar, for several decades until the 70’s oil shock gave its proponents their chance and their delivery vehicle in the UK was Thatcher and her government. Everything she and subsequent PM’s did was in the interests of a small minority of rich people and companies. The vast majority had to wait for the “wealth creators” to allow riches to trickle down to the plebs below where a rising tide would lift all boats. Of course it didn’t but instead was salted away in secrecy jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, government had to become smaller, get out of the way, stop crowding out the dynamism of private enterprise. So State assets were sold off, public spending, aka investment, was curtailed, books had to be balanced, because government finances were exactly the same as household finances (despite the government having its own bank, unlike households) and the result is what we see today: underfunded public services such as the NHS, crumbling infrastructure, austerity, stagnating incomes for the majority, food banks, increased inequality and poverty, insecure employment (the flexible workforce) and a few obscenely wealthy individuals and company profits, paid for by consumers and aided by government subsidies going abroad to foreign owners.
When people are left feeling life isn’t going to get better for themselves or their children then some look towards the snake oil salesmen who can tell them who to blame -immigrants and foreigners- and sell them lies and false hope.
Government needs to escape the destructive neoliberal paradigm and start investing serious amounts of money in looking after the interests of the majority and curtailing the greed of the wealthy.
Congratulations on your excellent work and best wishes for the award.
One comment on the article: elected with a majority is not the same as elected by a majority. The former creates a false sense of popular support for the government while in reality the majority of the electorate is not on board, by definition. A government which governs oblivious to that reality will find strong headwinds in its way. “ The people you leave behind slow you down, the people you cast aside draw you down”. Unknown proverb, at least to me.
They talk about immigration, or more particularly, about small boats, because they are the latest scapegoats for the dire state of the UK. Never do the media or politicians do any critical thinking and ask why are people coming in small boats and why are people blaming “illegal migrants” for many of the nation’s ills. The first is obvious as is the solution: no safe and legal routes. The second is perhaps not so obvious, but is partly, or maybe largely, due to the failure of governments since the late 70’s to care for all citizens.
Neoliberal ideas had been around, under the radar, for several decades until the 70’s oil shock gave its proponents their chance and their delivery vehicle in the UK was Thatcher and her government. Everything she and subsequent PM’s did was in the interests of a small minority of rich people and companies. The vast majority had to wait for the “wealth creators” to allow riches to trickle down to the plebs below where a rising tide would lift all boats. Of course it didn’t but instead was salted away in secrecy jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, government had to become smaller, get out of the way, stop crowding out the dynamism of private enterprise. So State assets were sold off, public spending, aka investment, was curtailed, books had to be balanced, because government finances were exactly the same as household finances (despite the government having its own bank, unlike households) and the result is what we see today: underfunded public services such as the NHS, crumbling infrastructure, austerity, stagnating incomes for the majority, food banks, increased inequality and poverty, insecure employment (the flexible workforce) and a few obscenely wealthy individuals and company profits, paid for by consumers and aided by government subsidies going abroad to foreign owners.
When people are left feeling life isn’t going to get better for themselves or their children then some look towards the snake oil salesmen who can tell them who to blame -immigrants and foreigners- and sell them lies and false hope.
Government needs to escape the destructive neoliberal paradigm and start investing serious amounts of money in looking after the interests of the majority and curtailing the greed of the wealthy.
Congratulations on your excellent work and best wishes for the award.
One comment on the article: elected with a majority is not the same as elected by a majority. The former creates a false sense of popular support for the government while in reality the majority of the electorate is not on board, by definition. A government which governs oblivious to that reality will find strong headwinds in its way. “ The people you leave behind slow you down, the people you cast aside draw you down”. Unknown proverb, at least to me.