How do you create a world that works for everybody and not just those at the top?
The system we have is run by the wealthy elite for the benefit of the wealthy elite (the establishment). It is extremely resilient and difficult to change.
They use their wealth, power and influence, via corruption, bribery, sponsorship and lobbying, to control the political systems.
The establishment seeks to exploit and control. They give as little, in the way of wages and rights, as they can manage to get away with. The name of the game is to maximise profits from their investments.
The Tory Party (Republicans – and to a lesser extent Democrats) was initiated to protect the interests of the establishment. That is what it has been effectively doing for hundreds of years.
The Labour Party evolved out of the Trade Union movement to represent the working people. It is a socialist anti-establishment party.
When ordinary people forced a democratic process with first ‘one man one vote’, and then the inclusion of women, the establishment were terrified that their unfair system would collapse. So they developed tactics to prevent that happening. They controlled the media to pump propaganda into the homes of the people, used a range of diversionary tactics – wars, threats, race, immigration, foreigners etc. – and deployed the money markets to castrate any potential opposition.
Any socialist (anti-establishment) agenda which might pose a threat to the establishment is vilified in the media with horror stories of the potential collapse of civilisation (see the campaign against Corbyn).
If a socialist government did attain power the establishment rallies against it. Money is withdrawn, trade is restricted. In foreign countries there have been embargoes, funding of internal agitators, direct dirty tricks and even invasion. This is not helped by socialist/communist countries rapidly descending into totalitarian tyrannies riddled with corruption.
The average IQ in the country is 100. By definition 50% of the population have an IQ below 100. The establishment knows that – hence people are bombarded with threats, scare stories, distractions, lies and crass slogans – £350 million a week, oven-ready, world-beating.
The Labour Party, in order to be electable, has to be no threat to the establishment. Hence it jettisons its radical, socialist principles and moves to the centre. It effectively becomes a watered-down Tory party. When in power (as with Blair) it adopts Tory policies with some more caring socialist fringe benefits.
In order to create a world that works for the many and not just the few, we need to create a fairer, more caring society.
That is not easy.
Protest is good. It shows that there is strength of feeling sufficient to motivate people to take to the street, sign petitions, express their displeasure.
But peaceful protest is ignored – see the Brexit protests and mass demos.
Taking direct action can be effective – as seen through Greenpeace – but does not solve anything. The pollution, deforestation and species extinctions still continue. Extinction rebellion used this with some success – but it is difficult to keep the momentum, you need mass involvement, it is rapidly infiltrated and the leaders are open to being picked off (one way or another).
Using violence or damaging property plays right into their hands. They are able to portray the movement as extremist and turn public opinion against them. They have the power to use draconian force to quell any level of rioting or public disorder (as was seen with the riots a few years back).
It seems to me that the only way to create long-term change is through educating the population, raising awareness, and countering the propaganda put out by the media.
This may have to take place through a number of stages.
I fear there are no easy solutions (and A/I is going to make the situation worse!).
The right have always been good at unifying themselves. The left is its own worst enemy. It forms into warring factions that attack each other instead of the enemy (see the Spanish civil war).
In Britain the Corbyn socialist alternative was derailed through the media. The constant propaganda convinced the electorate that he was unelectable. The result is Brexit and the most incompetent right-wing government we’ve ever had. We will have 14 years of Tory rule. In the States they voted Trump in and Bernie Sanders stood no chance.
You can see what we are up against.
The question is not whether to protest, or in what form, but how to convince the electorate that they are being taken for a ride and that there is a viable alternative. These are the people who gave this clown Johnson an 80 seat majority, voted for Brexit (cutting their own throats), love royalty, and believe what they are told by the Express, Sun and Mail.
Until the people wake up to what is being done to them, how unfair the system is, we are wasting our time.
So how do you change the system?
I haven’t seen any pragmatic solution yet!
Most people are fairly content with what they have. They might not be very happy but they can’t be bothered.
Some people strive to become part of that wealthy elite.
Some people try to live outside the system through their own creativity.
A small minority want to actively change it.
Until the majority become motivated nothing will change. That is what the establishment are so good at – giving the majority just enough to stop them getting off their backside.
This is very informative! couldn’t seem to ask but during the black lives matter protest, they had a dramatic protest which resulted to a some people loosing their lives and sustaining injuries.. would you say it is a good idea going on a dramatic protest instead of a peaceful protest knowing fully well the dangers of it?
I think protests are important to demonstrate the depth of feeling that exists. I am not really in favour of violence though. In order to change the world, we have to change the mindset of ordinary people. These are the people who vote in psychopaths, sociopaths and narcissists like Trump, Johnson and Bolsonaro. I think fascist popularists are only ever in it for themselves.
I agree education, but also some active direct participation in democratic processes where results can be seen at local level. If you have a voice and can see the impact it has, then that will encourage a shift from apathy to action.
Yes – you are right Safar. There’s a lot of apathy though!
How does the desperate need for affordable, effective education – prior to and post age 16 – (for the masses, not just the well-healed) align with a global recession, a gig economy, and sustained Tory reductions in funding to local authorities and councils? Outside of State schools, what degree of faith should the electorate have in an Academies’ ability to educate their children when they are part-funded/sponsored by business and hierarchically stratified universities run for profit.
Seems to me computing algorithms have already sent into disarray an already failing examination process, caused great anxiety to students, and marginalized the importance of teachers in the educational process. What reliance should we have on technology, and specifically technological evaluation…where indeed do we draw the line in its application and use? All this upset and confusion delivered by an (Tory) Education Secretary’s world-beating complacency and ineptitude. One wonders if his former role as a fireplace salesman was worthy qualification for such an important role, or whether by design, some sort of politically perverse ideology is at play. It has been suggested that the algorithms differentiated on postcodes and class sizes, the implication being that state schools were targeted more so than private schools.
Today, Kier Starmer, the New New Labour/Tory light-weight leader – EXPECTS all children to be back in schools in September, ‘no ifs, or buts’. Meanwhile C-19 cases released on Saturday 15/08/2020 were 1441, up 570 vs last week. When schools do open, if increasing transmission-rates lead to increasing death-rates, who will now be held responsible?
You write, ‘So how do you change the system?’ How indeed when class-politics rules the roost!
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The Tories only see things in terms of cash. They have privatised education and look for competition and fear (of Ofsted failure) to drive up standards despite big cuts to funding. They do not want to educate all – or educate at all. They merely want a system with a narrow curriculum delivering failure and success as fodder for the jobs market and zero hours contracts.
As for our fireplace salesman, he’s certainly putting some heat into the place!
I think some of us know who is responsible for the deaths. The rest of us need to wake up!
I see the U.K Tory government – obviously long-standing, progressive advocates of equality, fairness, (‘leveling up’ the U.K) – have excluded BTec students from its U-turn on A-level and GCSE exam results. Given that, ‘ A high proportion of BTec students are from BAME communities and low-income families.’ (Sadiq Khan) is the governments decision at all surprising.
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Those Tory bastards will get away with whatever they can. They really do not care about those on the bottom.
Unsurprisingly, it’s been exclusively revealed by the Guardian (1) that Public First, a policy and research firm linked to Gove and Cummings were hired to work with Ofqual on A-levels without the contract being put out for tender. This the third batch of work Public First have been handed by the Tory government this year, all without open-tender…seemingly, ‘exceptional rules’ applied as part of the Tories response to C-19.
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(1) – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/20/firm-linked-to-gove-and-cummings-hired-to-work-with-ofqual-on-a-levels
I hope all this cronyism gets to really see the light of day. Everything from Apps to PPE has been given out to friends with disastrous results. They are squandering money right left and centre (mainly to the right!)
What grates is that there isn’t a damn thing anyone can do to stop them, and seemingly no opposition worthy of its name to call them out.
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When you’ve got a majority of 80 and parliament is not functioning because of Covid – they’ve got a free hand.
But Dewin – take heart – this will prove their downfall. Arrogance is their weakness. They overstretch and show their hand.
Now is not the time to attack them. Best to keep one’s powder dry. The battle lies ahead and the ammunition is being stored up. The time will come and all the atrocities will come home to roost!
Patience in times of despair. Everything passes.
Let’s get rid of Trump first!
Such cronyism as evidenced above has nothing whatsoever to do with the pandemic. It is blatant opportunism and should be called out.
‘The time will come and all the atrocities will come home to roost’ – so what exactly will their punishment be?
Indeed, Trump must fall.
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They’ve always done it. The pandemic has acted as camouflage – they’ve become more brazen.
You know, as well as me, that they will get away with it – but we’ll boot them out of office! They are corrupt!
Agreed, the pandemic has aided and abetted, exacerbated and accelerated perverse Tory ideology. It is the inevitable increase in needless suffering as livelihoods are shredded and people’s lives torn apart – all by design – that comes to pass before the next election that is despairing Opher.
Dark months ahead.
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Yes there are dark days – but it will take that for these idiots to come to their senses and realise what Tories really are – greedy, self-centred and uncaring. At the moment the majority still believe in them. We need dark days.
We need effective mechanisms by which to hold politicians to account, not dark days and suffering.
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A guillotine would help Dewin!
If I was in opposition I would be keeping a low profile. There is no point in using all your opposition now. The battle is four years off. They have too big a majority to bring down. Things change. The mistakes and corruption are stacking up.
Opher, I am with you every step of the way, this piece clearly lays out the problem. The Sun, Express and Mail are the obvious targets but more insidious are the Telegraph, The Times and things like the Spectator. They write with a sort of ‘unquestionable authority’ that bolsters up the ruling class who subscribe to them. Against my wishes, I was forced into a public school education and the de facto papers were The Times and The Telegraph. Says it all.
Sadly, I have friends who read this stuff and are completely beguiled because it reinforces the fear of losing their current status quo.
As you say, a small minority want to change things but I’ve no idea how one undermines this purchased hierarchy. While it is open to a multitude of viewpoints, the Internet is hopeless because the majority of searchers are only looking to support their point of view.
Excellent piece I couldn’t have put it more clearly!
PS. I read a quote in yesterday’s paper attributed to Cicero:
‘Politicians are not born but excreted.’
Thank you John. I love that quote.
I’m at a loss to know how we go forward. Too many people seem beguiled by the message being put out by the media – some intelligent people too.
As you say, the message given by the likes of the Times and Telegraph is a more eloquent rendition of the same message – one of superiority and privilege.
Where is the other side of the story??
Further to the quote, ‘Politicians are not born but excreted’, a reader noted that politicians are like nappies. Both need to be changed from time to time and for much the same reason.
Lol – so true and very vividly put.
Just as I was beginning to wonder what happened to all those great discussions on Opher’s blog. I’m happy now!
I don’t want to overdo them Safar. It annoys people.
Yup can understand that from previous experience
Debates on controversial issues are not popular – but I like them.