All elections eventually appear to have a theme. In the current election an early front runner, that looks as though it will be the foundation for the entire Tory approach, is a very simple one. It's that we, the electorate, are being asked to doff our hats as a sign of respect to Prime Minister May when entering the polling booth and not have the temerity to ask what she might want to do with the power that will give her.
As an exercise in arrogance this is staggering.
What it says about society is as worrying, because people appear willing to do this.
Have we really returned to the point where most people are willing to accept that they have no right to question but must simply acquiesce with the whim of those with wealth-based authority?
And if so, what does this imply for the future?
In fact, is there a future to consider when all change is dependent upon the willingness to challenge those in current authority?
And was Marx wrong? Is pro-Tory Daily Mail propaganda the actual opiate of the masses?
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You’re right here, Richard. I think it pretty clear that Marx was wrong.
Not on capitalism’s ability to destroy itself he wasn’t
It’s doing that really well
“Have we really returned to the point where most people are willing to accept that they have no right to question but must simply acquiesce with the whim of those with wealth-based authority?”
Maybe the electorate are looking at the arguments and making their minds up?
Are you really accusing the electorate of being intellectually ineffectual and lily livered?
Sometimes a wise person has to accept that they have lost the argument.
I think that’s what some said in 1933
“Maybe the electorate are looking at the arguments and making their minds up?
Are you really accusing the electorate of being intellectually ineffectual and lily livered?”
The electorate lack the information to come to any kind of informed judgement – large parts of it ready tory-supporitng newspapers or watch tory-supporting news programmes – much of the output of the BBC falls into this latter category. So it is nothing to do with being “intellectually ineffectual and lily livered” & a great deal to do with being groomed – the electorate is being “groomed” by its “betters”.
Well, how would you market a dour overly serious woman of a certain age with a penchant for leather trousers?
What is there to like? Or admire? She is just a disciplinarian. And the best hand the Tories could produce from a bad bunch of cards.
The aim now will be for her to exude confidence and look like a leader whilst repeating ‘strong and stable’ all of the time.
As for the ‘opiate’ – the establishment in this country knows how to run the place. It is straight forward divide and conquer.
This country has always been one that is at war with itself as a result. And if someone tries to join in to stop the melee, all that happens is that they get turned on – I mean look at Europe?
It is not this country that is broken – it is our political economy.
The whole thing is an enormous power grab.. I’ve had the sense that since 2010 the Tories and their media cheerleaders decided they simply did not want to share power…
– Brexit
– Henry VIII Bill
– Disenfranchisement of Young and Itinerant Voters through Registration Changes
– Reduce Constituencies on basis of exclusion as above
– Relentless personalised monstering of opposition leaders
– Threaten Lords
– Threaten and Instal Supporters in key positions at BBC
Sad times..
I cannot understand why no-one is talking about how the £50 billion EU exitfee will be funded.
Given that the OBR is forecasting a deficit of £55.2 billion for 17/18 this should be at the forefront of any agenda, just as it is for the EC.
Are we going to double the deficit before the impact of trade deterioration?
Probably…..
Nothing much to add except to say I agree 100%! You’re so totally on the button with this. It’s incredibly worrying. For a long and not an easy read, I’d recommend Wolfgang Streeck’s essay ‘THE RETURN OF THE REPRESSED’ which kind of explains how it’s come to this – https://newleftreview.org/II/104/wolfgang-streeck-the-return-of-the-repressed (apologies if you’ve already read it).
Re Marx – he was of course right at the time and, bizarrely, institutional religion still is an opiate for millions. But it has largely been superceded – at least in the West – first by consumerism and now, as you say, Mail-style media trash. It’s all deeply, deeply worrying as there is no short-term remedy.
It is a worrying state of affairs when there seems to be no public debate on issues. There are sound bites from May only, reporting on her ‘meetings with voters’ , and ministers seemingly silenced.
The only plus points to now have been the mild attempts at holding her to account on Marr and Peston.
You lot should count your blessings. At least you have a vote that can be given to Labour, Lib Dems, Greens, SNP et al. We here in Buckingham constituency are some 50000 voters with a totally useless vote. The Lib Dems and Labour will not be fielding candidates. Why? Our sitting MP is Mr Speaker, the Rt Hon John Bercow. In fact, I have a lot of time for him; he has been a good MP, and certainly won the admiration of many of us in his refusal to allow Donald Trump to speak to the H of C. But he cannot vote on any partisan matters – notably Brexit – and we are deprived of the opportunity to vote for a candidate who will insist that it be Parliament that has the final say in the shape of any agreement and deal in two or more years time with the EU. The convention is that the main parties do not field candidates in the constituency to oppose Bercow. So we cannot express in the ballot box our belief in the central role of Parliament in the Brexit process. Earlier this week, a lady was put up by the local Lib Dem office as official candidate for the party in Buckingham; subsequently, she has withdrawn from the contest. Presumably, Lib Dem Central Office have sent the word down to Buckingham that they should not rock the boat and should not oppose Mr Bercow. And we, the mass of the electorate, are left impotent. So lucky you – think of us here in Buckingham when you cast your vote.
Point entirely accepted
But I admit John Bercow does the job quite well