Progressive politics has gone pear shaped; in the UK and beyond. From the billion reasons that this could be put down to, I think the fact that this is as they are no longer perceived to be the party that best looks after the interests of the mainstream and caters for minorities. Simple as that. Difficult a balance as it ever is to strike, we just need to compromise somewhere.
I believe the principle issue is that the voice of the left have become removed from any collective interest. Instead we lefties are instead dictated to by a wealthy minority who can afford to become obsessed over issues that are of no concern to those in real want of help. As worthy as these causes may be and without wanting to undermine them, I’d be most interested to learn how stimulated the overall national consensus is towards how we about the use of pronouns, or fracking… They shan’t win votes.
The fact that our supposed proponents of a more egalitarian society have become so consumed with issues that only the privileged afford significant headspace to paints an accurate picture. Perhaps this is inevitable is due to the supposed intellectual left actually being made up of such achievers. Those speaking on behalf of the left are then furlongs away from what it should represent.
This is the great gap and hole. The concept of having a force so committed to create a more harmonious and fair society being led by those of the upper echelons has created an overwhelming force of resentment. The fact that the current left-wing forces appear to be little other than intimidated by the working-class as opposed to representing them is what I believe to be at the crux of the issue. Recent general election results provide testimony that patronising people into believing that you best represent them, as opposed to offering any tangible feeling that you will improve their quality of life breeds little beside division and defeat. It’s all so evangelical; whatever the powers that be do is of little consequence to them, as they are in comfortable positions. Most of us are probably familiar with the Pied Piper of Hamlin fable. Having no real idea of what something will take them towards is exactly what the majority of the British population – as recent election results have solidified – are forced to feel towards the left side our political spectrum.
With our left now being so dominated by us urban middle class, now that we have gentrified city centres so in such a foreboding fashion, we have lost focus from our supposed cause. Our hymn sheet is so elaborate and complex. Wanting to become part of what is deemed to be in the favour of those who have the power of providing us with the voice of our left-wing, means that you must adhere to a rigid set of criteria. Under which it is almost impossible to represent a great deal of independent thought or challenge to any of their ideas without soon getting checkmated. For it’s almost as though the ability to hold a discussion that isn’t just a lecture, has been forgotten.
The excruciating irony is those who pillage themselves as so progressive and damning of the current status quo are so often those who have profited the most from it. Be they the supposed crème de la crème of academic attainment along with those taking home the largest salaries; they are the elite. We are then forced to be afforded with the opinions and rhetoric of this bunch to dictate upon us what is the best way to shape their fair society. Apparently blinded by just how much they have profited from the system that they so berate. Our left-wing and traditional voice of the worker has been replaced by a version of middle class patronage.
We live in a world of passionate experts. Everyone knows everything and this merely testifies towards our obsession with individualism. Demonstrations of this are enhanced by social media only seems to instigate a world full of flannel. It’s perhaps almost inevitable, but we have all become complicit in marketing ourselves to suit a fiercely capitalist agenda.
If you’ve ever read the Permanent Revolution by Leon Trotsky, you may well too appreciate the everlasting frustration in the paradox of left-wing movements; it’s nigh on impossible to hold power and to best represent the underdog.
All that I would hope for amongst my fellow lefties, is that we set a demonstration by laying off citiicising the political choices of other people. Instead, I reckon we need a few solid principles that could really galvanise How about making the maximum number of hours a week that could be done by any individual as say 25 or 30 tops? Why could we then not all have a better quality of life, boost the leisure and hospitality sector along with creating create more jobs. If we needed double the amount of people to fill roles, we should be able to halve unemployment. Less hours, more efficiency… Just an idea.
I think that we left just need a few strong, simple and memorable policies. Certainly not a wealth of intricate ideas.