Populism, Politics & People

When you have lived for 70 years you have experienced the ups & downs of life. You have also been an observer of the World stage. I can remember the 3 day week & the lights going out in the Heath years. I can remember the divisive Thatcher years, which in my view set the stage for the 2008 Financial crisis, which is largely responsible for politics & life today.

We are now in a world of polarised, populist, politics. There is a war going on between extremes of authoritarianism, the right wing & the left wing, not to mention extremes of religion. Racism, Misogyny, Homophobia & Isolationism are rife in society. Tolerance of difference seems to have disappeared.

There is a dangerous disconnect between the rich & powerful & the working poor & middle class. There is also a disconnect between young & older people, who for the first time are less well off & less secure in their jobs, if they have one, & who have little chance of buying a home of their own. The rise of food banks shows just how difficult life is for the really poor, who are often also poorly educated. Who would have thought that child poverty would not have been stamped out in the so called "developed" world in the 21st century?

On the other hand the world seems to be ruled by multinational, global corporations & the "free market" economy. These often generate more income than whole countries & seem not to be held to account for their excesses.

Unemployment, the demise of manufacturing industries & poverty has led to male emasculation. The only place a man can be a man seems to be in the military. Maybe that explains our willingness to fight in the wars which have dogged us since Yugoslavia & the Arab Spring. Money can't be found for health care, education, the justice system etc. But it can always be found to fight a war.

No wonder the West is becoming more & more anti establishment. Fairness & equality of opportunity doesn't exist. People are fighting against a feeling of powerlessness. Brexit & the US Presidential election show that people do have power & can exercise it in a way which can be very detrimental to themselves.

The only bright spot is that the young seem to have found "politics". It is reminding me of my youthful activism in the 60s. The liberal democrat Bernie Sanders is 75 & could well have been the President elect with the huge support of young Americans had it not been for Mrs Clinton. Jeremy Corbyn is 67 & has been elected Labour leader for the second time because young Brits support him.

I am still seriously beginning to wonder whether this is the End Game though. I'm glad I'm not young.