THIS OTHER EDEN

People reveal themselves unwittingly all the time. The choice of a particular word or phrase or a momentary exclamation before the internal censor cuts in can illuminate a person’s real belief systems like a flare lighting up no man’s land. Thus it was with Trevor Kavanagh, the Political Editor of The Sun, on a recent edition of the BBC programme The Daily Politics. Reflecting on the upcoming European elections he said that it would be a ‘disgrace’ if the Labour Party came first in the poll.
‘Disgrace,’ what a revealing word. He did not say he would be disappointed, which as a leading propagandist for the hard right Thatcherite wing of the Conservative Party, would make sense, but that it would be a disgrace. It reminded me of two quotes, one an apocryphal one from 1945, a Duchess, on hearing the result of the election remarked, “they have elected socialists! The people will not stand for it!” Or more famously Berthold Brecht: -

‘The people have lost the confidence of the government; the government has decided to dissolve the people, and to appoint another one.’

The thing about right wing populists is that they so firmly believe that their innate prejudices are shared by the overwhelming majority of the population that when this appears not to be the case they suspect foul play; the usual form is to blame the BBC and the metropolitan liberal elite.
UKIP POSTER

UKIP have just unveiled their EU poster campaign, bankrolled by the right wing businessman Paul Sykes, who has switched his allegiance from the Conservative party. These posters would not be out of place in any 1970’s BNP campaign, or even the NDSAP campaign in Germany in the 1933 election. Not that I think Farage a Racist of the BNP stamp, and certainly  I think him far more relaxed about non-white immigration than any member of the BNP could possibly be. His racism is of a much softer variety, more xenophobic traditional little Englander than the openly aggressive racism of the BNP.  

It is worth noting that UKIP is more dangerous to the Tories than Labour not only as a repository of disaffected votes but as a direct consequence of the fact that the sentiments that underlie these posters is shared not just by some Tory voters but by a significant portion of backbench MP’s. The rightward pull of the Tory party threatens a permanent split in Tory ranks. 
Vote UKIP
Support Hard Working British Families


I gained a somewhat disturbing insight into the mind-set of a UKIP supporter from a troll who took umbrage at one of my articles on UKIP. I quote, [I have corrected some type errors]:-

‘I have just shown this post and comments to a wealthy successful middle class family at their million pound home. This family are involved in politics, business and one member is a well-known journalist. The reply was and I quote...GOOD LORD THE MANS DELUDED. So there you are .......’

I would like to think that these comments, particularly the last sentence, represent some sort of satire, but unfortunately from other comments made by this man it does seem to represent his real values. One had hoped that we had as a country outgrown the kind of toe curling deference that places greater value on a man’s opinions because of his class background let alone the cost of the house he inhabits! It would seem not.[1]
Incidentally these comments came as a direct consequence of entering into correspondence with a troll, big mistake. Though the overall effect of  these comments was to sadden and depress me.

Speaking of deference and propaganda watching the way in which the royal tour of Australia and New Zealand is being presented by the media in this country is to watch a master-class in both. The daily drip drip of non-news from Australasia, saccharine, sycophantic syrup; the baby, the baby with mother, the baby shakes hands with a member of crowd, the couple smiling, photo op with aboriginal. The message is clear, Antipodeans love the royal family, all alternative voices are drowned out. To protest is to hate young mothers with babies.
  
David Moyes
The Sacking of David Moyes as manager of Manchester United received disproportionate coverage in the media, I wrote about it myself in one of my subordinate blogs. * This coverage, rather like the coverage of the royal family, generating more journalistic filler than actual news. It also produced a number of ‘management experts,’ like the Harvard suit on the BBC's Newsnight programme, dispensing a stream of self-serving authoritative piffle. This hunger for strong management, strong leaders, is one of the most unhealthy aspect of the human condition.

* http://alextalbot116.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-shakespearean-demise-of-david-moyes.html


[1] In the mid 1970’s I was in fact a member of the Britain Out campaign, heavily influenced by Michael Foot and strongly argued socialist case against membership. I changed my mind during the campaign and in the end voted to stay in. What I do remember is attempting to hold a meeting in a small village in Shropshire which had to be aborted as the local landowner, Pro Common Market, had parked his car just outside the church hall where the meeting was to be held and the locals did not want to provoke his ire by being seen to enter an anti EEC meeting. 
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