False Democracy Left Consciousness Shopping

Do we want to shop or to be free? We'd better choose fast | Neal Lawson | Comment is free | The Guardian

Self-righteous left-wing ideologue condemns shopping.

People want stuff because they just want it; because it makes their life more convenient, more pleasant, more comfortable. And maybe they want stuff to boast about status. Who gives a fuck?

If this is such an affront to the puritan Righteous of the Left then why has New Labour assiduously pursued Thatcherite policies over the last 12 years, encouraging people to get into debt in order to spend beyond their means? Why has New Labour basically turned politics into a form of shopping, pretending to offer the electorate a variety of 'choices' in this and that?

Most people are the same. That's because, as human beings, our differences (individuality) are greatly outnumbered by our similarities with regard to needs and desires. The left-wing concept of 'false consciousness' or 'bad faith' is operating here, and it is itself false. The best expression of the relationship between rulers and the ruled can be found in Machiavelli:

The people are more honest in their intentions than the nobles [politicians/ruling classes] are, because the latter want to oppress the people, whereas they [the people] want only not to be oppressed.

People just want to be free - not particularly for anything but just to be able to do what they want, or not do anything at all. This is an affront to the sanctimonious totalitarian impulses of the Righteous.

If I can afford it and I want to shop then I'll shop. If not, I won't. What I won't put up with is authoritarian liars presenting me with false dichotomies and false choices to cover up their own mendacity and to bully me into accepting their totalitarian policies.

Cameron Broken BBC Politics Goes Post-Bureaucratic

Oh, to be in Blighty:

in Britain today a growing culture of rule-following, box-ticking and central prescription robs people of the chance to use their judgement or to take responsibility for making the right decisions.

And an increasingly Orwellian surveillance state - symbolised by the simultaneously ineffective and intrusive ID cards scheme - reminds people that the powers-that-be don't really trust them.

So this compounds the rage that we feel.

We rage that as we go about our business we are picked and poked and bossed around, annoyed and irritated and endlessly harassed by public and private sector officialdom...

...that treats us like children with rules and regulations and directives and laws that no-one voted for, no-one supports, but no-one ever seems to be able to do the slightest thing about.

No trust. No discretion. No judgment.

Astute words from David Cameron, who seems to have caught something essential in the public mood that is eluding Labour and the mainstream media. But...he's a politician salivating at the prospect of being Prime Minister and he'll promise anything he thinks will get him votes.

As Neue Arbeit Macht Frei points out, the central problem is not properly addressed, ie that to regain our national sovereignty and democracy we must leave the EU. Cameron is kite-flying when it comes to the EU - he's the only UK political leader daring to talk about it openly. If the anti-European powder trail catches fire he may end up with something he hadn't bargained on.

Just watched the BBC 6 o'clock news version of events. No mention of the EU, of course, and, in the interest of 'balance', a deft redirection to the line that all the major political parties are urging reform, then back on to the expenses saga.

Cue also the execrable Straw, defending the government's indefensible track record, inviting Cameron to cross-party talks on the issue. He deserves a punch in the face.