Change the Narrative: The Real Political Problem in the UK?
(Since writing this post there has been the atrocious attack on the synagogue in Manchester. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Jewish community and those directly affected. I also know this will cause tensions and hate to rise even more towards the Islamic community and immigrants in general, so my thoughts go out to them, as well. People who have done nothing wrong but will face the hate and violence that comes off the back of this attack.)
I do not yet feel educated enough to start talking about politics. However, sadly, a lot of other uneducated people feel that they can! And they are sharing misinformation and downright lies that are causing divide and hate in the UK. I have a platform, so I feel it is my duty to use it to share a different, more well-balanced, kind, and educated perspective. Hopefully, one of actual facts as well!
I aim to help others interested in this political shift who are afraid of what they are seeing in the mass media. I will point you to some sources I’ve found recently that are helping me to see a more positive and realistic view. One of inclusion, fairness and support rather than divide, hate, and fearmongering. I promise you now, the problems in the UK leading to our lack of essential resources and funding is not what you think…
Here are some of the areas where we are divided as a nation alongside what some educated and well-balanced arguments on the matters discussed.
The Anti-Immigration ArgumentMy personal view on immigration:
Fact: immigrants were invited into the UK. Immigrants are the reason Britain is a thriving monopoly and global superpower. They helped rebuild this country after the World Wars and fought for this country during them. The backbone of the NHS is immigrants. The people looking after our most vulnerable are therefore immigrants. Without immigration, your life in the UK would look very different, and I’m sure most of you wouldn’t like it as much as you think.
And again, we are so privileged to live in a country that is not war-torn. If we were to be attacked, and we needed safety, we would want other countries to help us. Refugees should be welcome. It’s common decency and basic humanity to help those in need, regardless of which country they happen to be born in.
An educated view from Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s guest Zoe Gardner:
Some paraphrased quotes that I felt were poignant from the episode: “A country needs people, people are good for our economy…
As long as young men are given opportunities to work for a fair wage, their presence in our country is beneficial to all of us…
The UK colonised a quarter of the world so migrants from those countries speak English and have links in England and that’s why they come here when seeking safety…
If you can’t flee to the neighbouring country you will go to a place where you speak the language or are familiar with it culturally due to your country’s colonial history, be that Spain, Belgium, UK or France…
We need and want better management of our migration system, not less migrants”
Balanced view from a real refugee:
If you want to see the stats of ethnicity groups per job sector, you can see the 2021 data on the Gov website.
47.2% of black workers worked in public administration, education and health – the highest percentage out of all ethnic groups in this sector23.4% of workers from the other Asian ethnic group, 21.6% of workers from the mixed group, and 21.2% from the Indian ethnic group worked in the banking and finance sector25.9% of workers from the combined Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic group, and 20.3% from the other Asian group worked in the distribution, hotels and restaurants sector – the highest percentages out of all ethnic groups in this sectorSources and further reading: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/employment/employment-by-sector/latest/
Click to access 20210331_-CRED_Report-FINAL-_Web_Accessible.pdf
The Masculinity Issue / Debate and the “Trans Agenda”My personal view on masculinity:
I’ve already written a post that addresses the rise in transphobia and misogyny due to the struggle of masculinity in young men. Go read that if you’re interested. But I will add that if you are a man, please know, there is no right way to be a man! That’s all anyone who is branded as “woke” (eye roll) is saying. A growing society of inclusion of all forms of masculinity shouldn’t be a threat to you and yours. If you are secure in your expression of masculinity, you shouldn’t feel threatened, disgusted or outraged by someone else’s form of expression, when it has nothing to do with you.
The rise of Andrew Tate, the self-proclaimed misogynist and alleged-rapist, alongside Incels and suicide in young men shows a great need for us to come together in supporting all expressions of masculinity that is safe, healthy and doesn’t harm other groups of people.
Here are some interesting videos on masculinity if you’re curious on thoughts from men:
Is Masculinity Changing: The Last of Us Is There a Masculinity Crisis?The Masculinity Crisis: What’s Really Happening?A New Vision on Healthy MasculinityA balanced argument (by a woman who interviewed men)View this post on InstagramA post shared by Luke Bateman (@lukebateman_)
An educated conversation and a well-balanced view TV view:
Polanski’s podcast is a great listen that I’ve recently found, and in this episode with Jimmy The Giant, they discuss immigration, divide between the left and right, and masculinity alongside trans rights being human rights. Take a listen:
Emmy award-winning Adolescence TV show on Netflix
Trigger warnings: Steve film on Netflix with Cillian Murphy
Wealth Inequality and the Tax DebateMy personal view on wealth tax:
It makes perfect sense to me, though I am no politician, politics student, or economist, to tax the ultra-wealthy instead of working class and middle class people. Taxes need to be paid. Welfare is important for ALL OF US. Just because you don’t depend on the welfare system now, doesn’t mean you never well. Don’t let your current circumstances of potential privilege let you forget that one day, things could change for you and you will want a country that supports you in your vulnerability, not one that punishes you for being sick, poor, unemployed, or of a group that isn’t the dominant one.
An educated view on wealth tax and wealth inequality:
On my watchlist: The Accused on Netflix showing alternative views on people who are often accused and blamed wrongly in society and the impact that can have.
Left Vs Right Extremes < Centre and UnityMy personal view on extremes:
I have already talked about this many times. If you are new to my blog, you may not know, but balance and centre-thinking is important to me. Not all right-wing supporters are racists, rich, or capitalist. Not all left-wing supporters are soft, woke, and want to give money away for nothing. I think the majority of us are actually somewhere closer to the middle, but we just don’t know where to go or what to do in a world of extremes.
Read this post for more on my view.
I actually wonder if we do ourselves and our country a disservice by speaking about ourselves and our views as left or right at all…
A well-balanced tv view on right-wing political views:
On my watchlist: The Walk-In on Netflix
Interesting watch:
What it boils down toTo steal the words of the incredible Gary Stevenson, the real problem in the UK that is driving our political divide is “salience and storytelling“. As a writer, I agree. Stories are powerful. When you hear the same stories over and over, you begin to take them as fact. This is even more potent when done in an echo chamber, which is the case for most of us on social media. The news tells stories that sell, and sadly, stories of inclusion, unity, community and the like just don’t sell as well as ones of hate and division.
They will show you the few images and videos of “illegal immigrants coming on small boats” to make you hate them and blame them, even if it’s only a small percentage and only part of the truth of immigration. They want you to think that all your problems and struggles are due to the UK being “too soft” on refugees (whatever the f*ck that could possibly mean; what a compassionless thing to even say). Instead, we are just being told a story. A compelling, well-written story. One that serves the agenda of the wealthy or corrupt and, dare I say it, yes, sometimes, racist people in our country.
These news channels are owned by billionaires. The politicians have their campaigns funded by billionaires, too. Why then would they allow a narrative that leads to the taxing and responsibility of the rich, when instead they can shift the focus to making us blame each other? It’s simpler, neater, and beneficial to them to have you believe everything wrong with your life is because of immigrants, other cultures, and women, homosexual and trans people making everyone soft and gay and feminine! It’s ridiculous, when it’s put like that, right? But that is what so many are beginning to believe, because that is the popular story being told.
But our division puts money into the hands of the wrong people. It makes the everyday people like you and me struggle, while they continue to prosper, laughing at us as we continue our in-fighting and turn a blind eye to their actions. “The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights,” On Tyranny book by Timothy Snyder. Remember, it’s a tactic, a tool, to make us fear and hate one another (or ourselves, i.e. the beauty industry). Fear leads to sales. Fear gets more clicks. Hate gets more clicks. And the same people at the top flourish, while we continue to blame society for our problems, forgetting that we (you and me and them) are society! We make the choices. We decide where we put our attention and which campaigns we back.
While we still have a democracy, use it! Educate yourself, don’t let misplaced fear motivate your choices, and choose unity over division.
The UK has many problems that need fixing, but these are systemic and structural problems caused by and only made fixable in the hands of a small percentage of people in power (whether from wealth, being a part of the dominant social group, or political powers). They are not problems on an individual basis due to too many migrants and a growing “woke, soft culture of virtue-signalling and leftist propaganda“. Your fight is not with us. Shift your focus. Look deeper at the roots of the economic issues that most people claim to be their reasoning for protesting against immigration. Look deeper at the roots of the social issues that many people claim to be their reasoning for hating and dehumanising trans and gay people.
Look deeper, dig deeper, there’s more to this than what’s on the surface…
My husband found this amazing website and app called Ground News which helps you to “See every side of every news story. Read the news from multiple perspectives. See through media bias with reliable news from local and international sources“. This is SOOOOOO important for all of us, left or right or centre or neither. We need to be careful of our sources, the news we consume, and actively seeking out context and wider truth for all the stories we see and share. Thank you to the creators of this app for helping us to do this more easily.
Don’t let the political and intellectual elite dictate our futures with their ignorance. We must keep informed so we make the right decisions for our country. Don’t let the wrong diagnosis of the problems in the UK lead us into ruin.
I’ll leave you with two very enlightening videos from Gary Stevenson (Gary Economics), the economist who shows real facts and statistics as he argues his points, and urges us to meet in the middle so that we, the working and middle class, can begin the live comfortably again.
(Yes, I recognise that I share a lot of information from Gary, and that I need to seek other sources, too, which I am actively doing, and will be seen in my book recs post also coming soon, if not already scheduled before this one!)
Sincerely,
S. xx
