An article in the FT confirms what I have long suspected, that our current economic travails can be traced back to the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Since then the economy has stagnated. Productivity per head of population has dropped, in part due to the ridiculous levels of immigration since Brexit. All the while the cost of living continues to rise. The upshot is that most people are no better off than they were in 2008, indeed many are worse off.
Buying a house is out of reach for many people. Paying for basic utilities is becoming ever more expensive. For the first time since the Industrial Revolution, children will be worse off than their parents. Is it any wonder the young are rejecting capitalism and looking to communism for answers?
Meanwhile in Parliament, Jeremy Hunt knocked 2p off national insurance. That was it, that was the highlight. The Tories will be wiped out come the next election, whether that is in May or November. They have nothing to offer and do not deserve to remain in power.
Yesterday evening, the PM Rishi Sunak stood outside number 10 and gave an unexpected speech in which he voiced his concerns about the growing menace of extremism.
The speech was full of dire warnings but no concrete proposals for dealing with the issues of Islamism and far right groups. Which far right groups he might have had in mind wasn't made clear, but there are none which pose a threat that matches that of Islamism.
Sunak said;
Now our democracy itself is a target. Council meetings and local events have been stormed. MPs do not feel safe in their homes. Long standing Parliamentary conventions have been upended because of safety concerns.
Each of those issues arise from the activities of pro-Palestine campaigners, many of whom have celebrated the actions of Hamas, a proscribed terrorist group. Looking back over the last twenty years name virtually any terrorist attack in Britain and Europe and it will have been undertaken by Islamist terror organisations or adherents of the religion of peace. It is quite apparent where the real problem lies.
Whether his speech will make any difference, only time will tell. I am not however overly optimistic.
We woke to the news George Galloway had been elected MP for Rochdale yesterday. This is for Gaza he proclaimed. As if the poor folk of Rochdale could give a fuck about Gaza.
It was reported today that a West End play will be shown to an all-black audience. Amy Gallagher, the mayoral candidate for London’s Social Democratic Party said the plan was racist. She is reported to have said
This is definitely racist. Excluding anyone on the basis of skin colour in this way is racist.
Most people would agree with her.
We have here an example of cognitive dissonance; the self proclaimed anti-racists adopting a racist policy by barring certain people from the theatre because of the colour of their skin.
The theory of cognitive dissonance was first revealed to the world by Leon Festinger in 1957. According to TheoryHub. His theory was
Based on the belief that people strive toward consistency within themselves and are driven to make changes to reduce or eliminate an inconsistency.
His theory was that if someone held two views (or cognitions) which conflicted with one another, they would suffer psychological discomfort, and the individual would be motivated to act to resolve that conflict.
A considerable number of empirical studies have demonstrated how people seek out new information and external justification to support their position.
One such justification is provided by the notion that racism is reliant on a power dynamic. Take for example an article by ThoughtCo in which is discussed supposed anti-white discrimination. The author takes the view that anti-white discrimination does not exist, indeed it cannot exist, because black people do not have the institutional power to affect the lives of white people. QED, white people cannot be the victims of racism.
So there you have it; to avoid the psychological discomfort that comes from holding conflicting points of view simply change the definition of unhelpful words. Simple really.
The furore concerning Lee Anderson's comments continue but still the problem that lies at the heart of the issue is not mentioned. Nonetheless, some backbench MPs, both Labour and Conservative, are so concerned about their safety they have been provided with bodyguards.
Following the chaos in Parliament on the 21st, Suella Braverman has voiced her belief that Islamists have taken over Britain. Yesterday, another Tory MP, Lee Anderson disagreed. He said they hadn’t taken over Britain, but Islamists had captured Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. Naturally he is accused of racism and Islamophobia, but perhaps now we are getting to the point where those in positions of power are prepared to openly accept there is a problem with radical Islam.
Or maybe not. Anderson has been suspended by the Tory party. His intervention may have been less than subtle, but rather than discussing the real problem, namely the growing menace of Islamic fundamentalism, they decided to shoot the messenger.
Parliament is in uproar. Yesterday the Speaker of the House, Lindsay Hoyle, broke convention and allowed the Labour Party to submit an amendment to the SNP motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Hoyle was formerly a Labour MP and some Tories are suggesting he failed to act impartially as is required of the Speaker. They have called for a vote of no confidence in him.
However I read today that Keir Starmer had asked Hoyle to allow the amendment because he feared that without it some of his MPs would be at risk of attacks by Muslim extremists. If that is true, it is very worrying. If a minority of extremists can bully MPs into a particular course of action, what becomes of democracy?
Prince William has waded into the Israel – Hamas conflict, calling for a humanitarian cease fire. Whilst his statement has no doubt been made with the best of intentions he really should steer clear of the subject. It is a toxic debate, and he will upset people on both sides of the argument.
We're back to the maxim if you've nothing to hide you've nothing to fear.
The Horizon IT scandal has been brought to the fore by the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Ordinary people whose lives were destroyed by a faulty computer system. These people had nothing to hide, but they had plenty to fear from an overbearing Post Office.