The rise of the far right

[Rusty Nails]

Unfortunately the UK working class are now hateful Brexit voting bigots.

Always a bit of a problem to make a statement about several million individuals.

I would question your use of the word "now".

Do you mean the working class have always been hateful bigots?

I suppose so, yes.

I took Aurora Saab's comment to be sarcastic rather than a statement of opinion, given the post Brexit comments of many Remain supporters.

You went from a post criticising statements about millions of individuals to making one of your own.

 

[AuroraSaab]

It was, and also a musing on the fact that political parties have always taken their traditional voter base for granted and it's taken them a long time to wake up to that. Voters don't have the class loyalty to political parties that their grandparents had.

 

[albion]

Seems you get taken off the air for being anti corruption.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2...potential-breach-of-impartiality-over-johnson

You gotta stay exactly middle of the road when faced with an oncoming cess pit.

 

[Ian H]

...I think you probably knew that though.

You don't really need the snide closers.

There is evidence that the rise of the UKIP & Brexit vote was motivated at least in part by racial anxieties.
But in general I think that voters of whatever ethnic group will tend to vote as individuals.

 

[Rusty Nails]

You don't really need the snide closers.
There is evidence that the rise of the UKIP & Brexit vote was motivated at least in part by racial anxieties.
But in general I think that voters of whatever ethnic group will tend to vote as individuals.

Most voters will have individual reasons, but do you believe that different communities, possibly with a background of different cultures and histories, can be subconsciously influenced by a different "group-think" based on those cultures and histories?

FWIW I can see that that could happen but do not see that as any form of criticism or implied racism. I would imagine that there is a difference in political attitudes from people with a family history from Merthyr Tydfil compared to those from Esher or the Shetland Isles, so why not those from Mumbai ?

Diversity means recognising and respecting different histories and ways of thinking as well as different colours.

 

[BoldonLad]

I think you're mostly right, though the idea of a united working class with a common interest regardless of race or religion seems to have pretty much dissolved in the UK.

To have "dissolved" implies that it once existed, it didn't.

 

[BoldonLad]

I took Aurora Saab's comment to be sarcastic rather than a statement of opinion, given the post Brexit comments of many Remain supporters.

You went from a post criticising statements about millions of individuals to making one of your own.

Yes, I suppose, I did, but........

The "working class" (who ever they are), are a subset of the population. Personally, I would contend that to an extent, we are all potential "bigots". Although, again, personally, I would not have used the word "bigot", I was following on the original posters use of the word. But, I do believe, that not very deep under the skin of everyone of us, there is the potential for discrimination. When I say discrimination, I do not necessarily mean racial (although that is clearly one of the "options"), but, in my experience, there are many possibilities for discrimination, racial, sexual, class, religion....

 

[All uphill]

Yes, I suppose, I did, but........

The "working class" (who ever they are), are a subset of the population. Personally, I would contend that to an extent, we are all potential "bigots". Although, again, personally, I would not have used the word "bigot", I was following on the original posters use of the word. But, I do believe, that not very deep under the skin of everyone of us, there is the potential for discrimination. When I say discrimination, I do not necessarily mean racial (although that is clearly one of the "options"), but, in my experience, there are many possibilities for discrimination, racial, sexual, class, religion....

Agreed.

The Harvard University Implicit Association Test is worth a look; a simple test indicating our prejudices.

 

[theclaud]

Iain Duncan Smith just used the phrase 'person of colour'. Will @shep be able to bear casting a vote for these exemplars of the Tofu-eating Wokerati?

 

[Ian H]

Most voters will have individual reasons, but do you believe that different communities, possibly with a background of different cultures and histories, can be subconsciously influenced by a different "group-think" based on those cultures and histories?

They'll be influenced, positively or negatively, by their friends and family. As we all are.

 

[Rusty Nails]

They'll be influenced, positively or negatively, by their friends and family. As we all are.

And, by extension, the culture, experiences and history of their friends and family. As we all are.

 

[Salty seadog]

There was a commentator on Radio 4 recently who had an interesting argument.

At the end of the war it was realised that people turn to extremist demagogues with easy answers when they're afraid and insecure, and the way to prevent this ocurring is to put in place support systems that protect people from the worst of life's disasters. This is why the likes of the welfare state and healthcare for all were created so that people feel more secure in the knowledge that they're less likely to become unable to work, feed & clothe the family, pay the rent etc.

Once several generations had grown up with that kind of security, they forgot the value of it, and allowed it to become eroded.

Interesting words..

 

[theclaud]

To have "dissolved" implies that it once existed, it didn't.

To be fair, Aurora did say 'the idea of...' As it happens, I think the idea has persisted while the material basis of class has shifted. Which is why affluent elderly homeowners who bought their houses for about 50p and have been enjoying 20 years of comfortable retirement often continue to describe themselves as 'working class' whilst simultaneously dismissing young people who are doomed to a life of insecure low-paid employment and paying out two-thirds of their wages to rent and heat a garden shed until they die without being able to afford healthcare as 'middle-class' just because they went to university or have blue hair.

 

[Ian H]

And, by extension, the culture, experiences and history of their friends and family. As we all are.

That is the obvious implication.

 

[Rusty Nails]

To be fair, Aurora did say 'the idea of...' As it happens, I think the idea has persisted while the material basis of class has shifted. Which is why affluent elderly homeowners who bought their houses for about 50p and have been enjoying 20 years of comfortable retirement often continue to describe themselves as 'working class' whilst simultaneously dismissing young people who are doomed to a life of insecure low-paid employment and paying out two-thirds of their wages to rent and heat a garden shed until they die without being able to afford healthcare as 'middle-class' just because they went to university or have blue hair.

Impressive use of OTT stereotypes there.

I am almost in that first group...except for the 50p,10 years of comfortable retirement, working class, dismissal of young people.