2013, like the past few years before it, has been unsettling in many ways for the British establishment. The spring's regional and local elections saw a massive jump in popularity for the anti-EU, anti-technocrat, pro-national sovereignty U.K. Independence Party, which voters, after being warned by politicians and the media about how fringe and racist it was, turned out for in droves. Then the brutal murder of a British soldier by a Muslim radical caused major upheaval and a lot of pushback against multiculturalist policy. Now it appears that the country's up-and-coming generation may be abandoning both the official Left and its radicalism.
Not that you would know it from how the British state is often portrayed in the news. Supposedly, its people love their universal health care and all the endless regulations, and the only complaint to be made is that it's not free-spirited and benevolent enough. And at one time, that might have been the attitude. But it appears that the abuses of the welfare state have finally worn on Brits' patience. A poll this spring found that 74% of U.K. citizens believe the government ought to cut benefits; even more surprisingly, there seems to be a majority in favor regardless of generation or political affiliation. Among youths, though, this sentiment appears to be strongest. When surveyed, only 20% of 18- to 34-year-olds would agree that the creation of the welfare state was among Britain's "greatest achievements."
Probably there are multiple factors at work here. True enough, immigrants, especially those from the Third World countries of the former Empire, make up a sizable proportion of the welfare recipients, so there's that. Plus, there are some regional divisions, with prosperous Londoners and others in southern England upset at subsidizing the less productive "Celtic fringe," especially the basketcase that is Northern Ireland. But it would also seem that people are getting tired of the stories of abuse. Most recently, there was the story of the Heaton family in Lancashire, which despite not having a single employed member gets 30,000 pounds in benefits per year, enough for them to afford a house with a flat-screen TV, computer, Wii, and some nice "vacations." With an average income among working Britons of only 26,000 pounds, even the most socialism-loving lad or lass has to see that there's a real problem here. And it does appear to be causing a large-scale disenchantment with the whole system.
This is no case of Conservatives whistling in the dark, either: Some of the strongest evidence comes from observations by leftist papers such as The Guardian, one of whose reporters recently lamented that his country's "twentysomethings sound like devout Thatcherites." He blames hostility to immigrants, because why not, but also admitted that these Britons are blaming themselves for their difficulties, saying "Lads especially need to be pushed into jobs more," and "I should have picked myself up in the morning, got out...tried more."
This is good because it means that not only are youths tired of the failures of Britain's nanny state--in itself not all that remarkable--but they are reacting in the opposite direction, wanting more freedom and responsibility instead of demanding more and better free stuff, as often happens in these cases.
Bottom line: Things are getting shaken up in Britain. This may be one of the few cases today where young people are making a genuine turn to the Right--not because of contingent events, but because they seem to have figured out that socialism, even the watered-down version, is ultimately unworkable, and that personal responsibility and unshackling the private sphere are better options over the long run. And that is certainly good news. So when you celebrate our independence and the things that make America great this week, remember for a moment the mother country, and those who seem to be finally getting the message.
Unfortunately, UK's political class either disagrees or still believes that the public has a different view.
ReplyDeleteOr is just too afraid of the special interests group that will put up a nasty fight.
On the flip side: It goes against the current American Conservative belief that "Britain is Lost".
Looked up the Guardian Article: LINK
ReplyDeleteHe points to the assault on the Conservative Party HQ at Millbank over tuition as counter-evidence. What's your thought on that?
Kit, we certainly shouldn't kid ourselves that leaders across the pond will have an easy time trimming back the excesses, even if they were of a mind to (which is far from clear). Even the attempts to bring annual unemployment benefits down to par with those of the average worker resulted in lots of hysterical sobbing about special interests, looming starvation for the impoverished, blah blah blah. Nothing's going to change immediately, but like you say, it does provide some hope that the next generation will take things in a different direction.
ReplyDeleteKit, of course there's still plenty of young leftists, as in any generation, and even among those I refer to here, they seem to be unfortunately "enlightened" on social issues.
ReplyDeleteBut you have to look at the balance sheet. The Tories (who, in any case, are not nearly as conservative as their name suggests) are on the verge of capturing a plurality of the 18-to-34 demographic, far more than their share of that bloc's parents. It's worth noting, too, that their anti-statist attitude is finding expression in their celebrities as well, i.e. Adele (and that one kid with that band. One Direction, I think. That is a band, right?).
There's certainly not a dominant opinion within the age group, I'll agree; but there does seem to be a trend of sorts.
T-Rav......I'm always reminded of the Aesop fable of the golden goose. There comes a time when too much is expected of the tax paying class (the goose) and it is killed by demanding and taking more and more. Perhaps we are reaching that point in the Western societies where the productive are saying enough is enough and are starting to turn on their "farmers."
ReplyDeleteI also find it fascinating to watch all the protests around the world going on right now. Wait until the golden geese in this country decide enough is enough. What will happen then?
Patriot, my guess--the "farmers" will turn full-on violent and try to take the productive elements' wealth by force. Maybe they can guilt us into giving up more of it and maybe they can't, but they're not about to give up that easy living they're entitled to.
ReplyDeleteKit, History tells us that no one is lost on a permanent basis. Societies change all the time and within those changes are both the sparks for rebirth and re-crisis. And to write off an entire group of people is actually kind of ignorant... but far too common a way of thinking these days. Static thinking is the new black.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, I had an interesting discussion with some Germans lately. Frankly, I've always viewed them as a bit of a lost cause, but the more we spoke the more clear it became that there has been an attitudinal revolution in Germany (especially German industry) and they are not the pointless country they were 20 years ago. They are becoming much more like us in many ways. The next 20 years should be quite interesting.
"And to write off an entire group of people is actually kind of ignorant... but far too common a way of thinking these days. Static thinking is the new black."
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't know about Leftism but I have noticed Modern Conservatism has become obsessed with the idea of decline, especially the idea that the Western world is in decline and headed towards a 2nd Dark Age and they are the only ones smart enough to see it coming.
Andrew, I wouldn't be surprised if a good deal of that change in attitude is coming from Germany basically subsidizing half of Europe through the EU, and seeing on an international scale the harm done by unchecked handouts. The welfare state is very much Deutschland's baby, though, so whether they're willing to move away from it remains to be seen.
ReplyDeleteKit, I think it's an across the board thing. Modern conservatism is absolutely obsessed with finding the negative in all things. The country is doomed, the West is doomed, people suck, our leaders will betray us, the end is nigh. They particularly despise the idea of redemption, which is rather ironic given the claim to Christianity - in fact, look at the coverage of Nelson Mandel to see that.
ReplyDeleteBUT the left is no better. The left believes that it is impossible to trust average people because they are naturally and permanently racist, murderous, oppressive and environmentally destructive. They think the world is doomed to explode in war, pestilence, and global warming. And they ironically think that the only way to save the world is to oppress it the right way.
This kind of "thinking" from both sides is emotional, contra-factual, and deeply conspiratorial, which is why (as you say) they all believe that they are the only ones who see this.
But ultimately, it doesn't worry me because these people can't affect the public. They are basically screaming in the woods while the rest of the public goes about making the world better every single day. And that, honestly, is a huge point of frustration for the doomdayists because they WANT to see things implode to prove themselves right. And when it doesn't happen, you see sour grapes and rage.
T-Rav, What's interesting is that the changes seem to be coming from the realization that they can't treat companies like an arm of the welfare state anymore. They've come to realize that they need to be able to fire people. And with that comes the idea that they need to learn to "satisfy the customer," something Germans have never been good at. So they're getting a lot more agile in how they handle their businesses, they are abandoning the rule books, they are looking outside Germany for how to improve things, and they are no longer tolerant of deadweight. Those are all significant changes.
ReplyDeleteAnd now it seems to be leading into the next phase of the attitude, which is, "What are we getting for our investment in Europe?" And the answers coming back are not making them happy. So we'll see where it goes. I think they are frustrated dealing with the basket cases and addicts they've been latched to.
I haven't followed the news closely. I know Mandela's in the hospital but what are conservatives saying about Mandela?
ReplyDeleteTerrorist with communist sympathies. Basically, they judge him on his youth and the ANC while he was in jail, and they ignore what he did after that... once a terrorist, always a terrorist.
ReplyDeleteThey're particularly upset that Obama has praised him. And they're incensed that Obama compared him to George Washington.
Andrew, since you alluded to firing people, I know the big problem German business has faced since, well, forever is collective bargaining and the representation of Big Labor on the corporate boards. It caused a serious case of arteriosclerosis in industry, especially from the '70s onwards--although I think the gradual shift away from heavy manufacturing to services and more specialized production has tempered this somewhat. We'll see what happens.
ReplyDeleteLet's see...
ReplyDeleteSocialist? Check. Terrorist in his youth? Check. Member of group that had Marxist sympathies and engaged in terrorism? Check. But, again, look at the circumstances he came from. South Africa's Apartheid regime made America's Jim Crow seem downright egalitarian in its racial ideals. The prison sentences Dr. King and other Civil Rights leaders received were a slap on the wrist compared to what was thrown at anti-Apartheid people.
And if we are going to condemn a man for communist sympathies then Martin Luther King should be blasted far more by conservatives.
But...
When Mandela became President of South Africa he did not use the new power of black South Africans to target the White South Africans (unlike what you saw in Zimbabwe), in fact he and others worked to create the idea of a "Rainbow Nation"*, and he stepped down after one term.
So, what is Mandela's scorecard? Far from ideal but considering who could have taken over, I'd say he was the best they could get in South Africa's circumstances.
*At least in theory.
Mine is a bit disorganized. Just cut out the "But..." in your mind. Or replace it with an "Also..."
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, The guy I was speaking too is fairly well connected to their automotive industry and he made the point that they are starting to realize that you just can't compete with a union attitude. He says they are learning this mainly from outsourcing, where they are working with Americans and Chinese employees.
ReplyDeleteKit, I'd say his scorecard is a lot more positive than that.
ReplyDeleteNegotiated a new constitution that includes a US-style bill of rights. He agreed to a federalist system that kept the country stable and unified. He didn’t purge the government of whites. He brought opponents of all stripes into the government. He didn’t tolerate retaliation or imposition of race-based spoils system. Even his increases in welfare spending are relatively low – 13% budget increases. He created their reconcilliation commission to defuse the past and to grant general amnesties to prevent decades of show trials and retaliation. He renounced his party’s support for nationalization and he embraced private enterprise. Then he left office when his term ended even though he easily could have stayed on as a dictator. And he did all of that despite real venom from his own supporters who opposed all of it.
Sadly for him, the leaders who followed him have been rather different, but that’s a pretty impressive record that rivals the likes of Washington and Gandhi.
Maggie was right:).
ReplyDeleteNext thing you know, these kids will get chastised for wanting the return of Great Britain.
I once heard one of the biggest mistakes of WW2. In the reconstruction of Europe we didn't teach our idea of decentralized government. Considering the time and people involved that wasn't going to happen. It's too bad it took this long, at least the failures cannot be so easily looked over.
Germany is getting a good dose of socialism, considering they are keeping the EU afloat. I've heard they are not real happy about it. Nothing will knock some sense into people faster when they realize they are supporting a bunch of Greeks, oops I mean bums.
Left out that as well. Good stuff to note. There was a lot of negotiations at CODESA and the Multi-Party Forum.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to say that post-Apartheid has been sunshine and roses but having learned a good deal about just how nasty it was, I'm willing to cut him a lot of slack.
If anyone wants to know: Apartheid was like Jim Crow crossed with the Indian Reservation System (look up the "Homelands" or "Bantustan") and both pumped up on steroids. Apartheid South Africa had a race system with people classified into different races, not just white and black but: White, Indian, Colored, and Black African and none of them could intermarry.
And the Black Africans were shuttled off and placed on 10 "Homelands".
They also lacked suffrage.
Hell, at one point Apartheid even limited the quality of beer the blacks could legally purchase.
I don't even think our country was ever that cruel to the blacks.
NOTE: Gandhi died a few years after India became independent and, as far as I know, he never held political office but 2 things that are interesting: (1) he did have one great quote: "To gain independence, we must prove worthy of it" and (2) he was shot not because of his opposition to British rule but by a Hindu Nationalist.
Anyway... back to UK.
ReplyDeleteAny more thoughts?
On Mandela, don't forget that here was a man who had near absolute power in his hands and he used it to heal divisions. That's really rare and there are very few historical figures who can say they did that.
ReplyDeleteOn Britain, there is something sick within their collective psyche at the moment and I don't know if they see that clearly enough to change it, but we'll see. I suspect they will be "changed from the outside" by the fact the "white British" (as they call themselves) can't compete with the Poles and Romanians who have shown up. Seeing them move above the "white British" on the income charts will probably cause a change in behavior. Beyond that, I have seen some signs of change. The newest generation is drinking less. They do seem more interested in working. Small signs, but encouraging.
Apparently, Adele is pissed about UK's tax rates and the crummy quality of the public service it pays for:
ReplyDelete"I'm mortified to have to pay 50 percent! [While] I use the NHS, I can't use the public transport any more. Trains are always late, most state schools are s--- and I've gotta give you, like, four million quid - are you having a laugh?"
Max, You might be surprised how decentralized Germany is... and they really mean it. The most "totalitarian" country over there is either France or England, both of which have governments with extreme levels of power.
ReplyDeleteGood news (maybe?): There is a strong push in the UK to leave the EU or at least re-evaluate its terms of being inside it.
ReplyDeleteThis is why Cameron is pushing for a referendum on the EU.
Cameron is dragging his feet on the referendum. The referendum has been promised for maybe 10+ years now and the government has always found a caveat to not do it. This time, however, Camera appears trapped so he's trying to find a way to allow it, but sabotage it.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I don't see them voting to leave. That's too "revolutionary" an idea, so they will vote for the status quo.
As an aside, the Adele quote is over two years old... before they jacked up taxes again. I suspect she will find a smart accountant in the meantime and follow the lead of Google and Amazon.
What did Google and Amazon do?
ReplyDeleteAndrew, it doesn't really matter because even if it does pass, the authorities will find a way to throw it out on a technicality. After France and Holland nearly rejected the Maastricht Treaty in the '90s, one pro-EU spokesman was quoted as saying, "We can never allow this to come to a vote again." The game is rigged, I tells ya.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, Sadly true. This is something the elite of Europe want and the peons will not be allowed to stand in the way.
ReplyDeleteKit, They overcharged their British divisions for intellectual property and other services to get all their profits out of Britain to low tax countries. The end result was payment of a few million pounds on billions in income.
Max, Germany was actually much more centralized during the inter-war period, especially after '33 when Hitler revoked the power of state governments. After the war, the new German government ensured in its constitution a much better balance of powers; it was some time before the national authorities even had their own police force.
ReplyDeleteFor historical reasons, a few other European countries (Switzerland, Italy, maybe Spain) are similar in makeup. As Andrew noted, Britain and France are far more centralized, with the local governments existing solely for administrative purposes. France maybe a bit more so than Britain, since the latter has seen at least a little impetus towards the formation of regional governments.
As to the degree of socialism, it's really no worse right now than at several points in the past. Probably a little better, since Merkel does believe fiscal solvency comes first.
Andrew, it will depend ultimately on how well UKIP does in the next elections. If it does well enough to get some seats in Parliament and a lasting presence in local politics, it may spook the Tories enough to definitively drop any further moves toward EU inclusion. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav
ReplyDeleteIf you want to understand the basis for anti-government sentiment in Britain, Douglas Adams, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a perfect metaphor especially as it pertains to the description of the Vogons.
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When you have the "DMV" running your Health Care and every other service you at some point will lose your zeal for big government.
Whether it be in America or the UK, you can't keep telling the younger generations that your country is shite without them eventually agreeing. And what will be identified as the shite will be the government and its institutions along with the ruling party.
ReplyDelete