These people
are not a threat to democracy. As the events of this season of sophistry and
stupidity evidence they are the threat OF democracy. Reason has given way to rhetoric
and discourse has been drowned by the voice of the mob. We have witnessed what Madison.
(1987) described as:
“.....moments in public affairs when people, stimulated by some irregular passion, or some illicit advantage or misled by artful misrepresentations of interested men” call for measures they will later regret. In these moments, the “cool and deliberate sense of the community” is at risk (1)
The demarcation and division in society is plain to see. The intelligent and the young voted to remain in the EU. A slender majority were persuaded that the promoters of Brexit had their best interests at heart. With universal suffrage in a representative democracy the gullible get a vote. As do the lumpenproletariat, the;
“chronic unemployed or unemployables, persons who have been cast out by industry, and all sorts of declassed, degraded or degenerated elements."
These are what Marx described as a "class fraction" that constituted the political power base for Louis Bonaparte of France in 1848. Marx argued that Bonaparte was able to place himself above the two main classes, the proletariat and bourgeoisie, by resorting to the lumpenproletariat as an apparently independent base of power, while in fact advancing the material interests of the "finance aristocracy".Marx’s rhetoric equated the lumpenproletariat, the rentier class, and the apex of class society as equivalent members of the class of those with no role in useful production. The unconfined joy of racist scum on Friday morning was shared by City money traders. The significant difference is that the latter were substantially better off on Friday afternoon. They may be inconvenienced if they have to move from London to Frankfurt in a year or so but they can retain the second home in the Cotswolds and the ski lodge in Switzerland.
As for the people who don’t like immigrants coming to Port Talbot they will have to stay where they are. The only visible benefit they will enjoy is a sea view uninterrupted by a steelworks. They will of course have the vocal support of their Labour MP who today (26 June 2016) called for the resignation of the socialist leader of his party.Those in the Rhondda and Blaenau Gwent will find it increasingly difficult to get to the beach as the transport infrastructure crumbles through the absence of EU subsistence and withdrawal of international investment. As to whether their MP’s and AM’s will be able to protect them from the self-interest of the prosperous South East of England- and Wales- remains to be seen.
The plain fact is that in parts of Wales many who voted for Brexit through blind prejudice against immigrants will suffer if the latter are the only ones ‘pulling their weight’ there. The social, economic and educational elites who voted to Remain could privately harbour their own prejudices. That is in favouring the enterprising immigrant over people with no teeth and tattoos who vote for demagogues. If socialism is now merely an affectation of the Bohemian Bourgeoisie let it be tested if Cardiff is hit by a cappuccino and croissant crisis post-Brexit. Far better that history repeat itself as farce not tragedy. For the Labour Party in Wales to distance itself further from socialism to appeal to the lowest of denominators and make any concession to xenophobia or class prejudice would be a betrayal of its basic principles.
(1) (Madison. 1987. The Federalist Papers. Harmondsworth: Penguin.)
“.....moments in public affairs when people, stimulated by some irregular passion, or some illicit advantage or misled by artful misrepresentations of interested men” call for measures they will later regret. In these moments, the “cool and deliberate sense of the community” is at risk (1)
The demarcation and division in society is plain to see. The intelligent and the young voted to remain in the EU. A slender majority were persuaded that the promoters of Brexit had their best interests at heart. With universal suffrage in a representative democracy the gullible get a vote. As do the lumpenproletariat, the;
“chronic unemployed or unemployables, persons who have been cast out by industry, and all sorts of declassed, degraded or degenerated elements."
These are what Marx described as a "class fraction" that constituted the political power base for Louis Bonaparte of France in 1848. Marx argued that Bonaparte was able to place himself above the two main classes, the proletariat and bourgeoisie, by resorting to the lumpenproletariat as an apparently independent base of power, while in fact advancing the material interests of the "finance aristocracy".Marx’s rhetoric equated the lumpenproletariat, the rentier class, and the apex of class society as equivalent members of the class of those with no role in useful production. The unconfined joy of racist scum on Friday morning was shared by City money traders. The significant difference is that the latter were substantially better off on Friday afternoon. They may be inconvenienced if they have to move from London to Frankfurt in a year or so but they can retain the second home in the Cotswolds and the ski lodge in Switzerland.
As for the people who don’t like immigrants coming to Port Talbot they will have to stay where they are. The only visible benefit they will enjoy is a sea view uninterrupted by a steelworks. They will of course have the vocal support of their Labour MP who today (26 June 2016) called for the resignation of the socialist leader of his party.Those in the Rhondda and Blaenau Gwent will find it increasingly difficult to get to the beach as the transport infrastructure crumbles through the absence of EU subsistence and withdrawal of international investment. As to whether their MP’s and AM’s will be able to protect them from the self-interest of the prosperous South East of England- and Wales- remains to be seen.
The plain fact is that in parts of Wales many who voted for Brexit through blind prejudice against immigrants will suffer if the latter are the only ones ‘pulling their weight’ there. The social, economic and educational elites who voted to Remain could privately harbour their own prejudices. That is in favouring the enterprising immigrant over people with no teeth and tattoos who vote for demagogues. If socialism is now merely an affectation of the Bohemian Bourgeoisie let it be tested if Cardiff is hit by a cappuccino and croissant crisis post-Brexit. Far better that history repeat itself as farce not tragedy. For the Labour Party in Wales to distance itself further from socialism to appeal to the lowest of denominators and make any concession to xenophobia or class prejudice would be a betrayal of its basic principles.
(1) (Madison. 1987. The Federalist Papers. Harmondsworth: Penguin.)
Strangely enough today I read the same Federalist passage in the same way. I fear for the future of Wales in some ways. I agree with the sentiments you express.
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