I Don’t See A New Labour Leader As A Saviour!
I’m More Interested In Other Potential Saviours?
Whoever is Labour leader will be destroyed by the media. If it’s Starmer, he’ll be called ‘the architect of Labour’s disastrous Remoaner position’, a ‘Blairite’ (and everyone hates Blair) and ‘the man who let Jimmy Saville off!’
I’m not kidding…. and it’ll destroy him and his credibility.
If it’s RLB, she’ll be called ‘the Cobynista sista’ and a ‘Marxist, Trotskyist, Communist etc’ the same as JC.
Forget who might not be destroyed by the billionaire-owned media – they all will. So I may as well support the one who represents my views, beliefs and policies the best…. and, for me, that’s RLB.
On what I feel is a more salient point for us all to consider – and I don’t wish to sound pessimistic – I’m now of the opinion that, due to the power of corporate interests, the mega-rich (in particular, the hedge-fund managers and investors), the electoral process and the media, Labour can’t win a future election unless or until one of two things happen:
1. There is always a reaction to fascism as was seen in the US in the Mid-Term Elections in 2018, as a response to the Trump Presidency, with record numbers of women, people of colour and LGBTQ+ people standing and being elected (as Democrats) at all levels of government – local and national.
If this continues in 2020 and beyond, the political landscape of the US in, say, 5-15 years, could be radically different, with far more diversity (instead of old, rich, white men, beholden to their corporate paymasters). If this also happens across the world, including the UK, it may just (over time) be the change that is needed to bring about a significant shift away from the prevailing Capitalist/Neoliberal ideology and away from greed, racism, war and the exploitation of workers and the planet’s resources to maximise profits.
2. Young people and the climate change issue. Whilst I hope our response is urgent and we don’t see increasingly horrific consequences of climate change, I don’t see that happening given the right wing governments currently in place across the world and the power of the fossil fuel companies and corporate interests. As the effects of climate change become increasing real and serious and effect more and more people globally, I foresee a time when young people won’t stand for it any longer, will hold those in power to account and will kick them out of power (and even into prison for consciously causing genocide) – either through the ballot box or through violent revolution.
These are my two saviours of the future world and society. I hope both start happening right now, before more damage is done, lives are lost and the environment is damaged irreversibly.
BUT I’m very open to there being additional saviours!!
For example, if there was a successful mass-movement against austerity or against corporate media, that could be the catalyst and make the difference.
I’m not suggesting that anyone here blindly believes the new Labour leader will be the ‘saviour’ without acknowledging the problems I’ve highlighted. What I do say is that we must start to consider who – or more specifically what – could be our saviours….. and how we can be active in enabling those things to happen.
I think Gandhi said it best when he said: “If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself!” (I’m paraphrasing…..)
Tom Lane
