Why is Melanie Phillips Mainstream Acceptable?
Some excellent points from the excellent Craig Murray​. I agree with everything Murray says here; WHY is it now ‘normal’ to have the Right of politics-and let us not kid ourselves, these are not ‘Centre Right’ people, everywhere, all over our media. It becomes even more laughable when they try to balance things with someone from the ‘Left’. A quick example being BBC Question Time going five consecutive weeks without anybody from the Shadow Cabinet on it recently. When John McDonnell had to pull out, the BBC refused the replacement put forward and instead put on the backbencher Chris Leslie a known, very open, vocal critic of the ‘Left’ and absolutely not representative of the party’s membership, leadership or shadow cabinet. That ‘Left’ is often someone who I, and I’m sure many others, would class as ‘Centre Right’, at best, ‘Centrist’. This wholly irresponsible narrative flames the fires of ignorance, hate, division and normalises what are, or at least used to be, extreme right wing views.
When I read our media coverage now, or hear it, or see it, it is like watching a succession of propaganda for dangerous policies and ideas. It is a media of blame: migrants, those with a political & social conscience, the disabled, the unemployed, the non-white people, foreigners. This media seems to relish it’s own form of, wait for it, ‘Fake News’. While I accept this is not new-read/see Chomsky’s excellent ‘Manufacturing Consent’
for a quick over-view-it is worrying. It becomes more worrying when you consider the consequences of such behaviour. This recent video from the excellent fictitious news reporter Jonathan Pie, is a good recent example of this:
The flip side of this in one way, is to become too resistant to criticism of what you believe. Censoring people you disagree with can only have negative consequences as it then means we become even more trapped in our own media/social media/social bubbles. We often accuse the Right of being too sensitive on issues the rest of us would consider par for the course. However, it must also be pointed out that there is a real danger of reacting in the wrong way. Jonathan Pie again:
Of course, it is also worth pointing out that the labels ‘Left’, ‘Right’ & ‘Centre’ are shifting (as I am sure they always have). It is also true to say that most people do not think in terms of those labels, but rather ‘Correct’ & ‘Wrong’ or ‘Good’ & ‘Bad’. To use the example of Trump in America, Putin in Russia and May here, flitting between all 3, then sending out confusing messages, means it is hard for people to know what is actually ‘real’. This of course may well be the point. Adam Curtis’ excellent ‘Hypernormalisation’ film explains this very well. Warning for those not aware of Curtis’ work, it is long and heavy going, but well worth it:
The Left always seem to lose out on media messaging. I would argue that, although of course there are exceptions, for the most part, we on the Left argue based on facts, logic, evidence, statistics. This does not fit well with our modern western culture, where we all seemingly have less time, and keeping people’s attention for more than a thirty second video or a soundbite or 140 characters in a tweet, can be very challenging; even when you know those you are aiming at will probably agree with you (oh, and yes, I am aware of the irony of what I am saying, how long this piece is and therefore who is actually likely to read it!). This then of course plays into the hands of the Right, which is now seemingly drifting to the Extreme Right. For them, though again there are obviously exceptions, the truth is a secondary issue. They are merely interested in gaining power at all costs, using whatever language and tools available to them.
An example of this is around the issue of immigration and sovereignty. So, as the world changes based on immigration, as it always has, the blame for both any cultural and social changes, is placed at the feet of those you did not previously know, or those made to be seen as our enemy. Over here Farage-on the Extreme Right, has managed to convince the working and middle classes that he is actually Left & for the “working people”. He’s done this with simple sound bites and appearing connected to these people superficially. No matter that he wants to scrap the NHS, his party flirt with scrapping worker rights, paid holidays, maternity leave etc. No matter that his idol was Margaret Thatcher. No matter that he himself was part of the ‘elite’ financial sector. It is perception: Farage says “Take Back Control”. Farage smokes a fag. Farage drinks a pint of beer. Farage is hated by the ‘Liberal Elite’. It works. Thanks to the simple (but empty) messaging and a right wing media happy to act as a conduit.
In America, a billionaire right winger who brags about avoiding tax, is openly racist, sexist and mocks disabled people. He manages to convince enough Americans that he is literally the opposite of what he is-not part of ‘The Elite’. How? Well, again, simple media messaging and the platform to do it. Only in America he has used the media, for the most part totally disconnected to the working and middle classes, as the enemy. Problem with immigration (no, but go on Donald…)? “I’ll build a wall, and THEY will pay for it!”. It is not just in the West that this is happening; The ridiculous coup in Brazil, the rise of the right in Argentina and Peru. Here in Europe in Poland, Hungary and elsewhere.
We must also be aware of the more subtle Extreme Right. Theresa May’s Conservative Party, is in public appearing to be Left, Right and Centrist. The reality is, of course, they are moving further to the Right than even Cameron & Thatcher. Backed almost universally by all forms of mainstream media here in the UK. Even media outlets like The Guardian, seem so out of sync with the working and middle classes, that they appear to represent those who are Neo Liberal Free Marketeers and little else. It is seemingly a graveyard for the Blair & SDP generation. The Guardian, now with an opposition that promotes the very things they have wanted for so many years, is the Left’s biggest critic. It has abandoned all sense of conscience. Superficially, and there are some writers still worth reading, they care. The reality is they very clearly do not. They do not practice what they once used to preach.
So, the use of the media to confuse and mislead by the Right has never been more evident. By placing doubt in people’s minds as to what is real, it means that people are going to cling to the narratives and stereotypes they have been fed for years; simply because it’s what they know. Now when you add an extra layer of right wing rhetoric, it means trying to battle against it becomes much harder, especially as the sheer volume of it means those actually on the Left, start to believe enough to make them turn on those trying to offer an alternative. Failure for the Right is not a barrier to continued promotion of those ideas. Any green shoots poking through the Right concrete base are almost always trodden on. Sometimes by their own. This then plays perfectly into the narrative of “The Left can’t win, they are incompetent, they always fight each other, they can’t organise etc”. The danger is this then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If we on the Left do not, despite the criticism and hate thrown at us, stand united and strong-as a Movement-then it will become more and more common that people will class the views of the likes of Melanie Phillips as ‘Centrist’ ‘Acceptable’ or, worse still, ‘Normal’. Our media must take responsibility for their major part in this both historically, and most definitely currently. Looking for a scapegoat-be it Corbyn or Sanders (both seen as “Far left”, when neither are-the policies show this), historically Chavez or Allende from another part of the world etc, is not the answer. I honestly do start to worry if these people in the media actually are capable and have the self-awareness to see that they are part of the problem. Or care that they are. Until they do, I suggest we keep listening to people, work on media messaging, keep formulating ideas, form think tanks and a sort of ‘Left Infrastructure’, campaign, protest, stay loud & proud, support new less partisan media and all hold tight, stick together, unite and stay strong. Our day(s) will come.
Adam Samuels
