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The rise of post-truth politicians

26th May 2016
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Matilda told such dreadful lies, it made one gasp and stretch one’s eyes….

Belloc’s Matilda would have been welcomed wholeheartedly aboard either the Remain or Leave campaigns for the referendum. Somebody recently referred to Donald Trump and Boris Johnson as “Post-truth politicians” However this appears to be a rapidly growing class with almost everyone at it, and reaching the point where David Cameron accuses the Defence Secretary he had appointed of lying.

A survey has shown what we all know perfectly well, that the scarcely taxpaying proprietors of the UK press are running Brexit-slanted stories at full volume (though the Express takes the odd day off to obsess about next week’s weather or the latest cure or cause for dementia). So we have seen the great Turkey scandal where the remote possibility of Turkey joining the EU (as it has wanted to do for at least twenty years without much being achieved) would unleash a flood of Turkish workers on us, stealing our jobs and doubtless our children as well.

One of the stranger aspects was George Osborne claiming that house prices might fall by 18%. Since the current support for remaining in Europe seems to be among the young and they might well regard falling house prices as a good thing, it seems a strange argument.

There seems a strong tendency for people opinionating about this to go all swivel eyed and barking, as if Boris was the desirable model for argument. Only Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon have made reasonable sounding remarks about the situation. It seems to me that voting yes while not ignoring the flaws, the democratic deficit and the enthusiasm for the market seems quite a sensible approach (Corbyn of course was pilloried for this for not showing more enthusiasm). But sensible is not the order of the day.

Family holidays will cost £230 more following Brexit, says David Cameron, a meaningless figure if ever there was one.

So how did our political landscape get into this state, where both sides would rather scream nonsense at each other than say anything vaguely rational?  Economic doom with Brexit or overrun with migrants with remain? Do us a favour.

The campaign of terror didn’t really work in Scotland last year. Yes, the in side won the referendum, but by far less than they expected at the beginning.

So I turn away and go to Game of Thrones for a picture of a more honest society, where people have their agendas and lie to each other and everybody while plotting each other’s overthrow.. Oh, that’s rather turned out the same.

Replies (5)

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Out of my mind
By runningmate
27th May 2016 09:40

But sensibly there are lessons to be learnt about how easy (or not) it is to effect significant reform of the EU from within from DC's recent negotiations & those of the Greek government. Neither has obtained anything of significance despite dire threats.
RM

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paddle steamer
By DJKL
27th May 2016 10:53

To add to your list of those injecting a little perspective when offering their views, I thought Steve Hilton on Question Time last night made reasonable arguments without needing Armageddon and other biblical references involving locusts or similar.

Whilst I am not sure if I really fully embrace leave which he advocates (still fence sitting here) , it was certainly more pleasant than listening to the nonsense that most of the other participants on both sides have been serving to the electorate.

Leave could do a lot worse than get everyone else to shut up and let him speak for the whole campaign over the next four weeks.

On the economy I am frankly fed up with the if x then y arguments, with no explanation of what they believe is the causality between x and y; what are the assumptions or if back at school, show your workings.

Maybe we should have programmes on TV that try to explain to lay people some economic theories, the Brian Cox of economists (though I think Jim Al-Khalili does it better) explaining the basics might be useful; National Income Accounting and Macroeconomics 101 crash course using the current Red book/National Statistics data.

I have had years of politicians explaining we now have an educated workforce, we are a knowledge based economy etc, well why, if we are all so educated, do they not attempt to create a dialogue that acknowledges this fact?

Has anyone seen the booklet HMG issued re Remain? If my children had attempted at Higher/ advanced Higher to structure a supported argument of that calibre I, and their teachers, would have told them to rewrite it. Remember your SQA (Statement, Quote, Analysis), the first two are the easy bits the latter is the tricky one, they did not attempt the latter.

I despair, lowest common denominator politics.

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By RetirednRelaxing
27th May 2016 15:09

Both camps are concentrating on the economic arguments, and we all know that economic forecasting is a complete waste of time. When was the last time any Chancellor’s prediction proved even remotely accurate? I really can’t remember Gordon Brown forecasting the last recession, do you? A child of five tossing a coin, heads for prosperity and tails for recession would be just as accurate as the wild unsupported speculation being made, primarily by the remain camp.
There are many more considerations besides trade and the economy. Immigration, sovereignty, and self determination are huge considerations. The difference is that these issues are known, as is the effect of a stay or leave vote upon them, rather than the pure guesswork regarding the economy and trade.
There is clearly a move towards a “united states” of Europe which bears a striking resemblance to the old USSR which swallowed up east European nations and imposed it’s rule upon them.
It seems to me that the constant reference to the economy and trade is an attempt to deflect attention away from other more important issues.

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By Duhamel
27th May 2016 15:57

Probably the only time I have agreed with this blog. Economic arguments are fine, the problem is that the ones being made don't stand up to scrutiny. Pointless waste of time.

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Replying to Duhamel:
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By justsotax
31st May 2016 13:50

I was about to agree...but realised I had scrolled too far down from Ben's update no. 4 blog....'pointless waste of time' covers it in any case...

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