We can often get ourselves worked up over nothing, or nothing much. Just a few weeks ago I found myself surprisingly nervous heading on the Eurostar for my first holiday in mainland Europe, to stay in Paris for a week. My family bar a few are all shocking at foreign languages, especially French. I am sadly not one of the exceptions to that rule. As we got out in Gar Du Nord the dumb tourist persona overshadowed me (albeit temporarily), as I came to the realisation that I was in a country full of a majority of people whom I would not be able to communicate with. At least not on any but the most basic level. Oh sure I had my trusty phrase book, I bought two as though I was on an army partol and needed a back up lest I be defenceless in unfamiliar territory.
Needless to say such concerns were embarrasingly largely irrelevant. Myself and Anna got to our hotel using enough French and awkward gesticulation to get us to our destination to the taxi driver. Tired and somewhat amused by our attempts at communication, the driver dully drove us to our hotel. Everywhere else we either learned our phrases well enough to pass by, or like in the greasy cafe across the road from our hotel, we ended up talking to someone who wanted to practice their English. With the exception of the hotel caterer at breakfast time, she was exceptionally rude at our attempts to communicate with her. She offended all of the European guests in our room, to the extent that I thought we may have to band together, in a sort of strange re-enactment of the coalition that brought down Napoleon in 1815. Nothing so dramatic happened, we left the crone to tyrannise the breakfast room for the rest of the week and got breakfast elsewhere.
Why did this happen? Why did I waste my energy worrying? I snapped out of it eventually, just so you all know I very much enjoyed my holiday. I was after all going on holiday in a civilised country (some would perhaps disagree). The fear was eventually replaced by a sober reality check. Bouts of fear can make people do crazy things, so can anger.
At the moment I feel there is too much fear and anger in this country. Much of it, though not enough has been ploughed into constructive outlets. It in many ways isn't surprising, our country has gone through a rough patch. We have made it through a recession only to be faced by an ever bleaker economic future being slowly revealed. Then came the cuts. Then came the riots. Then phone hacking. You hear noises about us not being able to trust: bankers, cops, journalists and especially not politicians.
Right now much of the anger is being taken out on the corporate world for alleged (and in some cases definite) greed, through the now global protests inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement. In many ways I smile at this new trend for activism. But the beard stroking former politics student in me urges caution.
A common theme I see in these current activist upheavals left and right wing, is the theme of big monoliths (government and corporate) disadvantaging and in many cases betraying people outright. The betrayal myth has existed in politics in many forms for years. Sometimes it has been rightly invoked. But at other times it has been invoked to provoke base feelings of resentment and anger for destructive ends. A negative example of this betrayal myth is the 'Stab in the Back' myth used by the Nazis to deadly effect in the 1930s. This myth described the German people being corrupted from within by a fifth column of Jews and Communists.
Now I am not trying to say that teenagers and middle aged Mum's in New York or in London are going to start causing genocide. Activism trumps apathy in my book any day, so I am pleased to see people up and out. What I am concerned at is the undirected and unconstructive display of raw emotion on display, where will it lead? Where is this going? Does anyone know? I guess my main worry is that people are talking about problems everywhere, but actual solutions are hard to come by.
What is the answer to corporate greed? Does anyone want to answer it? Why not? Too complicated? Perhaps. But if one is out on the frontlines, surely they shouldn't be afraid to be put on the spot. Myself on the anti-nuke protest a couple of years ago would say the solution to the problem I have highlighted is unilateral disarmament. I am concerned that if this movement does not get constructive really quickly it will either run out of steam or turn into something undesirable.
I think a lot of this rests with people's acceptance of easy answers. The hardest answer to hear though, is that you are not part of a solution, or that you are unknowingly part of the problem in some way. Corporate debt is rampant, but so is personal debt. Yet the movement to highlight the latter is miniscule compared to the movement to the former. Having said that, yes corporations have a lot to answer for, but we too remain imperfect.
Make no mistake though. The government too is at fault. David Cameron and Nick Clegg have allowed a culture of fear to descend on the country. Suddenly people are afraid to protest, and the disgraceful restrictions on protesting in London remain. London became a totalitarian state during the Royal Wedding, casting us protestors for a republic outside of the party like a dangerous revolutionary linch mob. People are being demonised by two former vandalisers and arsonists. In this respect the world has trully gone mad. We are told that this kind of societal distress is new and requires harsher medicine, this is complete tosh. Read a history book, we have been through worse.
The point I want to make from all this is the following. Misdirected fear and anger are hardly ever good things to have around. Yes, blame those responsible. But remember that your farts don't smell of roses. ALL people have a stake in a better tomorrow. Just raking up the past and getting bitter over it will only go so far. People need to dare to think of solutions, not worry about the consequences. If you are proven wrong, admit it, and take it in your stride.....and start again! We're British, the stiffer upper lip is a national treasure. And so is our knack for succeeding in times of adversity.
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