I started to look through some of the “unexpected” votes recently. One thing that strikes me is that there seems to be a real pressure for change where the votes have taken place. The other thing is that the votes seem to have little to do with the “facts” presented by the great and the good.
I’ve listened to a few of these great people recently and I find their views disturbing – they held the view that the common folks were too stupid to make important decisions. There is a bit of truth in this – if I want a medical help I ask a doctor, not a plumber, so if I want a country run I want an expert to do it. But to say that only the intelligentsia should decide on how the country is run is like saying common folk are too dumb to tell the difference between a doctor and a plumber.
The thing that probably annoys these great and good is that these common folks are not listening to the facts the great want to impart. We are living in a post factual period. But what has replaced the facts – my view it is faith based politics.
Trump will make America great again. Brexit will mean we take back control. But try to find details of how this will happen and you will find it hard. These are faith statements, not logical deductions, and the great thinkers find that offensive. They cannot argue facts against faith. Try asking what European law we will repeal after brexit, or what the new health system Trump will put in place – there are no clear answers. The interesting thing is that, because these are faith statements, nobody can say how it will work out – it could be good or it could be bad. Trump may make America great again, Brexit may be better for Britain in the long term. Truth is, both decisions are too complex to know the real outcome.
But there is a promise of change. And that is what people want – change. But the change people want may not be the change being promised. An interesting question is what will happen if the change people want fails to be delivered. What happens if Brexit fails to improve the health service, fails to control borders, fails to change laws, fails to improve trade? What will the people demand then?