I remember the Maggie Thatcher era and the divisions over politics. Oddly enough it wasn’t the politics that affected me most. I was working with youth groups at the time and I saw a change in attitude, particularly among boys, to a more me centered value system. Politics come and politics go, but that attitude that was instilled in young people was something that I felt would damage a generation.
Now we see Trump and his MAGA attitude. Forget the politics and look at the value system. Here is a man that tells people the value system of success is to drive others down under our heels. I think we can see that in the attitude to things like wearing masks. We all know that wearing a mask will do next to nothing for us – but it will affect others. So why wear them, there is a self cost and no self benefit. “Me” is the most important factor. I regularly hear people in the USA say “Why should I pay for the medical bills of others?”.
Here we have a lot of announcements about Brexit again. I am always surprised that I seem to see an inverse correlation between Brexit supporters and independence supporters. There are a lot of people that were against brexit because we are better together that also argue the devolved nations need independence because they are better apart., and vice-versa. Both groups seem able to argue for their views. But it isn’t the arguments that get me it is that both groups to some extent are supporting a me me attitude.
And now we see this in the groups on the beach, the crowds getting drunk in bars. People demanding normality+ for their pleasure which will have a negative effect on the rest of society. And perhaps even with things like the decision to “do something” as the artist in Bristol decided when he put the statue he thought was best on the plinth.
Next week we are going to see the publication of the Russian report. Watch what it says. My guess is that it will reveal that the tactics were to create societal divisions.
I chose to have a value system that includes others, even if they disagree with me. I choose a value system that works with others to find a way forward. But it isn’t what comes natural to me.