I have been interested in the narrative being used by the main British political parties during these last few years especially. The Conservative party has woven through its propaganda and has been gathering public support around an idea of 'social responsibility' and 'we are all in this together'. In response to an economy overwhelmed by debt, a social fabric that is frayed and a political system that has betrayed the majority of the people, one of the party's key messages has been delivered through the permeation of an idea that real change comes about when the majority of a nation's people are inspired, mobilised and fired up to play a part in a nation's economic future.
Just as in the simplicity of the message of the story of the Emperor's New Clothes, there will always be an emptiness of any party's acts, initiatives and bluster without the power that is generated through the will of the people themselves and their involvement.
A key question of the Conservatives is 'how will we deal with the debt crisis unless we understand that we are all in this together?'. This could equally be addressed as 'how will we restore integrity to an economic cesspit and its consequences, brought upon the people of the world through an unregulated recklessness and irresponsibility of behaviour of the global banking institutions?'
What matters about these questions and in truth perspectives, is that any integrity of response will come about through whether the feet of the people are held to the fire or whether the actual perpetrators of the financial crisis of 2008 are instead. In any given narrative, we need to be looking at who is being held as culpable and who has the power to change the story?
Another question that has been asked by the Conservatives is 'How will we raise responsible children unless every adult plays their part?', but this won't be answered with integrity if we co-create a society in which perpetrators are allowed to do what they will with impunity, whilst the people who are hardest hit by their actions are scapegoated by popular belief and are asked to pay the price.
If a person is capable of seeing that a problem is present, that a mess has been and continues to be created by it, then it is natural to contemplate the question of 'who will fix this and also, what can I do?' and this is where the responsibilities of those who govern and those who are governed must be clearly stated, understood, agreed upon and actionable.
What I don't see as being communicated between the political parties in power and the people is a clear setting out of a social contract, through which not only are the people tasked with being socially responsible citizens, but also that the political parties are tasked with ensuring that they uphold their duties and responsibilities to the people. This includes being willing to tackle any malpractice, exploitation and corruption being perpetrated by big business and from within their own party as and when they find it.
Yes, it is admirable to propagate a mantra of 'we are all in this together' and 'collective strength will overpower our problems'. It proves to be an empty mantra if there is not the will of those who govern to encourage transparency and to assist in rebuilding the trust and collaboration of a nation or a collective of people with one that is inclusive and far more rooted in integrity. Until such a foundation is in place, then there will not nor can there ever be the generative power that is needed to empower a nation's future with one that works for all.
What any political party will need to address moving forwards, is that it is not just the economy that is broken, but it is the trust of the people as well. Bluster and empty promises won't buy it this time around, signalling the demise of a kind of thinking and behaviour that has been portrayed through 'one rule for me and another for you'. What we are witnessing all around us, is that a house of cards is collapsing, as the established power shifts and is remodeled in line with reality.
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