Summary
I used to think politics was about democracy and good governance, but Adam Curtis’s documentaries made me realize that it’s more about ideas that energize people. Initially, I dismissed this as nonsense, but recent events have shown me how big, emotionally charged ideas—often toxic ones like white supremacist and anti-democratic movements—are gaining traction.
These dangerous ideas fueled Brexit, Trump’s rise, and the current wave of hatred and violence in the UK. In response, both the U.S. and UK turned to quieter, more boring leaders like Biden and Starmer, who offer a temporary calm but lack the energy to truly engage people.
The problem is that when the excitement fades, people will likely turn back to the right unless the center or left can present a compelling vision of their own. We’ve seen this pattern before, with leaders like Tony Blair who missed the chance to define a dynamic future for the UK. Now, it’s up to Keir Starmer to do what others haven’t—create a vision that inspires and energizes the country.
The Detail
It was the BBC documentary maker Adam Curtis who presented the idea to me – through his documentaries – that politics was about finding an idea that made people fizzy and energised.
At first I thought – what nonsense – politics – as an ideal is about democracy – everyone wants a say – and about doing things well. Its not about myths and visions and ideas.
But Curtis has spent a lot longer considering the politics of societies that sit outside of the western liberal democratic bubbles.
And in any case recent events are showing that the big ideas – supported by capital – moved by all kinds of different people – which are making people feel really fizzy – are the death cult white supremacist anti-democratic politics. They have nothing to do with democracy or freedom of speech or doing things well – they are about creating a new power balance – one in which capitalists have the right to dictate to the middle and working classes – and which in turn grants the middle and working classes a higher status – over a new migrant slave class, that will be constructed and built up over time through a discourse of illegality, criminality and undeserving.
The DCWSAD politics fuelled Brexit. They are now feeling this new wave of hatred and violence against immigrants, Muslims and the Labour Party in the UK.
They have fuelled the ascendancy of Trump too.
What is noticeable in the States, as in the UK, is that after a period of high energy madness – both countries opted for something more sedate – a hangover pill if you like – Biden in the States, and then Starmer in the UK.
But we see in the States that whilst people may need a hangover pill – you can’t live on them – and you certainly can’t party on them. Biden’s lack of vision was going to hand Trump the presidency – not necessarily because Trump had better ideas – but just because he had some ideas and a bit of energy. Now Biden has been replaced by Harris and Walz – we see energy and excitement injected into the Democrats campaign – and it is this that might make the difference to the States choosing self-harm and plunging themselves into the abyss. Hopefully Harris and Walz are realising that they need to radically change the game – because the political chessboard which is now played out on social media companies that care more about violence, outrage, drama and click addiction – has radically changed.
In the UK – in August 2024 – Britain opted to take their own hangover cure – Keir Starmer. But from the moment he took power, the energy remained with the people peddling the anti-democratic death cult white supremacist narrative – Tommy Robinson, violent white men attacking immigrants, Farage, Jenrick, Tory apologists for the violence, the Daily Telegraph, Elon Musk. Politicians like Keir Starmer, Sadiq Khan and their newspaper equivalent – the Guardian – are only able to ‘comment’ and ‘repudiate’ this narrative.
There is an implicit narrative underpinning the Starmer – Khan – Guardian – (and we might add Biden) response – but it is weak, faintly heard. But reproaching bad people who have a huge amount of passion, energy and resource base (the ADDCWS narrative is reinforced and supported by major corporates like Musk and the owners of the Telegraph) isn’t the same as outmuscling them – and taking the stage from them. And when people get bored with quiet and boring – when they want to party again – they will turn back to the right if the centre of left or whoever don’t have a loud message to replace it with.
In fact you could argue that Britain would have been happy to have maintained the party – but after getting Brexit, Johnson and Truss – Sunak was far too boring and old style Conservative (and my contention is that right wing people don’t want to vote for a non-white – and there is a deep irony that so many non-white Conservative politicians have over the last ten years – fed this white supremacist politics – but then that is the ultimate victory for the white supremacist in some ways – put your feet up and let the non-whites persecute themselves on your behalf) – and that we got another bore – Labour and Starmer – to punish the Tories and the right wing and shake them up a bit. Come on man, we like to party! Where’s the party!?
You can trace this tendency for centrists and leftists for remaining quiet – all the way back to Blair. Blair entered government on a wave of relative optimism – and with some degree of energy – at least he seemed, at the time, compared to John Major, like a normal human being, who you might enjoy a drink with. Blair had the opportunity to define a future for the UK, an identity for the country and a model for the rest of the world. But instead he threw all that with the bin by following death cultist George W Bush – into Iraq – and through his obsession with what the Daily Mail might make of any attempt he might make – to promote a European Britain – a Britain integrated with Europe – and a Europe that might lead the world.
And so since Blair – who else in the centre or left – has really energised people? Well the SNP in Scotland arguably for a time – with the prospect of independence and in response to their hatred of English Conservatism. And Jeremy Corbyn in the UK – who without doubt energised a huge number of people in pursuit of an idea that was inspired by socialism but was more in line with a social democratic politics.
Now it turns to Starmer to define a vision for the country.