…biases
Because of the explosion of “open space” offices, technology companies now make glorified “horse blinders” to only allow approved info to be processed by office workers. But long before that, folks in modern societies had “ideological blinders” that literally made them see only what their ideology allowed them to see. Others – bereft of those blinders – were literally spouting nonsense!!
And this brings your Eyewitness to the wailing Jeremiahs raising their hands to the heavens – waiting for it to fall – because Boris Johnson’s “posh” Tories captured all those “labour” constituencies!! They’re echoing the reaction to Trump’s victory in 2016 when he changed all those “blue” states to “red”!! The folks now experiencing apoplexy still have their ideological blinders in place – economism – which insists that only the cleavage of class matters when people vote.
The fact of the matter is – as your Eyewitness has been pointing out for the longest while – making economic status the alpha and omega of political decision-making was always flawed. It was simply a concession to Karl Marx’s vituperations in 19th century Europe. Marx ignored that “nationalism” as a ground of decision-making was only made moot in a Europe that had transmuted its “ethnic” question into “national” ones because of the forced formation of “homogenous” states.
Even the liberals that dominated subsequent western discourse in Europe and the US – supposedly in opposition to Marxist ideas – accepted the economistic premise. And they adopted a holier-than-thou attitude to the rest of the populace who insisted that they felt alienated culturally more than economically. The liberal snobs, however, dismissed them as “country bumkins”, “yahoos”, and (in England) “chavs”. What did they know??
Well, they now have leaders like Trump and Johnson who aren’t intimidated by the “redneck” labels – and have, instead, embraced them. As to whether they REALLY believe what they say is irrelevant. The “identity” chickens are coming home to roost – and they’re clucking something fierce!! Like most identities, this one needed an “other” – those who are not in the “fold”, and onto whom all the problems and contradictions in the present can be on loaded.
In England and the US, it’s the immigrants of all colours – who aren’t REALLY “British” or “American”. And that’s why the “working class” in the rustbelt in Ohio and Pennsylvania and the manufacturing towns in Northern England have deserted the Dems for the Republicans and the Labour party for the Tories – all agreeing that their problems lie with them “furriners”!! The Brits and Americans now appreciate what it is to be “ethnic groups” – but not the downside politically.
And Guyana?? Having dealt with the ethnic question since the sixties, we have the answer!!
Which is to accept (PPP’s) competence rather than (PNC’s) ethnicity to run the country.
…and voters’ lists
To paraphrase Henry II, your Eyewitness cries, “Will no one rid me on this turbulent voters’ list”?? How much can GECOM stretch out this process?? Just when one thought the matter had been finally put to rest with the unclaimed IDs being placed on a “supplementary list” and the H2H 20,000 unmatched names being verified with a joint field exercise, comes news that GECOM’s decided to have the verification done only by the PPP in the field. GECOM will “work in their offices”!!
Now, what kind of confounded nonsense is this?? Sounds like the Chair petulantly told the PPP: “You want 100% checking, YOU go out and check, then!!” But it’s not as simple as that, is it?? For instance, let’s say a PPP scrutineer goes to a home, isn’t chased out but asks for a birth certificate to confirm qualification, and is refused. Do they have to wait for “GECOM in their office”?
And will the PNC accept the PPP’s sole-checking? Grounds for post-election protests!!
…and Venezuelans
Your Eyewitness read that the US is supplying funds for helping Venezuelan migrants. Now, this is being funnelled through the Government’s (mainly Felix’s) apparatus.
Who’s checking their voters’ registration bona fides?