Worth a listen. I don't know what others think of Russell's religious (Christian) enthusiasms.
He makes what I thought was a very interesting political and moral point in regard to Keir Starmer. He introduces a few cuts of Starmer's U turns in regard to de-privatisation promises, not having anything to do with the Sun newspaper, starting with Starmer's tribute to Jeremy Corbyn as a friend, for him only to deny that Jeremy was a friend, both freely in public. etc. Well more than U-turns - abject failures to keep to a solemn, public pledge.
But Russell goes on to say this
"Starmer must be a pretty accomplished individual, he's achieved loads of things in his life, and in a way this montage isn't an indictment of Keir Starmer as an individual, or if it is that isn''t that's not what's primarily interesting about it. It shows, I suppose that we live in a political system that demands political figures that parrot the talking points demanded of them. What that indicates is not a moral failing of Keir Starmer, but a deeper truth that real power is behind the facade of the political processes in which we participate. The reason I am saying that is because otherwise Keir Starmer would have an opinion and he'd know what his opinion was and his policy he'd know, one which makes sense - it's built on the basis of virtue or pragmatism, so he wouldn't just say "I'll never speak to the Sun, but then write for it, or Israel shouldn't have don this, they'd every right to do that - he'd have a position".
"Of course", Russell continues," all of us, including myself continually grow and evolve but what we don't all do, I think, alter our perspectives entirely on the basis of a pressing ulterior force that is the true governing power. Let me know what you think".
Interesting take on this matter, though I think for many it's a rather charitable take on Starmer's very deliberate treachery - to his erstwhile colleague Jeremy, to his party, to the country,, and indeed to his very own name, Keir, as in Keir Hardie, who founded the Labour party and died in 1915 organising protests and strikes against the "Great War" .
But in the sense that Starmer's only doing this because other higher powers or sensibilities demand this of him, worth a thought., even if whatever way you look at it, it proves a worrying character weakness.
on July 7, 2024, 7:24 pm