The Guilt of the Anointed
Tim Stanley writes in the Telegraph (£) about how we need to address the ills that fuel “far-right” populism, instead of just fretting about the populism itself.
I believe that the underlying problem is the tendency of the Metropolitan Left to view everything through the prism of the hierarchy of privilege and victimhood. They have a paternalistic view towards those groups they perceive to be victims, such as refugees, but even those in minority groups. And, feeling guilty about their own privilege, they treat members of said groups as if they are children rather than adults.
So, the perpetrators of sexual crimes against actual children in Rotherham, for example, are not to be held accountable. Instead, to the Anointed, it must be that society in general is guilty of racism. They assume that only the powerful have moral agency, and that those who could be thought to be oppressed can only be innocent, and so no longer have any responsibilities for their own behaviour.
Of course this attitude will fuel resentment in the general population, resulting in populism. And most especially among groups of people who see themselves as less privileged than the Anointed, such as the traditional working class.
It seems to me that what people actually want is equality: Equality of Dignity — so no special treatment for those in perceived disadvantaged groups — and most especially Equality Before The Law. If we address that, thereby sweeping away morally bankrupt Identity Politics, surely there will be no need for populism?
