Extremism left, extremism right. Ignorance is bliss!

In England there is a rallying call from the grass roots of the labour movement that the status quo in UK has to go.  When it’s gone, it will be replaced by a workers’ utopia.  Hurrah! What a splendid idea.

“The principle of democracy has to be ground up,” says Jeremy Corbyn, as he urges supporters to vote to re-elect him as Labour leader.

“It is about breaking open this magical circle of Westminster, some of our great universities, Whitehall and the boardrooms who try to control thinking, control ideas and control the way policy is developed.”

The ‘working class’ is coming out in droves to support Corbyn, whilst his opponent, who by the way, comes out with similar rhetoric, can barely raise a roomful of supporters.  Corbyn has the dishevelled style of a true Marxist, or at least a socialist anarchist. No place here for gentile suits or smart pressed shirts. Unpolished shoes and unshaven faces are the order of the day. We who have little material wealth are one, we who have no employment are ennobled, we, who are down, will be lifted up.

In Corbyn’s message there is only one consistent message; The State will provide. How the State will provide has so far been kept secret, but leaving that to one side, this is a very attractive message.  It has goodness and generosity at its core.  The message screams that the poor will be lifted up and meek shall inherit the earth, the rich shall be sent empty away.

Who would argue against the poor being lifted up?  No one.  The question is, how?

In America, the gun carrying individualist who’s right to bear arms and innate meritocratic values are the core of another set of fundamental beliefs.

Here America, God and freedom are enshrined in Middle American values.  However, here too are the alienated lower middle classes who believe that they can escape from the drudgery brought on them by a political elite.  Lock out Muslims and Mexicans, don’t screw with us or we’ll ‘nuke’ you attitudes will change things for the better.  America will look inward, the ideas of a multicultural democratic state will be left to the mercies of the hand on heart American settler. (As long as he’s the right colour and religion.)

The grass root support of Corbyn and Trump have one thing in common, ignorance! Not of ideas but of the nature of mankind.  Yes, there is magnanimity, yes, there is independent strength. But there are many other key strengths and weaknesses which neither left nor right can tolerate.  Democracy the middle way is much more difficult, much harder, even impossible to define, but it is the way, the only way for a civilised society.