I joke a lot about being the queen of nuance but it really is because I have come to realise that it is possible to hold conflicting views about an issue/idea/person.
Life is never truly binary ie either/or, black/white in all situations or contexts.
Of course binary thinking is much easier as it enables us to quickly segment issues, put people in a boxes and requires us having to think through most things as we navigate through life. Life is already hard so I get making it easier to navigate
That said the true mark of maturity or growth in our thinking includes an ability to expand our mindset rather than apply brush strokes to all issues.
This is not to say we shouldn’t have convictions/core values however it means retaining some adaptability on the opinions we hold.
Our convictions should form the basis for our decision making and be evident in how we navigate life and behave towards others. Convictions however should not preclude the ability to view ideas from disparate angles.
I gave the context above to share some of my thoughts on the upcoming UK General Election coming up on 4th of July 2024
Does anyone else think there is a significance to choosing US Independence Day? 🤔😁 I grew up in a political household and i am quite fascinated by the mechanics of the electoral process. I must admit that I have become a bit jaded in the last couple of years but still believe in the idea of being able to choose our leaders
Not all of it is election related but they are my thoughts and observations about how politics play out in every day life especially in the UK. Like stated earlier these are my thoughts and opinions and could /should evolve with time
Ok here goes…
1. If you know me you know I absolutely believe the Tories ( the conservative party) need to go. After 14 years in power, I think they have effectively annihilated UK public services
2. I don’t think black/brown people should be given a pass if they perpetuate or enable harmful policies that disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people in society
3. Despite the above I also know systemic racism is a thing
4. If you also know me, you know I have a complex relationship with the concept of billionaires
5. While I struggle with the concept of billionaires I absolutely believe in building wealth and working towards financial security. I think value should be rewarded and if you have been able to create value you should/can get wealthy from it
6. The above said I don’t believe the value of a person is tied to their monetary worth
7. I don’t want Rishi Sunak to be the next Prime Minister but not entirely sure Kier Starmer will be a great one.
8. I vote mostly on how a manifesto is able to hit certain core issues( based on my convictions) and my assessment above is not based on the personality of the party leaders but what their party manifesto represents
9. I dislike that Rishi gets bullied ( yes bullied) for being privileged or wealthy
10. Does he help himself? No but the real issues in this election are ideological and systemic issues that date back decades ( from as far back as the Magaret Thatcher years)
11. New labour in 1997 ushered in an era of social mobility that reduced childhood poverty in the UK( one of my core convictions) and this has steadily been eroded from 2010
12. So yes the Tories need to go!That said I believe Rishi Sunak is no less competent than Boris Johnson ever was.
13. So why did Boris Johnson get a landslide majority vote in 2019 of over 80 seats( highest ever majority since 1997) and Rishi Sunak is currently polling to lead the Tories to probably its worst ever election result in years ( going from 372 seats to 190 in some polls)
14. Ever heard of glass cliff theory? Google it
15. The truth is there are swathes of the electorate in the UK who believe black and brown people should know “their place”
16. Those “places” do not include being wealthy or being in positions of authority or power
17. When the Conservative Party( and that’s the core demographic I am alluding to here) got the chance to vote between a somewhat competent Rishi Sunak and a very clueless Liz Truss, they chose Liz Truss ( I wonder why 🤔) Remember what she did to the economy? Remember who became the poster child for it ( Kwasi Kwarteng if you have forgotten 🤷🏾♀️). Also remember Rishi Sunak became PM by stealth and not because the core Conservative Party voted for him.
18. If you think I am making it up, please check out how the British press( the absolute perpetrators of “knowing your place”) report on wealthy black footballers in relation to their white counterparts
19. It’s why I am amused by privileged black or brown people who will do everything to deny systemic injustices or racism exists
20. Voting out the Tories is necessary but can we make it about their harmful policies that have had significant impact on the public services in the last 14 yrs please?
21. Rishi Sunak as a child didn’t have a say in his parents sending him to private school and that’s an unfair basis to judge whether or not he is a good leader
22. Do I think he is a good leader? No but let’s make these judgements fair and objective please
23. Britain is a society built on some very classist and eugenistic tendencies so yes I can smell some low key hating on Rishi because of his wealth and ethnic heritage
24. The above does not however negate the fact that other countries including those colonised by Britain also have harmful tendencies that negatively impacts its citizens. We don’t live in an ideal world and I am not idealist. I am however pragmatic with a dose of optimism that we can and should do better
25. If you are a black or brown person with some level of authority or privilege, pls don’t apologize for it. Own it! But do try as much as possible to send the ladder back down. Recognise and acknowledge some of the advantages you might have had and try to advocate for the least of these ie those people who might not have the access that you do
26. I think two party politics needs to be reassessed. It just doesn’t seem to be working anywhere
27. Lastly, regardless of party affiliation or how disenfranchised you might be feeling about our current political climate, I still think it’s our civic responsibility to vote. Vote your convictions but pls don’t tap out entirely as politics has far reaching socio economic implications for our society
Life thru my lens 