A tale of Two Jeremies

"No social order ever disappears before all the productive forces for which there is room in it have been developed; and new higher relations of production never appear before the material conditions of their existence have matured in the womb of the old society itself.

Therefore, mankind always sets itself only such tasks as it can solve; since looking at the matter more closely, we always find that the task itself arises only when the material conditions necessary for its solution already exist, or are at least in the process of formation". Karl Marx

Some weeks ago whilst having breakfast I began to reflect on the Jeremy Corbyn interview on the Andrew Marr show. It was refreshing, open and suggested the beginning of a new politics. It seems open , tentative and embracing of many strands of thought and outlook. It stresses the collective , yet also includes the interdependence of individuals across cultures, communities and life style.

I then remembered another Jeremy who has been in the news recently. That Jeremy was of course Jeremy Kyle.Kyle's approach is simplistic, it is “get a job” ( no mention of the minimum wages, no understanding of deskilling, no appreciation of the nature of modern work, no understanding of globalisation, the rise of the multinational and the impersonation of large sections of the public, and the rise of the neo-liberal simplistic agenda), “put something on the end of it” ( no appreciation of the complexity of human passion, no appreciation of the poor quality of sexual education in our schools and and no understanding of how broken and vulnerable that we all are) and finally “give up drugs” ( no understanding of addiction, the wide availability of drugs and the failure of the so called war upon drugs). Kyle solutions are simplistic , individual and crass beyond belief.

There is an analogy between Kyle's outlook and the simplistic model of austerity.Austerity equated the national economy with the family budget. It draws parallels between how both work. It ignores the fact that a a modern states political economy produces its own currency, has imports and exports and commits itself to the illusion of debt. The modern individual , or family does not have this choice. The logic of the Kyle show promotes a similar myth, the analogy it draws is toxic , shameful and gives simplistic Cognitive Behavioural approaches to complex situations stored in structures going back many years, are ignored, denied and hidden.

The Kyle show is a neo-liberal approach to the problems of modern life, of our loves and our relationships. Austerity is the Cognitive behavioural Therapy of this Conservative government. It is simplistic and lacks a real understanding of the numerous problems that we all face.

Of course Cognitive Behavioural approaches has value when allied with wide ranging approaches and means of analysis but simple fundamental approaches offer little. Austerity has become a religion, Corbyn,the Green Party and similar movements stress the challenge that dissent brings to the high priests of neo liberalism. As Thoreau once said “ certainty is the hobgoblin of the closed mind”. Perhaps we should add simplistic solutions as a new example of the closed mind. The neo-liberal politicians even look like Kyle is this an accident I wonder?.