When I started this blog a few months ago, I was convinced knowledge can improve the world and still am, but it has become very apparent to me that such a day will never come. Why?
The answer comes from a quick peek at history: it is easier to control and manipulate people if a few are educated and knowledgeable, while the majority are left illiterate or semi-illiterate so they can be told what to do. If you look at the British Empire and the history of monarchy across the world, a handful gain knowledge, close ranks and they have the less knowledgeable at their beck and call, to direct and utilise in the Navy, Army etc., with few questions asked. Try forming an army with a group of equally educated, knowledgeable people and you will see how impossible that is (as each will have a bright idea and none will want to subject to the other and there will be widespread insouciance to each other’s instructions), but bring together a group comprising of 2 or 3 educated with 50 illiterates or semi-illiterates and you will quickly see a pattern of the 2 or 3 educated ones take control and an obedient following who will be able and willing to follow instructions and be led.
The same applies today. Social media and other forms of manipulation is making it easy to galvanise what is described as “base”, unite them in a doctrine (e.g. that anything against is “fake news”) and they will never be swayed. It doesn’t matter what happens next, that “base” will remain faithful. The need for sound politics and political ideology is no longer relevant. Politicians worldwide have cracked the magician’s code; in today’s era of increasing illiteracy there is zero need for policy or nuanced responses and ideas; manipulation is the winner! Find what resonates well with a group of people, play it up, give them what they think they want and you have their vote all day long, regardless. Politics as we used to know it is gone and will never return. Those days when politicians have to provide well-considered answers, policies (even if they later fail to fulfil those promises) are gone and gone forever. What we have now and likely to have indefinitely is the use of “hot buttons” (i.e. find a topic that a large group of people are emotional about e.g. immigration, abortion etc., then whip them into a frenzy, through whatever means; including outright lies) and all that is required is for you to press those hot buttons and watch the “base” galvanise into a voting block that will find any excuse to remain loyal and you will win election after election. That is our reality now and this strategy has won virtually every election held in the last 5 years, including a number of key referendums.
So, I ask: why would anyone wish for a fully educated and knowledgeable society? Well, they don’t. That is why we still have schools for the rich (fee paying schools that offer better education, which guarantee progress to universities etc.) and schools for the poor (where the intention is purely to provide a basic education that ticks the box and only a few unique ones make it on to university from there and on to better lives); kids that end up in the poor schools are slowly led to believe what they have is all they need and their betters will rule and make decisions for them. Those on the rich lane are told their duty is to rise to the top and rule. It’s been the same from time immemorial and will remain unchanged, largely because each have accepted their roles and as Jeremy Corbyn found out in the most recent UK election, going around preaching equality and offering to help level the playing field and eliminate social injustice simply irk those you are trying to help as they have accepted their lot and do not wish to be told things can be better for them. So, they drifted towards those who are offering them solutions to their “hot buttons”. One can name several countries where the exact same has been the case and so will it continue
There is no point in trying to address this situation. Knowledge is great and can indeed change the world, but it just ain’t gonna happen!
Some folks were singing John Lennon’s IMAGINE earlier this week and if the Coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it should be a reminder that rich or poor, native or immigrant, locals or refugees, male or female, Caucasian or Asian or African, when death comes calling, we all succumb equally and leave with nothing. So, what is all the fuss about? The world, earth, Europe/Americas/Asia/Africa/others belong to no one; we all simply happen to be where we are and are all just passing through….
Unfortunately, nothing is going to change. As Coronavirus has shown; panic-buying, hoarding, people shoving the elderly out of the way to grad the last roll of toilet-roll etc. We (human beings) are made to be the way we are. As such, there will always be a few with knowledge and many without, and the few will continue to manipulate the rest.
Knowledge can improve the world we live in 