Narratives count. What counts even more is the ability each and every one of us has to speak our mind and question what is promoted as truth in an incorrect light. JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, posted on X this week on the subject of Trump releasing his grandfather’s assassination files. He himself has a large social media presence.
Schlossberg made very salient points from which many can learn. He wrote:
“These men are stealing history from present and future generations – by appropriating the past for their criminal agenda, they normalise themselves in the minds of those without living memory.”
Trump, Farage and Musk rewrite history with fake news. Those who dominate in the representation of historiography gain more power for themselves while they manipulate narratives.
Schlossberg continued:
“I’m one person with a social media account. All I can do, any citizen, is speak my mind. The rest will come later (winning), after we build strength. For now, if you see something – say something.”
“JFK drafted the civil rights act — Trump made DEI illegal. JFK stared down Russia and did not blink – Trump is Russia’s closest ally. JFK sent a man to the moon – Trump gave Elon the keys to Air Force One. JFK created USAID – Trump eliminated it.”
“JFK fought fascism and communism. Trump is selling us out to tech warlords, at home and abroad. JFK stood behind unions and labour, demanding healthcare, higher pay. Trump is stripping working families from lifesaving care, financial support.”
“JFK celebrated the arts and culture. Trump attacks artist’s identities, took over the Kennedy center just to empty it out and pave it gold.”
Let us hold these thoughts for a moment.
Reactions to price increases in the UK
This week, many articles surfaced outlining the rises to the cost of living caused by energy price hikes, increased water rates and council tax. Writing on the increases to passport charges, James Rodger quoted the reactions of members of the public:
“I’m glad I moved to Poland, my electric bill for one year came to £320 and that’s keeping the air conditioning on most of the time last summer. […] everything in the UK is getting so expensive, its just tax everything will solve the problem or just put the price up on everything. Feel sorry for people now living in UK, horrible place now with very low standards.”
“Collapse of living standards, high inflation (4.9% when costs of housing are included while in France inflation is just 1.4%, costs of housing included), crumbling infrastructure, poor basic services, inefficient state, etc…. Life is so good in the Brexitland.”
“Absolutely being ripped off by this ANTI BRITISH Government we are £2500 a year on average household worse off and even more to come and there not a year in power STARMER OUT”.
Truth is a key resource in the fight against the fascism and economic decline
The ‘Brexit monster’ is simultaneously eroding our resources, and directly and indirectly, working in the same unfortunate mode by appropriating elements of history “in the minds of those without living memory.” Putin’s troll armies don’t just fight with weapons and bombs. He too has used social media narratives spread in viral fashion by employees of the internet research agency (trolls) to increase his own power.
Starmer won’t talk about Brexit. Feeding the Brexit monster forces the hands of the Labour government to impose their own version of austerity on needy people, arguably to control spending on servicing the costs of debt. It is true to say that debt is the legacy of the previous conservative government, with its overspending on PPE in the VIP lanes and many other examples of dodgy deals done with friends, but the position is crystal clear – Brexit has left and will continue to leave a great big detrimental hole in our economy.
Starmer has to play a dangerous balancing act, one which is self-imposed due to his lack of courage to explain the truth to the British public in clear simple terms. He is forced to silence Reform who will shout down any approach that would allow any form of mobility framework to return.
Labour is trying. They listen more to concerns about the NHS, launching a public consultation. They have their good points, which are now drowning in a sea of rhetoric from Musk and disgruntled members of the public who are hard hit by their austere reforms. Yet if Starmer and his team do not wake up, the Brexit monster will also consume the Labour government. Those cries to ‘Starmer out’ have very serious implications for us all.
He is making himself unpopular by these harsher economic measures. It does not have to be this way…
Ironically, misplaced strategies will only open the door to increase support for Reform, which is exactly what Starmer’s anti-migrant and anti-mobility frameworks are meant to counteract.
Imagine the following scenario – Britain in 2029 with a five year term of Reform in office, which would ultimately reek more havoc on the British economy. Reform MPs don’t have a good track record. Brexit is ruining us and our influence and pushing up prices, a far cry from the sunlit uplands promised by Brexiters like Jacob Rees Mogg with cheaper prices and an empowered NHS, free from the pressures caused by those horrible sponging migrants who come to Britain to drain our resources.
A government, which would potentially align itself with Trump and Putin is not what Britain needs. We’re reminded Trump would like to annex Canada, which is part of our commonwealth. Neither is the NHS safe in Farage’s hands. Those who are struggling economically are much more likely to listen to and believe the promises of a political storyteller whose only quest is self-empowerment and self-enrichment. We are in dangerous waters.
Starmer and his party have a chance to turn the tide to prevent the massive disaster for Britain constituted by an ultra-elitist Reform government. They have a duty to fight fascism if they have respect for lives lost fighting it in WW2. They equally have a duty to listen to the public. A petition resulting in a debate in parliament on our position in Europe should prompt at least some action from them. A new poll revealed 55% of the British public would favour rejoining the EU. Rejoining the single market does not mean Britain becomes an EU member. Neither does either of these options mean uncontrolled migration where treaties are used correctly.
Britain is in dire need of those lost revenues from the single market for both economic input, knowledge exchange and the restoration of our reputation on the international stage. Standing together with friends helps us counteract the threat of Trumpian dictatorships. Of all people in office, Starmer should heed Jack Schlossberg’s words closely rather than turn a blind eye to the Brexit monster’s engendered problems: “If you see something, say something”.
Labour in principle is sympathetic to unions, workers’ rights and the NHS free at the point of use, etc yet they are not batting in our corner with their economic policies. They could make it so much better.
The arts have suffered massively under Brexit as so many of the reports produced by musicians and other artistes bear witness. It’s not just about the loss of funding for arts projects.
The citizen who laments being £2500 out of pocket per year due to the latest cost of living increases should bear in mind that so many people have lost their entire livelihoods due to Brexit or huge parts of them. By extension, the treasury loses tax revenues for this employment or corporation tax, which leaves holes in public budgets which are now filled by borrowing, which is then serviced by cost increases and cuts to service that debt. Cries of ‘Starmer Out’ won’t fix this. If Farage gains the keys to Number 10 in 2029, the debt will still be there… His policies of global Britain won’t fix the holes in the economy, which will not cause much pain to a millionaire.
The hard stance against immigrants and refugees is the legacy of Brexit Channel 4’s ‘Go Back to Where You Came From’ documentary showed the journey made by hard Brexiters and more open minded people.
At the end of the trip, the stark realities of refugees living in Calais while they attempt to cross the channel broke the spell of the fascist narratives – ‘make it safe, make it legal’ was their wish when they realised how many innocent human beings had perished at sea, including children. Those who should go on such a journey of discovery to witness the perils themselves are members of the government. The realities busted the fake news items, which magnify the threat of migration out of all proportion. A sabbatical to make this trip for the PM would be impossible, but he and his ministers should be requested to at least watch every episode of this series, especially the last one.
