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When idealists give way to ideology

By Mal Fletcher - posted Friday, 18 September 2015


So how has British politics - or, at least, the left side of it - come to this?

In part, the election of Jeremy Corbyn is a result of a deep disillusionment felt by large parts of the electorate when it comes to politics-as-usual.

This frustration with establishment politics is not unique to Britain. It is clearly a factor behind the unexpected rise to prominence of Donald Trump, now sitting at the top of US Republican opinion polls in the race to become his party's presidential nominee.

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Sitting just behind him in the race is Dr. Ben Carlson, another non-politician. Professional politicos like Jeb Bush, for all their super PAC financial support, are struggling to make any impact at all.

At the same time, the Democrat establishment are watching with surprise and/or alarm as Senator Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist in this most capitalist of nations, threatens to overtake the centre-leftist former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, in Australia, yet another duly elected Prime Minister, leader of the Liberal Party, has been ousted by members of his own party, after a relatively short stay at the top,.

This follows hard on the heels of the Labor Party's Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Prime Ministerial dance, in which the nation's highest office appeared to be the centre of a never-ending game of musical chairs.

The latest case of political patricide will do nothing to settle public agitation about the general tone of national politics, which is largely seen as being about self-service as opposed to public service.

It will do little to reassure a population facing an economic downturn and will damage Australia's reputation abroad. This at a time when stability is a must, as the lucky country looks for new foreign investment beyond China.

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The political trust deficit, which I've written about elsewhere on the 2020Plus site, is arguably now at a peak in the UK, the US and Australia.

The EU has also taken a hit in this regard, particularly with its handling of the Greek financial crisis. The world - and Europe's people themselves – now wait to see how EU member states will respond to the refugee situation, balancing humanitarian compassion with the realistic demands of migration management.

Wherever liberal democracies are found, a loss of confidence in political institutions is often followed by disenchantment, frustration, agitation, impatience and anger.

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This article was first published on 2020Plus.



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About the Author

Mal Fletcher is a media social futurist and commentator, keynote speaker, author, business leadership consultant and broadcaster currently based in London. He holds joint Australian and British citizenship.

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