Ideology is an attempt to make the external universe conform to ideas about how it ought to be. It has a superficial similarity to science in that it involves the construction of cognitive models to achieve its ends. Science however is an attempt to understand the universe as it is in the knowledge that the models it creates are always open to change and must be tested and challenged against further observations and alternative theoretical models. The universe is never exactly what we assume it to be and those who fail to understand this are doomed to be disappointed.
There are common features in the psychology of ideological constructions. These are false dichotomies, avoidance and denial. Dichotomy is the division of the world into two opposing concepts. The classic example was Marx’s dialectical theory of history which assumed that progress was made by the opposition of social forces, more recently the proletariat against the capitalist ruling class. It is not surprising that the imposition of such models on modern political life might only amplify social division, conflict and violence.
Today we have a new government in the UK which has been accused by one political party of being led by “blind ideology”, an accurate assessment in my view. Without a wider electoral mandate for its directional course it has already demonstrated an object lesson in how to crash the economy of a nation at a stroke. The previous Johnson government was unduly influenced by those advisers who felt that we did not need to produce food in our own country because we could always import food from global markets. The government then set about throwing British food producers under a bus, having failed to learn the food security lessons of two world wars. The current government has a similar but much stronger belief that free trade in global markets will resolve all difficulties eventually through homeostatic mechanisms. Global markets however are not free. They are manipulated by monopolies, cartels and dictators like Putin. Economies, like the universe, do not conform to the way we think they ought to be. They are complex systems on which the imposition of simplistic ideological models inevitably leads to disappointment. The global financial markets themselves have already passed judgement on the current Chancellor. Will he continue by denying the reality of the situation he has created or be forced into a humiliating U-turn?
This leaves the UK facing a political quandary with two years potentially to go to a general election. Even then will the electorate be faced with an unenviable choice between two parties driven by outdated, divisive ideologies? A government of unity is needed.
Update: The humiliating U-turn by the Chancellor didn’t take very long. Just 10 days after announcing a radical mini-budget he announced that he would not be going ahead with the part that abolishes the higher Income Tax rate for those earning above £150,000 per year. In fiscal terms it is only a small fraction of the proposed reduction in government income from taxation (about £2b of £45b) but the political damage was so high it would probably not have been possible to get it through parliament. It seems we may be stuck with this amateur night government for a couple of years, so it remains to be seen how they handle the three main issues I predicted over a year ago would face the UK in coming years – energy security, food security and military threats. My prediction was well before the invasion of Ukraine.
Chronicles 