The fact that there is now such an extensive gap between Conservative rhetoric, the claims being made and reality makes the task of critical analysis difficult.
But the most striking thing isn’t just the disorientating gap between rhetoric and reality: it is also the gap between the bland vocabulary used and the references, meanings and implications of what is actually being said.
Lying, saying one thing and doing another, creating a charade to project one false reality when something else is going on, is very damaging: it leaves people experiencing such deception deeply disorientated, doubting their own memory, perception and sanity.
To cover their tracks and gloss over the gaping holes in their logic, the Tories employ mystification techniques, the prime function of which is to maintain the status quo. Marx used the concept of mystification to mean a plausible misrepresentation of what is going on (process) or what is being done (praxis) in the service of the interests of one socioeconomic class (the exploiters) over or against another class (the exploited). By representing forms of exploitation as forms of benevolence, the exploiters confuse and disarm the exploited.
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If you turn up late for work they dock you an hour’s pay – not three years pay. These sanctions are about control and saving cash (with a splash of psychopathy thrown in for good measure).
Catalina Devandas liked this. I hadn’t thought of sending her my more analytic work, I’ve sent the UN evidence-weighted fact-styled reports, but I think there’s some scope for work like this, too, in the Inquiry, and so will also send her the work that links in Allports scale of prejudice framework with Tory ideology. I suppose they help decode ideology and promote understanding
“Lying, saying one thing and doing another, creating a charade to project one false reality when something else is going on, is very damaging: it leaves people experiencing such deception deeply disorientated, doubting their own memory, perception and sanity.”
Yep!!
Its called “Gaslighting”. Its one of the most insidious ways to send a person over the edge.!!!
I wrote this, which is the longer version of the above post, and it discusses gaslighting – https://kittysjones.wordpress.com/2015/10/07/the-tory-conference-the-politics-of-psychobabble-its-batshit-telementalism-and-mystification/?fb_action_ids=898607073508003&fb_action_types=news.publishes
Deception, lying etc, we seem surrounded by it in every walk of life, you can not say the tories are behind the times, they are slick operators with American consultants, even I am occasionally swayed by their arguments, – until I’ve analysed them. So what chance do those have that rely on them to be honest? My mother always said your lies will find you out. Surely, the tories can’t get away with this varnishing for much longer?
Very interesting. I’m a great fan of the hierarchy of needs and see many people around me struggling mentally and physically to keep body and soul together, that they have neither the time nor energy to think of the reasons for their plight.
They cannot engage in any political discussion because they “have enough on their plate to bother with stuff like that”
These are the people who don’t vote and consequently suffer the results.
Maybe this could account for some of the voter apathy?
And if things get much worse more potential labour voters will not turn out.
The Tories are playing games with our lives!
I’d never linked it with voter apathy, but you may well have a good point, Teresa.
The tories think it’s the right decision, in their minds, screw the poor people even more is actually good for them, they love being shafted and will install a good work ethic and attitude in them and will do anything that they command and thus be grateful for any pathetic scraps from their tables. They are so far out of touch; you’d need a satellite orbiting the Earth to listen to them!