Thought for the day, 19 July 2023

I believe in reason, in being reasonable, even if I don't always practise what I preach.  

I'm not aligned to any group, but I'm a left voter.  I try not to be slavish about it, or tribal.  I know batshit people on the left - who'll suspend all critical thinking or ethical concerns for ideology or party - and people on the right who are sensible, even if we don’t see eye to eye.  

But for the most part, my need for reason, for being reasonable, finds its home on the left.  Reason, for me, looks like stopping for a moment.  It looks like weighing the evidence, being willing to be challenged by it.  It's thinking, carefully, about what's right or wrong, fair or unjust - not falling for the adrenaline rush of judgement in the moment.  Maybe above all, it's calling for calm in the ugly face of populism; meeting pitchforks with words and ideas.

There's this concept in politics called the 'law and order auction'.  Who's toughest?  Party A puts out their policy.  Party B sneers, calls it weak, goes one better.  Party A, not to be emasculated, hits back with more. 

If you’ve been to an auction, you understand this phrase. When the bidding nears a climax, reason has long been left behind. Emotion, heat, and dominance are all that matter. Just win. Win. Figure out how you’ll pay the price tomorrow.

'This isn't about sending children to prison'.  That’s what was said today, the explanation, when Labour’s latest law and order policy was launched. Like they say, if you're explaining, you're losing.   

When you lose, you lose: it hurts, but it’s life. Elections have winners and losers. But there’s still a choice. You don’t have to go down in a blaze of mediocrity.   

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