Change: Why I can't vote Labour

Planning to vote Labour because you want change? Many of us spent a lot of time trying to convince ourselves that the Brexit vote, Trump, AfD, Le Pen etc have an economic justification at the core of their support. People are marginalised by globalisation, capitalism, neoliberalism, whatever-you-wanna-call-it-ism. They are ‘left behind’. They are unrepresented by normal politics and turn to the extremes. They wanted to ‘stick it to the man’, to express their dissatisfaction. They want to hurt the people who hurt them. This is why they voted for Brexit, why they support Trump, why they vote for neonazis across Europe.

Sound familiar? Read Politico, or the Guardian much?

Labour promises to change all that. While this economic based explanation is a wonderful one, in keeping with our Marxist methodological frameworks, it is sadly not true. It is not true. Also, it is conveniently passing the blame for all this mess back on us, university profs, the metropolitan elite, normal politics (etc etc). We are the ones that let all these people fall off the waggon. Or did we?

Labour is running an election with a slogan of 'change'. From Corbyn's handmaiden of Brexit, to Starmer's nationalism is some change indeed.

Us, the 'metropolital elite', know how to blame (and deal with) neoliberalism, austerity, unemployment and the rest. We wrote books about it after all! We do not know how to deal with bigotry and racism. It seems distasteful to call it what it is. Doesn't it? Say out loud: Racism and bigotry. We do not know what to make of this alliance of the rancid rich with the racist poor, of snooty Londoners (or Parisians) and provincial bigots. We are at a loss. Read this great piece by?@zackbeauchamp?in VOX, and you won’t be able to pretend anymore that this isn't happening.

Hidden behind the 'economic reasons' facade, we allowed ourselves to appease the bigots. We say things like: Immigration is a legitimate grievance.

Balls to that. Immigration is not a legitimate grievance. Hear that Keir?

I can prove it. I can prove it on the systemic level by showing you reams of statistics that demonstrate migration to be a net benefit to the UK, to Europe, to USA, to everyone. I can prove it on the personal level too. I am an immigrant, I am a benefit to this country. Feel free to debate me in the comments. Next time a colleague or mate comes along who says ‘You know, they do have a point on immigration’, do not accept it. Question them. We have gone along with this lie for so long, we handed the referendum on a platter to the likes of Farage, and now we are even going to give him the thing that has eluded him, a seat in the Commons.

Ask people: Why is immigration a problem for YOU? What have YOU experienced that makes immigration a legitimate problem?

Try it and you will discover a surprising thing. People have read a lot of headlines from rags like the Daily Express. They have heard other people complain. They have seen lots of foreign looking people on TV. Enough of that. Enough of the bigotry and racism. Enough with the pretense that this is somehow legitimate. Did you lose a council house to an Afghan? Did you lose your job to a Pole? Where you handicapped by a Greek doctor? Did you have to wait at A&E while they pulled a knife out of a foreigner? Do people speak foreign languages on the bus? You remember those headlines about all 70 million Turks on their way to Dover?

Immigration is a fiction. Other people are supposedly affected and you are scared. These are the politics of identity for fools. Culture wars for the uncultured. The left lost this game because it abandoned its core principle of internationalism. You have long had Labour MPs talking about ‘restrictions’, taking about reducing immigrants, talking about ‘legitimate concerns’. Talking the UKIP talk. I was saying this back in 2016. It was sad then. To see it in the Labour manifesto today is an affront.

Keir Starmer isn't the leader of Labour. Nationalism and socialism don't go together. Turn on the history channel and you'll work out why. If you were scared of foreign people on TV enough to cut your own legs off via the idiocy of Brexit, you deserve what happened to you, but do not expect me to cry along about your legitimate grievances. The time has come to make a stand. Want to vote for Le Pen, AfD, the Tories, Reform? Have the guts to own your 'cultural identity'. You are a bigot and a fool. Want to vote for Labour on July 4th? Admit that you have given up and you are happy to hold hands with the Leavers, while screeching 'change'.

Not me. This is my hill to die on. I won't vote for Labour and I don't care how bad the baddies are. I will vote for the Lib Dems, because they are the only party who is still not ashamed to be pro-European. Do I expect you to change your vote after reading this? No, I don't. I am simply sharing. This is my culture war.

@iGlinavos