End of the decade: How did Britain fare?

(c) buggolo

If you think of an image of Britain in the first ten years of the 21st century, you may think of the queue of people outside Northern Rock, stretchers carrying the wounded from the London Underground in July 2005, or the putsch of Saddam Hussein and the fall of his iconic statue in April 2003. This decade has certainly seen its ups and downs for Britain, with its financial health going from stable to very unstable in a matter of months, and on one fateful July morning we experienced an event that would change our lives forever.

So is this how the decade will be remembered? War and money (or a lack of it?) Probably. Much as you probably won’t recall who finished second in the Premier League in 2004, you’ll know that Arsenal won it without losing a game. And so the iconic, big moments are those that dominate in our memories, and often serve to illustrate a wider and more complicated narrative. From an historical perspective, we will remember this decade as the one in which our sense of security was shattered forever, and for the turning of boom to bust.

Insecure Britain

Much like the USA, Britain has historically enjoyed the benefits that its geography lends; a secure barrier against external forces. The murder in London of the first civilians by an enemy from outside of the UK and Ireland since the Second World War sent a powerful message; no one is safe. And so this has lead to insecurity driven hysteria.

From the left, civil liberties campaigners have come out in force against the perceived incursion into our freedom by counter-terrorism legislation. The right is concerned at the perceived rising numbers of immigrants, and in particular, an increasing Islamic population, of which a hefty proportion are reluctant to assimilate into or accept our way of life. The past ten years are certainly marked by this increasing divide in this country. There is a brewing tension between fundamentalist Islam and working class nationalism. I wrote several months ago of this potential conflict; and since then, anti-Islamic campaigners have taken to the streets, and the problems show little sign of abating. A simmering disagreement threatens to boil over into a civil war in years to come if it isn’t checked. This decade could be remembered by historians of the 21st century as the point at which this conflict began.

The media bandwagon and the rise of populism

It has also been a troublesome decade for democracy. The rise of celebrity culture, the idea that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame and the increasingly populous blogosphere has burgeoned since the turn of the century. In its simplest form, this is a good thing. Plurality is essential for a thriving democracy. The rise of online media has given a voice to the masses.

But this has lead to a dangerous phenomenon which is actually counter intuitive. Now there is a readily mobilised rent-a-mob which the media increasingly use to score points against the political classes and keep them in check. The recent MPs’ expenses scandal was a great example of this. For years and years the abuse of expenses went on. The fact that there is a mob of readers waiting to carry out a newspaper’s crusade for them mean that politicians have a greater check on their powers.

This is great for British democracy in theory. In practise though, it demonstrates the tendency of most so called individuals in Britain to behave like sheep when a crisis erupts. During the expenses scandal, rational debate was bulldozed by widespread hysteria. Yes, MPs brought this on themselves to an extent. But effectively suppressing reasoned debate and disussion cannot be an adequate solution to the follies commited in Westminster. Every time a comedian makes an inoffensive joke, a journalist is waiting like an over enthusiastic parking warden, ready to seize upon the opportunity and rally a group of readers against said comedian. And the tendency of many to take on the media’s arguments for them can be seen in debates the world over; attitudes towards America, the Middle East and bankers are shaped by a sensationalist Fleet Street. The rise of the use of Public Relations by big business and political parties is a direct response to the dumbing down of what is fed to the public through the media.

And so we have a very dangerous phenomenon; an increasingly powerful ‘unelected dictatorship’ – or the populist press, as it is otherwise known. Sitting with a veto on any idea they don’t like, a merry band of hacks, ready to pull the strings of the masses who take up their cause as readily and enthusiastically as cats lap up milk. So the first decade of the 21st century will also be remembered for the rise of ‘the sheep mentality’  - where the media tell the public what to think – and in turn the public keep our politicians in check.

Historians will rue the rise of this autocracy. Yes, Westminster has long been known for the ‘elected dictatorship’ that is the government. But at least they were elected. I don’t remember voting for Murdoch on my ballot paper, or any of his employees.

The war against the Square Mile

Finance has dominated the last couple of years, this decade marking the probable end of laissez-faire economics in most parts of the world. With the collapse of the housing market and subsequent economic crash that has enveloped us all these last 18 months, the do nothing attitude is well and truly dead. For now. It may, like so many resurgent nations, come back in the future, when its alternative is potentially discredited, but this decade is the one which marked the death of the old economic system. Regardless of the economic benefits that laissez-faire can bring, it is simply too unpopular and tarnished to make a comeback. Much like Angus Deayton and the all too famous Paul Merton’s controversial t-shirtgate, laissez-faire was great in its day, worked well with both those on the right and the left, but simply cannot survive the outcry that has ensued. And so John Maynard Keynes wins another battle.

And so, if these are the events and the issues that have marked the past decade, we must ask what does the future hold for an economically and politically insecure Britain? The European Union will pose us our greatest and most challenging questions in the years to come. The weakening pound raises the possibility of joining the Euro and the realities of 21st century politics mean a shift towards pan-Europeanism may be essential, but whether a sceptical public will follow this logic is another matter entirely, and one on which much of our future may rest. The next government must also do much to switch off the gas in order to keep the growing civil war between a politically correct left and a resurgently nationalist right relatively cool. Though quelling the animosity may not be possible anymore.

And with that, will come the question of terror. We are very much at war, even if the enemy is unseen, and the battle we face is more psychological than traditional conflicts. But the roots of terrorism are still out there, and the fate we may fall to will rest on the shoulders of brave men and women fighting in Afghanistan. Our ability to check the rise of Iran and North Korea will be another major issue to contend with, as a looming West-East conflict rears its parasitic head. Ultimately, if we fail to solve these epic and unenviable conundrums, historians may well look back at the 10 years as being the decade in which the seeds were sown for conflicts to come.