Thread by @docrussjackson

#THREAD

Mirror mirror on the wall
Who's the wokest of them all?

The UK Govt & its Ministers are hypocrites when it comes to upholding their own stated "fundamental British values" which they, & swathes of the UK press, ignore & contradict through their policies & rhetoric. 🇬🇧

In 2014, the Govt published its "Guidance on promoting British Values" in schools - values codified in official guidance on "improving the spiritual, moral, social & cultural development of pupils to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain."

The official "guidance" compels schools to "actively promote" the "fundamental British values of democracy, *the rule of law*, individual liberty, & *mutual respect & tolerance of those of different faiths & beliefs*", which #Ofsted must take into account during inspections. 🤔

So how does the rhetoric of Govt Ministers, along with swathes of the UK's press & broadcast news media, align with the "fundamental British values" of "mutual respect & tolerance of those of different beliefs"?

SPOILER ALERT: it doesn't.

Does this mean they're anti-British? 🇬🇧

The Govt's plan is "to ensure children become valuable & fully rounded members of society, who TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT & TOLERANCE, regardless of background".

Ministers & right-wing news media do not consider a growing list of 'others' worthy of either respect, or tolerance.

Examples of the understanding & knowledge pupils MUST learn include: "an acceptance that people having DIFFERENT BELIEFS to oneself ("which is protected in law") SHOULD BE ACCEPTED & TOLERATED, & should NOT be the cause of PREJUDICIAL or DISCRIMINATORY behaviour".

Other examples of the understanding & knowledge of "fundamental British values" pupils MUST learn include: "an understanding of the importance of identifying & COMBATTING DISCRIMINATION" - although actively promoting & justifying discrimination appears fine IF you're the UK Govt.

So how does all this fit with 'wokeness'?

It's clear that the Government, the billionaire-owned or funded right-wing news media, including GB "News", & TalkTV are all explicitly 'anti-woke' - but what do *they* actually mean when they mobilise 'woke' & 'wokeness' as pejoratives?

Used as a pejorative, according to the Right 'woke' has THREE main attributes & meanings that they take exception to:

(1) imposed conformity to a particular ideology;

(2) over-sensitivity to particular cultural issues (eg race);

(3) intolerance of opposing ideologies.

Govt Ministers, the right-wing media & others on the right all agree these three components are antithetical to 'free speech' & the "fundamental British values" of "individual liberty, & mutual respect & tolerance of those of different beliefs". Fine. It's a view I'll tolerate.😉

But the Right's OWN intolerant rhetoric conforms PRECISELY to what THEY find objectionable in THEIR understanding of the term 'woke': imposed conformity to a particular ideology; over-sensitivity to particular cultural issues (eg wokeness); & intolerance of opposing ideologies.

But which intolerance came first?

The 'overly sensitive Left', who want to impose conformity to eg tolerating & respecting asylum seekers & minorities?

Or the 'overly sensitive Right', who want to impose conformity to eg demonising & scapegoating asylum seekers & minorities?

We appear to be locked into a very harmful, divisive, & polarising 'intolerance spiral', which is not just antithetical to the Govt's own stated "fundamental British values", but is also threatening the very fabric of society, & democracy itself.

And most MPs don't seem to care.