Mark Steel asks "Have the British got a "Naturally, Neolithic Subservience Gene?"

Well yes of course they have; who needs to ask?

Actually, being truthful, I am quoting Mark totally out of context. He said this in a discussion on BBC Radio 4 The Today Programme where Mark, the presenter and a French journo discussed the difference between French people’s reaction to social changes (currently burning their country to the ground in an effort to beat the government’s dictats about pensionable age) and us – about to have far worse cuts rained down on us and nary a peep from us, our unions or our politicians.

So What is the Evidence for this Subservience Gene?

The first bit of evidence is how we are reacting to the massive cuts proposed by our government compared to how our European neighbours are reacting to relatively smaller ones. i.e. they are burning the country down as mentioned above while here in the UK – nary a peep.

I Blame the Labour Party

In this case the subservience gene has been supported (or displayed) by the Labour Party. They lost the election and promptly tucked their noses into their collective navel. They spent the next five months deciding who would be their new leader. In the meantime they ignored Britain, and totally forgot their role as the only opposition. The unions spent the same few months assisting the Labour Party to ignore the country in order to try and increase their power over said party.

This was a vital 5 months for the UK because this was the time the new Government pulled together their plans to slash and burn the public sector. Anyone with half a brain would have known that opposition during that period was going to be vital. But of course, the leadership of the Labour Party – well that’s far more important than the future of this country isn’t it?

Group Think

As a result the Tories, led by Goc Won’t (George Osborne, Chancellor-won’t spend anything), have had months to tickle out that gene and persuade us that we have no choice but to submit to the cuts. The Lib Dems are displaying the gene in full glorious colour by going along with their new masters. The mindfree press are now batting for the Governmental approach so it’s a full house.

Scientific study has shown over and over again that groups tend to make more extreme decisions than individuals[1] and also that when groups get things wrong they support each other in their incorrect beliefs.  We are all now in the grip of a piece of groupthink introduced by Goc Won’t; i.e. that the only way to get out of this mess is to massively cut the State while protecting the financial industry.    Once again cleaners are going to pay for the mistakes of bankers.

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[1] 59 Seconds – Think a Little, Change a Lot by Professor Richard Wiseman