Back to basics, back to Blighty: What Brexit, Trump and the Turkish referendum say about modern tribes:
When I was asked to write about modern tribes my first thought was what tribes do I belong to? And how do they affect my view of the world? Well, I'm a journalist, I thought, and that's truly not just my job; it's a way of life. It affects the way I approach things and the way I see the world. I ask questions constantly. Much like my three year old niece I am forever asking 'why?'. Because the attitude that something just is the way it is has never sat well with me. If something doesn't make sense to me I ask 'why?' and then generally challenge the response. I can't bear rules or ideas that have no logical reason behind them.
But I digress, when I was studying to be a journalist, my course-mates and I all went out for dinner in the first week of term, about 20 of us. These were, smart, largely OxBridge educated people, but I promise you, you have never seen anything like it when the bill arrived, numbers were scribbled on the back on napkins and iPhone attacked as through they might wield the answer to the universe if the right co-ordinates were simply entered, and still between us we couldn't seem to work out who owed what successfully. And then one guy at the end of the table apologised to the waiter saying simply 'I'm sorry, we're journalists old chap, we can barely count', and there in that moment I felt I had found my people. Having spent years at school feeling perennially stupid as I struggled with algebra, suddenly I was part of a group who were far from stupid, but had long ago come to terms with the fact their skills lay in other areas and almost wore their ineptitude with maths and lack of concern about it as a badge of honour. A sort of 'well you can't be good at everything attitude'. I liked this tribe.
So I'm currently hanging out in Istanbul for a bit, and I was chatting to a friend who has lived here for some years, about the upcoming referendum here, in the weeks before the vote and he said quite flatly and without any prompting; 'people will vote yes, because they like belonging to a group, a group that is staunchly proud of their country and so feels it should back its leader. It's almost tribal.' Almost tribal. People's. Voting habits are swayed not by what would be good for them individually but by a deep seated feeling of tribal allegiance. That interested me.
And that got me thinking, are we moving away from the ideas that I grew up with, ideas like multiculturalism and inclusion where everybody brings something different to the table and you all learn and benefit from sharing in each others cultures. Have we gone full circle after decades of fighting the divides? Are we now seeking them? With America's selection of Donald Trump to run their country, a man who is openly, racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic, who has little time do anybody outside of his own circle, is one tribe, the strongest tribe, white middle America essentially saying 'we want a return to divisions'?
And What of Brexit? A vast number of the people who voted to leave the European Union say they did so because they want immigration stemmed, 'they want their country back'. How the UK will fare post Brexit remains to be seen, but those who voted 'out' seem to have adopted an attitude of we'll make it work, whatever happens. Suggesting that what is important here is not the challenges that separation from the EU will present but sovereignty, being able to limit those permitted to join the tribe of Great Britain and limit Great Britain's inclusion in the European tribe. Back to basics, back to Blighty.
As Theresa May calls for a snap general election in 6 weeks time I can't help but think it's a call to arms. A sort of 'Right you lot, you wanted this, I've given it to you, I've activated Article 50, I haven't hung about, so now back me, and give me a large majority and more power to make the decisions I think need making.' Of course her timing is clever and calculated, much like her rise to power. Love or loathe the tories, you've got to admit she played a good game - let the boys squabble for a few days and then stepped in like... calling for calm and offering her leadership as the only possible sensible solution to the infighting and mud-slinging that had ensued after Cameron's unceremonious departure.
And course the French election hangs heavy over the horizon of this weekend, with Marine Le Pen pushing a brand of political tribalism designed to appeal to some and alienate others. And the consequence of a win for her, something that would be felt like a shockwave across Europe and beyond.
But where will this push for political tribalism lead us? History doesn't suggest it will end well.
As I sat in the sun drinking the wonderfully mud like Turkish coffee the cafe at the end of my street served, I then thought 'oh God, I suppose I'm an expat now... an expat Journo to be precise' a tribe it seems who enjoy all sorts of privileges, as members of an exclusive little club that counts all sorts of explorers and trailblazers amongst it's members, who folks at home shake their heads about, in genuine bemusement, as if I've moved to the moon 'She's living in Istanbul you say? Is that safe?!'
I'm discovering the thing about being an expat is that you can exist in a foreign city and never venture out of your safe little tribe, where people bring bacon and tea bags back from the UK every other week, where they gleefully tell each other "It's raining in London you know" OR you can lose yourself in your new city and all it's sights, sounds smells and magic. Fortunately most journalists are explorers by nature so the expats I'll spend the most time with will share my enthusiasm for getting lost in it all.
When I was asked to write about modern tribes my first thought was what tribes do I belong to? And how do they affect my view of the world? Well, I'm a journalist, I thought, and that's truly not just my job; it's a way of life. It affects the way I approach things and the way I see the world. I ask questions constantly. Much like my three year old niece I am forever asking 'why?'. Because the attitude that something just is the way it is has never sat well with me. If something doesn't make sense to me I ask 'why?' and then generally challenge the response. I can't bear rules or ideas that have no logical reason behind them.
But I digress, when I was studying to be a journalist, my course-mates and I all went out for dinner in the first week of term, about 20 of us. These were, smart, largely OxBridge educated people, but I promise you, you have never seen anything like it when the bill arrived, numbers were scribbled on the back on napkins and iPhone attacked as through they might wield the answer to the universe if the right co-ordinates were simply entered, and still between us we couldn't seem to work out who owed what successfully. And then one guy at the end of the table apologised to the waiter saying simply 'I'm sorry, we're journalists old chap, we can barely count', and there in that moment I felt I had found my people. Having spent years at school feeling perennially stupid as I struggled with algebra, suddenly I was part of a group who were far from stupid, but had long ago come to terms with the fact their skills lay in other areas and almost wore their ineptitude with maths and lack of concern about it as a badge of honour. A sort of 'well you can't be good at everything attitude'. I liked this tribe.
So I'm currently hanging out in Istanbul for a bit, and I was chatting to a friend who has lived here for some years, about the upcoming referendum here, in the weeks before the vote and he said quite flatly and without any prompting; 'people will vote yes, because they like belonging to a group, a group that is staunchly proud of their country and so feels it should back its leader. It's almost tribal.' Almost tribal. People's. Voting habits are swayed not by what would be good for them individually but by a deep seated feeling of tribal allegiance. That interested me.
And that got me thinking, are we moving away from the ideas that I grew up with, ideas like multiculturalism and inclusion where everybody brings something different to the table and you all learn and benefit from sharing in each others cultures. Have we gone full circle after decades of fighting the divides? Are we now seeking them? With America's selection of Donald Trump to run their country, a man who is openly, racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic, who has little time do anybody outside of his own circle, is one tribe, the strongest tribe, white middle America essentially saying 'we want a return to divisions'?
And What of Brexit? A vast number of the people who voted to leave the European Union say they did so because they want immigration stemmed, 'they want their country back'. How the UK will fare post Brexit remains to be seen, but those who voted 'out' seem to have adopted an attitude of we'll make it work, whatever happens. Suggesting that what is important here is not the challenges that separation from the EU will present but sovereignty, being able to limit those permitted to join the tribe of Great Britain and limit Great Britain's inclusion in the European tribe. Back to basics, back to Blighty.
As Theresa May calls for a snap general election in 6 weeks time I can't help but think it's a call to arms. A sort of 'Right you lot, you wanted this, I've given it to you, I've activated Article 50, I haven't hung about, so now back me, and give me a large majority and more power to make the decisions I think need making.' Of course her timing is clever and calculated, much like her rise to power. Love or loathe the tories, you've got to admit she played a good game - let the boys squabble for a few days and then stepped in like... calling for calm and offering her leadership as the only possible sensible solution to the infighting and mud-slinging that had ensued after Cameron's unceremonious departure.
And course the French election hangs heavy over the horizon of this weekend, with Marine Le Pen pushing a brand of political tribalism designed to appeal to some and alienate others. And the consequence of a win for her, something that would be felt like a shockwave across Europe and beyond.
But where will this push for political tribalism lead us? History doesn't suggest it will end well.
As I sat in the sun drinking the wonderfully mud like Turkish coffee the cafe at the end of my street served, I then thought 'oh God, I suppose I'm an expat now... an expat Journo to be precise' a tribe it seems who enjoy all sorts of privileges, as members of an exclusive little club that counts all sorts of explorers and trailblazers amongst it's members, who folks at home shake their heads about, in genuine bemusement, as if I've moved to the moon 'She's living in Istanbul you say? Is that safe?!'
I'm discovering the thing about being an expat is that you can exist in a foreign city and never venture out of your safe little tribe, where people bring bacon and tea bags back from the UK every other week, where they gleefully tell each other "It's raining in London you know" OR you can lose yourself in your new city and all it's sights, sounds smells and magic. Fortunately most journalists are explorers by nature so the expats I'll spend the most time with will share my enthusiasm for getting lost in it all.
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