W r i t i n g s Duncan McCanlis
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David Cameron's speech on 20th July 2015 might have read like this - if he was addressing the actual generational issues...
I have left the 10 Downing Street intro, so you understand that the original speech was about the threat of Muslim extremism - which I have changed...
Extremism: PM speech From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon David Cameron MP Delivered on: 20 July 2015 (Original script, may differ from delivered version) First published: 20 July 2015 Part of: ISIL: UK government response , Iraq and Syria At Ninestiles School in Birmingham, Prime Minister David Cameron set out his plans to address extremism.
A President of a Democracy might say:
It’s great to be here at this outstanding school, Ninestiles School. Your inspiring teachers and your commitment to British values means you are not just achieving outstanding successes, but you are building a shared community where children of many beliefs and backgrounds learn not just with each other but from each other and nature too.
And that goes right to the heart of what I want to talk about today.
I said on the steps of Downing Street that this would be a ‘one future’ government, bringing our country together.
Today, I want to talk about a vital element of that. How together we defeat extremism and at the same time build a sustainable, more cohesive society.
My starting point is this.
Over generations, we have built something extraordinary in Britain – a successful multi-racial, multi-belief democracy. It is diverse; we practice gratitude, kindness & respect and strive for wisdom – these characteristics are as British as queuing and talking about the weather.
It is here in Britain where different people, from different backgrounds, who follow different religions and different customs don’t just rub alongside each other but are relatives and friends; husbands, wives, cousins, neighbours and colleagues.
It is here in Britain where in one or two generations people can come with nothing material and develop their lives as their talent allows.
It is here in Britain where success – individuals, communities, environment - is achieved not in spite of our diversity, but because of our diversity. Biodiversity is an underlying law of our planet, like gravity or the path of the moon – interfere with these and we do not know what would happen.
So as we talk about the threat of extremism and the challenge of the current mass extinctions, we should not do our country down – we are, without a shadow of doubt, a beacon to the world.
And as we debate these issues, neither should we demonise people of particular backgrounds. Many of the communities that have come to call our country home have made Britain a better place. And because the focus of my remarks today is on tackling Capitalist extremism – not financial capital itself – let me say this.
I know what a profound contribution capitalists from all backgrounds and denominations are making in every sphere of our society, proud to be both British and Capitalist, without conflict or contradiction.
And I know something else: I know too how much you hate the capitalists who are seeking to divide our communities and how you loathe the damage they do.
As Prime Minister, I want to work with you to understand and negate the need for this poison. Today, I want to set out how. I want to explain what I believe we need to do as a country to encourage positive change and help to strengthen our multi-racial, multi-belief democracy.
Roots of the problem It begins – it must begin – by understanding the threat we face and why we face it. What we are fighting, in capitalist extremism, is an ideology. It is an extreme doctrine.
And like any extreme doctrine, it is subversive. At its furthest end it seeks to destroy nation-states to invent its own barbaric multi-national realm. And it often backs violence to achieve this aim – violence against fellow, less able, capitalists and wars on those who don’t subscribe to its sick world-view.
But you don’t have to support violence to subscribe to certain intolerant ideas which create a climate in which extremists can flourish.
Ideas which are hostile to basic liberal values such as democracy, freedom of expression, freedom for other life on Earth and freedom for the future.
Ideas which actively promote excessive financial profit, exploitative economics and the rights of the individual over society and the planet.
Ideas – like those of the despicable established political parties, here and across the world – which privilege one small group of people to the detriment of the rights and freedoms of other people and other life on Earth.
And like so many ideologies that have existed before – whether fascist or communist – many people, especially young people, are being drawn to capitalism. We need to understand why it is proving so attractive.
We must be clear. The root cause of the threat we face is the extremist ideology itself.
And I would argue that young people are drawn to it for 4 main reasons.
One – like any extreme doctrine, it can seem energising, especially to young people. They are watching videos that eulogise financial success as the pinnacle of their world and make celebrities of violent exploiters. So people today don’t just have a cause in capitalist extremism; in the established political parties they now have its living and breathing expression.
Two – you don’t have to believe in barbaric violence to be drawn to the ideology. No-one becomes a social and environmental terrorist from a standing start. It starts with a process of radicalisation. When you look in detail at the backgrounds of those responsible for these terrorist offences against people and the planet, it is clear that many of them were first influenced by what many would call non-violent extremists.
It may begin with hearing about the so-called 'Free' Market and then develop into hostility to the wider needs of life on Earth and fundamental values, before finally becoming a cultish attachment to ever more profit and ever more growth and global influence. Put another way, the extremist world view is the gateway, and violence is the inevitable destination.
Three: the adherents of this ideology are overpowering other voices within society's debate, especially those trying to challenge it. There are so many strong, positive voices that are being drowned out.
Ask yourself, how is it possible that when young teenagers leave their homes and reject the fight for financial superiority, the debate all too often focuses on who is to blame, rather than blaming the system itself? And how can it be that after the tragic events at the recent Climate Negotiations, weeks were spent discussing postponing the limits of pollution, rather than whether the capitalist system should be putting people and the planet at risk, full stop?
When we allow the extremists to set the terms of the debate in this way, is it any wonder that people are attracted to this ideology?
Four: there is also the question of identity.
For all our successes as a multi-racial, multi-belief democracy, we have to confront a tragic truth that there are people born and raised in this country who don’t really identify with sustainability – and who feel little or no attachment to other people or life here. Indeed, there is a danger in some of our communities that you can go your whole life and have little experience of being a part of Nature.
So when groups like corporations and politicians seek to rally our young people to their poisonous cause, it can offer them a sense of belonging that they can lack at home, leaving them more susceptible to radicalisation and so to exploit other people, animals and the environment, to which they feel no real allegiance.
So this is what we face – a radical ideology – that is not just subversive, but can seem exciting; one that has often sucked people in from profitability to violent exploitation; one that is overpowering moderate voices within the debate and one which can gain traction because of issues of identity, pervasive news/media assumptions and failures of education.
So we have to answer each 1 of these 4 points. If we do that, the right approach for defeating this extremism will follow.
In the autumn, we will publish our Counter-Extremism Strategy, setting out in detail what we will do to counter this threat. But today I want to set out the principles that we will adopt.
Counter-ideology First, any strategy to defeat extremism must confront, head on, the extreme ideology that underpins it. We must take its component parts to pieces - the cultish world-view: the economic system that externalises costs, the rapid destruction of the web of life (so undermining Nature's diversity which has underpinned life on Earth), human population levels, increasing inequality and yes, the so-called glamorous parts of it as well.
In doing so, let’s not forget our strongest weapon: our own values. We should expose their extremism for what it is – a belief system that glorifies profit and subjugates people and the planet.
We should contrast their bigotry, aggression and theocracy with our values. We have, in our country, a very clear creed and we need to promote it much more confidently. Wherever we are from, whatever our background, whatever our religion, there are things we share together.
We are all British. We respect democracy and the rule of law. We believe in freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of worship, equal rights regardless of race, sex, sexuality or faith, freedom for other life forms – all as part of a sustainable society.
We believe in respecting different faiths but also expecting those faiths to support the British way of life. These are British values. And are underpinned by distinct British institutions. Our freedom comes from our hearts & minds and democracy. The rule of law exists because of our independent judiciary. This is the home that we are building together.
Whether you are Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Athiest, or Agnostic, whether you were born here or born abroad, we can all feel part of this country – and we must now all come together and stand up for our values with confidence and pride.
We must also de-glamourise the extremist cause, especially the Global Corporations. This is a group that throws people out of their buildings, that burns them alive in their factories and employs the media who constantly show stories of rape, paedophilia, extreme violence and death. This isn’t a pioneering movement – it is vicious, brutal, and a fundamentally abhorrent existence.
And here’s my message to any young person here in Britain thinking of joining them:
You won’t be some valued member of a movement. You are cannon fodder for them. They will use you.
If you are a boy, they will brainwash you, strap beliefs in your mind and blow you away.
If you are a girl, they will brainwash you differently, strap beliefs in your mind and blow you away.
That is the sick and brutal reality of Corporate/Banking control over us and our politicians.
So when we bring forward our Counter- Extremism Strategy in the autumn, here are the things we will be looking at:
- using people who really understand the true nature of what life is like under this capitalist system, to communicate to young and vulnerable people the brutal reality of this ideology;
- empowering the UK’s communities, so they can have platforms from which to speak out against the carnage capitalism is conducting in their countries
- countering this ideology better on the ground through specific programmes
This means confronting groups and organisations that may not advocate violence – but which do promote other parts of the extremist narrative.
For example, I find it remarkable that some groups say “We don’t support the Trans-National Corporations” as if that alone proves their anti-extremist credentials. And let’s be clear, small & medium sized businesses don’t support the Global ones. So we can’t let the bar sink to that level. Condemning a mass-murdering, child & environment exploiting organisation cannot be enough to prove you’re challenging the extremists – we all need to demand fundamental change.
Corporations Now the third plank of our strategy is to embolden different voices within the corporations' community. Just as we strive to engage with extremist groups and individuals, we’re now going to actively encourage the reforming and moderate coporate voices. This is a significant shift in government approach – and an important one.
In the past, governments have been too quick to dismiss the strategically dangerous aspect of capitalist extremism; in particular they have allowed the growth of Corporations into entities greater than many countries. That is totally understandable – all it required was to do nothing. It cannot be said clearly enough: this extremist ideology is not a true way to run society. I have said it myself many, many times, and it’s absolutely right to do so. And I’ll say it again today.
These reforming voices, they have a tough enough time as it is: the extremists are the ones who have the money, the leaders, the iconography and the propaganda machines. We need to turn the tables.
We can’t stand neutral in this battle of ideas. We have to back those who share our values. So here’s my offer.
If you’re interested in reform; if you want to challenge the extremists in our midst; if you want to build an alternative narrative or if you just want to help protect your kids – we are with you and we will back you – with practical help, with funding, with campaigns, with protection and with political representation.
This should form a key part of our Counter-Extremism Strategy.
Isolation and identity The fourth and final part of our strategy must be to build a more cohesive society, based on ecological and spiritual values, so more people feel a part of society and are therefore less vulnerable to extremism.
And I want to say this directly to all young people growing up in our country.
I understand that it can be hard being young, and that it can be even harder being young and Muslim, or young and Sikh, or young and black, or young and poor, in our country. I know that at times you are grappling with huge issues over your identity, neither feeling a part of your local community, nor a part of the magic of nature.
And I know that for as long as injustice remains – be it with racism, callousness, discrimination, an insane economic system or sickening corporate corruption and its consequences - you may feel there is no place for you in Britain. But I want you to know: there is a place for you and I will do everything I can to support you.
We need young people to understand that here in the UK they can shape the future by being an active part of our great democracy.
Conclusion So this is how I believe we can win the struggle of our generation. Countering the extremist ideology by standing up and promoting our shared values. Taking on extremism in all its forms – both violent and non-violent. And starting with ourselves.
Empowering those moderate and reforming voices who speak for the vast majority of people that want to reclaim their society. And addressing the identity crisis that some young people feel by bringing our communities together and extending opportunity to all.
And I hope I have given a sense of how we have all got to contribute to this process. This isn’t an issue for just any one community or any one part of our society – it’s for all of us. Of course, corporations and their communities have crucial parts to play. You are part of the solution but we in government have got to deal with your failures.
We need the police to step up and not stand by as environmental crimes take place. We need universities to stand up against extremism; broadcasters to give platforms to different voices; and internet service providers to do their bit too. Together, we can do this.
We are not cowed by fear or hatred or terror.
We refuse to compromise on our values, including:
- Biodiversity is a foundation for life on Earth;
- To work actively for a peaceful world;
- To act on our knowledge that human population numbers are reaching plague proportions;
- Limit the size of Corporations to less than the size of the smallest country;
- The creation of money to be the sole right of governments on behalf of their people;
- Devolution of political decision-making;
- Education based on our best understanding of child development;
- Social and environmental duties placed on companies as well as the duty to deliver a return on financial investment;
- The use of the tax system to ensure that profit cannot be made from activities that have damaging consequences, e.g. pollution;
- Generally to create a society based on cooperation, so that it tends to run itself.
Together we will defeat the extremists, build a stronger and more cohesive country and contribute positively to global sustainability for our children, our grandchildren and for every generation to come.
20th July 2015