THE IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION – WHO ARE THEY?
“They’re trying to destroy our NHS.”
“They’re trying to eradicate freedom of speech.”
“They’re trying to wipe out the Jews/Muslims/minorities etc”
I find myself making these and similar statements virtually every day. I imagine you do too.
But do any of us have any real idea who “they” are?
I propose that some sort of concerted effort should be made to establish who they “they” might be.
Many might argue that this is too big a task to be addressed by something as finite as a book, a radio series, a blog, podcast or a website, but I increasingly feel that a start should be made somewhere, somehow.
The conundrum of who ‘”they” are is surely one that is begging to be addressed.
I think we tend to assume, when making these accusatory statements, that “they” are not “us” but is that actually the case?
In a world where so many people acquire what passes for their philosophies from the words of popular songs, we might look to the 1973 composition Us And Them by the Pink Floyd for answers, but even a cursory examination of its seemingly deep lyric reveals next to nothing other than a parade of cliches and half-baked assertions. There’s virtually no attempt whatsoever to explore who “they” are are, or how “they” differ from “us”.
Off the top of my tiny head, let me suggest that candidates for the descriptor “they” might include the government (any government); global business conglomerates, the church (any church), the filthy rich, arms manufacturers, social media influencers, the military, the police and more. Any and all of these actors might be attempting to destroy the fabric of “our” society in one way or another.
But, these people, are they just figureheads? Who pulls their strings? And who pulls the strings of the string-pullers?
Individuals prominent among “they” might include (depending on your perspective) Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Russell Brand, Nigel Farage? And individuals who are definitely not ‘they’ might include David Attenborough, Jeremy Corbyn, Lise Doucet and … hang on though … how can we be sure? What are the tell-tale signs?
Please let me know your thoughts on this topic and also you suggestions as to what might be the best format in which to have this discussion.