"You People Syndrome" Strikes Again

The first time I noticed "You People Syndrome" (YPS) was during the Scottish referendum. Being an immigrant, some nuances of my adopted culture can sometimes pass me by. You can often spend time re-calibrating your brain, trying to get to grips with the things you think you understand. But don't. So I was quite bewildered at the time of the Scottish Referendum ("Indy Ref") at the general coverage that I saw. Me, being London-based and London-centric, it seemed that the mainstream media (MSM) (largely London, too) were actually telling the people of Scotland that: "You People Up There Know Not What You Do" .
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The first time I noticed "You People Syndrome" (YPS) was during the Scottish referendum. Being an immigrant, some nuances of my adopted culture can sometimes pass me by. You can often spend time re-calibrating your brain, trying to get to grips with the things you think you understand. But don't.

So I was quite bewildered at the time of the Scottish Referendum ("Indy Ref") at the general coverage that I saw. Me, being London-based and London-centric, it seemed that the mainstream media (MSM) (largely London, too) were actually telling the people of Scotland that: "You People Up There Know Not What You Do" .

I actually got into a huge on-air row on Sky Paper Review with a fellow contributor who thought there was no reason to give the pro-independence side any equal coverage. "Why? Why? " he kept yelling.

I pointed out, for example, that many foreign commentators had no idea that Indy Ref could see the break-up of the United Kingdom. One major American journalist even told his viewers that nobody - anywhere - had realized that this election was so important. Until one week before it was scheduled to happen.

Why? I think it was because the coverage was largely "YP"-tinged. Its tone was alarmist; trivialising; condescending, out of touch.

Indy Ref became a successful template.

The next use of YP was during the General Election which featured ad hominem attacks against Ed Miliband and was deeply policy-light. It worked.

Now its latest manifestation is targeted at the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party - and those who elected him.

"You People Syndrome" - YPS - is native and particularly virulent among parts of the commentariat: newspaper columnists, and those paid for their point of view anywhere.

And YPS can manifest itself in several ways:

a. The Well-Meaning.

This strain is especially prevalent among many of those who support/are Tories - particularly from its "Good Right" wing - who want us to accept that the Conservatives do not hold a particular monopoly on unkindness and cruelty. The GRs' modus operandi is to ever so gently urge a re-think, a "come to our senses". Their branch of YPS resides in The School of Tory Purgatory, where true suffering indeed occurs - but not too much.

b. The Wits.

TWs are your classic world-weary, jaded hacks (and they can be quite young in age) who might compare Corbyn supporters, for example, to the lyrics of a Jay-Z song. They see social media/digital/online (even though they themselves live it) as some kind of Bizarro World. However they -The Wits - are in touch with The Real World. The TWs tell us, too, that we will rue our choices; but that when we "wake up", they will be there, wagging their index fingers and intoning "I Told You So"... at 500 words a clip and a pass to the House Of Commons.

c. The mighty world-beating Conservative Party itself.

The Party In Power is led by its triumphant Leader (DC) who tweets that the Labour Party are now a "threat to national security". Why he hasn't droned Labour HQ in retaliation - (Defence Sec. Michael Fallon said that he wouldn't hesitate to drone again) - is a mystery.

Last but not least, there are the Blairite commentators/columnists/talking heads. Shocked, bitter, they gaze at the smoking ruins of the Great Project, unable to understand that their messiah Tony Blair broke a lot of hearts - to say the very least.

So whether you voted for Corbyn or not; whether you voted "yes" for Scottish Independence or not: know this: we're witnessing the death throes of a great beast, lurching towards a Golgotha of its own devising.

We won't be sticking around for the crucifixion, though. There will be no resurrection.

"You People Syndrome" - it's done.