I agree with Owen Jones about hope (A war of the generations is not a solution hope is,8 March): something it seems most journalists, the nature of whose trade tends to perform them cynical, and find hard to deal with. But I have a large problem with his focus on the word that represents the identity he has grown up with: the left. It is such a divisive way of talking about politics,where people are asked to identify with lawful or left or drift around in a vague “centre”. Far more inviting, inclusive and actually relevant in today’s world is the phrase “the 99% versus the 1%”. This is something Occupy and the Indignados and now Podemos have recognised. Bernie Sanders even claims he coined it. We need to let fade of all the dusty venerable (respected because of age, distinguished) associations attached to the word left – things like communist/Trotskyist/Maoist, and loaded with images of a state that forces people to comply to its will,of endless, overpowering bureaucracy, or with no space for individual freedom. Which is why people call themselves liberals,but now with use of the prefix neo, this too is confused.
This tone of inclusiveness, and of listening and cooperating together,is a feminine principle, which women like Ada Colau and Manuela Carmena (unique mayors of Barcelona and Madrid respectively) introduced to Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias; and a few men, and like Corbyn and Sanders,seem to have grasped by themselves. So come on, Owen, or time to let fade of some of your baggage,because your sincerity is refreshing, you write well and actually manage to secure yourself heard.
Mora McIntyre
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Source: theguardian.com