Broken record: Tony D’Souza’s Thought for the Week

‘We don’t have to accept this negative version of reality.’

They say that Britain is broken – that nothing works and everything is in decline. According to the narrative of these doom-mongers, our democracy is barely functional, the NHS is about to implode, and the BBC is run by subversives. But the people who say this kind of thing do it out of self-interest. They want to foster discontent because, by spreading a negative vision of a broken Britain, they are able to offer their alternative.

Being negative works. You don’t have to do anything about what you are complaining about. You can just carry on carping about how terrible everything is. Nothing sells better than making people angry. Anger and indignation boost media sales because they give people a secret sense of superiority. ‘These people are terrible, but (thank goodness) I am not like them,’ is how it works. It is sometimes known as ‘othering’. This idea has a powerful psychological pay-off, largely because it is unconscious. Strangely, anger and indignation make people feel better about themselves, and that’s the attraction. 

But we don’t have to accept this negative version of reality, even though it takes some effort to avoid it. You have to remember that it is only one version of reality and not the truth. Looking at the world exclusively from the perspective of the media is like judging your home town by spending every night in the local A&E. Yes, you will see people in extreme pain and confusion. You may very well see drunks, drug addicts, and some people who are mentally unbalanced. But that is hardly a full and fair picture of the town. You would be leaving out all the positive things. 

It is not true that Britain is broken, and I know why. Britain is one of the few countries that has made a serious and concerted effort to integrate its minorities. For example, unlike many other countries, BAME and LGBT+ people are well represented on the TV. They are visible. They take an active role in all parts of our society and they have changed it for the good. 

I live in London, where it’s easy to discover that differences are only skin deep. In a mixed community it’s difficult to be a bigot, because it’s hard to harbour discriminatory ideas about someone you talk to every day. In my street there are Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus and Rastafarians. We greet each other on the street. Last summer we had a street party which was a spectacular success. This Christmas, a Muslim family on our street sent out an invitation on our local messaging group inviting all those who were on their own or feeling lonely to come to dinner at their house on Christmas Day. We are just an ordinary London street.

I liked Paddington Bear’s new year message to London: ‘As we enter a new year, I always remember what Mrs Brown says: “In London, everyone is different, but that means anyone can fit in.” I think she must be right, because although I don’t look like anyone else, I really do feel at home.’ In this, as in much else, I am with the bear.

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