Rant Corner #1: Andy Burnham calls Dan Hannan ‘unpatriotic’
There is a sentiment being twittered and retwittered about the place that the row over Dan Hannan’s self-publicizing anti-NHS comments on Fox News is a perfect storm for Labour, and that Andy Burnham’s intervention is a big plus. Perhaps not for Guardian readers, who are a bunch of simpering, effete wet-noses obviously – but this will definitely chalk up some points with the solid English-as-the-White-Cliffs readers of the Daily Mail. Well on this one I’m joining the effete Guardian readers, because damned if I’m not unpatriotic too – and so should you be.
I don’t care whether the issue is Malkin attacking Dunkin Donuts, or Pelosi attacking immigration laws, or Hannan on the NHS or the Home Office declaring that protesting against British troops is considered unpatriotic and grounds for denying people citizenship. Patriotism is a retarded sentiment which should be left to the fifteen year old kids in AOL and MSN chatrooms who type variations on a theme of “My country can beat your country!!!” as fast as they can, as though this justifies any action and can win any argument.
Patriotism is not a yardstick against which to measure an idea. It wasn’t a good idea during the run of the House Unamerican Activities Committee, and it isn’t today. Burnham could have hit back at Hannan’s slurs against the National Health Service by saying that the NHS provides millions of people who couldn’t afford it with healthcare. He could have hit back saying that the NHS and the redistributive taxes which fund it are a good way to ensure that the wealthy, when they aren’t secreting money in offshore tax havens, are contributing something to the communities they plunder and destroy for profit. He didn’t.
The idea of attacking Dan Hannan MEP as unpatriotic makes me sick. To echo General Melchett, “I don’t care if he’s been rogering the Duke of York with a prizewinning leek!” Hannan has been lining up with the scummiest of right-wing broadcasters in the US – Glenn Beck, the irresponsible dickhead who accused President Obama of being a racist, and who claimed that Obama is using redistributive healthcare as a means of paying African Americans reparations for slavery. You can’t get more nuts than this particular wingnut, and it’s not like the US talkshow circuit doesn’t try really hard. Yet the worst that Burnham can say of Hannan is that he’s unpatriotic?
Fuck. Off.
Edit: I thought my readers might enjoy this picture…
You’re right, but the worse part of me enjoys seeing Hannan get it in the neck…
Is it just irony then about the “…and Traitors sneer…” thingy? Can’t have traitors with patriots surely?
Some how I doubt Jim Connell was worried too much about his fatherland.
The NHS is a civic institution which treats people whatever their age, income, race, religion, ability, nationality, etc. Quite why Dan Hannan personally dislikes it, we cannot know for sure. Perhaps he has never been in the situation my grandparents were as children – unable to access healthcare. I imagine this is true of most Tories, who have never had do to without the necessities of life.
To quote Orwell:
“By patriotism I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force upon other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally.”
In our case, then, we are defensive of the NHS as an institution that is free at the point of use. We have won this principle – no one should go without healthcare in our society. Similarly, the BNP are unpatriotic when they insist that a country which has always been diverse in religion and ethnicity become homogeneous.
“By patriotism I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force upon other people…”
I have two problems with this. Firstly, I have no belief that the NHS is the “best [health-care system] in the world.” I believe that it’s a good service. But I see no reason to begin making judgements in a superlative register — I don’t have the expertise required, for one thing. Moreover, I just don’t understand what’s to be gained from such language. I understand that Sweden and France both have very good systems. Well done to them. Is this germane to the discussion?
Secondly, my support for the NHS doesn’t stem from a belief that it’s part of a “way of life” that has somehow developed within this nation state. I believe in the virtues of universal health-care, free at the point of need and funded by progressive taxation, and administered in an egalitarian fashion. (I’m not saying that the NHS perfectly satisfies all of these principles, but that’s a separate point — and I believe that our health-care system *approximates* them anyway). This has nothing to do with nationality, since other systems of this nature exist in other nations. And such systems are *desired* by significant elements of the population in many, most, or all nations.
This is the same George Orwell who described nationalism and communism in the same breath as some sort of unthinking devotion? Sorry, I don’t buy it.
Occidental_death has the right of it also; there is no need to talk in superlatives – and I find it immature and off-putting when attached to a country, or the institutions of a country and so forth.
The NHS as a system of free universal healthcare has arguably become a part of our way of life in England. Given that the ruling class throws charges of unpatriotism at us, should we not return the charge?
No. We should call them out for what they are: profiteering bastards. Patriotism, or lack thereof, doesn’t come into it. Else what else, by virtue of it being a ‘way of life’, are we vesting authority in by lining up as patriotic? The armed forces? Parliament? Bugger that.
Much as find Burnham’s choice of language distasteful, may it not have been calculated for reproduction in America?
In America, branding somebody “unpatriotic” is a very effective way of discrediting them. If Burnham’s comments get reported over there, then Hannan looks bad. And that is good for healthcare reformists.
That is of course possible – though if so, it represents a departure from the usual practice of not commenting on the internal affairs of the other nation.
On the other hand, in the US, even from the Democrats, branding people “unpatriotic” is becoming all too common – and the sort of people amongst whom it carries most weight are immune from it being flung in their direction or the direction of their heroes anyway.
What is important, however, is that people like Michelle Malkin are helping the Right (further?) develop a persecution mentality: see her articles on how Obama called her unpatriotic.
Will read.
As you saw earlier, I share your concerns about the right’s persecution complex.
Yep, I’m with Dave on the issue of “patriotism”, for reasons I’ve stated.
But I’ll just add that, for me, appeals to a “way of life” suggest that principles attain their value from an attachment to or association with the nation. That’s why the concept of patriotism is more easily mobilised by conservative forces. To compare and contrast, a Republican spokesperson could easily argue at present that a freedom from government interference with social services is part of the American “way of life”. (Many would disagree with this also — but that further suggests the essentially contested nature of nationalisms).
Surely a more effective repudiation of Hannan’s comments would focus upon the factual merits of the NHS in practice, and simultaneously upon the universal value of the principles that the system (to an extent) embodies?
That’s not to deny that the appeal to patriotism will be (has been?) effective, or to chide people for believing that the NHS is a significant positive aspect of British society. It’s just to suggest that the “patriotism” argument won’t get you much further than flying spittle, bombastic assertions, and possibly a headache.
Phew same Burham who said yesterday we need to get more disabled into work to save money which can be spent finding work and Jobs helping the unemployed . Yes we all know what Hannan is a twat, but then again he is doing what Blair did very well arming himself for the nice well earning speaking circuit in America.
But it’s like kettle calling the pot black. New labour never Tories.
Dave – For sure, their patriotism is to profits – and we should point out that they are profiteering bastards. As Billy Bragg sang, “Theirs is a land of hope and glory, ours is the green fields and the factory floor.”
occidental_death – “Surely a more effective repudiation of Hannan’s comments would focus upon the factual merits of the NHS in practice, and simultaneously upon the universal value of the principles that the system (to an extent) embodies?”
I agree, but in the context of a soundbite, Burnham’s response isn’t so out of whack. Like Obama saying he doesn’t want a Canadian or British healthcare system, he wants an *American* healthcare system.