Shiraz Socialist

Henry Porter gets very worked-up in today’s Observer, against Guardian columnist (and one-time SDP’er, now New Labour supporter) Polly Toynbee:

“…Toynbee, New Labour’s unblushing champion, who accused people like me – actually, especially me – of being right-wingers in liberal clothing and middle-class paranoids seeking victimhood.”

Now, my natural inclination, as a libertarian and someone who harbours a visceral hatred of New Labour and all its works, is to side with Porter; certainly he’s done an excellent job over the last couple of years, in exposing the government’s inroads into civil liberties…

…Yet, it has to be said that Toynbee has a persuasive point (well, she persuaded me, at least), when she writes:

“On the other side, my argument with Henry Porter concerns his paranoia about the state and the disproportion of of his indignation over things of minor importance. Given the sheer volume  of human suffering and social injustice all around us, he encourages undue obsesion with CCTV, the DNA data-base, ID cards, the childrens’ database, or indeed the silly anti-protest laws that make rather happy (Turner prize-winning) martyrs out of mild protesters.

“On the worst estates, CCTV helps clear out drug dealers. DNA data uncovers wrongful convictions. The children’s database could prevent Victoria Columbie horrors, tracking children at risk when they are moved…

“The Porter view has become fashionable because it allows the middle classes to pretend to be victims, too. But it is decadence for mainly priviledged people to obsess over imaginary Big Brother attacks on themselves, when others all around themare suffering badly from neglect by the state – or sometimes from real aggression by government. Indignation is precious, not to be squandered on illusory threats, but saved for real injustices.

“Let’s list some of the worst things that happen to people in Britain  - things rather worse than being filmed by a CCTV camera no one will bother to check unless you are mugged. Worst is the twilight life of maybe a million illegal immigrants exploited in unregulated jobs or enslaved in the sex trade. Failed asylum seekers who can’t return are deliberately starved, with nothing but a a £35 voucher to be cashed in one shop, with no change, never mind the price of a bus fare. Meltem Avcil is just one girl caught in periodic sweeps, which at the present rate of removal would take 25 years and £4.5bn to clear the backlog.  for real suffering, the treatment of these migrants beats all else – and it’s time for a controlled amnesty after, say, four years.”

I never thought I’d say it…but…I agree with Polly Toynbee (there! I’ve said it!); the left needs to distinguish between the self-righteous, middle-class and  individualistic “civil-libertarianism” of the likes of Henry Porter, and the real civil rights issues of people like Meltem Avcil: they’re not at all the same thing.