1 March

Saw this meme online. It made me think about the deep, almost mythical stories that really determine how people think about politics. Politics is ultimately about how people feel. This meme, for example, it's such a common belief amongst conservative voters. It's ridiculous nonsense really, in all sorts of ways. All money ultimately comes from government - there is no such thing as private money, and the idea businesses generate it and government spends it is also simply wrong. All the most successful economies in the world are State-driven, even the US, where the overwhelming majority of money that funds their innovation and business comes from the government. And in reality governments give hundreds of billions and even trillions of public dollars to already wealthy people and firms, who don't need it. But people believe this in their bones because it's more about the feeling of bludgers and freeloaders. About people being lazy and leaning on others who aren't. The feeling is spot on, it's just not attached to an actual reality.