Oh dear! I’m hearing that phrase a lot more these days, ‘the politics of envy’, an expression used whenever someone dares to question the distribution of wealth and why a small percentage of the population does relatively well and a much larger proportion does relatively less well, or even badly. The expression is often said with a sneer by the better off as if the only reason that you could possibly raise this as a subject is that you are jealous of not being so fortunate as they are, the suggestion being that if you had their money then your politics would be different.
Is this true? Do all poorly paid people look upon the rich with grudging malevolence? Do all rich people look down on the poor with disdain? I don’t think so. The politics of envy has such negative connotations and so what is the alternative?
Comfort, contentedness and pleasure are all antonyms of envy and cast a much brighter light on political aspiration then their counterpart. Good will, kindness and confidence are also on that same list. How much better would it be if we could turn politics away from envy, a negative driver to a ‘politics of confidence’ or a ‘politics of good will’? Is it not much better to focus on positive outcomes by relishing attainment and equality rather than elitism and superiority?
Surely though this is the real role of politics, to make sure that society functions well and that all of its component parts are able to work together in harmony and not in a constant state of resentment and invidiousness. Everyone accepts that some people will have more than others, indeed those that have made good are often held in high regard but resentment arises when riches are made at the unfair expense of others and when the chances to compete and be part of the meritocratic economy are few and far between. Envy is not necessarily a product of people having different goods or possessions but is caused by people having different levels of access and opportunity.
Removing envy completely from society may be impossible and probably undesirable but creating confidence in the electorate through positive political language will go a long way to dilute any ill feeling or resentment and possibly even envy.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 