This morning's short video has now been published. I argue that a lot of older acts looked decidedly tired at Glastonbury, like neoliberalism does all the time now. It's definitely time for change.
You can view the video here.
The transcript is:
Glastonbury has been and gone, and this might be an age thing, but I've watched far too many bands performing old hits of little relevance to today, and many of them out of tune. And bluntly, it wasn't the most gratifying experience of all time.
Except that it reminded me that that's pretty much like what neoliberalism is now. Well past its peak with ideas that have no relevance to today and which frankly should be well retired, with us simply playing the best moments from the past if necessary, of which there were remarkably few in neoliberalism's case.
There were new bands at Glastonbury, and many of them were good.
I have to admit we need that in politics, too.
Let's take the lesson from music and move on.
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The new politics, still in utero, will need to be ecologically focused. There is already an avatar of climate change:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/03/blackbird-numbers-plummet-in-south-of-england-amid-potential-spread-of-virus
Worrying
Did neo-libtardism ever have a peak? Broken record starts: it was from the get-go a utopian fantasy, Hayek, the Chicago rabble, gullible/brainless Thatcher etc. Incoherent, assumptions that were never connected to reality. But, in fairness, it has reduced the UK to a wreck and LINO, sticking with the utopian fantasy seems determined to finish the job. With assorted US vampires (hi Blackrock) feasting on what it left.
Which begs the question – what follows? A whimper? Revolution? Fascism? – the strong man/woman claiming to have all the answers. Jesus, what a shit-show.
There are lots of data very usefully (albeit depressingly) collected here to back up Mike’s assertion that neoliberalism “has reduced the UK to a wreck”:
https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2024/07/02/broken-britain/
Thanks
Noted
More of a plateau that has a long horizon. You think it has ended but there always seems to be a new peak ahead.
I like Brad Delong’s explanation of this. People want to be the prophet that end’s neoliberalism. There are many people around who want to be known as the person who declared it dead. Yet there are very few who are capable and willing to involve themselves in politics to deliver the end.
It has survived because our societies are depoliticised. I am not entirely sure how much neoliberalism can be blamed for this. Or whether there are other causes and motives which inserting themselves under the “neoliberal” umbrella. They saw a radical change and took their opportunity.
I fully agree. I stopped watching Glastonbury a few years ago. We live in troubled times but I find no songs of protest amongst them, the so called representatives of the next generation, they have become symbols of neoliberalism. During my youth I sang along to Bob Dylan, Joan Baez etc., listened to groups like Pink Floyd (Another brick in the wall a particular favourite). Now there is nothing and they are still trotting out Cold Play my daughter told me. I despair.
Cold Play are definitely a source for despair
@Richard – Politics, music or talent?
I’ve often wondered what all the fuss is about Taylor Swift. Today I heard my first TS track on the car radio, can’t remember the name, probably because it and her voice were so bland. If that was typical of her offering then she is a marketing money making fantasy in a swimming cossie. Pure Neoliberalism; gull the plebians of their money by conning them into believing she’s an amazing talent who is worth every penny we are prepared to pay to see her. Two tracks later they played Cher singing ‘If I could turn back time’ which was in a different league.
I admit I fund it very hard to find a tune in any Taylor Swift song.
So too do many young people have that problem.
I conclude she’s like Marmite (and I am firmly on Marmite’s side)
@Philip Maughan
Cher, Dolly and Aretha are in a league of their own!
Watch the Idles headline set from Friday. In favour of immigrants, against the Tories and they’ve even gifted us a new national anthem which is much catchier than the official one!
The town of Glastonbury has been a centre for alternative spirituality for decades. A few years ago one could find centres or shops offering Wicca, Buddhism, Bahias, Greek Orthodox, Spiritualists and so on.
The legends -on which I have given talks- include the Druids, Christ and Joseph of Arimathea, Celtic Christianity (which deserves to be better known) King Arthur, the Abbey and Henry VIII .as well alternative spirituality of the last 150 years. There is a theme -there are many paths and some get overgrown but there is constant renewal and growth despite all sorts of disasters.
I did Morte d’Arthur by Tennyson for O level and it included this passage
“The old order changeth,
yielding place for the new
And God fulfils himself in many ways
Least one custom should corrupt the world”
At 16 I didn’t really understand the last line. Not to say neo-liberalism is a good thing.
But we need a new order which will include reincarnated elements as well as the novel.
I agree with you about Celtic Christianity – which I have studied
It’s approach to prayer is deeply meditative and very green
Neoliberalism is what allows the young bands to have a platform at glastonbury and perform. Have you seen the ticket and drink prices? I hope some of them make it to a tired and respected old age.
Might not be everyone’s cup of tea but IDLES were exceptional at Glastonbury. And did not hold back at calling out the dire situation of immigrants, Palestine and their disgust of the elite ruling class.
Ironically I’m going to the aptly titled End of the Road festival near ish Stonehenge at the end of August although I would argue the line up is a little fresher!
chapter 5 and chapter 6 of the new GIMMS book (Modern Monetary Theory: Key Insights, Leading Thinkers)cover the external economy and the mathematics of the “MMT-as-currency-killer” argument.
https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802208092.00013
https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802208092.00014
AFAICT the problem heterodox people have with MMT is it doesn’t subscribe to their fixed/pseudo fixed exchange rate model – where government remains just another actor begging resources from the private sector. In this model the ‘floating rate’ is between Treasury and the central bank via the ‘bond discount’ mechanism and the adjustment is supposed to be government buying more or less stuff based upon what the ‘market’ is telling them.
Instead MMT pushes the floating rate fully out to the currency area border. ZIRP makes the exchange rate between Treasury and the central bank fixed (no discount). Necessarily this means changes in the terms of trade show up in variation in the price and/or quantity of discretionary domestic imports, rather than trying to prevent changes by manipulating financial exports via interest rate changes.
Let’s not get too ” old fartish” about modernish musicians. In the great scheme of things, Taylor Swift is a “good thing” as the American racist Right once saw her sweet, white, blonde country- singing self as their dream girl. And then she crushed that notion by stating her progressive views. ( I liked her original country stuff but she has now gone for bland corporate pop).
As a 70+ old geezer I really liked Dua Lipa’s original hit with Miguel, but she has also gone bland and ” dancey”. Then again, it’s nice to see the daughter of Albanian immigrants doing well in the eyes of many Britons.
Oh, and I still like Coldplay. So there!
🙂
Told me,
There were better artists. Olivia Dean was really good, for example.
I watched Shania Twain’s act.
I agree and what came across to me was a profound sadness in what she said about the dire situation of the world and her home country, the USA. Because the performances are broadcast live to a global audience i senced they have to be very careful in what they say between songs. What do they risk? Trump resurecting the McCarthy era boycots, trials and who knows what else?
I went to the very first Glastonbury in 1972. It was a free festival. I was still a teenager. I met, and spent t8me with some vietnam veterans. It open my eyes to the insanity of the world and the fact that real, living, breathing and caring people are caught up in the brutality of military machines and why a different sort of politics was called for. A time of hope. It’s so much different now.
I won’t comment on the music, since none if it is ‘to my taste’… but I was shocked (thinking Glasto to be a ‘progressive’ place that had lauded Corbyn) to hear a political ‘vox pop’ on the BBC last week, with festival goers giving their political/party opinions; and more than one Conservative, as I recall. Maybe Beeb reporter trying for ‘balance’ did some editing, but even so… !!
You can be sure that was editorial choice….