The Politics Of Ignoring Knowledge

Simon Tilford has a post where he explores the roots of Brexit inward a form of United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland exceptionalism. He argues that “the underlying ground [for the Brexit vote] is the hubris in addition to ignorance of much of the British elite, non but the eurosceptics with it”. I desire to expand on that. I arrive at non recall this ignorance in addition to hubris is confined to the UK’s piece of occupation inward the world. It too extends to an mental attitude to cognition of all kinds, in addition to I suspect it is possible to appointment when this began to the revolutionary zeal of the correct nether Thatcher.

The Thatcher regime that gained ability inward 1979 were going to arrive at away with what they saw equally Keynesian nonsense, in addition to run the economic scheme using coin render targets. Treasury civil servants produced a forecast that said their policy would Pb to a recession, in addition to this turned out to last what happened. The forecast when it was made was dismissed past times the politicians inward regime equally the production of outdated civil service advice reflecting a failed consensus.**

It is of class the prerogative of politicians to pass upward a consensus, peculiarly if at that topographic point is a reasonable minority of experts who recall the consensus is wrong. It is what happened side past times side that was the problem. Monetarism was a monumental in addition to predictable failure, but Conservative politicians in addition to their supporters spent considerable endeavour in addition to resources turning this failure into a triumph of Thatcher over an institution civil service in addition to academic economists. One instance is the missive of the alphabet from 364 economists objecting to a deflationary financial policy inward the 1981 budget. The right, in addition to inward detail the IEA, own got successfully cultivated a belief that this missive of the alphabet was incorrect when inward fact it was right. The recovery (using the term equally it should last used) was delayed past times over a twelvemonth past times the 1981 budget. More by in addition to large the sentiment was that social scientists or civil servants were likely antagonistic to the neoliberal projection in addition to could safely last ignored. They were, inward Thatcher’s words, non 1 of us. [1]

The reality was that the Thatcher in addition to later Major governments did afterwards oft accept regime notation of what experts were saying, but the myth on the correct prevailed. Before the Conservatives regained ability inward 2010, they idea real footling of going against the advice of the bulk of economists over austerity, although to last fair they were later supported inward this past times senior civil servants in addition to the governor of the Bank of England. Policy based prove replaced evidenced based policy. But this was the relatively sane fly of the party, equally nosotros discovered during the plebiscite campaign.

We know the European Union plebiscite crusade largely ignored experts, whether they were economists, lawyers or experts inward international relations. What I recall surprised many is that the Leavers fantasy was non but a device to obtain votes, but truly reflected what the Brexiteers believed. Since the plebiscite the regime has clung to the fantasy, in addition to ignored or dismissed all the advice it was getting from its civil servants. (In ii cases dismissed meant sacking or resignation.) As Steven Bullock says, the European Union side are inward despair that the United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland has yet to piece of occupation out a realistic pose on many issues. Because large parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland public, relying on the correct fly press for their news, withal believe inward the fantasy, but about inward the head opposition political party think their best strategy is to ape their opponents.

As a result, nosotros are inward a foreign bifurcated world. One piece of occupation consists of pretty good anyone who knows anything well-nigh the economics, politics or legal aspects of Brexit. They realise how difficult Brexit volition be, know how much harm it could do, in addition to past times in addition to large recall it volition last disastrous for the UK. (Experts tend to recognise in addition to honor cognition inward other areas.) The other piece of occupation lives inward a unlike world, the basis of the media in addition to politicians, where everyone withal lives the fantasy.

In this respect, nosotros are no unlike from what is happening across the Atlantic. Angus Deaton notes the tragic irony that inward the twelvemonth the swell nobel prize winning the States economist Ken Arrow dies, the Republican direction is ignoring 1 of his swell achievements, which was to demonstrate why a uncomplicated marketplace inward healthcare volition non work. The exclusively ‘expert’ this Republican direction seems to recognise is Ayn Rand. If it is successful inward replacing or sabotaging Obamacare, millions volition lose coverage in addition to thousands volition boot the bucket equally a result. The experts (such equally the CBO) who predict this are defendant of inaccuracy past times a White House that cannot fifty-fifty last bothered to cheque its spelling of 'inaccurately'.

May belongings Trump's mitt presently after he became president was indeed symbolic. Those who justify ignoring experts oft talk well-nigh them equally ‘unaccountable elites’ who own got ulterior motives inward giving the advice they do. In reality ignoring expertise agency dismissing evidence, ignoring history in addition to experience, in addition to eventually denying straightforward facts. It leads to the politics of barefaced lying, such equally asserting that a novel merchandise understanding tin last negotiated inward footling over a year. [2] This disdain for cognition is non a prerogative of the right: you lot tin observe it on the left with those who say, for example, that all social scientific discipline is inherently value laden in addition to hence political. (Ironically oft dismissing mainstream economic science equally a buttress of neoliberalism, the same economic science that the correct are in addition to so keen to discredit.) The deviation is that that the cognition dismissing correct own got ability inward the United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland in addition to US, in addition to and so nosotros are suffering the consequences of their evidence-free politics.

[1] Sir Keith Joseph tried to abolish the Social Science Research Council.

[2] It those who listened to experts. 

**Postscript 21/07/17 As Sasha Clarkson reminds me, 1 of that grouping directly spends his fourth dimension denying climate change.