goodhart

backlash

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a movement back from an impact

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This book, conceived at the beginning of 2016, was originally intended to, among other things, warn against the coming backlash against the political status quo

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jettison

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throw away, of something encumbering

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If Trump keeps his isolationist election promises the world may slide towards a trade war and global economic depression, not to mention a free hand for Russia in her near abroad; if he jettisons them his core supporters may not take it well.

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eat away

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wear down or erode

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It is this uncoupling that has been eating away at European social democracy.

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entitlement

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right granted by law or contract

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The Anywheres have counted for too much in the past generation—

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tussle

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disorderly fighting

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The final chapter will look at the likely future trends in the Anywhere/Somewhere tussle and make the case for a new political settlement that can provide Somewheres with more of a stake in our Anywhere-designed open societies.

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encompass

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include in scope

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(Though harm is an ambiguous concept and is now being extended by student radicals to encompass the idea of offence.)

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headstrong

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habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition

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This book and the Anywhere/Somewhere categorisation is both a frame for understanding what is going on in contemporary politics and a plea for a less headstrong Anywhere liberalism.

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querulous

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habitually complaining

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Older people, the least well educated and the least affluent are most likely to assent, but there is quite widespread support from other groups too.1

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Even allowing for the querulous spirit that opinion polls often seem to inspire, this is an astonishing thing for the majority of the population to agree to in a country as stable, peaceful, rich and successful as today’s Britain.

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frailty

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the state of being weak in health or body

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Consider this from Tony Blair, again, at the 2005 Labour conference:

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dilute

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lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture

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Most Anywheres are comfortable with immigration, European integration and the spread of human rights legislation, all of which tend to dilute the claims of national citizenship.

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yearning

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prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

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It understands the yearning for freedom and autonomy much less so for recognition and belonging.

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displace

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cause to move, usually with force or pressure

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But since the turn of the century western politics has had to make room for a new set of voices pre-occupied with national borders

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outrage

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a disgraceful event

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The people around me entered a bidding war to express their outrage at Brown’s slogan which was finally triumphantly closed by Chris Huhne—who went on to become a Liberal Democrat cabinet minister in the Coalition government.

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sway

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move back and forth

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And Generation Z, everyone born after 2001, seems to confirm this new tilt towards caution and conservatism.8

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Kaufmann emphasises the ethnic aspect of this shift:

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notwithstanding

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despite anything to the contrary

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Moreover, he thinks that his views about immigration are, notwithstanding some short-term losers, in the interests of the average British person.

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hitherto

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up to this point; until the present time

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This chimes with the view that at least part of Trump’s success came through appealing to a hitherto latent white identity politics.

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pale

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a wooden strip forming part of a fence

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But in 2007 the idea of a borderless Europe and the language of universal rights had ruled it beyond the pale, at least for this elite centre-left group.

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slight

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But in reality, rich societies are much less mobile than Anywheres assume and the same is true for humanity as a whole:

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