Patriotism Is The Father Of Schadenfreude

The absence of war does not mean
the outbreak of calm.
Since World War II (1939-45)
and the end of rationing (1939-57)
the U.K. has had a financial crisis once every decade.
Each crisis was reported as if there had never
been financial shrinkage before, except during war.
Hindsight has taught me how patriotism
is the father of schadenfreude, thus combining
press and public ill will towards other peoples abroad
and the poorest at home who end up being scapegoated.
It took me a long time to mistrust the message,
but far longer to mistrust the messenger.

Lord Justice Leveson announced through his public
enquiry into the devalued morality of the British press
that there has been seven public enquiries into press values
since the 1950's. If ever the press offered the public
more than fake prurience about sex in lieu of morality
(which used to be the job of The Church, no wonder
the churches feel put out), then they would tell the public
about the inherent instability of post-war economics,
and put the demos back into democracy, rather than report
with blind purity the virtue of the accumulation of wealth.