Nostalgia Ain't What It Used to Be!

Alexander Hurst (The Paris Institute of Political Sciences) gives an interesting assessment of France's current political climate (https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2023/may/01/france-gone-to-hell-politics-nostalgia). Hurst points out that, in spite of its current, well-publicised difficulties, France is a remarkably successful social democracy. His first year students, however, erroneously believed that France was (with the US) near the top of world inequality charts. It's actually quite close to the bottom, near the best-performing Scandinavian countries. Hurst thinks a common French belief is nowadays summed up by the phrase "c'etait mieux avant" (things were better in the old days). There's a sort of nostalgia politics. One has to remember, however, that it's some older voters who fixate on apparent 'former glories', without recalling their 'downsides'. Although younger voters weren't there, they can respond to the 'mood music' of their elders. Hurst believes the media push this nostalgia politics, encouraging some folk to look for 'solutions' on the extreme right or the extreme left. One can make a case arguing that nostalgia politics accounted for the (actually narrow) UK vote for Brexit (to leave the EU). That vote to leave, was not supported by most younger voters, who recognised it would limit their life chances (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/01/the-guardian-view-on-brexit-barriers-and-the-young-a-new-deal-is-needed). Nostalgia politics may even have a role in current US goverance impasses. Immoveable attitudes and clear differences between the 'needs'/aspirations of the different generations, give democracy (the 'least worst system') a bad name. The world is currently facing many challenges, notably including climate change and the development of artificial intelligence systems. Looking backwards to the 'good, old days', for solutions, will not help.