The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist Twitter account posted something recently that set me thinking. The post said “The saddest thing about England is the people should be up in arms. Instead there’s a national Stockholm Syndrome. Dumbed down through a diet of media propaganda, junk tv and jingoistic bullshit.”
It really resonated withme, so I decided to see what lessons might exist in Stockholm Syndrome for those of us who see degrowth, MMT and resetting capitalism as means to address both inequality, exploitation of the global south and the climate emergency.
What is Stockholm Syndrome?
“Stockholm syndrome is an emotional response. It happens to some abuse and hostage victims when they have positive feelings toward an abuser or captor. “(WebMD)
Some of the characteristics of Stockholm syndrome and how it arises certainly do appear to explain the lack of protest that is seen in capitalist and neoliberal countries.
- A person might be abused and severely threatened by a captor or an abuser, but they also rely on them to survive. If the abuser is kind in any way, they might cling to this as a coping mechanism for survival.
The depressing of wages and the draconian benefits system certainly leaves many in advanced economies (in particular US and UK) entirely dependent on governments who cling on to austerity as a policy and corporations who maximise shareholder returns at the expense of other stakeholders. If you cannot accept that a government that issues its own currency should be concerned about ‘deficits’ when the nation has not achieved full employment (in the terms defined by Willam Beveridge – See my previous blog) and if you cannot accept the Friedman doctrine that shareholder returns should be maxised to the detriment of other stakeholders including employees then you might reasonably see governments and profit maximizing corporation as captors or abusers. In a system where all means of production are subject to private ownership, where intellectual property rights are defended and where self-help and community action have been eroded, escape is not a realistic action. In a system where during a global pandemic the wealth of billionaires rockets and already poor people take on more debt to survive and where the difference in life expectancy between the most and least well off is 10 years the abuse is real. - People who have this syndrome seem to have common symptoms, including embarrassment about their emotions toward an abuser, confusion, guilt, difficulty trusting others an Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
These characteristics can be seen playing out in society. The pride that the working class historically maintained inspite of challenging conditions is barely visible in today’s neoliberal societies as the populus becomes less abd able to act – individually or as a community – and more and more dependent on their captors and abusers. The division between personal, family and community life that used exist and which the state and capitalists were unable to invade – a division created by a clear distinction between the working day and the non-working day, by unions and other community based organizations, and by a culture of self-made leisure – has all but disappeared. The ‘open all hours, 24/7, zero hours culture’ means that a person’s leisure time is not truly their own. In addition, what leisure time as does exist has been appropriated by the captor (whether through the mega pub, take away, or global or national TV or media). - People who this syndrome will adopt the manner and doctrine of their captors and abusers. During World War II, Austrian psychotherapist Bruno Bettelheim described several cases in which prisoners appeared to identify with Gestapo guards through both their behaviour and attitudes. Bettelheim described the camp as a laboratory that turned “free and upright citizens not only into grumbling slaves, but into serfs who in many respects accept their masters’ values.”
Having grown up before Margaret Thatcher, I would argue that the period since 1980 has turned the UK into a laboratory that turned “free and upright citizens not only into gumbling slaves, but into serfs who in many respects accept their masters’ values” (in this case neoliberal governments and profit maximising capitalists)
Escaping Stock Syndrome
According to GoodTherapy you have to understand Stockholm syndrome in order to help someone who has it.
- Try psychoeducation – teach victims of Stockholm syndrome what is going on
How can the parties of the left educate whilst avoiding the pitfalls described in the remaining points? Can community based education, unions, arts and popular culture start to show the abuse that is happening in a way that allows people to understand what it going on and that they are being abused not looked after and that the ‘crumbs’ of good behaviours do not compensate for the bad behaviours and that change and not waiting is the best response. - Avoid polarization – don’t try to convince the victim of the villainous traits of the abuser; this may cause the victim to polarize and defend the perpetrator.
This feels like the most important lesson given Brexit and the recent loss of labour seats in the red wall. This may go someway to explaining why so many people who appear to be victimised by the current system have been voting tory in increasing numbers. - Don’t give advice – victims need to make their own decisions.
How can the parties of the left provide avenues for victims to make decisions that steer them out of the situation that they are in? How can cooperatives, mutual aid groups, self-help provide avenues that allow people to disengage from the abusive systems that have captured them? - Listen without judgement but use the Socratic method. As victims ponder what has happened listen and use reflection to show concern and validation and ask the victims questions about how they see the situation and how they feel and think and what they believe needs to happen next.
How can the parties of the left engage with the victims, meeting them where they are and allowing them to find their own way out whilst providing paths for victims to follow as they start to recognise the abuse and look for a way to break free from their captors and abusers. - Address the cognitive dissonance – a victim’s intuition has been damaged and the may be confused about reality.
The parties of the left need to encourage the victims of the system to trust themselves when they feel that ‘it doesn’t have to like this’. As they show signs that they understand that they are not the causes of their problems but victims; that if the abuse were to be removed they are capable of living a different and better life we need provide signposts to an abuse-free future. - Identify the “hook” – victims may over-identify with the perpetrator in a dysfunctional way in order to fulfil a personal need.
Once the victim understands why they are so committed to the relationship, they can start making positive changes. How can the left help people to fulfil their needs outside of the system that is currently abusing them, through activism, or community action so that they realise that they have agency and can take responsibility for the fulfillment of their own needs.
A tricky tightrope to walk
I want to thank the Ragged Trousered Philanthropist for their thought-provoking tweet. As a thinker, I tend to respond to a situation by searching for a solution and persuading others to follow. When viewing the current plight of many people in modern society through the lens of Stockholm syndrome it is clear that this could be counter-productive.
I will continue to reflect on this new perspective and its lessons for a left that must admit that many of the voters that have been lost to the left over the past three decades may now be suffering from a form of Stockholm syndrome as they have been captured by profit driven capitalism and austerity and ‘fallen in love with’ their abusers as the only means to rationalise what has happened to them.
Final Thoughts
I started this blog talking about degrowth, MMT and resetting capitalism but as I researched Stockholm syndrome, the more I recognised that these solutions will never come to pass until the population can be helped to recognise their capture and abuse and fall out of love with their captors and abusers. At that point, the question of what comes next can and must be addressed. And we don’t have much time to set the people free and find a new path.
Thoughts on Politics 