Who are they?

You know what “they” say…

No, no I don’t. Who are “they”?

Some kind of all knowing collective?
Scientists?
The Press?
The collective consciousness of the public at large?
Your mates down the pub?
The cabbie who was talking at you during your cab ride yesterday?

And if we don’t know who they are, why do we bow to their knowledge?

The news says “They believe that there will be a cure for illness 'x' by 2020.” but then doesn’t elaborate. If you ask who “they” are in this case, most people would say scientists or doctors. But “they” could just as easily be the editors of the program or someone their auntie knows. Yet the public draw the conclusion that the “they” in question are authoritative experts in whatever field they are dealing with.

Some peoples response to this would be “so what?”

The answer is that this anonymous collective effects the way society functions. They say “the asylum system is at breakdown”, they say “Swine flu will kill half the worlds population” these kind of statements seep into the public consciousness and become facts. This controls the public feeling towards certain groups of society or causes us to live in fear enabling governments to impose increasingly right wing measures, based not on fact, but on public “feeling” about a matter.

This has increased exponentially since 9/11 with the “war on terror”. Personally I can’t see how you can declare war on a feeling, but if you could do so then travelling the globe killing innocent people, whilst telling the public back home to be ever vigilant of attacks, wouldn’t really do much to win the war unless you happen to be a double agent. The fact is this feeling of fear is useful for governments. It allows them to increase their control of the public in Orwellian style, whilst the public thank them for protecting them from the non-existent enemy within.       

So don’t be taken in if the word “they” is used to add authority to a statement, request information on who they might be. But also ask what exactly it is which makes them so authoritative on the subject. For example if “they” refers to the governments scientific advisers, why does it not refer to an independent scientist or body, which is specifically an expert in that field? Rather than government appointed and funded advisers, who may have no experience in the field.

So the next time you hear the phrase “they say…”
Ask yourself the question “Who are they?”

 

Douglas Russell

Meet the Author on Dead Meet: Dougie

 

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