Telling Stories

What's in a word?  Once upon a time, 'story' meant an account, either true or fictitious, of events. It could also mean a fabrication or an allegation. In this latter sense, a story was a bit dodgy.

In the past few years, 'narrative' has come to replace story, and in most cases, the dodgyness continues, but even dressed up in the posher term, the dubious nature of the claims being made by the narrator remain.

Politicians and political parties now have narratives which they spin with gusto, as do the media. Not to have a narrative puts a politician or a political party at a distinct disadvantage, and if they don't have a narrative, the media will soon invent one.

Ultimately, though, what they are all doing when presenting their narratives is simply telling stories.  And like most stories, there is an element of fantasy and fabrication.  We overlook this at our peril.  Whether story or narrative, what is going on is an attempt to trick, bamboozle or fool us.

Currently, the stories going around about Corbyn involve two diametric extremes:  a) he's a died in the wool Marxist and therefore both out of touch with reality and is a danger to our Way of Life, b) he's an authentic, principled, sincere man challenging the false pieties of conventional politics.

Frankly, neither story is convincing.  But then, I have to say, neither is the story of Corbyn as future Prime Minister.