Whatever happened to his politics of envy arguments….?
These cliches are a way to protect the status quo. The ‘politics of envy’ implies that if you haven’t done well from our current state of inequality, any criticism of it is because you’re envious of those who have done well. The opposite is ‘champagne socialism’ which implies if you have done well, you shouldn’t be critical of it.
Lineker’s case is interesting because as being a well-off national hero, he’s the son of a market trader and is of immigrant stock. His criticism of the government and his defence of refugees thus make him particularly annoying to the Daily Mail reading classes, who think that he should behave like they would, ie be grateful, keep his head down and ignore social injustice, especially where immigration is concerned.
It’s the same feeling that drives tabloid vitriol towards Meghan Markle, except for a rich, foreign, black woman who’s married a prince, it’s even worse.
