Have just watched the third and fourth episodes of this brilliantly insightful and though-provoking documentary series
The second half of the film examines the rise of the 'individual' as an essentially political movement and it's co-opting by business as a way to market products to enable us to feel like individuals. It goes on to chart the rise of the same phenomenon in politics, with politicians focussing on individual wants and needs as a means to win elections.
Whilst this has obviously been an effective way to win elections, I would guess that it is also at the route of my generation's disillusionment with the political process. As Derek Draper say in an interview towards the end of the programme "politics and leadership are about engaging the public in rational debate about what is best" not catering to their unfiltered and unrealistic wants and needs.
The real tragedy is that Tony Blair et al probably believed that this was the right thing to do by the people in country, place the power directly in the hands of people. But of course, people don't have proper understanding of the context behind the decisions that need to be made. They 'want' lower taxes and they 'want' better public services. That doesn't mean it's possible or that politicians should be offering it.
In many ways this is the same problem that I saw with much commercial research. Without the context how can consumers possible tell you what to do? And in the long-term, what they are looking for is leadership and not just blind fulfillment of their immediate desires?
That may get you short-term success but it won't build long-term sustainability or real innovation
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