A failing government or city council tries hard to create a storm around identity politics such as being gay, being black, religiosity or women’s rights.
In reality what we all want regardless of all of the above are more jobs and especially better paid jobs.
It is nothing more than a game to create a distraction, that generates tribalism and seperates societies, but primarily, it is a way for governments and city councils to continue receiving millions and billions of euros in taxes whilst at the same time, avoiding having to talk about an average 15% unemployment rate across the country, which is as high as 25% in some regions of Spain.
Yet it is not only a question of having a job, as the average salary across Spain is as low as 1.500 euros a month (in some cases less than 1000 euros a month), before deducting tax and living expenses, the average worker is only able to save between 100 and 200 euros a month at best.
It is easy for a city council to promote identity politics but it is much harder to help local people set up businesses and strengthen the local economy.
Without a job or money, identity means nothing, as citizen’s main concern is to «make ends meet».
In the shorter term, no job = no chances of paying for a computer course or language course in order to improve your CV, and work your way out of poverty; and in the longer term it means not being able to obtain a mortgage so as to get onto the property market, and thus never being able to retire in old age as you will always have to pay rent to a landlord or landlady.
In short, identity politics is a game in which the cards are dealt by our own government and city council, little more than a «dangled carrot» to encourage you to overlook your most fundamental needs i.e. a living wage.
