Phil Redmond: It’s easy to judge

Jan 4 2008 by Phil Redmond, Liverpool Daily Post

JUDGMENTAL. Is this attitude becoming more prevalent? While appreciating this is part of human nature, and none more so than in a Scouser, is it on the increase? Or did I just have too much time over the seasonal break to read the national press?

The sports pages seemed to universally deem LFC’s Premiership title challenge over, after failing to win away to Man City, just as they felt the club could no longer rely on a couple of players. Even the likes of Stevie G and Torres.

Yet, the same London-based, or perhaps biased, media that often writes about the difference a single Drogma, Rooney or Fabregas makes to the three teams now so obviously out of sight of Liverpool, failed to be judgmental towards Chelski, which was statistically in a similar position. But then came the Wigan game!

Perhaps I am being too judgmental, and emotional after Wednesday’s result, just as I may be being harsh on some of the national media coverage leading up to the final arrival of 2008. While most has been positive, there are still some which seem incapable of keeping up with the agenda, so either repeatedly regurgitate old news or fail to accept that culture, like football, can be practised outside, and often better than the heavily subsidised metropolitan circuit. The proof will be in the delivery. That has already begun.

However, the judgmental treatment was evident elsewhere. Not surprisingly, following yet another report suggesting that schools in more affluent areas get better results than elsewhere.

The general response was to blame the education system itself and/or government investment policies in schools and/or the old chestnut about the middle classes buying their way into affluent catchment areas and therefore manipulating the system. All this is easy. Easy to blame the system. Easy to be judgmental.

Much harder to acknowledge working-class parents are equally aspirational for their children but that they, and their children, are also more likely to have those aspirations ground down by the pragmatic realities of lack of opportunities and decreasing social mobility.

Similarly in law and order. Easy to be judgmental and treat everyone as a potential terrorist or fraudster. Harder to encourage people to take community and/or individual responsibility. Easy to say young drivers cause accidents so raise the test age. Harder to acknowledge that the issue is about new drivers’ skill levels and a driving test that does not cover motorway or night time driving is tantamount to putting an unskilled operative in charge of hazardous equipment. Is that not akin to corporate manslaughter?

As part of our broad cultural conversations across 2008, perhaps we should encourage non-judgmental debates around issues like these? But, on LFC’s title chances, I’d still say it is too early to be judgmental.