Those people are our people

Description

Article for the Belgian (Flemish) newspaper De Standaard. In a covid press conference the Minister-President of Flanders expressed his gratitude for the hard work of 'those people in hospitals'. His choice of words was telling. Talking of care workers as 'those people' is a mark of their not belonging to the policy maker' tribal we. Succesfull sportmen or CEOs are never called 'those' people. They are 'our sportsmen, 'our entrepreneurs who put us on the map'. In spite of easy expressions of gratitude, those who are called 'those' people, will remain the first targets of the following cut backs of neo-liberal austerity policies.