Saturday 15 October 2011

Politics : Meet the new lot, same as the old lot.

Do you feel like you're living in a military state? Do you feel like our country is racked by protest? Are there regularly hoards of disgruntled citizens with placards blocking the aisles at your local Tesco? At your bank? At your favourite fashion store?

No, mine neither. Mainly, my high street looks just as it always did (though with around 20% of the windows boarded up) People still mill around the town with glossy carrier bags, stopping for a coffee or a chat, though in fewer numbers.

Mum's up and down the country know they feel skint, but there is no focal point for anger or blame, just a kind of fiscal-trudgery-of-acceptance.

Should any of these Mum's (or of course Dad's) switch on the news, they will certainly hear that the economy is in a bit of a pickle. Times are tough, it's all their fault over there (Europe, US) but we'll pull through and phew! At least we've got the right plan in place eh? Yep, that's something..... (as the X-Factor theme tune fades in to soothe away the anxiety.

But will they hear about millions of people, all around the world, putting their lives on hold to register protest at a global political and financial system they see as defunct, corrupt and increasingly irrelevant? Unlikely.

How long did it take for Mr and Mrs Joe Public to hear that Wall Street was under occupation? Well it was certainly a good deal later than those of us on twitter. Just how serious do they feel the Arab Spring is? Unless they hold a stock portfolio of oil shares, then the answer is probably "What Arab Spring?"

Even if the Arab Spring has made it onto radars (for after it all, it's "good" when those living under oppressive regimes rise up as long as we don't really like their leaders) I'm fairly confident that Mr and Mrs P won't have a clue that protests have been raging all over Europe, Australia and America and that they grow by the day. Millions of people, united and committed all around the world, just as their Arab friends, though much more threatening to our own political and business elite.

Bridges blocked, piazza's occupied, town halls picketed, stock exchanges under occupation, wheelchairs rolling through Westminster, Libraries defended by shire-women with pitchforks - everyone's at it. Shhhh though, don't tell Mr and Mrs P.

And up there, on the main nightly bulletins, we see the same parade of arrogance and corruption. It is so breathtakingly apparent that it is corrupt, that we, Mr and Mrs P laugh at how very bad they are at hiding it. How foolish they must think we are.

"Liam Fox did what?" we splutter? (rage was put to rest years ago, now there's just mocking incredulity and weary head shaking) "He let his mate live in a house we paid for and paid to do up, (rent free) while his corporate mates sent him all around the world on Defence jollies? How many times? They went where? Who paid?

And that Letwin fella. He was doing what? Dumping state secrets in park bins? Is the man unwell? My 10 year old would realise that was a bad idea!!"

"Laws got charged with how many offences? Murdoch did what?"


**(I would add a sentence about the police, but Mr and Mrs P, in fact, are not surprised at all that they're corrupt - they see that for themselves every day)

And on and on and on. Arrogant, out-of-touch pillocks (excuse me but that's what real people think) fiddling while Rome burns.

The last gasp of an effete, degenerate class, seemingly unaware that their days are numbered, with their fingers in their ears shouting "la-la-la-la-la" Not a CLUE how to get us out of this mess and even if they do know, totally unwilling to do the heavy lifting required. Why? Cos it might mean fewer jollies in Sri Lanka or an end to the Caribbean "fact finding missions". It might jeopardise that ermine a few years down the line or the place on the board promised by grateful lobbyists.

And what do I hear from Mr and Mrs P?? Over and over again?

"They just don't get it do they?"


Well no, they still don't get it. Don't see how clearly we see through them now. And they keep on pulling the same old scams as though the internet and instant, global, information sharing never happened. They seem to believe they have a cloak of invisibility that plebs cannot penetrate.

Guys, you don't and the days of bullying laws through parliament and pilfering the state purse are coming to an end.

The first politicians to really work this out will be in power for a very long time.

17 comments:

  1. Great piece as usual, Sue.

    If anyone fancies doing a bit of clicktivism on this general subject, you can head over to www.avaaz.org and click on "Stand with the Protests" on the front page to add your name in support of Occupy Wall Street. Apparently there have been displays of the number of signatories (724,147 as I type this) along with chants of "the world is watching" from the protesters. It's inspiring to see this going on in a country so like our own, and similar projects are being launched over here soon, though I don't have links for those as yet.

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  2. The tree of monkeys
    Those higher up, looking down, sees only smiles. Those lower down, looking up, sees only asses.

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  3. More and more I hear people complaining about "one law for them, one law for us", and this is coming from "nice middle class" peeeps you wouldn't tend to expect it from.

    I was pleasantly surprised for instance at the anger one friend had at the difference between how the rioters were rushed through the courts in a matter of days but the process to prosecute the policeman who attacked Jody McIntyre (eventually found guilty) was drawn out for so long that criminal charges were unable to be filed against him.

    Similarly I hear comments about how differently "benefit cheats" are treated compared to MPs and their expenses fiddles.

    On the other hand I don't really see how it will change.

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  4. Protests over here?, we are hearing nasty Rumours over here that UNITE & GMB and a Few other Unions have been meeting in private with David Cameron, if that's true then sadly we are in trouble.

    I do know for example the GMB did a deal to back a workfare group and all hell broke lose until the Union backed off, can you imagine a Union backing workfare to get people back to work.

    But we are hearing the membership of a number of Unions are angry with the top brass, this will mean unofficial strikes as people look to see if being in a Union is worth it.

    Money has changed Unions, politicians, and the whole country, people at the bottom are now seen after years of the BBC doing programs like saints and scroungers, I can see nothing which will end up making the lives of the disabled better, once the TUC tell you they are in secret talks with a Tory party you know your in trouble.

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  5. It has begun across a thousand cities worldwide…
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15319924

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  6. i was a shop steward for a number of years and you wouldn't believe the sxxt that went on between management and unions

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  7. Nowt's gonna change except more people will be found fit for work when they arn't. Solution rise up and fight the system take them on let norm's know what will happen to them if they become sick or disabled then and only then will there be change

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  8. Liam Fox: Gone but not forgotten? Hell be back no doubt being a very good friend of Margaret thatcher he's none to keen on sick people however and he sure as hell don't care much for the disabled

    He done nothing for the troops who have become disabled when they have returned from the war zones instead of giving them the very highest priority with regards housing etc he gave then just a few words of so called comfort and had them sent off to ATOS instead

    Liam you were a very dishonorable person and it's no wonder David Cameron liked you as it takes one to know one

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  9. And Liam with myself retired from the bank of England it's my view that counts not any of your so called colleagues and with friends like Adam Werritty who is a member of the Carlton club you were a lost cause and i never wont to see your face again on tv as I'm sure that's the view of the majority of the decent people of the uk

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  10. (Reuters) - Demonstrators worldwide shouted their rage on Saturday against bankers and politicians they accuse of ruining economies and condemning millions to hardship through greed and bad government.

    Galvanized by the Occupy Wall Street movement, the protests began in New Zealand, rippled round the world to Europe and were expected to return to their starting point in New York.
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/15/us-protests-idUSTRE79E0FC20111015

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  11. I was a shop steward and still belong to the grass-roots of shop stewards.

    Sadly Unions seem to be more interested in what they can do for themselves these days, then what they can do for the members remind you of anyone, it reminds me of labour.

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  12. The Times They Are A-Changing
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYQZSDOWwww

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  13. Well these people dont like the unions and the unions aint supposed to like them ...oppossing ideologies after all BUT if they have has meeting with camcon then shame on them and apart from ranting at the govt we should make the unions come clean .Never be surprised how many tentacles the money monster has and how it can weedle its way in to anything to further its cause...keeping power and making more money..its an evil beast and if the unions have done deals or even considered it then leave thier ranks and be done with them all/So fo any of you are in a union then get on to them and DEMAND answers and let us all know.Use the FOI legislation and find out...

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  14. This is what this country will become over the next two years you have my word on it

    Syria protest deaths 'hit 3,000'

    As the banking system starts to fail and banks closing down we'll see how clever David Cameron and his capitalist friends are as their money is at risk yes he is the same as everyone else and if we go down the pan badly he'll just do a runner and save what he has left he wont stay around with heavy losses not many will

    Most wealthy people have a coutts banking account and that includes some mp's but at the end of the day it's just the bank of Scotland nothing special at all like their lives all fairytale and fantasy it's just a pity their in power and putting pressure like all bully's in life on the sick and disabled

    Their a pretty sick bunch if you ask me

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  15. You must remember we have had thirteen years of New labour, who told the Unions they were not part of the Labour movement, ED Miliband has told the new secretary to find a new revenue stream, so labour can move away from the Unions.

    So with a Labour party like this it's not surprising that the Unions will do deals with a Tory party which is not that far removed from new labour.

    Tonight we are told Labour have decided private schools are good and labour will back the Tories, we all know what labour thinks with the disabled and sadly a twelve minute phone call is not the same as being invited to attend parliament to discuss something.

    Tory labour career politicians the lot of them.

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  16. I don't think you need unions to protest, in fact the only ones I've been on where they turned up it was just because they fancied it, nothing to do with organisation. They're handy for swelling numbers I suppose. No, ordinary people acting for themselves as much as for anyone else is what makes the difference, I think.

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  17. What about a PEOPLES UNION who wrote the rule that said it had to be a trade union....

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