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.