VIEWS ON NEWS, MEGHAN AND PATRIOTS

Good to see Boris Johnson being given what for as he travels around the country pretending all is well.  Strange how the Conservative government have gone from no magic money tree, to having billions suddenly available to invest in the country and the NHS.  Well done that lady in Doncaster for pointing out the devastation of austerity, and asking why, they [tories] suddenly have money available.  'I'd rather have a Labour Brexit' than a 'Tory Brexit' she said, pointing out that Labour will take care of the workers.  Politician Boris then, unfortunately, took control, but not before the damage was done.  And take note Labour PR, that brave lady's 'rather have' statement works.

My fondness for William and Kate and Harry and Meghan, is a complete contradiction of my usual Marxist leanings, but I was so profoundly touched by the image of the two young Princes walking behind the coffin of their mother, that I have felt maternally protective towards them ever since.  This generation of royals, maybe steered by their mother's philosophy, are using their positions for genuine good.  I would like to give a huge hug to Meghan.  Finally, the royals have a family member with a mind of her own.  They are having to adapt to her, instead of the other way round, and I love it.  She is kind of like Princess Diana, in the rebel sense, but with confidence and attitude.  That is probably what's upsetting the establishment and sycophants like Piers Morgan.

I applaud Meghan's fashion initiative in passing good clothes onto people in need of good clothes.  Having to fork out for an evening gown out of a fixed monthly income presents many problems.  I'm not being ironic or sarcastic, I did at one time work for a very sociable company, poor me, that put on many 'do's' throughout the year.  It's nice to know too, that items of clothing we own that hold many happy memories, can be the source of happy memories for someone else.

It's easy to be snobbish and patronising about fashion, as if there are far more important and meaty issues to discuss, especially for socialists.  So I am hugely impressed that Meghan who cannot avoid the fashion police, has been able to use the interest in what she wears to create a philanthropic and charitable cause.  That was a stroke of genius.  And for the first time, the royal family have a woman who will not be bound by the codes, conventions and 'that's how we've always done it' rules of Britain's ancient royal court.   And good job too, it's high time someone stuck a firecracker up the tartan kilt of Balmoral, they have long needed a good dusting off.

Six million Jews were killed in the name of patriotism, Charlie Chaplin replied when asked if he was a patriot.  Sadly, patriotism so quickly takes those extra steps into nationalism, white supremacy yada, yada, yada, we must kill all foreigners.  It becomes frightening.  It is not enough to be British, you must fight for your little bit of soil, see off the threat of marauding continental invaders, especially the brown ones.  Imagine a great big melting pot with a pinch of white man wrapped in black skin.....  keep it stirring for a hundred years or more, and turn out coffee coloured people by the score.  Oops, went off into a song there.  The horror, the horror.

I'm not a fan of extreme patriotism or nationalism, maybe because I don't particularly have a country to vow to.  My father was Scottish, my mother Irish, and I was born in England.  I have to say I have never particularly felt English, whatever that means, I am more inclined to say feck it, than Oh dear, and I have always loved partying to excess, so I call myself a Celt.  When the troubles in Ireland came over to England, my ex used to say 'your lot again', I think he and 'his lot', saw me a mad Irish woman with links to the IRA.  Not true.  Though I have never agreed with the occupation of Ireland by the English, any more than I would have agreed with the occupation of England by the Nazis. That should bump up my enemy list.

I refer to extreme patriotism, because right now it seems to be the core issue with those who insist we leave the EU on 31st October.  They talk as if our whole way of British life is threatened by our membership of the EU.  Our culture and heritage are threatened by belong to a group of other nations they claim.  As if the EU has banned bowler hats, cricket and strawberries and cream.  That these nationalists feel threatened is a source of amusement to me.  Our traditional Englishness will be around as long as the people who practice it.  For example, had Hitler declared Morris Dancing seditious and illegal, it would not have stopped those men with their bells.  The European Elite cannot interfere with our love of tea and crumpets and a fish and chip supper on Fridays.  Happily those with a love of their nation's traditions carry those traditions with them wherever they might be - see Days of the Raj, but in good ways too.

It is sad that there are people who actually believe these mythical threats to our culture and heritage actually exist.  It is the weakest of the Leave arguments. Are they so feeble and lily livered that they would immediately abandon all they hold dear on the directive of EU Elites?  A rule that decrees they eat spaghetti on Sundays, not roast beef perhaps?  I'm citing the ridiculous to demonstrate that it is not logistically feasible to ban culture, tradition and heritage.  Even if anyone wanted to, it wouldn't work.  Our culture is not now and never has been under threat.

If leavers took the time and trouble to study the history of Britain, they would see that we have been invaded many times before and our bowler hats and flag of St. George remain intact.  If your identity is strong enough, how can you lose it?  Our culture and ethnicity does not make us enemies, that lays squarely with 'fear'.  Fear of the unknown, fear of what we do not understand.  All those who have battled fear however, know the way in which to win is to confront that very fear.  Look at the worst case scenario with a logical mind. No-one is now or ever planning, to stop you from waving your Union Jack.  Stop believing the mad rantings of dishonest brokers with their eye on the profits.  Come back to reality.  

In an unstable world with an unstable Commander in Chief, we need all the friends we can get.  Trump welcomes the chaos of a no deal Brexit, because being the vulture he is, he can't wait to swoop down on the carcass of the once Great Britain.  He doesn't wish anyone well, not even the faux copy of himself in No. 10.  As he falls, he will take all his sycophant friends with him, and the PM of Great Britain will be a great distraction.  His legacy will be 'the biggest loser', but hang on, Boris is even worse.

To all those who want to hang on to their British identity, I suggest they look towards the heroes of World Wars I and II.  Those fighting men and women who gave their lives to holding onto our freedoms and our 'Britishness'.  The right not to be dominated by Nazis.  Britain has historically welcomed all those strangers to our shores, and we are richer and more enlightened because of it.  Immigrants from Europe and the Far East, have brought the food, fabrics and culture of their far off homes to our doorstep.  And we have loved it.  Their hard work and initiatives have brought different tastes, sounds, art and order to new industries that we have welcomed.  Are we so ignorant that our culture now must be of British origin only - put your books away academics, we don't want to learn anymore. 

Unfortunately, the masses who chant 'make American Great Again' and 'Britain First' have no idea of what they are actually demanding. I get that Britain First want to put 'brits' at the front of the housing queues and benefit systems.  I get that brits want to keep all the goodies to themselves and never share.  But do they get the isolationist part?  The fact that our small island will be all alone in this great big world of sharks?  Sadly, I have encountered people of that ilk all my life, I am sure we all have.  They err towards politicians with nasty policies, it's the only time they feel empathy.  Happily, most of us don't want to be shut in by fences and border walls, figurately or otherwise.  To shut marauders out, means to shut the indigenous people in.  This is where the blame lies if our descendants discover an island of inbreds in the far off future.

But I will finish on an uplifting note, we are not born with hate and fear in our hearts, that's something we are taught.  See my short video of the week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0IPAgi5PwI