Please can we choose a Brave New World

It is very hard for me to comment on the state of British politics right now, because it's too close to home and too personal.  In Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, I see a brave new world in which these two good men steer the good ship Britannia onto a whole new course towards a brighter future for everyone, as their predecessors, the Labour Government who took control after WWII.  

After 9 years of austerity and the tories running down our NHS and public services, not to mention their crazy idea to make Brexit a billionaires free for all, we are again at a point in history, where we need adults and genuine experienced and diplomatic Statesmen to step in and sort out the mess.  JC and JM have prepared for this moment their entire lives, their ideas and policies have evolved from years of research and discussion, not the cocaine fuelled cabinet meetings of old Etonians who still think they are in the Bullingdon Club.

The pain for me lies in the 'hope', which rightly deserved to stay at the bottom of Pandora's Box.  Hope gives a tantalising glimpse of what might be, what could be, a final last peep before the lid closes down forever.  I remember being mightily moved by John Cleese in the movie Clockwise, wearing a monk's habit and with every chance of his dreams rapidly disappearing, complaining profusely that it was the 'hope' that hurt the most.  I hear you Brother.  

As much fun as it is watching the odious Boris Johnson rightly hated throughout the UK and losing (almost) every vote, I can't rid myself of a niggly feeling that the snidey git will find a way to the pull the UK out of Europe on the 31st and clean up at the bookies.

We are living in a bizarre age, where lawlessness and deception at the highest levels are practiced in plain sight.  'Get over it' says Mick Mulvaney, White House Chief of Staff, 'I'll just lay across this parliamentary bench as if I were in a opium den', says Jacob Rees-Mogg.  We are not even going to try to pretend we are working for and on behalf of the people.  

Unfortunately, the alt right sickness, appears to have hit everyone who has never picked up a book or read a newspaper.  All those who think their lives will be mightily improved if others are made to suffer.  The kind of people who believe the NHS should not treat people in need unless they are a British taxpayer.  That's so unkind I will refrain from commenting.  But I should add, the same applies to public housing, everyone needs a roof over their heads.  

Housing shortages, queues in the NHS, are all down to lack of investment.  If the government doesn't invest enough money to keep up with needs of the population, the government is at fault. The NHS needs massive investment, not fewer 'customers', more homes need to be built.  These 'desperate needs' that have been ignored for so many years by the tories, but will be immediately implemented by Labour, will not only provide the services that should be available to everyone in one of the richest countries in the world, but it will boost employment and boost the economy.

As a child of the 60's, I enjoyed the massive transformation of working class life brought about the Labour government of the 1940's.  A full nutritionally balanced meal every day at school, albeit with free dinner tickets and the shame that entailed, and a bottle of milk in the afternoons.  And yes, I too chanted along to Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher, when the old witch took away our free milk, I believe it was popular in most playgrounds.

But England, in the 60's, was buzzing like a pendulum doo, whatever that is.  It was the 'in place', not only for the glitterati, but the illuminati, the literati, the papparati and all the 'atis' that were popular at the time. 'Arold Wilson' who I'm not sure had an 'aaati' bone in him, turned England into the legend of Austin Powers, it was all about the Jaguar E type, Carnaby Street and the Kings Road, Baby.  On the drama front, 'Cathy Come Home' hit the heartstrings of every liberal, and indeed, every tory, kindness began to replace the cruelty of 'undeserving poor'.  Pop stars, like John Lennon began highlighting novel ideas like kindness, peace and no religion and immediately went onto the FBI's most wanted lists.  Who the fuck wants peace when there is so much money to be made with hostility?

But we are still in the 'hope' phase, but I am scared to look.  I applaud all those warriors out there every day, they are brave and focused.  I am especially cheered by the young 'woke' (not quite sure how to use that word yet) new generation who are making such tremendous waves with Momentum.  Finally, the right wing do not have total control of the airwaves, literally everyone has instant access to the truth.  Gone are the days when Rupert Murdoch could tell the UK masses how to vote via the front page of the Sun.  There is hope.  Which brings me back to where I began.  

I'm over 60 now, I get knocked down and I get up again, becomes tougher and tougher.  Where I used to think 'nothing's gonna stop us now', I now think, yeah, it probably will.  I even, kind of, accept that I am powerless to stop it.  I haven't felt this level of powerlessness since I was a young teenager in the care of demons.  I couldn't change the nature of the people around me then anymore than I can change it now.  Not a happy place to be.

But we are on a precipice, we don't have to be rushed towards the cliff's edge.  Safety switches and dead mans handles are all in place, the masses can see right through Boris Johnson and his get rich quick backers, everything is stacked up for a glorious revolution, I'm just too scared to look.