Saturday 26 October 2019

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.

Saturday 19 October 2019

THE MADELEINE CASE NOW

I have lost interest in the Madeleine case, it would be true to say, but it is not a forbidden topic.  I happen to think most people would understand the 'McCann Syndrome' reference quite easily.  Gerry and Kate have not quite got off scot free, they have become almost an urban legend for child neglect, and offloading responsibility.  In many people's eyes they will never be cleared, and I guess they will just have to live with it.

I think all hope I had that Operation Grange would clear this matter up once and for all, is gone.  Not that I particularly wanted to see retribution against the McCanns, but I did want all those who interfered with the course of justice brought to account.  Unfortunately,  as Goncalo Amaral once said, it will only be solved when the political will is there.  I am not so bothered that the parents will never be charged, in all sorts of ways, they have suffered so much more than if they had, for example, just 'fessed up' to an accident. I doubt any one of us would want to be in their shoes.  I personally, could not live one day without the freedom to be myself. That is the freedom to say, do and write whatever I want.  If you are trying to deceive people, you do not have that freedom. For my sins, I spent my formative years in a convent where lying was essential in order to survive, not just to protect yourself, but to protect your friends. I remember lying in my bed at night trembling in fear that my 'lies' would be found out.  It scarred me mentally, I never wanted to feel like that again.

My honesty has got me into trouble my entire life, see my McCann blogs, lol, but of course, it far precedes the Madeleine case.  Not that I am ever blunt or coarse, heaven forbid, but I would rather be alone and ostracised than join a herd.  But forgive me, I have gone back to my favourite subject, me, ha ha, but only to accentuate how imprisoning it can be having skeletons in the cupboard. I am of course speaking metaphorically and generically here should Carter Ruck still be looking in.

I did however take a quick peek at 'latest Madeleine news' as I saw the subject revived in a few posts, and there isn't any.  It would seem all those I spent so many years arguing with, were right, Doh!  That is, this case will never be solved.  Irks a bit, as it means handing victory to those ghouls in the cesspit, but ce la vie, I'll get over it.  

My interest in the Madeleine case, stemmed from my interest in human behaviour, and with Gerry and Kate McCann, and several characters within their inner circle, there are endless resources.  It almost never happens that you have a subject who has given so many videoed interviews plus a blog and a book!.  Like many students of psychology, I am interested in spotting deception.  I speak as one who often has been, and occasionally still is, deceived.  Again doh!  Probably because I prefer to look for the good in people, even if they are lying to me.  I feel pity for them if they have to lie, and I take no pleasure in seeing them squirm.  That's what I mean about freedom, it means you never have to squirm.

When people lie on a national and global scale however, the sympathy comes to an abrupt end.  It is one thing to save your own skin, another thing altogether to make a profit out of your own irresponsibility.  Every parent who loses a child blames his or herself, even when it is obvious they are completely blameless. The McCanns have always done the opposite, they blamed everyone else from start, beginning with the Portuguese police.  I don't know what alerted everyone else, but for me it was the uncomfortable feeling of being manipulated, not only by the parents, but by every 'get rich quick conman', and indeed, news agency, out there.  

My eyes were opened by going into higher education, but my mind was blown when I started to look deeper into this case.  That quaint English sense of justice and fair play was, to my disgust, long gone, that lovely 1960's world of the Carry Ons, was some kind of mythology that I was carrying around in my head.  'I say old chap that's just not cricket' no longer applied.  The Madeleine case was as a much a learning curve and water shed, as my quest for a degree.  It gave me deep, deep, insight, not into into psychopathy, narcissism, forensic linguistics, but also micro-expressions and of course duping delight!  But more, it also led me delve much deeper into the dark side of corruption within our so called respected public agencies, institutions and charities.  All a tad too dark for me, but plenty there for the young and enthusiastic journalists and psychologists who still want to put the world rights.

Sadly though,  all blockbuster, film or book, potential in the Madeleine case is now gone - the interest simply isn't there, the world has moved on.  Students of psychopathy, narcissism, sociopathy, media manipulation, conspiracies, etc, etc, have the far more entertaining (and terrifying) antics of the US President and the UK Prime Minister.  Madeleine would literally have to turn up 'Anastasia' style and be recognised and blood tested to grab the front pages.  Sightings and ex detectives opinions just aint gonna cut it.

For now, in the spirit of Maya Angelou, when someone tells you how this will end, believe them.  Ok, not verbatim, but when a police commissioner and an ex police commissioner suggest the case may never be solved, that's the option they want to stick.  Maybe too many reputations are on the line, on both sides of the aisle, too many big names who would be humiliated if the parents turned out to be involved.  VIPs who pulled strings here and there to help the parents and their friends avoid justice?

It is not a proud moment for the UK, but in an era where we have a corrupt far right government leading us all towards the cliff at Beachy Head, it is the least of our worries.


Sunday 6 October 2019

HE'S A FILTHY PIECE OF TOE-RAG

Trying to write some kind of account of the craziness that now engulfs the western world in 2019, my head is so scrambled I feel like Picasso staring at a blank canvas in 1939.  So I'm just going throw a bunch of unrelated inanimate objects together, linked by crazy faces and naughty bits.  I'll just go put a head in the corner there, and top it off with a few unexplained tits.

Inexplicably, we the UK and the USA, for decades at the forefront of progressive, compassionate, governing, have 'elected' as our leaders, two of the worst human beings ever to walk this planet.  As simple as the people of BC (Before Christ) were, they knew at least to follow the guy who preached justice and fairness for all, even for the lepers and immigrants.  The first JC, Jesus Christ was of course crucified for his socialist preachings, the present JC, Jeremy Corbyn is experiencing similar.  Christians have of course, been torturing themselves for centuries for not following the original JC at the start.  That is, not standing up to their oppressors (the Romans) more aggressively, and for accidentally assisting their oppressors in crucifying their saviour.  On the face of it, most of the blame of course lies with the Jews, Christianity was pretty niche at that time and the Jews were already the scapegoats in the ancient middle east, probably because, even before the AD Roman calendar kicked in, the disciplined, cultural hard work ethic of the Jews had (in the ancients' minds) established them as superior, elite even.  Money makers, which was bound to incite envy.

But I am not looking for a theological debate.  My question, and indeed terror, lies in how the f*ck did we, the most informed, most enlightened mass populations in history, get to a position where our two countries are being held to ransom by two sociopathic lunatics?  Has democracy gone wrong?  Because it's looking that way and alarm bells should be going off everywhere.  Both the UK and the USA are on the verge of Civil War.  And the majorities, in both countries, are fighting the rise of the extreme Right.  As in Hitler's time, the extreme right demographic rarely goes above 30%, but sadly they are the loudest and most destructive and they are supported by the richest.  And that makes it all the more repugnant. Tommy Robinson may look and sound like a representative of the working classes, but he is working on behalf of their oppressors, the Eton boys who through nature and nurture instinctively know how to get the plebs to do their dirty work.  Be in no doubt TR wants a 'class system', one in which he moves up a few notches on the social scale on the basis of being white British.  Clearly, he has never been able to scale those few notches through academia or achievement, so he has opted for kicking those he perceives to be below him, those who arrived in this world via a different geographical location.  Who knows what tf happened to him, who hurt him so badly, and very few sane people, I imagine would care, but he is a danger, who ramps up the chaos, the first in line to form a new SS, should Boris give the nod.  

Happily, this time around, the people of the US and the people of the UK are aware of the dangers of fascism and are not afraid to point out it's evils and to fight against it.  But on the flip side, both countries have demographics where education and information just isn't getting through.  They have generation after generation who swear 'the old way (whatever that might be) was better'.  I'm never quite sure if they are referring to Angleland (land of the Angles) or the hat doffing days Queen Victoria.  In the old days, the words 'but we've always done it that way' always featured in my disciplinaries and firings for some reason.  Boris is toast, all his crimes are catching up with him and he is despised by the British public, booed and jeered wherever he goes.  He is not the Emperor, he's not the Saviour, he's not the chosen one, he's a very naughty boy, who should spend the rest of his life standing in the corner for all the lies he's told.  

Mob Boss Donald Trump is being exposed hourly as a 'mob boss', a cheap two bit hood, who would sell out the USA as quickly as he sold out his ex wives and ex friends and yeah, his kids.  I doubt he has a single close friend or family member, his wife clearly despises him, his kids seem to have much to hide.  They are not even attempting to save him right now, even as the world watches every cringing, embarrassing tweet and public appearance.  That's cold.

As much fun as it is watching the downfall of these two present day monsters, I still fear that they each, will somehow survive being caught with their hands in the cookie jar.  They are committing their crimes in plain sight!  Something has got to give.  Bizarrely, at this same juncture in history, the USA and the UK are fighting to hang onto democracy because they have elected to power, leaders crazier than Hitler or Caligula.  Imagine a group of Roman senators, 'so yeah', 'these free un-enslaved people with access to every form of communication imaginable, chose tyranny and corruption over reason, logic and their own personal well being'.  'Go figure' said Seneca.  

These are tense and anxious times for all of us who are watching the news, but the hardest part for me is the 'hope', finally there is a real beacon of light within touching distance.  The UK desperately needs a genuinely strong stable leader who will reach out to every community and bring us all together.  The only leader who respects the rights of all the British people to have the European Union options put before them again.  With Jeremy Corbyn there is no fear that he will sell the NHS, London Bridge, or indeed any of the UK's assets to Donald Trump and Russian Oligarchs.  Hope is literally there, on the horizon, in the form of a Jeremy Corbyn Labour government. Where Boris Johnson has been winging it all his life, never bothering to do his homework, he is up against a man who has spent his entire life studying.  

The UK is potentially on the brink of a whole new beginning just as it was at the end of WWII, with a Labour government ready to introduce sweeping new changes that will benefit the many, not the few.  Jeremy Corbyn differs from the tory politicians who have attempted to negotiate Brexit, because he shares similar values to many of the EU leaders.  On top of which, he is a Statesman, a good communicator, he treats everyone with equal respect, he is the kind of Prime Minister we need right now to clean up the botched job the tories have made of negotiations with our European friends and allies, and to somehow restore the UK's reputation.  We may be a popular destination for hardworking, talented, immigrants who still want to come here now, but that could change.  In centuries, maybe even decades, to come,  other more progressive countries will become more appealing to those hard working, skilled and talented immigrants.  It is not beyond the realms of possibility that in years to come countries will be competing for new citizens because they simply don't have an indigenous population big enough to keep the wheels of industry and society turning over.  It is worth remembering that the Windrush generation were invited to the UK and welcomed into the British workforce.  

Watching the downfall of the US tyrant, and the UK tyrant, simultaneously, gives us a fascinating insight into the goings on of the Western governments.  I very much doubt Trump's 'quid quo pros' are anything new in the backscratching world of international politics.  Not that I want to give Trump's defence team any tips, but if they had any historians among them, it would not be hard to pull 'quid pro quos' from every government that has gone before.  The trouble with Trump's quid pro quos, are that they are blatantly just for himself.  He is also too dumb to realise that going after Joe Biden's son, takes any 'leave my kids out of it' arguments he might have had, as his enemies now hone in on the money his own kids are making out of him being the President.  He really should add Homer Simpson's 'Doh!' to every public statement he makes.  

As for our own PM, logic and reason would dictate that the tousled white head of Boris Johnson will not be emerging like a phoenix from the ashes.  He is engulfed in proven lies, personal scandals and the revelation by his own sister that is working on behalf of billionaire backers.  But I will leave the last word to the lovely lady trending on twitter so eloquently put it 'he's a filthy piece of toe rag'. She speaks for all us.