Tuesday 21 July 2015

We can be so much more (or the Health of the Nation)

Everyone's calling for a vote of no confidence in, or the sacking of, Jeremy Hunt. While I applaud the sentiment, I'd like to point out that it's not him, on his own, doing this. He is the figurehead, the target for the rest of us who despise what HE is doing to our NHS. But calling for David Cameron and the Conservative Party to remove the person who is publicly fronting the policies that they have set in place is unlikely to garner support from them. I'm sorry to be blunt, but they won't get rid of him. They need him exactly where he is, whether WE like it or not. 

Since the brakes were removed from this government's freedom to do whatever the damn hell they want since we voted them in as the party of majority, they have done exactly that, exactly what they want. Although we may feel it is not our individual fault because maybe we didn't vote for the conservatives, as a Nation we did.

The Labour Party is a toothless, battered bag of rags which needs support and leadership - none of which it has in worthwhile quantities or qualities. The Lib Dems, the Greens have nothing but a quiet voice of semi-sense to offer, but are seen as having absolutely no back bone. And, really, do you want an invertebrate standing up for you? You'd have to hold them! Which is tough when you're struggling to hold yourself upright in the face of the torrential rain, earthquakes and hurricanes directed at you from Westminster. 

Currently, the only party with any teeth in opposition to the government is the SNP – which is not a National party for the UK. Still, it is represented in Westminster with a vast haul of MPs and thankfully they have the voices to make their stand. They stand for Scotland, but what they stand for is UK-wide, whether you agree wholeheartedly with their policies or not. But even the SNP have been published in a less than glowing light. 

The government has done a fantastic job of nullifying the "threat" from other parties, and in no small part because they haven't had to do anything. The other parties have successfully damaged themselves to such an extent that we may fear supporting them en masse, in case we just shout into the wind. But unfortunately, that's almost all we can do. Or at least, that’s how it seems.

Our efforts to petition, march against, block, stop or otherwise prevent appallingly damaging national policies from taking hold can only work with a significantly improved support structure for the opposition, not just, albeit temporarily powerful, passionate individual groups. Our victories seem like drops in an ocean of dissatisfaction as we are bulldozed into acquiescence and forced acceptance.

How we galvanise ourselves into action is the issue. We can accept the Devil we know and force ourselves to live under the thumb and at the whim of corporations, or we can use the next 5 years as a real chance to make our feelings known and drive our own National agenda; one of community, society, safety, health, education, environment that steps away from the pre-ordained, money-driven bottom line economics and puts the onus on society – because, whether the Thatcher clones of DC, GO and IDS want to accept it or not, SOCIETY does exist.

This does not, for one minute, suggest that finance is not important. But believing in it as the only meaningful facet in a society is derogatory to the people of this nation and utterly devalues us as a people. We are so much more than money, even if the words we use to describe ourselves and our contribution to each other’s lives is financial. But it is up to us to make those differences our values, our worth.

Yes, this means that we do look after our own. Yes, it does mean keeping an eye out for those who might need help. Yes, it does mean putting ourselves “out”. We have become so self-centred as a Nation and as individuals that the very idea of doing anything that takes us out of our comfort zones is to be shunned and hidden, buried as deeply as we can, so that we don’t have to think of it again. This is not to say that we shouldn’t be clammering at Parliament’s door to change taxation laws, stop cutting aid/benefits to those who really do need them, block the damaging elements of TTIP which will give corporations power over international governments and sovereign states. It does mean doing it from a different stance.

I’m not talking from the point of view of someone who already does all this. I don’t. I have changed the way I behave in my community and am more involved than I once was, but I’m not a saint nor am I a drum banger. I’m as lazy or as busy, as helpful or as selfish as anyone else. Yes, I do get involved in some things that others don’t, because that’s the way I feel about them. Could I do more? Yes. Will I do more? Having written this, I’d bloody well better, hadn't I!

I am a city dweller, a Londoner. I am also a member of a community, a neighbour, a friend, a family member. I can’t help everyone all the time, but in my community I can help to make a difference. It’s not a case of saying I must give every second of my time outside of work to help other people. We need time for ourselves and with our families. That’s not the point. It’s more about deciding to be involved in your community in a beneficial way; whether that’s joining your local area society, having a voice at council meetings, joining the social club and chatting to people who might otherwise be lonely, or even something as simple as talking to your neighbours and listening, informing yourself and learning about your local area. Sometimes you won't agree with what people say, but that's not actually a bad thing. It really isn't. 

By creating, developing, being involved with and strengthening our local communities, we DO create a stronger society, regardless of what those in power believe. And as a stronger society we can speak with a bigger, stronger, more powerful, more eloquent voice that is not as easy to shut out as if we were simply individuals shouting at the wind!

To stop a hurricane doing damage, you must build a structure with the foundations to hold firm. To stop an earthquake, you must build your structures with tolerance and flex.

We are hitting a point now, where the hurricane is picking at the strongest points of our society and creating weaknesses, not just exploiting them: education, health, transport are all in the firing line because they are seen as too expensive. And it wouldn't matter whether they were functioning without problems, utterly brilliantly and totally safely, the bottom line will always require scrutiny. That's the nature of finance. Yet without education, health and transport, the cost to us, as a Nation, would be incalculable. We are the nation we are because of what we have achieved, not what has beaten us.

How we come together, either as supporters of a political ideology or as individuals with a shared passion, need, love or cause, doesn’t matter. But complaining will only get us so far. We need to do more than complain but it doesn’t need to be a violent revolution. Our strength as individuals grows exponentially as a community and a society.

If you’re happy with what’s happening now, good for you. I won’t insult you or shout at you. You’ve made your choice. But if you’re not happy with what you see around you and the future you see for yourself, your children, your families, your friends, your community, your nation, then you have the right to do something about it.

We can shout as much as we like, but the worst thing we can do is nothing. And the moment we start, imagine the strength we might have. Imagine our pride in ourselves and our Nation. Imagine the society we could live in. 


M.Y. 21/07/2015

Tuesday 14 July 2015

TTIP - the destructive power of corporation vs Nation

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30493297

A very clear explanation of the much vaunted capitalist benefits compared to the social destruction of working rights, pay and conditions.

It doesn't quite go far enough, focussing almost exclusively on the reaction towards the treatment of the NHS, but TTIP will, if taken on board across Europe, make every state owned/run industry a target for corporate greed in a freely accessible market place regardless of the effect on millions of HUMANS(!) and there will be nothing that the individual nations can do to stop it, without facing hugely expensive and damaging legal battles. TTIP will actually lead to nations being sued by corporations for the right to dismantle society and culture. This is not the golden egg Cameron and the coin-cronies would have us believe, unless all that you want is to line your own pockets and sod everyone else. For all that the Green Party statement may be grandstanding and soundbiting, it's terrifyingly true. I really hope this doesn't go through.

But then I hope they quash the "relaxation" of hunting laws and bin fracking. Unfortunately, rather like any team I get behind when they're playing on the TV, I reckon my support is ultimately massively damaging. But I just can't bring myself to support TTIP, hunting or fracking or Trident or Nazis or IS or pure, unfettered, anti society, community-destructive capitalism.

The Chicago boys are still running rampant.