"When we are returned to power we want to put in the statute book an act which will make our people citizens of the world before they are citizens of this country." ~ Clement Attlee
And now for Syd
I’m
ramblin’, ramblin’, ramblin’, ramblin’,
I want to
ramble with you,
I’m
ramblin’,
I hope you
want to ramble too….
That ditty, for which I
want to thank the late, great Bob Marley, makes everything sound
jolly and hopeful.
But jolly and hopeful
are the last things I have been feeling lately. Rather I have felt
down in the mouth, down hearted and generally disheartened. I even
lost interest in contributing to this outstanding blog.
I wonder what Clem
would have said. Well he might have said “Do what my old mate
Winnie used to say – you’ve just got to keep buggering on!”
Really? Well I suppose
he’d be right, but with ailing public services, councils in danger
of using all their reserves, prisons in meltdown, education in
crisis, social care in crisis, police services under strength, fire
services under strength, the privatised probation service underfunded
and heading for bankruptcy, homelessness rising inexorably…… I
could go on and on.
All this and I haven’t
mentioned Brexit. Well I can put that right and no mistake. Let’s
take for example the irony that we have a remainer Prime Minister
arguing vehemently for leaving the EU, and a Brexiter leader of the
opposition arguing for a continuing form of membership of the EU! You
couldn’t make it up!
To continue the ironic
theme, is it just me, or does anyone else think it bizarre for
individuals to work for, and be paid well by, an organisation whose
very existence they believe to be a turd-splat on national
sovereignty and self-determination! Such hypocritical denial is then
compounded by the expression of self-righteous platitudes about how
principled they are by working for and succeeding in achieving their
own professional demise; oh how I sometimes wish it could be
personal.
And then, and then, we
have Vlad the Nerveless – or so he claims – spreading a nerve
agent around Salisbury like angel dust. Why? To kill an ageing spy?
No, he and others were simply collateral damage.
In part he wanted to
test the strength of the Western alliance and specifically our place
in that alliance, given the fact we are leaving the EU and our
uncertain future relationship with a Trump America. In addition the
inevitable response would be a perfect opportunity to inform his
constituency that, once again, the Western capitalist bastards are
attacking the peaceful Russian people for no good reason, ergo, his
message to the Russian people is:
“Vote for me at the
election. Russia needs a strong tsar – er, sorry - leader.”
And what of us?
There are some who say
we should not have responded to this provocation. Our esteemed Leader
of the Opposition has been equivocal and cautioned against engaging
in another cold war. For my part, I rather think that boat has
already sailed. I wonder what Mr Corbyn would have said when Hitler
moved into the Rhineland or Austria?
“Hang on a minute,
let’s not get ahead of ourselves, they might just be having a day
trip to pick up some cheap booze and take in the sights”.
What’s that called?
– Oh yes, appeasement. Now that did work well!
How much evidence does
Mr Corbyn want? The attack on the people of this country was with a
military grade nerve agent only developed and produced by
Russia. The manner of its use was such as to be wholly negligent of
its capacity to affect many more people than the supposed intended
targets.
Of course, Russia was
likely to be responsible and, of course, we had to respond.
In
addition to the expulsion of Russian “diplomats”, the
Conservative party will have to forego any further donations from
Russian emigres, including those that have been made through auctions
at Tory black tie fund raisers. In one such example, the wife of an
ex minister in Putin’s government paid £160,000 to play a tennis
match with Boris Johnson. Personally, instead of playing tennis, I
would investigate just how they acquired their wealth. Then extend
this policy to other members of the Russian community, the squillions
laundered through the City and the purchase of property.
Oh yes, we’ve also
held talks with our closest allies and all have agreed with the
government’s analysis and pledged their full support. Now whether
such warm words will translate into action is a perhaps a moot point.
So far we remain (oops) a member of the EU, but what the relationship
will be after Brexit with both the EU and America is anyone’s
guess. My fear is that we will end up as ‘Blighty no mates’!
So perhaps you can
understand why I’ve been feeling just a touch miffed lately. But
then, just as I thought that things were as bad as they could be I,
for reasons best left to the mysteries of the unconscious, watched
the film Network (1976) and more specifically what must be one of the
greatest lines in cinema history:
“I’M AS MAD AS HELL
AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE”!
Yeh, I’m mad as hell.
I’m mad with Putin, Trump, May, Corbyn and the rest of them. But do
you know what, I’m really mad at my fellow citizens who will watch
and be able to answer Mastermind questions on the life and times of
Ant and Dec, but ask them about the potential effect of leaving the
EU or the dangers that Trump and Putin pose for the world, and they
will collectively shrug their shoulders and say ‘I’m not
interested in politics” or “I don’t really understand that
stuff”.
What can we do?
We the Clemantics will
seek to enlighten and educate, we will be the Peter Finch’s of the
blogging world. We will make a small but perfectly formed existential
difference in the world (well you’ve got you’ve start somewhere)!
So join us in our
quest, help us impale Vlad, hoist the Brexiteers by the moulies and
generally ensure that politicians continually look over their
shoulders and feel the hot breath of Clemantics fury should they
continue to take us for granted or indeed to the cleaners!
See you next time.
Syd
PS Apparently, Prince
George wants to become a policeman…
Who’s going to tell
him!?
