OPTIMISM FOR 2026

I woke up quite early yesterday. I tend to wake up quite early these days. It is a sign of age. I plugged in the iPhone to charge for the day and read a couple of news items on the BBC, the Guardian and a couple of subtitled pieces on YouTube. Nothing brought any kind of solace but rather made me want top scream at the top of my voice, the internal rage became so intense. I did not do so. I had decided that I would no longer indulge in venting about politics, either local or foreign. The image of Edvard Munch “The Scream” came to mind and I knew exactly what the artist intended.

Munch had begun the painting in 1893 some time around the month of May when there was a quick clay slide in Norway’s Verdal Municipality which destroyed 1054 farms and killed 116 people. Not that that was the only catastrophic event in the world of the 1890’s. The 1893 Panic was an economic depression in the United States which deeply affected every sector of the economy and produced various political upheavals. 

The noted Norwegian writer Arne Garborg is quoted as saying:

"It is said that with money you can have everything, but you cannot. You can buy food, but not appetite; medicine but not health; knowledge but not wisdom; glitter, but not beauty; fun, but not joy; acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not faithfulness; leisure, but not peace. You can have the husk of everything for money, but not the kernel.”

I am sure there were many incidents around the glob that prompted Munch to contemplate the work, of which he had painted some 4 versions; however, Munch himself wrote: 

I was walking along the Road with two Friends. The Sun was setting. The Sky turned / blood red and I felt a wave of Sadness. I stood still tired to Death, above / the blue-black Fjord and City blood and Flaming Tongues hovered. My Friends walked on. I / remained behind shaking with Angst. I felt the great Scream in Nature.

Just what is this Great Scream of Nature? I believe there is no doubt that the stress caused by this current ambience is clearly something we all feel at various times. It is not fear but a very significant anger that causes this internal shriek. Indeed, it is something that comes with almost every generation. Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, from 1954/5 is an instance in point:


I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by 
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix,
angel-headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly 
connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat 
up smoking in the supernatural darkness of 
cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities 
contemplating jazz, 
who bared their brains to Heaven under the El and 
saw Mohammedan angels staggering on 
tenement roofs illuminated, 
who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes 
hallucinating Arkansas and Blake-light tragedy 
among the scholars of war, 
who were expelled from the academies for crazy &
publishing obscene odes on the windows of the skull, 
who cowered in unshaven rooms in underwear, 
burning their money in wastebaskets and listening 
to the Terror through the wall,
………etc…….(it goes on a bit)

That howl becomes even more resounding because it has been going on for so long, as if the lessons of our past are of naught. Why does such unequivocal knowledge fail to connect and fall away to nothingness? 

However, when I ask my desktop Mac “Causes for optimism in 2026” I get the following:

 

It speaks of 64 Global Developments Heralding a Flourishing Future, including
1- Global mental health support system
2- Wellbeing beats GDP in Policy
3- Historic Breakthroughs in Global Health (Malaria Vaccine)
4- Polio on the brink of extinction
5- Childhood malnutrition at all-time lows
6- Smoking and tobacco use plummet
7- Global COVID solidarity and resilience
8- Women’s leadership reaches new heights
9-  Marriage equality becomes a global norm
10- Death penalty becoming obsolete
Etc…

These are the first ten in the list. You will note topics 8, 9 and 10 are very much open to question. I suggest you go to the website for further information on remaining optimistic:
https://worldhappiness.foundation/blog/community/a-world-of-happytalist-progress-64-reasons-for-optimism-in-2026/

You may find some of the suggestions a bit odd. At 21 we have “Drones delivering hope and health” I presume the Ukrainians and others in the Middle East may need to rethink hope and health. Nonetheless we must maintain some sense of hope and stay healthy. What else can we do?
Good luck with that.

WHOSE FOURTH OF JULY ?

It being the 4th July it is not possible not to make political comment. There are events which occurred on this day which require comment or at least a recognition that these events had some significance. Two years ago on this day in 2024, in the United Kingdom, the Labour Party headed by Keir Starmer won a general election with 411 seats in Parliament, giving it a clear majority of 172 seats. This is not an insignificant number. 

Another event of historical note is that on the 4th July 1776, at a meeting of worthy colonial citizens known as the Second Continental Congress, the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted, formally announcing and explaining separation from Great Britain and the creation of the United States. Again, not an insignificant turn of events. 

That country was almost incinerated during a civil war which lasted 4 years. The most significant battle of that war occurred at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania between the 1st and 3rd of July and on the 4th July 1863, the Confederate Army under General Robert E Lee withdrew from the battlefield, signalling the beginning of the end of the Civil War. In that same year, five months later 163 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln delivered an address over the burial of those who had fallen during the battle. He began by saying: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”  He ended his speech with the comment: “…we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

The deep divisions that slowly grew from the foundation of the new nation, which exploded into that vicious conflict 87 years later, were quelled with Lincoln’s notion of a new birth of freedom which has persisted for the last 163 years, and the nation has not perished - yet. 

I say, yet, because that nation is in great peril. Never before has any President of the United States been such a divisive figure. Never before has any President been so crass and venal as well as being a psychotic narcissist. He seeks nothing but his aggrandisement by putting his name on every cherished edifice in America and by attempting to associate his image with that of the Presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore. The obsessive vanity is without parallel as is his stupidity. He has pissed on real American values and is going boldly around the United States in full bullying braggadocio manner, spouting crap, abusing and embarrassing the United States with every utterance. This is a gangster charlatan in full flow with his acolytes of lick spittles. 

His catastrophic effect on the world is intolerable and yet he remains unchecked.  When will he be told, in no uncertain terms, by the rest of the world’s leaders that his time is up. Which brings me back to Mr Starmer and his own 4th of July reminiscences. He has managed, with other European Leaders, to  reach some sort of modus operandi in dealing with Mr Trump. He has dealt with the United Kingdom’s foreign affairs as best he can, yet somehow has been unable to galvanise or uplift the British population out of its current doldrums. Perhaps the less than aggressive European accommodation towards Mr Trump is symptomatic of that lack of brio. Well meaning but too straight. 

So, the United Kingdom, after two years, with the Labour Party still in possession of that huge majority gained on the 4th July, is perhaps about to have its own new birth of freedom  with its appointment of a new Prime Minister. Whoever that person is, they should, without question, first make it clear to Mr Trump that any cajoling or mollycoddling is over. The United Kingdom is a sovereign nation and is taking back control. The United Kingdom’s special relationship is with the people of the United States and not the executive horror that purports to lead it at the present time. The Prime Ministers of all European countries should make it clear to the entire Congress of the United States that it is through them there will be dialogue and future discussions. Make the United States Congress stand up and be the effectual representative body it once was. If the 4th of July’s Declaration of Independence, established by that Second Continental Congress, is to have any meaning, then it should now stand up and be counted. 

While the new Prime Minister is doing that, perhaps he or she can spend some time sorting out the United Kingdom using that 172 seat majority obtained by Mr Starmer on the 4th July 2024. 

 

WHAT'S ON THE HOME FRONT ?

In keeping with the latest trend on the World Cup, I wish to make the following observation. The England team is about to play against one of the hosts of the games, Mexico in their own home stadium in Mexico City. The game will be televised in the UK at 1:00 am on Monday 6th of July 2026. There is a minor debate going on in the UK as to whether parents should allow their children to stay up late to be able to watch the match which is likely to go on until possibly 3:30 am or later. Indeed, the England Team manager Thomas Tuchel has expressed the view that children should be allowed to stay up to show support of the team. It is however a school night and the children are expected to be in school on Monday morning as normal. Views have been expressed from a variety of sources both for and against the proposition. The Education Secretary has stated that she expected the children to be at school and alert on Monday morning. What individual parents intend to do is another matter. I’m sure it will be a mixed bag. 

My own view is that, given the style of play the England team are exhibiting, the children are more than likely to fall asleep in no time and surely after the first 15 minute of play. They will all be safely tucked up by 1:30 and ready to attend school by 8:45 AM. So perhaps a bit shorter sleep than 8 hrs, but enough to get through the school day at 3:00 or 3:30 pm. They will be saved the depression that will most probably prevail as Mexico progresses to the quarter finals against either Brazil or Norway. 

I note that, according to various bookmakers and odds checkers, that England are very slightly favourites to win the match.  I put this down to wishful thinking or just the usual economic skullduggery of the gambling industry. Assuming that most people will back the favourite, most bets, and therefore money, will go the bookie’s way - sufficient to pay out on the slightly better odds for Mexico and still make a very good profit. 

Is this a cynical approach to the goings on in the Americas? I suppose it is, but then, swindling and shenanigans seems to be at the very heart of America. This is not a political statement but merely factual. Conflicts of interest and chicanery abound from the very top, so why should we suppose it should be any different elsewhere at this time when money is being made hand over fist on gambling transactions. 

   

I could be very wrong of course and Mexico’s  extraordinary home advantage at the Estadio Azteca will amount to nothing but noise. The England squad may well show flare and initiative, precision and fluidity, and come out on top. It is not as if the team lacks individual football excellence, it is just that a cohesive ensemble seems to evade them.  We wait and see. 

As to the manager’s plea for youth support on the home front, huddled around their family widescreen smart teles, with crisps and Ribena, I’m not sure that image will be at the forefront of the players’ minds, spurring them on to glory; but, who knows?

BRAVO LES BLEUS

The World Cup was providing something really special last night. Some sports commentators called it mesmerising and indeed it was. France -v- Sweden was a joy to behold. No disparaging Sweden who are a very strong team, but the French squad put on a display reminiscent  of the American Basketball Olympic Dream Team of 1992.  No other team has even come close so far. If they continue there display of excellence there is no doubt who will take home the trophy. I would recommend seeing for yourself. It is not often one has a chance to see a sport being played at its best, with all the joy and and sometimes magic that professional sport can convey, not only for the spectators, but for the players themselves.

Recently, the New York Knicks gave New Yorkers a similar uplifting feeling on a national level. Thirty four years ago, on a world stage, the United States Olympic Basketball team provided just such an experience. Those of us who watched it at the time marvelled at the precision and fluidity of that ‘dream team’ going about its business.  Last night in New Jersey, the French 'dream team' gave us that same kick.

Although I stated that I would no longer comment on politics, 1992 was the year Bill Clinton was elected for his first term as President. Bush Senior had lost, essentially because of his boast to the American People “Read my lips, no new taxes” and Clinton campaigned on the slogan “It’s the economy, stupid”. I could draw some parallels here, but I will refrain from doing so. Suffice it to say that it would be so nice if the unending joy of the French World Cup football team were spread around the world. Bravo France - Long may it continue.

 

PUNDITRY SHOULD BE GRAMMATICALLY AND ACCURATELY CORRECT

Flux - mutability, transition, unrest, mutation, instability, modification, flow, fluidity, motion. A constant or frequent change or a flowing in of the tide. It is what is. It is all around us. There is indeed a tide in the affairs of men, and it is all around us. One feels adrift on a peninsula.

In response to this state of drift, I have been watching, on and off, various world cup matches.  Inevitably one is also caught up in listening to, and watching, the various pundits and presenters who front the transmissions. Of course one does not have to listen to the pundits as one can just turn the sound down. When watching the games, however, it is nice to have the sound up so as to absorb some of the atmosphere in the various stadium. This does make it more difficult to avoid the match commentators opinions, comments and mangling of the English language. Usually a person’s manner of speaking is of little concern. It does not detract from a person’s individuality or intelligence. The constant repetition of phrases and unstructured words without any sense of tense or grammar is disconcerting and one wonders at the level of education on display. I find it difficult be believe what some people were not taught at school, or whether they were even paying attention at the tome. 

I am not suggesting that footballers are thick, merely inattentive. Indeed some pundit’s speech has improved grammatically over time and they are, as a result, better able to communicate and explain their views about certain situations. I am being snobbish, I know, but I am sure many people feel the same. Grammar does matter and can easily be improved. 

Some of the opinions however are more difficult to accept, particularly when repeated as a means of emphasis of a view. There is an instance during the match between Germany and Paraguay, when the Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed disallowed a possible winning goal by Germany’s Jonathan Tah for a foul on Paraguay goalkeeper, Orlando Gill, by Waldemar Anton. The incident was shown several times from different angles and after close inspection by the referee, he not only disallowed the goal but issued a yellow card to Waldemar Anton. Commentator Alan Shearer was firmly of the view that it was the wrong call. Football is a contact sport, he kept saying, and the offence as seen by him was nothing out of the ordinary, let alone deserving of a yellow card. He was very firm in this view and made his feeling emphatically.  

From my point of view as a spectator, and an ignoramus when out comes to football and its rules, the referee was absolutely correct. I had seen during the game’s several corners, the same Waldemar Anton getting in the goalkeeper’s face, bustling and jostling and physically applying pressure on the Paraguayan defenders, whilst waiting for the cross from the corner. This had also been observed by the referee and he had verbally cautioned Mr Anton, as well as the defenders about the ‘sporting contact’ in the goal mouth. What Waldemar Anton did was no more than a continuation of this contact to deliberately impede  the goalkeeper. Falling down was maybe, I repeat ‘maybe’, Orlando Gill exaggerating the contact, as Mr Shearer commented; but, if one looks at the totality of Mr Anton’s behaviour on the pitch and particularly in the goal mouth, he got no more than he deserved, a yellow card and a disallowed goal. If the ire of the German squad was directed at anyone, it should be at Waldemar Anton and not the referee. 

Whether or not this incident caused the German squad to feel robbed of a goal, and consequently affected there subsequent performance, is questionable. As professionals they should have put the incident behind them and got on with the job. They were certainly the better team so far as I could tell, as they had most of the possession of the football. The game seemed to be mostly played in the Paraguayan half of the field. The Paraguayans defended bravely most of the time and came out on top of the penalties, for which the disallowed goal had nothing to do. If Germany’s loss can be attributed to anything, it was down to poor finishing and stretching the ‘contact’ of a contact sport by Mr ‘Voldemort’ Anton.. He clearly missed out on his magic wand.

In any event, so far as I’m concerned Mr Shearer got it all wrong, although, I might add that, over the years he has been a pundit, his grammar has decidedly improved. 

Whose punditry is ever grammatically correct?

GIVING VALUE - I KNOW WHAT I LIKE - I THINK?

I feel that I must move the blog in a new direction. My continuing to rant about politics and the disturbing world situation is essentially a waste of time as it does absolutely nothing to change the state of affairs.  I am very grateful to people who bother to read the various entries and offer support and encouragement, but, sadly it changes nothing. I see lots of stuff on YouTube, reporting on events around the world, which has a much wider audience and which might even reach people who are supporters of the likes of Trump and who might just change their views or, at least, begin to examine them. There are some pretty impressive commentators out there who have an audience of hundreds of thousands and even over a million viewers. They are loud and clear. 

In addition, as a member of their audience, I confess I tend to listen to and view those commentators with whom I agree and who reflect my own thoughts on the current situation. I have quite often read stuff in journals that I have already mentioned previously in my own blogs. Not that I have any greater vision, it’s just that lots of people have the same view about the chaos in our current world, so it is not surprising that views are shared.  I do recall a lawyer friend who, having made a comment was told “Lots of people agree with that”, to which he said “Oh really!I must change my view at once.”. One always likes to be original, but one must face the fact that human beings, who have a grasp of civility, will share many of the same views. It is even more remarkable that so many of us place great value on many different things, even if our political views widely differ. 

As an instance in point, I show you a picture of Museums and Botticelli. In just three European cities, there are three Museums known the world over that attract a monumental number of visitors each year. In the Uffizi in Florence, Italy, we have a magnificent collection of works by Sandro Botticelli, full name Alessandro di Mariano di Filipepi (c.1445 - 17th May, 1510). He died 516 years ago - half a millennium - at the age of 65. Much of his work still exists. His painting of The Birth of Venus is valued at between $700 million and $1.2 billion. The painting entitled Primavera is valued at between $800 million and $1.1 billion. His Adoration of the Magi, in which he included his self portrait, is between $100 - $150 million.  According to a website dealing with the matter of the value of paintings, these are the comments:

“The Birth of Venus has no public sale history and is inalienable state property at the Uffizi, so any price is necessarily hypothetical. Based on top-tier trophy-market comparables (Leonardo’s $450.3m Salvator Mundi, Rembrandt’s €175m Standard-Bearer, and major Titian mythologies) and Botticelli’s own $92.2m auction record, a rational unconstrained estimate is $700 million–$1.2 billion. This reflects the work’s unmatched cultural primacy, extreme scarcity, and proven global capacity for blue-chip Renaissance trophies.”

“Primavera is an inalienable Italian national treasure in the Uffizi; any price is a theoretical, insurance-style estimate. Benchmarked to Botticelli’s modern auction ceiling and the top end of the global trophy market, a defensible open‑market valuation is $800 million–$1.1 billion.”

“Assuming the panel is a confirmed, autograph, museum‑quality Sandro Botticelli Adoration of the Magi, the preliminary market valuation is $100–150 million. This range is derived from recent top‑end Botticelli auction results, the extreme scarcity of museum‑quality Botticelli panels on the market, and the likely institutional buyer pool.”

You will note that the person on the right, facing out of the painting, directly at the viewer, in non other than Botticelli himself. 

These “valuations” are based on very specific commercial factors. The question of whether the piece is of historical significance, its rarity and substitutability, its market benchmarks and trophy demand, its sales history, its condition and any legal or marketability constraints. It is a matter of its artistic importance, relevance and magnitude. There must be something superlative about it. My question, however, is why do so many people accept the ‘value’ of an artwork, simply because they have read about of been told that it is a very significant piece of work. Why do so many people, who have never seen Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, queue at the Louvre, to have 30 or so seconds to pass by the painting and assess for themselves what they really think about the work? The lines are long and deep and access to the painting is very regulated to give all a chance to see the wonder of it. I can attest to the fact that it was not so in the 1950’s. At that time its was only during a couple of months in summer that there was any group hovering around the picture. In fact,  it was just another painting on the wall, with no particular special attention given it, other then its reputation. It is now apparently valued at between $5-20 billion. 

There is, in my view, something arbitrary and subjective about the entire matter of ‘value’. What gave gold such great value? Why is it prized so much that it sits as a bedrock of certain countries currencies? Why is the price of an ounce quoted on the stock exchange on an almost hourly basis? Why has it been valued so much since around 40,000 BC? Initially fashioned into objects and then into coins, it has engendered wars and vast movements and migrations of people. Its value has fluctuated up and down over millennia, yet why was the decision to choose it, as opposed to any other mineral, to have such significance that has become ingrained in the minds of men? 

One could also ask, at what point did a picture or drawing become so desirable as to become something worth bartering or paying for? When was it thought desirable to hang pictures on a wall to decorate the cave, or some other form of shelter, These are arbitrary decisions made as a result of some aesthetic whim. Indeed, who was the first person to draw a picture or create a carving or sculpture, not as a ‘sign’ for information or directions or for religious reasons, but for purely aesthetic satisfaction? Who was the first artist? Or was it just some spontaneous and simultaneous activity originating in the minds of human beings? Was it some form of survival mechanism in action towards more civilised behaviour?  

There are a multitude of things on which we place great value, ideas as well as objects. Over the years we have developed a myriad of value systems applied to thoughts as well as works of art, and the differences of appreciation or acceptance of those values is just as varied. Some of us are enthralled, some repulsed and others completely indifferent to objects which allegedly have value.

There is a short poem by American writer Stephen Crane, author of the Red Badge of Courage. He wrote:  

A man said to the universe, 
Sir, I exist!' 
‘However,' replied the universe, 
'The fact has not created in me 
A sense of obligation.’

I would ask, is there any value in that?

A SMALL CALL TO ARMS

There is much that a lot of people are in agreement about. The ludicrous situation in the United States whose president exhibits the most crash and asinine behaviour of any leader across the globe, and is losing credibility and respect on a daily basis, is on show 24/7. This latest circus promoting the worship of violence, crudity and cruelty on the very lawn of the White House is but the latest proof of his rapacious venality. HIs corruption is seemingly without parallel in American politics. To be sure there have been corrupt politicians in high office throughout history, but none have reached the pinnacle that Mr Trump seems to have reached. More significantly the checks and balances, supposedly written into the constitution, have been expunged. The American people have allowed their democracy to collapse into a cesspit. 

I see many congressional oversight committees, on YouTube, where various secretaries of state are excoriated by some, mainly Democratic Senators and Congressional Representatives,  only to be welcomed and uplifted by Republican counterparts and Chairpersons of the various committees. All of this amounts to no oversight whatsoever. It is all bluff and bluster and the gangsterism and cupidity continues unchecked. In effect the constitution has become toilet paper. 

What Mr Trump has managed to do is create the most volatile political climate the world has known   for some considerable time. The concentration of world leaders towards disarmament is ended and we are now in a world that feels obliged to divert a serious increased amount of its economy towards weapons of mass destruction. Across all European Nations governments are struggling to find the funds. 

In the United Kingdom, as in most countries, the electedp government promised to maintain its social program of health, welfare, pensions, education, internal security as well as national defence, without increasing the tax burden on the individual citizens. Many, in the light of current events, are increasingly promoting the imperative view that spending on national defence is more urgent than has previously been considered.  It is very clear that if our democratic governments are committed to keeping its welfare and social services up to date, than any diversion of public funds towards national defence is not possible. No matter what creative and imaginative accounting may be employed, it will be inadequate and counterproductive. Taxes will have to be raised despite the howling opposition parties. Criticise  as they might about keeping promises  not to increase taxes in manifestos and on the hustings, they know full well their complaints are a sham. The situation facing the world caused by Putin, Trump and Netanyahu leaves no alternative. The only true relief will begin with the removal of this trio of war criminals, and a gradual reintroduction of the disarmament principles they abandoned. 

I know that I am not alone in this view. I see many articles, editorials and opinion pieces in many journals that express similar sentiments. Whether our numbers are sufficient to influence political activity and the course of national objectives is another matter. I hear much the same from those around me, and I see, from my observations of digital media, that there are many in the United States who cannot wait to see the back of Trump and his acolytes. I know the will is there but the practical result seems far off in the distance. 

So, if trimming current departmental budgets and supposedly promoting more efficient accounting is not going to do it, then, it only remains for the present governments to decide what level of taxation to impose on individual citizens. Who will pay, how much can they afford to pay, and how will they pay it? The government should do everything it can to get this across to the general public as forcefully as they can. If the majority of the electorate are told specifically of this imperative and objective common sense is brought to bear, than we can have the necessary arsenal. Hopefully, they can in the future be beaten into plowshares. I give you Isaiah 2:4 -

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."

It would have been nice if that biblical sentiment had been observed at the time it was written.  So much for the word of God, or is that being too cynical?

WHOSE VISION IS IT ANYWAY ?

Why is it about vision that causes such a variety of reactions in humans looking at the very same image or images? It seems clear that visual perspective is very different from mental perspective. The comments that one has heard in respect of the disturbances in Belfast over that last couple of days is an instance in point. To be sure, most people have condemned the violence. Indeed, most people condemn violence in general as a means of expressing displeasure. The explanations and opinions offered as to the cause of violent reactions is equally varied and gives cause for concern.

In the United Kingdom two recent images of unrelated events have occurred which have caused rage amongst a number of individuals who have resorted to violent expressions of displeasure.  The footage relating to the killing of Henry Nowak  by Vickrum Digwa, and the vicious assault by Hadi Alodid on Stephen Ogilvie. Although the event relating to Mr Nowak occurred on 3rd December 2025, the footage of the incident was only released for public view on the 2nd June 2026 following the conviction and sentence of Mr Digwa. The footage of the attack by Mr Alodid on the 8th June 2026 was released on the same night. The violence on the streets of Belfast erupted on the 9th June 2026, almost immediately following the release of the images. As to the release of the Nowak images, violent protest erupted in Southampton the same day. In both cases the families of the victims called for calm and reflection. In a statement, Mr Novak’s father Mark, said he “[did] not want [Henry]'s death to be used to create further division, hatred, or tension" and quoted prosecutor Nicholas Lobbenberg as saying: "This is not a case about racism. This is a case about murder.”

In my view, neither incident was about racism, but most assuredly about violence. As to the reactions to the images, given that most people seeing the footage probably knew very little about the facts relating to the incident, they were most assuredly about racism and immigrants in particular. Even although Mr Digwa is a born British citizen, he is seen as a foreign immigrant. Various pundits keep emphasising that Mr Digwa was British, believing that in some way it did not mean that the violent reactions were to do with racism. Indeed, the leader of the opposition Ms Badenoch has claimed “Britain is the least racist country in the world”.  Absolute nonsense.

The reactions to the images coming so close to one another, produced extreme violence of a similar nature involving protest against ethnic immigrants. If that is not deemed to be racist, than  what is? How can any right minded thinking person not see the reaction as deeply ignorant and bigoted? Not only that, but the violence is mitigated by certain political figures as understandable. Of course they profess to condemn violence, but in this instance I hear certain voices saying “Can you blame them?”   

This reaction is, of course, entirely consistent with the Republican Party’s reaction to the aggravated assault on the Congress of the United States on the 6th January 2021. Denial of truth in spite of the images. 

I would guess that denial is a large factor, or perhaps it more to do with ignorance than denial. Without real knowledge of a situation, it is difficult to form opinion. Then again one should not react to a situation with violence if one is without the relevant facts, and even then one should generally avoid violence. One’s first reaction should be to make every effort to find out before resorting to rage and violence. 

It is all very well to talk of truth, reflection and understanding when there is a very definite group of people whose behaviour is beyond all understanding. It is not easy to recognise this group or to to even spot the individuals who form part of this group. They are not actually a group at all, except they come together when the event presents itself. It’s as if the event itself engenders the coming together of these like minded individuals whose basic reactions are rather simplistic and primitive. They identify or perceive a situation which offends their sense of what they conceive to be wrong. They are the stone throwers who do not hesitate to do so. They would in fact be the ones who would cast the first stone regardless of previous sins. They are more likely encouraged by previous sins. They are however our fellow citizens and, despite anti social behaviour orders, do not hesitate to claim the righteousness of their displeasure. They are also citizens who have a vote. They are the poorly educated so beloved of the populist right wing politicians who are more than able to pull them on side with their jingoistic rhetoric and tacit consent to their unsocial behaviour. Messrs Trump and Farage are instances in point. Although Farage has nothing like the power of Trump, he sees himself as leader in waiting.  He also appears to have similar acolytes including those with very deep pockets to fund his nonsense. 

Unfortunately they are a growing population, the disaffected young men and women who are finding it difficult to find employment in a job they consider worthy of their abilities which they are actually able to do. They may have aspirations and hopes that sometimes exceed their proficiency or qualifications and are thus unable to achieve anything, which, the longer it goes on, leads to more frustration. This state of being makes then vulnerable to anyone offering them a dream. Whoever can make good on that dream by providing them with an activity that goes some way towards that dream, will get their support. A false dream will not work, but it could be good enough to get them onside. That is what the likes of Trump and Farage have on offer and it could be glitzy enough to be working. 

It may not be the equivalent of the Sturmabteilung (popularly known as the Brown Shirts) of 1930’s Germany, but I would not be surprised if something equivalent is going through the minds of the leaders of the conservative right. Is ‘bring back national service’ being contemplated ? Prenez garde?

Combating racism and bigotry with getting the disaffected on side is not easy; however, an attempt must be made. It must be a priority. I do not mean to appear elitist, but unless that group is convinced they have a future that will lift them up, they will continue to riot, cause hate and disruption at the slightest provocation. So called wiser heads may no longer be able to control the situation. I still have hope.   

A WARNING FOR LABOUR

In July and September of 2022 I commented on the then leadership election by the Tory Party. The candidates at the time included Suella Braverman, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss. We all know the unfortunate and catastrophic effect of Truss's accession to the office. For 54 days she attempted to push through some fantasy agenda that she was certain would lift the British Economy to stratospheric heights.

She had an extraordinary rise over ten years, from new MP in May of 2010 to Prime Minister in September 2022. Her premiership did not last long, but then her political affiliations were just as transient. Growing up in, what she describes as, a left wing household, she was a liberal democrat in her University days and in 1996 joined the Conservative Party. She was very pro Europe in those days and indeed was so up until the referendum. At the time she was quoted as saying:

"I don't want my daughters to grow up in a world where they need a visa or permit to work in Europe, or where they are hampered from growing a business because of extortionate call costs and barriers to trade. Every parent wants their children to grow up in a healthy environment with clean water, fresh air and thriving natural wonders. Being part of the EU helps protect these precious resources and spaces.”

Difficult to understand how she moved away from inclusive and cooperative thinking about relationships between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Was it purely political ambition that drove her into the arms of Brexit? Certainly her ambition to lead the Conservative Party was real enough. She read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Merton College Oxford, yet somehow any knowledge she may have gained at University was slowly ebbing away. She had a four year stint working for Royal Dutch Shell qualifying as a chartered management accountant, followed by five years at Cable & Wireless rising to the post of economic director. 

I suppose her working life gave her the impression that she understood numbers and what drives productivity and competitiveness. As it turned out the knew very little about any of it and, convinced of her fantasy, pushed ahead despite the warnings and realities of the situation. When did she give up on protecting the precious resources and spaces she felt the EU was empowered to protect? A minority of conservative party members put her in office and the entire country suffered for it. It fell to Rishi Sunak, who lost out to her with those members, to attempt to repair the damage. It was clearly a lost cause.

The experience of that last chaotic Conservative Party’s attempt to rescue itself should be a lesson to the current tumult in the Labour Party. For some obscure reason it always finds a way to shoot itself in the foot. Having obtained a massive majority in Parliament, it somehow finds excuses for pulling away from cohesion and cooperation toward division and disharmony. The overreaction to a disgruntled populace being preached to by a right wing rabble of discontents and ignorant bigoted political amateurs, is unbelievable. Have the gumption to stand up for the Labour Party and get to work. What we have now is confusion and puzzlement, as if no one knows which was to turn.

The cloud of what happened to the Tory party in 2022 is hovering over the Labour Party. This coming by-election, allegedly proffering a great Aintree hope (rather like betting on the Grand National itself) into returning to Parliament and possibly into number 10,  is yet another fantasy. There is no white horse on the horizon. His pronouncements on taxation, investment, nationalisations, rejoining the EU seem to me to be all over the shop. He has yet to give any idea of how these ambitions will be funded, whilst safeguarding a welfare state so essential to the ordinary citizens, save to indicate that “They will pay for themselves”. He clearly  has been a very fine mayor and is beloved by his constituent, but that does not make him the saviour of the nation. If the Labour Party is to save the nation collectively it had better get to work on working together.

The labour party is a big beast. What was once very clearly a working class political enterprise has very much expanded due to the rise in education, qualifications, employment and economic situation of the children of that 1940’s working class population. They are now the middle classes and those that did not change their points of view towards the conservatives have remained within the party, but from a very different perspective. The spectrum from Blair to Corbyn has already come under fire. It needs to come together or form into separate groups that can find a way to work together.  It cannot continue the way it is currently constituted. Decisions must be taken. You are either together or you go your own way. Floating around in a cloud is no longer possible. There is so much indecision in the air, it is crippling. Rally behind the Prime Minister and help show him a way forward or create another party of the left. Just choosing a new leader of a mishmash group without any centre is not going to work so long as discontent and indecision hover over Westminster. A new leader will not stop the discontent. Get to work putting it together by the next election, or you will all be voted out of office and replaced by yet more discontent and indecision or possibly even worse.  The right wing is indeed just that, waiting in the wings. Do not let that happen. 

A SHORT COMMENT ON HOPE

I was recently listening to a podcast about the late writer Evelyn Waugh. He reportedly said that he needed his catholicism to keep his inner demons from overtaking him and making him the most evil person on the planet. I have always found his catholic faith more than somewhat surprising, given the way he writes about catholic belief and the arguments against it in his novels. In particular Brideshead Revisited and the Sword of Honour trilogy. (I would highly recommend these books to anyone with any interest in the human condition). What is most surprising is the strength and logic of his arguments against this faith and the almost blind acceptance of catholic faith by some of the characters he portrays. 

As examples in Brideshead, the character of Charles Ryder is surprised that his friend Sebastian Flyte accepts the ‘awful lot of nonsense’ associated with Catholic beliefs, such as the story of Christ’s birth. Sebastian replies “Is it nonsense? I wish it were. It sometimes sounds terribly sensible to me.” Later in the novel Sebastian’s sister Julia in explaining why she can no longer be with Charles says “ I’ve always been bad. Probably I shall be bad again, punished again. But the worse I am, the more I need God”. This is most likely how Waugh, a convert to Catholicism, felt himself. 

Whether this adherence to a church is to do with redemption, atonement or salvation, I can only guess. Most of us have a degree of guilt, self deprecation or embarrassment when we do something we would ordinarily find ‘bad’ or reprehensible, and we seek to redress the wrong with positive actions and apologies. We find no need to address the problem to God and seek absolution from a priest. Many, if not most, of us do not accumulate sins that we take with us to a confessional for ritual forgiveness and prescribed punishments. 

Since the beginning of time there has been a cumulation of patterns of behaviour, within different communities, that is considered proper and acceptable. Indeed, most societies across the globe have a similar idea of what is considered to be civilised conduct as between individuals. Initial respect and acceptance are to a large degree what is required, whilst keeping our prejudices, suspicions or hostilities in check. It is generally how things work, with cooperation between individuals. 

This attitude of initial cooperation and civility occurs despite the multiplicity of religious beliefs and without the necessity of appealing to a deity for approval. Despite beliefs, mythologies and aged sagas, there is little evidence of any God’s interference is the actions of human’s on earth. That, as one might say, is entirely ‘man made’. What is going on in today’s world is clear evidence of the woeful lack of Godly intervention. I ponder in which direction does the almighty turn when the majority of the population of Ukraine and Russia adhere to the same Orthodox Christian Church.  The same prophets, rabbis and imams gave us the bible and the koran and appeal to the same God, yet are at each others throats. Again the situation is entirely man made.

So I ponder who are the men who make it so? Following on from a world shattering economies collapse in the 1930’s a rebuilding and reshaping took place across the world and unfortunately led to an even greater catastrophe in a world war of extraordinary evil. It promulgated and spawned despicable prejudices which more civilised citizen’s were forced into armed conflict to end the horror. In so doing weapons of mass destruction were invented and produced with the caveat that implied ‘we must all behave or armageddon will ensue. It was, so we thought yet again, the war to end all wars. We had hope and faith, and from 1945 to 1963 the world, despite a political cold war and serious outbreaks in Korea and Vietnam, a reconstruction was taking place; yet, with the advent of generations x and y, the dividers, bigoted populists and nationalists are re-emerging from the firmament. It’s as if some rogue seeds had been planted and certain flesh eating maggots have sprung up. 

This brings me to the likes of J D Vance, Pete Hegseth, Elon Musk, Marco Rubio, Victor Orban, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nigel Farage, Vladimir Putin, Marine Le Pen, Marion Merechal, Jordan Bardella, Bernd Lucke, Frauke Petry, Tino Chrupalla, Alice Elisabeth Weidel, Santiago Abascal Conde and unfortunately many others. I have only listed but a few. The most prominent at the present time being Vance, Hegseth and Rubio. Their adherence to the sick outpourings of a delusional psychopathic narcissist is nauseating. 

The demonisation of jews, gypsies and homosexuals in 1930’s Germany spewing out of the mouths of the political leaders of the Third Reich and the general condemnation of ‘immigrants’ worldwide by Vance, Hegseth and Musk as ‘saving civilisation’ is exactly the same. Why is this outrageous stupidity and venal cupidity allowed to continue? Their latest pronouncements on a British tragedy and situation, that has given the nation pause, is so far out of place that it should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. To make these vile pronouncements on the very anniversary of the day the civilised world stormed the beaches of Normandy to rid the world of the very type of individual they themselves personify is, frankly, taking the piss with extreme prejudice. If ever there was an insult to civilised behaviour this is it. 

So where are we and where is God in all of this? Unfortunately it is all man made. I hope there’s still hope. There are moments in history when I feel there is justification in having faith in humanity. Human beings have often come up with surprising civilised solutions, if only after great upheavals. Perhaps we are just going through one of those. I have hope. 

WHAT LESSON LEARNED ? A short reminder

Today was showcase the conservative viewpoint on the Today program on Radio 4 with back to back interviews of ex-prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Tony Blair. Mr Blair has written an open opinion piece about what he perceives is necessary actions for the current Government  to adopt. His viewpoint is now, in effect, a return to Margaret Thatcher’s reliance on the market place to bring about “growth”, which they all keep harping on about. This market place he speaks of is the world of A.I. - Embrace and adopt or die. This technological revolution is in the same category as the industrial revolution. Britain was great then and if it has any ambition to be in the premiership of nations, then it must fully embrace this technology. 

I notice that Mr Blair keeps using his usual strategic condescending tone. He begins a statement, does a little hesitation and then says “look, the thing is…” He keeps saying “look…” as if it denotes sincerity,  honesty and truth. In my view to does none of those things. During Mr Sunak’s interview, Rishi, on being questioned about Mr Blair’s ‘essay’, stated that he supported much of what was said. Mr Blair was most gratified that Mr Sunak agreed with him, with a tone of ‘how could he not’. This view was also expressed when it was suggested that Ms Badenoch agreed with him.  What it boiled down to was that the welfare state, in order to support paying pensions, disabilities, the NHS and defence, could only do so by laying off some of those commitments on to the private sector. So by creating or allowing 'for-profit' organisations to run aspects of public welfare, the state would benefit financially and become part of the power elite of nations. So, while claiming support for human welfare they would fully embrace private enterprise.

What they seem to suggest is that private enterprise must be allowed to flourish, and they could only do that if they were not taxed and allowed to pay people without imposing any additional employers contribution to employees national insurance. In fact it might be better to stop national insurance all together and pass on the whole question of personal insurance for health and welfare to private insurance companies who could then run the whole system; for a healthy profit of course. Hospitals, medical practices and welfare care and homes could then be run as separate private companies receiving their funds from private billing and insurance claims. Whatever state tax burden there was, would be covered from a multiple of private companies. The tax would be less for each individual company but would collectively supply more in total. 

The only problem with that is, private enterprise does not and would not benefit the majority. The wealthy and rich would find no problem in paying for services and insurances (as they do now) but those who live from pay check to pay check and are on  disability benefits or income support, would be locked out. The cost of insurance premiums is unaffordable for those people even now, let alone if the whole system were privatised. One need only look at the United States, which, with all it’s wealth, has very high insurance premiums under its pitiful national health care provisions. 

The only thing of sense that came out of the interviews is that leadership in government must declare a policy. Some direction as to what kind of society we wish to live in. The prime factor is an appreciation for the rule of law. Do we want basic freedoms of speech, thought and religion? Fair employment practices? Health and Safety? Habitable affordable homes? What is the best and most efficient way for the state to provide these basic services for its citizens? Is it really through private enterprise or should the collective state be responsible? 

In addition, what and how is the best and most efficient way to negotiate between nations and the global economy? Can a diplomatic service be handed over to private enterprise? Should there be a United Kingdom Foreign Office Plc. 

Just how far does one go to indulge private enterprise?  I know a number of people think that the country already is or should be UK plc. It is a slogan that has long hovered over Britain; but, that is not the case. The sole purpose of a Nation is to tend to and look after its citizens. To allow them to be safe, healthy, educated and to pursue whatever endeavour they choose to fulfil their lives. 

The attitudes and so called policy decisions preferred by the rich, Sunak, Blair, Badenoch and probably Farage are exemplified in 1843 with the Publication of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Sadly, it is just the kind of political position they have without even realising it. 

“…the clerk, in letting Scrooge’s nephew out, had let two other people in. They were portly gentlemen, pleasant to behold, and now stood, with their hats off, in Scrooge’s office. They had books and papers in their hands, and bowed to him.
“Scrooge and Marley’s, I believe,” said one of the gentlemen, referring to his list. “Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge, or Mr. Marley?”
“Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years,” Scrooge replied. “He died seven years ago, this very night.”
“We have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner,” said the gentleman, presenting his credentials.
It certainly was; for they had been two kindred spirits. At the ominous word “liberality,” Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and handed the credentials back.
“At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge,” said the gentleman, taking up a pen, “it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.”
“Are there no prisons?” asked Scrooge.
“Plenty of prisons,” said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
“And the Union workhouses?” demanded Scrooge. “Are they still in operation?”
“They are. Still,” returned the gentleman, “I wish I could say they were not.”
“The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?” said Scrooge.
“Both very busy, sir.”
“Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,” said Scrooge. “I’m very glad to hear it.”
“Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,” returned the gentleman, “a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?”
“Nothing!” Scrooge replied.
“You wish to be anonymous?”
“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned—they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there.”
“Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.”
“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides—excuse me—I don’t know that.”
“But you might know it,” observed the gentleman.
“It’s not my business,” Scrooge returned. “It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!” 

GREAT EXPECTATIONS IN BRITAIN

Shambles. This seems to be the operative word to describe the current state of world affairs. A scene or condition of complete disorder or ruin; maybe even, a place or scene of bloodshed or carnage. I heard, on the radio,  a comment made in relation to Italian politics, that the Italian people were ungovernable, or rather that the Italian people carried on with their lives as if the country had no government at all. This attitude towards government would indeed make a populace ungovernable. It was suggested by the commentator, who followed up the remark, that the United Kingdom’s citizens were becoming like the Italians.

In my view, it is not so much that the people are ungovernable, but that, despite the elected government, the population could carry on as if the government had no real affect on their lives, hence they carried on regardless.  The shit show that appears to be the political landscape is one that can be argued about and discussed  at great length (in some news programs ad-nauseam), and yet allows people to carry on with their daily activities, occupations and other endeavours; but, because it is a shambles, people are less inclined to be dragged into political discussion, listen to or watch current affairs programs. It is just too irritating and depressing. It appears to suggest that what happens in Parliament, stays in Parliament, which is the problem. What happens there, seeps out and does affect the lives of others to a greater of lesser extent depending on where one sits on the eco-socio spectrum

It comes down to expectations. We elected a party whose representatives produce a manifesto, or list of legislative measure, which is meant to improve the state of the nation, and the individual lot of each and every one of its citizens. This instills in the electorate an expectation of what a government can actually do. We expect violence and dishonesty to be curtailed because political parties claim they have a program through which crime, in general, will be tackled and reduced if not eradicated. They also claim they have a grip on the economic life of the nation. Employment will be universal, wages will continuously rise, inflation will be reduced and there will be perpetual  growth. The ideal economy will include not only a free market but a thriving welfare state. Some claim that while the state may not be able to provide 100% of health and welfare, the private sector will be able to take up the slack. The levels of taxation therefore are flexible depending on which side of the political spectrum is in control. Some institutions are of course wired in as being essential to the state, the NHS, the Armed Services, Police and Security, the Legal System being the most prominent. 

These institutions  are therefore expected to run with 100% efficiency, but as we all know, they do not. Various governments claim they have the solutions to improve these services and make them more effective and efficient. They boast of budgets and funds assigned to these public sectors in the belief that the amount of funding will no doubt be channelled to improve the service. For some obscure reason, the efficacy of services is equated with the amount of money allocated to provide the service. Again, the reality is that money is not the issue. The issue is the people to whom the money is given to provide the service. It’s to do with skills, integrity, levels of ambition and a real idea of what is expected and what can be made possible.  The idea is for expectation and possibility to go hand in hand, and reality is an ever changing landscape. It is the conduct of humans across the globe that affects every nation’s well being. Economies and welfare are variously dependent on the actions and consequences of this global activity. Violent upheavals, both natural and man made shape what happens on a daily basis. 

The cost of repairing natural disasters, of prosecuting conflicts and repairing the aftermath, is substantial. The sheer scale of funding required can have nothing but a negative effect.  The waste and deployment of men and arms, followed by reconstruction is an insanity, and the complete opposite of efficiency. It should have no place anywhere. It is a scenario entirely man made and funded. The people who are paid and control the budgets of these destructive institutions are clearly not worth the salaries they receive. It would appear that they are not only incapable, but are fraudsters of the worst kind. Claiming to be suing for peace and security through aggressive self defence is a sham. The collateral damage engendered by these charlatans is to cause world wide ruination and should receive universal condemnation; yet somehow, that does not appear to be expected. 

Whilst there are public demonstrations against wars and injustices in countries that permit these processions to take place, there is still the expectation that individual governments are able to cope with and deal with the trials and tribulations caused by actions taking place abroad.  There is somehow the belief that these foreign entanglements really have little or no local effect whatever, and that it is a poor excuse of blame outside events for local failures.  In my view this is shortsighted. There are no longer any outside events. If ever this was demonstrated, the closing of a 75km (45 miles) stretch of water has made that abundantly clear.  Equally clear is that the perpetrators of this insanity should be prosecuted under international law, yet that is unlikely to happen.

Instead, the difficulties of many national leaders are exacerbated by public expectations. Why is their leader not taking charge of the world? Why is our nation in such turmoil? Why is our party not unified but  thrown into disarray? How is it that our leaders fail to live up to expectations?  Oppositions thrive and heckle with no real solutions either. There are no ‘knights of the round table’ ready to change in is actually capable of delivering relief, with slogans and quick instantaneous fixes. It is not going to happen. A temporary blip of political fanfare is not solving the problem. Unity and realistic expectations however, might see a way clear. A collective cross party unity would be preferred, but humanity has somehow avoided that possibility owing to prejudice, bigotry and small minded nationalism which is actually the least patriotic position to be adopted. I do not expect a coalition of minds, but then what else does one have a right to to expect, and just because a local mayor has been able to make the busses run on time is not a sure fire certainty that he can make a Nation more efficient. The Nation expects.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING TODAY ?

About a year ago, perhaps longer, I attended Kings College Hospital A & E Stroke Unit, for a suspected stoke. I was having a problem with the right side of my body (trembling right arm and complete numbness in the right leg, causing me to drop things and fall over) I have since had the matter dealt with at St Thomas’s and Guys Hospitals by the insertion of a stent which is allowing greater blood flow to the brain and providing the necessary oxygen to vastly improve the situation. I am, more or less, back to what one could call normal. It’s just age and getting older. 

Recently I received a phone call from a young person at the King’s Stroke Register asking me to complete a follow up form to gauge just how things have progressed. I confess, I cannot remember the actual date I attended the Unit. At the time I did I not think what I was going through was a particularly severe condition which would classify as a stroke. I was still reasonable articulate, my ability to count backwards was good,  I could calculate numbers by subtracting 7, I knew who the Prime Minister was , I knew where I was and I was aware of the date.  In any event, it was deemed a stroke of some kind, so I was sent the questionnaire. I am not aware whether the person who rang had full knowledge of the treatment that I have received since that visit so I wasn’t sure what sort of survey the might be, but I suggested she email me the forms and I would send them back a.s.a.p. I have done this but I have yet to receive any acknowledgment that the forms have been received.

I did find the questions a rather mixed bag of straight factual enquiries (date of birth, where you live, follow up repetition of incidents or new conditions, follow up medical appointments, do you have careers, get meals on wheels etc..) and qualitative valuations of ones general feelings about life. (I have just received an acknowledgement - tee hee)  The answers to these ‘feeling’ questions where tick boxes with:
Not at all -A little bit -Moderately- Quite a bit - Extremely
And yet others with:
All of the time - A good bit of the time - A little of the time -Most of the time- Some of the time- None of the time.

So when asked “How much time during the last month have you felt calm and peaceful?”  and “During the last month,  have you felt downhearted and low?” I believe the entire population of the UK might have a similar answer.

There is also a heading: 

This questionnaire is designed to help us know how you feel. Please give the reply which comes closest to how you have been feeling in the past week. Don't take too long over your replies: your immediate reaction to each item will probably be more accurate than a long thought out response.

To which one responds:
Most of the time - A lot of the time - Occasionally - Not at all - Nearly all the time - Definitely as much - Very definitely and quite badly - A little , but it does’t worry me - Not Often - Sometimes- As much as I always could - Not quite so much now - Time to Time
( These are all tick boxes)

The general questions relating to these replies are, inter alia:
I feel tense or ‘Wound up’.
I get a sort of frightened feeling like butterflies.
I get sort of frightened as if something awful is about to happen.
I feel restless as if I have to be on the move.
Worrying thoughts go through my mind.
I get sudden feelings of panic
I feel cheerful
I can laugh and see the funny side of things.

For my answer to that last question I ticked  - As much as I always could. Indeed, none of the above conditions, in my view, applies specifically to strokes, unless one thinks that just being alive is a form of stroke in itself. I do not think there is a person anywhere in today’s current climate who does not at some point feel wound up, butterflies or that something awful is about happen. Just watching or listening to the news is enough to elicit any of those feelings. I would add that in the current state of affairs,  one’s immediate reaction is  probably just as accurate as a long thought out response. 

It also occurs to me that perhaps it would be interesting to conduct my own survey. I wonder how Messrs Starmer,  Macron, Trump,  Putin,  any Labour MP or Republican Congressman might answer the questions? So herewith below is the relevant section of the forms. Perhaps you could let me know your feelings on the matter? I would love to know how cheerful you are 😁🤣 Replies to edwardklein@btinternet.com.

 

FROM A CONCERNED CITIZEN

I have sent this email to Mr Starmer at No:10 -  

 

As our government is meant to be run by Cabinet Responsibility you should seriously think about changing the cabinet. You have appointed people to run the various ministries. If the public is so dissatisfied with the way things are going, clearly the ministers are at fault and failing in their jobs. I would suggest you take hold and sack all who have failed and appoint more able people in their place. It is for you to decide. Take hold, sack the lot of them and make the changes you want. If not call for a general election. See what support that gets from your party.

HISTORY GONE ASTRAY - WHAT HAVE WE BECOME?

The United Kingdom is a very peculiar country. Although a monarchy, it has given rise to a constitution which in turn gave birth to the rule of law and advocated for individual freedoms and the rights of man. This is not an insignificant achievement for any Government. So far as the rights of man are concerned, it has taken time over the centuries to codify and secure many of those rights with significant legislation. Some of it remains through the common law, but most is validated through statute. As a result, one would think that this progression towards a civilised and free democratic society under the watchful eye of a monarch, would, on the whole, represent a liberal, outgoing and enlightened population; yet, it is apparent to me, that that is clearly not the case.

Since the dominance  of Robert Walpole, generally regarded as the first Prime Minister, in 1721, who is classified as a Whig, there have been 20 Conservative Prime Ministers, 16 Whigs, 10 Tories, 6 Labour, 6 Liberal, 2 Scottish Unionists, 1 National Labour, 1 National Liberal and 1 Peelite.  So far as the Whigs are concerned, they were a mixed bag of centrist liberals and more right leaning  Liberal Unionists, which as Lady Bracknell says in Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest in questioning Jack:

Lady Bracknell: ….What are your politics?
Jack: Well, I m afraid I really have none. I am a Liberal Unionist.
Lady Bracknell: Oh, they count as Tories. They dine with us. Or come in the evening, at any rate. 

Walpole was in office for over 20 years and the Whig party for over 62 years. For the next 64 years, the Government was led mainly by Tories with the odd Whig period. In 1834 the Conservative Party was founded out of the Tory Party, and a conservative government continued to rule for another 21 years. 

In 1859 the Liberal Party was founded apparently as an alliance of Whigs, free trade-supporting Peelites and reformist Radicals. These factions all merged to become the Liberal Party. On the political spectrum they were a centre party and for the next 63 years they traded government with the Conservative party, their last Prime Minister in office being David Lloyd George. From 1922 to 1935 things were in flux. There was brief blip of the very first labour government under Ramsay MacDonald from 24 January 1924 to the 4th November 1924 when the Conservatives under Stanley Baldwin were in Government for the next 4 plus years years,  From 1929, during the world depression  there was a succession  of National Governments, first under Labour   for 6 years then from 1935 under Baldwin and Chamberlain until 1940 when Winston Churchill took the Office in May 1940 through to July 1945 when the second Labour Government under Clement Attlee took office.    Churchill returned in 1951 and the Conservatives ruled for  13 years until Harold Wilson took office for Labour in 1964. Since then the Labour Party and the Conservative Party have traded governments. For the next 60 years the Labour Government has ruled for 22 of those years and the conservatives for 38. The longest conservative spell was for effectively 14 years between 2010 and 2024, during which time the country has become the most divided it has ever been.

Historically it would appear that the United Kingdom electors have chosen a centre to centre right leaning Government.  For some obscure reason, in the last 10 years that electorate has moved further to the right rather than maintain that position of liberal unionism they clung to for so long in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. What is more extraordinary, is that as the 20th century evolved and with two massive world conflicts being dealt with, the country, still clinging to its hierarchical class ridden society, began to grow closer together. Indeed the upheaval of wars brought about collective national governments comprising all parties. With the cataclysm of the second world war it was the Labour Party that set to work to bring about a more cohesive and pluralist society with the Nationalisation of Coal and Health in 1946, the nationalisation of gas and electricity in 1947 and 1948 respectively. Oddly, the nationalisation of water did not occur until 1973 during a conservative administration under Edward Heath. All of this was thrown away by the Thatcher government during her 11 years in office followed by 6 years of John Major. An 18 year stint of Conservative government that began by championing the idea of free flow capitalism and privatisation to the maximum.

Privatisation created a number of very rich people as well as a growing number of poor people. We are lucky that the National Health Service survived at all. Its has been underfunded and allowed to fester despite the miracle that it has managed to keep the majority of our citizens alive and in reasonable health. It has its flaws but it would be an outrage were it to go the way of water, gas, electricity, rail and transport services, which provides only dividends for its stockholders and little else in the way of contributions to the taxpayer or the state. The failures of privatisation are painfully apparent. It has contributed to the depletions in council and affordable  housing. The great mantra of owning your own home as not only been debunked, but it has caused even more difficulties in even being able to rent one. The costs of rail and the pollutions cause by horrific mismanagement of water services are also instances in point. 

The legacy of the state pulling back, doing less, but seeking to control more is what we are left with. Hence the divisions. The nationalist and populist rhetoric has nothing to do with welfare, but everything to do with separation and isolation rather than co-operation and inclusion. It is becoming a grasping and judgemental populace with entrenched positions and prejudicial bigoted views. 

Consider the billionaire who provides five million pounds to a dissembler and separatist just so he can have the freedom to scam and claim a parliamentary salary from the United Kingdom as well as a pension from a European Parliament he was once a member of, despite doing everything he could to dismantle it by spouting incredible lies and division. The hypocrisy is glaring and his venality is appalling; yet he leads a party that voters have given over their local authorities security to, which will also allow it to pillage local funds and create yet more hopeless divisions. The insanity, short sightedness and ignorance of this is extremely depressing. The one party that has a proven history of peoples welfare at heart is ignored because for some reason Keir Starmer isn’t likeable. 

Just to remind you, 46 Conservative, Whigs and Tories and only 6 Labour Prime Minsters have been in Government. Without those 6 you would have no pension, no health, no housing, no care at all were it not for the efforts of those politicians and supporters of the labour party. What is not to like about what they have already accomplished? One man gets your back up and all you can articulate is “I don’t like him”. What is wrong with you? You would prefer to sell out to an idiot who shows off his socks to demonstrate patriotism, smokes and downs a pint? Is that your hero? The scammer who accepts 5 million pounds for not doing anything? “It’s because he likes me and wants to keep me safe. I don’t have to do anything for it”.  Do You believe that?

I never quite thought the British voter was as ignorant as some of the populist American Trumpers one occasionally sees interviewed on TV; however, I stand, or rather, sit corrected. Celia tells me that most people have no idea or are completely ignorant of their own history and the achievements in social welfare that have occurred to make our lives better. If that is the case, what is being taught and what information is being made available. Is none of this available through AI? I suppose the danger of AI is thinking “Isn’t AI great, I don’t even have to learn anything, it will do it all for me”. So what program is voting for you? I guess, your right, you don’t need to know anything. What could I be thinking. Sorry to bother you. 

If you have a problem with my view, do let me know. 

PONDERING THE ROAD

With everything going on in the world today I am drawn to reminiscences. Note the words drawn and scenes included in the sentence. It indicates painting pictures in the mind  or rather pulling images out of one’s hippocampi. The present preoccupation with memories is slightly overwhelming. It is spurred on by looking at photographs my mother gave me over the years - a few at a time, which she had extracted from various family albums and which she thought might amuse. They did just that. 

I cannot recall many of the pictures actually being taken, but I know they were, as I was there. I can recall the journeys, but only certain instances have become deeply embedded in my brain. I cannot say why that is, but clearly there was something about the particular event that stayed with me. Also, in looking more closely at the time line (I assume my mother’s notes are correct) what I remember as being ‘forever’ was but a short space of time. A journey of two and a bit years seemed a lifetime back then. I am amazed at what was packed into those years. To have travelled such distances in so short of time seems unbelievable, and to what end? The number of churches, museums, galleries and historical sites we visited is prodigious. I was probably dragged through quite a few of them, although I did spend quite a lot of time in the Louvre in one way or another. Getting into the building was nothing like it is today as there was nothing like the numbers in 1949 to 1951. Indeed on our return to France in 1953 nothing much had changed in terms of numbers.  On reflection, it seems to me, it was as if my parent hardly stood still. We appear to have been constantly on the move at every opportunity. The travelling continued in very similar fashion from 1952 to 1956 and as many miles were covered  with slightly different destinations all across the European continent. 

My mother claimed that our frequent travels were to do with our education. On reflection, it appears to me that our education was secondary to the travelling. Whenever my parents thought we should be in school, they rented a house and we were enrolled in whatever state school was within the vicinity. Every school break - spring, summer, easter, Christmas, whatever- the trunks were put on the roof rack and off we’d go. Our parents, however, were very keen on education and always encouraged, indeed, pushed us to attend school. Learning was important. Having an education, a degree and a profession was, for them, essential to be able to get on in life.  Yet, my father had no formal degree of any kind and was entirely self educated. My mother did finish High School, but had no higher education. She too was mainly self educated. What they felt they had missed out on, they were determined that we would not. We would not go through the hardships they went through. The key to an easy life was a well paid profession and that required a college diploma. That lesson was always paramount. 

Indeed, on our stop over in New York, in 1956, I was with my father visiting the jewellers building around 47th Street. He was looking up old friends and amongst the numerous work benches was a bald  headed man leaning over his bench trying to set a gemstone, wearing what appeared to be a multiple number of magnifying glasses. His name was Lustig. They greeted each other with laughs and hugs and chatted in Hungarian and Lustig’s heavily accented English. During the course of the conversation the matter of my education came up.  Lustig insisted that I must get a college degree. He remembered that during the depression even if you wanted to get a job as a dishwasher, if you had a college degree you were more likely to be hired over anyone who did not. He also told me that my dad was a very well liked man in their youth. “Your father could go out on a date with just a nickel in his pocket, and sometimes he’d come back with a dime”.

Along the journey my brothers and I went to a lot of different schools. So why did we never stay put? Was it to expose us to a wider education? Was it to open our eyes to differences or similarities? Was it to show us the roots of civilisations in ancient stones and monuments? 

As to higher education, I enrolled at UCLA in September of 1959; however, my university career soon came to an end, sans degree of any kind. Looking back, the longest continuous period I have spent in any particular educational establishment was at age 65 when I enrolled at Dartington College of Art in 2006, finally obtaining a BA in 2009 and an MA in 2012 from Falmouth University.  My parents did not live long enough to know this. That I stayed the course I can only put down to the miles of travel in my youth, treating this late scholastic effort as a road I had avoided. Was it a road less travelled by or rather full of wanderers? I don't know that it has made life any easier, and it wasn't so bad before.

What did happen during this late journey into education? I don’t think I have any greater knowledge or insight. I have more questions than answers. It is perhaps a more contemplative attitude to life; although, I have more critical opinions, with fewer possibilities to get them heard. Whether the rant in my blog is sufficient to relieve the frustration of an inability to communicate is a question in point. In any event, the accumulation of events over 84 years stored in the brain, both conscious and unconscious, or in whatever state of mind considered as ‘active’, is quite a lot of memory to sift through.  In the course of my academic education I came across an item by Dr Netta Cohen entitled Understanding Spatiality in the Brain. She deals with mapping the brain, its complexity, features and manifestations. She looks at intracellular morphology, the network topology and connectivity of these structures and where space fits in. It is this survey of the brain’s systems which becomes a model for examining and mapping other systems, other spaces. Dr. Cohen describes the brain as ‘a spatially embedded complex adaptive system’.

“One of the key things is that there are many interactive components, interacting in a non trivial way, as physicists would say interacting with degrees of freedom. There are microscopic degrees of freedom and macroscopic     degrees of freedom that are interacting. Each of those (components) are acting and interacting on a wide range of scales, this includes both temporal scales; you’ve got very very quick proteins acting on nanoseconds, all the     way to the range of microseconds and sometimes milliseconds and you’ve got lifetime learning. A very broad range of time scales and a very broad range of spatial scales, things acting intracellularly, at the molecular level and the G-network level which are very localised and you’ve got things happening at whole brain level and that’s excluding your interaction with the environment which is whole organism level... A single protein can change the macroscopic state of the system; a single macroscopic perturbation can cause some gene expression which then causes some cascade which completely changes your system”                                                                                             
So I’ve got a lifetime of learning happening at whole brain level and probably including whole organism level. I wonder what perturbation will trigger the cascade which will completely change my system? I’m sure there are some traumatic as well as therapeutic memories somewhere in the spatial scales of my brain. Time will tell.                                                                                                                                           
In the meantime I ponder just the first 14 years of my life trying to assemble the surfeit of country roads, autobahns, highways, hotels, motels, restaurants, amusement parks, railways, lakes, mountains, museums, galleries, sites, catacombs, seas, undergrounds, cable cars, rivers, trolleys, operas, cinemas, concerts, coronations, ships etc. into some sort of what? Order? Understanding? Meaning? Gift? I know not what, there is just so much of it. More of this anon.