We have four years to prepare for the elections, as do the political parties, yet we do nothing until the last moment, we should be out there talking to our representatives, we should be pressing them on the issues that bother us. But no, we will wait and then get stuck with the same old boring/safe faces, we need new blood in politics, we need to get some MP's who are not scared to stand up and tell it like it is. Most are just covering there arses to get another 4 years in a secure and well paid job. The system is failing, yet we allow the current crop of politicians to keep patching the system with promises that it will get better, maybe we do not want our boats rocked, maybe we dont want any disturbance in our cosy little lives, yet we want them to fix everything, well let me tell you, when someone does get out there and attempt to 'fix' what ails our society, its going to hurt most of us.
This is what scares most people, they have got into a life style that is comfortable and relatively luxurious compared to most people around the world, they don’t want that to change, this life where people do not have to do much thinking for themselves, where they can get virtually anything they want, and I do mean anything, just by quoting a credit card number.
We have been led into a life where we are just to frightened to make any major changes, where our comfort zone is now so big that, any change, would bring our world crashing down around our ears.
50 years ago a car was a luxury item, as was a television and, believe it or not, even a fridge! (We got our first fridge in 1966, up until then everything we had was fresh everyday) The things we take for granted these days were not always freely available, we forget very easily that these things are transient, the government is quite happy to have you throwing stuff away and buying the latest gadgets, it keeps the economy going, but for how much longer?
How long can we sustain this insatiable appetite that is generated by advertising and the consumer society? How long before we wake up and say “I don’t care if Joe Bloggs has a car that is 2/10ths of a second faster than mine!” (Unless you are a drag racer)?
The whole of western society is driven by this consumerism, a consumerism that is created by market forces and designed to make money for the people at the top of the tree.
They don’t care about you, they just want you to buy, and buy, and buy, as long as we ‘think’ we need the latest gadgets then they will provide, how many of you actually use all that computing power at your fingertips? We sometimes forget that these gadgets are tools and not toys.
We need people in power than will look further than 4 years ahead, we need a long term plan to get us out of this downward spiral, I somehow doubt we will get it, so be prepared to be taxed even more heavily in the coming years.
Jake
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Think before you vote!!!
I hear a lot of people getting very angry about the scandal of the MP's expense's, I hear a lot of rhetoric and very little substance though. Calls for parliament to be dissolved, sack them all and get new people in. Knee jerk reactions when you are angry are not the way to go, what if we did dissolve parliament? Where would we go from there?
One of two things will happen, either people will vote in the same people again, because they dont know who else to vote for, or, and this is the worrying bit, they vote in someone else just because they want someone different and its the local loonies or BNP candidate. This is a dangerous time, the BNP has a voice now with its party political broadcasts, the fact they they spout nonsense does not matter, they will pick up votes from the disaffected, the unhappy, the downright pissed off.
So if we call for a general election and it happens, who do you vote for? Gordon Brown is now so unpopular, I suspect that the votes for labour will just disappear, the Tories are in the same boat, the expense's scandal has tainted everyone in the house of commons and now the house of Lords.
People wil start looking for someone they can trust, and that's the problem, the taint has now spread so far that people see anyone running for office as a free loading scumbag. Trust has been lost, we used to trust our MP's to do what is right, to see the back-pedaling as they all claim "But we played by the rules..." is disgusting, they set the rules (or people under their control) and to have most of them flout them is not only morally wrong, its breaking the trust that people have in their MP's.
What can we do? I don't know to be honest, we cant let in a load of inexperienced newbies to take over, although there are 'advisor's' who run the country, don't forget that anyone you vote in will have a lot of power. Especially if they align themselves with others. If a load of new guys get in, then they could be advised and handled by the civil service (nothing new there) but, if they get together, they could be a destructive force that might be hard to control.
So before calling for the dissolution of parliament, think carefully about where we go from here, the cure could be worse than the disease.
One of two things will happen, either people will vote in the same people again, because they dont know who else to vote for, or, and this is the worrying bit, they vote in someone else just because they want someone different and its the local loonies or BNP candidate. This is a dangerous time, the BNP has a voice now with its party political broadcasts, the fact they they spout nonsense does not matter, they will pick up votes from the disaffected, the unhappy, the downright pissed off.
So if we call for a general election and it happens, who do you vote for? Gordon Brown is now so unpopular, I suspect that the votes for labour will just disappear, the Tories are in the same boat, the expense's scandal has tainted everyone in the house of commons and now the house of Lords.
People wil start looking for someone they can trust, and that's the problem, the taint has now spread so far that people see anyone running for office as a free loading scumbag. Trust has been lost, we used to trust our MP's to do what is right, to see the back-pedaling as they all claim "But we played by the rules..." is disgusting, they set the rules (or people under their control) and to have most of them flout them is not only morally wrong, its breaking the trust that people have in their MP's.
What can we do? I don't know to be honest, we cant let in a load of inexperienced newbies to take over, although there are 'advisor's' who run the country, don't forget that anyone you vote in will have a lot of power. Especially if they align themselves with others. If a load of new guys get in, then they could be advised and handled by the civil service (nothing new there) but, if they get together, they could be a destructive force that might be hard to control.
So before calling for the dissolution of parliament, think carefully about where we go from here, the cure could be worse than the disease.
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Dont leave it until its too late
Looking through the Youtube videos of yesterdays protest (1st April 2009) and reading the comments thereon I noticed that a lot of comments were from foreigners, mostly urging people to 'smash' the police, destroy the government etc... yawn.
Lots of rhetoric and little substance, most have no idea what they are talking about when they say smash the system, lets take a scenario, enough people gather together and smash the banks up, force the government out and take over, what then?
Have they thought this through at all? Complete chaos would reign if they actually managed to bring down the system, but that is not what they really want is it, what they really want is not clear at all. Oh I'm sure some of them have the good of the people at heart, but most are in it to just have a go at any one who represents authority, talking to the real protesters, they are there because they are frustrated that no one is listening to them, they feel ignored and that government is now so remote from them that this is the only way for them to be heard.
Then the rioters kick off and it is all for nothing, if you could guarantee a peaceful protest against the government, I am willing to bet you would get many thousands more turn up, people are scared to go on protests because they are fearful of the violence that inevitably happens, there are lots of unhappy people around that feel the government just ignores their voices.
There is a solution, I keep going on about it but it is a viable one, get out there and vote!
If all the people that were unhappy with the status quo, got together, supported and put forward a candidate that they felt would be better at the job than the current incumbents, I'm sure they could make a big difference, we need to get people into power that are accountable to the people, not that just think "Nice cushy job, lets see what I can get out of it".
That is how I feel most politicians now see the world of politics, just another job and it is not just another job, it should be a vocation, you should be there following the wishes of the people, instead of lining your own pockets. The people only see the failure of this government to help them, they do not see any party as better than the others, they are all now seen as having virtually the same policies anyway.
We need change, we need to look harder at the people we elect to govern us, as more and more people grow unhappy at the way we are governed, the more we need to look at making a change for the better, each successive government is just patching over the mistakes of the other, if we do not force a change whereby we stop the patching and actually fix what is wrong, eventually the whole system will collapse and take us with it.
All the protesters will achieve is to alienate themselves from the people they are supposed to be 'fighting' for. Lets get out there now, not a few weeks before the elections, but now, get moving and motivated now! As usual I suspect the British public will not get out there and do anything until its too late and then complain even harder, its your country, its supposed to be your government, take it back while you have the chance. Dont leave it until its too late.
Jake
Lots of rhetoric and little substance, most have no idea what they are talking about when they say smash the system, lets take a scenario, enough people gather together and smash the banks up, force the government out and take over, what then?
Have they thought this through at all? Complete chaos would reign if they actually managed to bring down the system, but that is not what they really want is it, what they really want is not clear at all. Oh I'm sure some of them have the good of the people at heart, but most are in it to just have a go at any one who represents authority, talking to the real protesters, they are there because they are frustrated that no one is listening to them, they feel ignored and that government is now so remote from them that this is the only way for them to be heard.
Then the rioters kick off and it is all for nothing, if you could guarantee a peaceful protest against the government, I am willing to bet you would get many thousands more turn up, people are scared to go on protests because they are fearful of the violence that inevitably happens, there are lots of unhappy people around that feel the government just ignores their voices.
There is a solution, I keep going on about it but it is a viable one, get out there and vote!
If all the people that were unhappy with the status quo, got together, supported and put forward a candidate that they felt would be better at the job than the current incumbents, I'm sure they could make a big difference, we need to get people into power that are accountable to the people, not that just think "Nice cushy job, lets see what I can get out of it".
That is how I feel most politicians now see the world of politics, just another job and it is not just another job, it should be a vocation, you should be there following the wishes of the people, instead of lining your own pockets. The people only see the failure of this government to help them, they do not see any party as better than the others, they are all now seen as having virtually the same policies anyway.
We need change, we need to look harder at the people we elect to govern us, as more and more people grow unhappy at the way we are governed, the more we need to look at making a change for the better, each successive government is just patching over the mistakes of the other, if we do not force a change whereby we stop the patching and actually fix what is wrong, eventually the whole system will collapse and take us with it.
All the protesters will achieve is to alienate themselves from the people they are supposed to be 'fighting' for. Lets get out there now, not a few weeks before the elections, but now, get moving and motivated now! As usual I suspect the British public will not get out there and do anything until its too late and then complain even harder, its your country, its supposed to be your government, take it back while you have the chance. Dont leave it until its too late.
Jake
Friday, 27 March 2009
What has happened to rebellion in this country?
Is it me or do young people have no gumption nowadays? Up until the late eighties we used to rise up and fight back everytime the government tried to step on us, witness the poll tax riots, I know they got hijacked, but lots of ordinary people tried to make their voices heard from the young to the old. It used to be the young that stood up to be counted, but where are they now? All the time I hear young people whinging about this, that and the other… well not so much the other! Mainly it's to do with the fact they are bored!!!
I listened to a group of early 20's punk‑looking blokes couple of years back, in a bar talking about Tony Blair, slagging him off, going on about the war and how no one does anything for the youngsters, after listening to this for about 20mins I asked them what they were going to do about it, the blank stares told me a lot, they didn't understand why 'they' had to do something, they thought sitting on their arses complaining would do it for them. One of them had a t‑shirt with the anarchy symbol on it and I asked him what it meant, he replied 'no rules' so I asked him what would he would do if I hit him, he looked worried and his mate said he would call the police, I laughed and walked off.All youngsters today seem to do is get a) drunk b) stoned c) pregnant d) lazy, I did my time as an 'activist' and don't see why I should have to go back to it to help these lazy arseholes, but I do worry that no one is really questioning what government is doing any more, take the smoking ban, I agree with it to an extent but the number of people who have been complaining about it is huge! So why haven't they done anything about it? No marches no dissent… nothing! Is it because they are all stoned?
I blame the New Romantics, before them we had punk, rock & roll, OI and Ska, all types of music designed to make you feel something, go back far enough and you will find songs that stirred the blood, marching songs that called everyone together and helped them fight as one! What song have you heard in the last 20 years that has made people stand up and be counted? Ones that hit the news! I'm not talking about the odd song that a few people get up and dance to, but about songs that hit the headlines, the last song I can remember that caused some proper consternation was 'God save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols and how long ago was that? Since the New Romantics came along and made everyone go a bit wishy‑washy music has become bland, exicting music just doesn't get the chance it used, most money is made by churning out pap for the chav generation, rebellion is being choked for the sake of cash and our kids are letting it happen!
What happened? did the whole country go to sleep and never woke up? Where is the gumption, the tenacity, the sheer bloodymindedness that the British were famous for? If we all did get up and protest, we could paralyse this land of ours. 'Land of ours'? not any more, you are all too lethargic to do anything but moan.Well, at least thats what it feels like to me; were the 70's and 80's the last decades of rebellion? Are you all now rebels without a clue? Then fuck you all, you kids on your scooters, chavs in your Saxos, just you let your freedoms get eroded away, I did my bit and now I have no cause left worth fighting for, my generation is either deserting the country for pastures new or being ground down from lack of support. But I still sling my leg over my black rat of a bike, I still shout the odds when I can and most of all I know I can say that I once stood my ground for what I felt was right, can you say the same?
Read this while you are still allowed to…
(Paraphased from an article from Motorsickle, written by me)
Adendum.
I reproduced this article because with G.20 coming up I feel that people should take notice of what is happening around them, see the history of protests that have disappeared, I have recently seen posters around encouraging people to turn out and attack banks, bankers and worryingly, bank staff, why attack people doing their jobs?
Attacking the banks will solve nothing, but it will give the government more fuel against us, ultimately it is the fault of the government, show them how you feel by writing to your MP, tell them they no longer have your support.
Protest if you must (or while you can) but peacefully, every time someone on a protest commits a crime, it gives the government more ammunition to stop any protests or demonstrations.
Also to be sucessfull you need to mobilse lots of people, unfortunately that will not happen until it gets really bad and by then it will be too late.
While people are content to sit back and let government erode away their freedoms, then it will slowly become the country that no longer allows you to do anything 'for y0ur own good'.
"I have nothing to hide, doesnt affect me!" is so shortsighted, does no one study history any more?
Well I think its time to get out of this country, as I said in the article above, no one will care until its too late. Good luck and thanks for all the fish.
Jake
I listened to a group of early 20's punk‑looking blokes couple of years back, in a bar talking about Tony Blair, slagging him off, going on about the war and how no one does anything for the youngsters, after listening to this for about 20mins I asked them what they were going to do about it, the blank stares told me a lot, they didn't understand why 'they' had to do something, they thought sitting on their arses complaining would do it for them. One of them had a t‑shirt with the anarchy symbol on it and I asked him what it meant, he replied 'no rules' so I asked him what would he would do if I hit him, he looked worried and his mate said he would call the police, I laughed and walked off.All youngsters today seem to do is get a) drunk b) stoned c) pregnant d) lazy, I did my time as an 'activist' and don't see why I should have to go back to it to help these lazy arseholes, but I do worry that no one is really questioning what government is doing any more, take the smoking ban, I agree with it to an extent but the number of people who have been complaining about it is huge! So why haven't they done anything about it? No marches no dissent… nothing! Is it because they are all stoned?
I blame the New Romantics, before them we had punk, rock & roll, OI and Ska, all types of music designed to make you feel something, go back far enough and you will find songs that stirred the blood, marching songs that called everyone together and helped them fight as one! What song have you heard in the last 20 years that has made people stand up and be counted? Ones that hit the news! I'm not talking about the odd song that a few people get up and dance to, but about songs that hit the headlines, the last song I can remember that caused some proper consternation was 'God save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols and how long ago was that? Since the New Romantics came along and made everyone go a bit wishy‑washy music has become bland, exicting music just doesn't get the chance it used, most money is made by churning out pap for the chav generation, rebellion is being choked for the sake of cash and our kids are letting it happen!
What happened? did the whole country go to sleep and never woke up? Where is the gumption, the tenacity, the sheer bloodymindedness that the British were famous for? If we all did get up and protest, we could paralyse this land of ours. 'Land of ours'? not any more, you are all too lethargic to do anything but moan.Well, at least thats what it feels like to me; were the 70's and 80's the last decades of rebellion? Are you all now rebels without a clue? Then fuck you all, you kids on your scooters, chavs in your Saxos, just you let your freedoms get eroded away, I did my bit and now I have no cause left worth fighting for, my generation is either deserting the country for pastures new or being ground down from lack of support. But I still sling my leg over my black rat of a bike, I still shout the odds when I can and most of all I know I can say that I once stood my ground for what I felt was right, can you say the same?
Read this while you are still allowed to…
(Paraphased from an article from Motorsickle, written by me)
Adendum.
I reproduced this article because with G.20 coming up I feel that people should take notice of what is happening around them, see the history of protests that have disappeared, I have recently seen posters around encouraging people to turn out and attack banks, bankers and worryingly, bank staff, why attack people doing their jobs?
Attacking the banks will solve nothing, but it will give the government more fuel against us, ultimately it is the fault of the government, show them how you feel by writing to your MP, tell them they no longer have your support.
Protest if you must (or while you can) but peacefully, every time someone on a protest commits a crime, it gives the government more ammunition to stop any protests or demonstrations.
Also to be sucessfull you need to mobilse lots of people, unfortunately that will not happen until it gets really bad and by then it will be too late.
While people are content to sit back and let government erode away their freedoms, then it will slowly become the country that no longer allows you to do anything 'for y0ur own good'.
"I have nothing to hide, doesnt affect me!" is so shortsighted, does no one study history any more?
Well I think its time to get out of this country, as I said in the article above, no one will care until its too late. Good luck and thanks for all the fish.
Jake
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