Friday, March 08, 2013

Politics of Suet

I must be getting bored. Yesterday I did almost everything. Well, you know, not everything, just some things. This week has been building up to me doing or starting to do all those jobs that I've been putting off. Plus, it's been raining so I can't really go outside and do anything in the garden. So the de-clutter started in earnest and by the time the wife got home a mixture of spring cleaning and reorganisation had taken place.

I was walking around last evening trying to think of things to do today, in between going shopping, maybe going for a beer, finally having that bloody spirometry test and walking the hounds. I have this 'keep busy or go mad' head on. But I might have a new project to keep me alive and get me thinking with a better, clearer, head again. I am letting all my outside influences govern me at the mo.

Ouch... I just realised what a really corny link that is. I was going to say, talking of governing and then segue nicely into a piece about Tony Blair, then it was going to go through this list of political things I've written down, but I've kinda blown that...

Tony Blair. Never liked him. Saw him on a BBC election phone in programme in 1992 and thought he was possibly the 2nd reason behind Neil Kinnock why John Major got in. Thoroughly sleazy guy and given a hard time by Kilroy-Silk; I remember thinking 'what a twat'. Still think that today, but I do think he did far more good than the one major wrong he did. Yet for some reason to a generation of people he is as abhorrent as Margaret Thatcher is to me and mine.

People probably have forgotten or never knew that there is a creditable case to believe that Thatch and General Galtieri (the then boss of Argentina) created the Falklands Crisis for both their benefits. People forget that up until the Argies planted a flag in Port Stanley, almost apropos of nothing, Thatcher was the most unpopular UK prime minister EVER. The Tories who had swept to a landslide victory on the strength of Labour buckling to the unions' pressure, were in serious danger of being beaten back out of power by an equally large landslide in the other direction - which, given how shit Labour were, would have been a massive event. But then the Falklands 'Crisis' came along and BAM as a result the country fell to bits, slowly, as Thatch and her cache of very nasty people dismantled the infrastructure of the country, selling it off and by the relinquishing of its assets.

In comparison, Blair probably colluded with George W to conspire to invade Iraq, which to be fair is arguably much better off than it was. Still, I didn't agree with it then and I still think that prime ministers in this country seem to think they won't make a mark on history unless they've invaded someone or been part of a war. Sad really.

George W didn't like Hugo Chavez because the now-dead Venezuelan President saw right through his US counterpart and a damned sight easier than 50% of the population of the USA. Chavez may well have courted the likes of Iran, Zimbabwe, Cuba and North Korea, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend is possibly the reason for this and he was also well liked by reputable countries as well. Plus, he's a damned sight more popular still than most US Presidents are ever in the eyes of their people - he's almost as popular as leaders whose names start Kim...

Just last week I was saying how I really have a gut feeling that North Korea is making a concerted effort to be seen as 'more open' and able to change. That's my credentials as a diplomat out of the window then... The thing is, is all of this really them being aggressive or is this just a plea for help, especially as China don't really want anything to do with them any more. Someone may have suggested to North Koreans that losing a war is the best thing to happen - just look at Japan. Reminds me in a less comedic way of The Mouse that Roared.

You'd think, what with our own leaders looking like some SEN government, that the despair being felt by a lot of people would have been seen by Gideon and Co deciding that they have borrowed as much money as Labour did and we're much worse off than we were. You did know that, didn't you? The Tories have been harping on about how all of this is Labour's fault - all that borrowing and unnecessary building of schools and hospitals - and yet they have borrowed more over the last three years than Labour did in the last 8 years. Yes, a lot of that is to do with inflation - but whose fault is the higher inflation? Oh yeah, must be Labour's because that's all Tory MPs say now - a generic 'it wouldn't be this bad if it wasn't for Labour', the sad thing is there's still at least 20% of the country buying that LIE hook line and sinker.

Tories and Libdems are crowing about how labour finished fourth in the Eastleigh by-election and to be fair you would have expected them to do better given the fuckwits that were standing against them, but Hampshire is not a socialist stronghold - I'm amazed that the pathetic face of socialism (ie Liberal Democrats) does so well down that way - perhaps its just socially conscious Tories who can't bring themselves to vote for anything red? The fact that the Yellow Peril actually retained the seat despite being led by Nick 'I'm a wanker, me' Clegg suggests to me that the country is in a miasma of doubt, anger and confusion. No wonder UKIP has been able to infiltrate as they have. You do realise that UKIP are just a posh version of the EDL, don't you? Other than their oft trundled out immigration policies, have you actually looked at some of their policies? I'm sure usual Labour voting people who fucking hate all these eastern Europeans and will plonk an X in UKIP's box should also see what they would do with most of the services and provisions this country has. The NHS is still basically free, despite the best efforts of Gideon O, under Nigel F ... Just look at their manifesto before you decide that voting for them will mean Johnny Foreigner gets the boot. Don't be a fascist xenophobe until you've seen what happens if they get a sniff of power - read their policy document, be amazed (and not in a 'Wow, that's great' kinda way).

Effercio et Ineptias

  • Twice in Sainsbury's someone attempted to intrude upon my personal conveyor belt space. I mean once is bad enough, but twice? First this old woman starts to put her shopping on at one end while I'm busy putting mine on at the till end. "I wouldn't do that, my love" says I and she realises what she's doing and apologises profusely. I tell her to not worry and not be silly, it was an easy mistake to make (even if it really wasn't). Two thirds of the way through emptying my trolley and this younger woman comes up and just dumps her stuff at the rapidly diminishing empty end. "I've still got a fair bit to put on," I said. "Oh, you'll be fine." She says in a matter-of-fact, don't-give-me-any-shit kind of way. "I do have a fair bit left in my trolley," I says, slightly irritated. "Stop complaining and just get on with your packing," she says in a really rude and school ma'am way. "Being rude isn't make me go any faster," I said and pushed her seven items pack towards the end of the conveyor - much to her obvious annoyance. When I was asked if I collected the Vouchers for Schools, I said I didn't and she piped up that she did and she would have them. I told the checkout woman that I didn't want them and I didn't want anyone else to have them.
  • I saw about 10 people on the road today who I wouldn't trust with a spoon let alone behind the wheel of a car.
  • People are just becoming more horrible.
  • Applied for three jobs on Tuesday; that's seven in total in the last 10 days - it doesn't sound a lot but unless you are a computer programmer or an engineer finding a job is like finding a civil person in Sainsbury's.
  • Still reading The Shining and still quite amazed at how our memories of things are distorted, especially by films.
  • Inter Milan? Who are they then?
  • Sometimes its best never to find out some things, because all it does is make you angrier.

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