Released 1983…seems like nothing has changed.
I try not to give too much fucks regarding politics and rather try to do the best for my friends and family. It’d depress the hell out of me if I’d think to much about all this.
Life is too short.
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Apologies in advance for the simplistic response but here’s some background to how we’ve got here…
Ever since the UK joined the eec/common market there has been a grouping of politicians who’ve wanted out of Europe. Not exclusively, but the most vocal were in the Tory party. They are described as the Euro-sceptic wing. They’ve caused problems for various Tory leaders over the years and there has always been an element in the British press who have backed some of their arguments (up yours Delores etc).
Roll forward a few years and we reach the point where, for different reasons, Farage, someone aligned with the eurosceptic elements of parliament and the press started agitating for a referendum on EU membership. Under pressure from his own back benchers and facing loosing voters to UKIP david Cameron the then tory leader called the referendum.
Labour has historically been more aligned with EU membership and most of the voices calling for a second referendum etc are from that tradition. However Jeremy Corbyn isn’t a europhile and he also realises that much of labour’s voter base voted to leave, hence the rival factions within the Labour Party at present.
Scotland is slightly different in that before the rise of the SNP it voted fairly solidly for labour, many Scots voted to remain in the UK based on continued EU membership (leaving wasn’t a question on the table at the time of the Indy referendum). SNP would like another ref. And would campaign the rejoin the EU.
We’re at yet another cross roads with the resignation of the current PM and the upcoming Tory leadership race. Whoever gets elected will become another part of the story. Where it will end is anyone’s guess.
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This mix by Steinski…
I think my favourite part of the UK’s current political “crisis” is the party who want to keep everything as it is calling themselves change UK.
Hilarious
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I think they’d argue it’s a change away from the current anti European sentiment (and the longer running anti European rhetoric of the last 40 odd years) but I do see the irony!
Their election slogan should be “If you don’t want things to change, vote change”.
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It’s on odd one. And people outside of Scotland probably don’t fully appreciate the influence of football on religious beliefs which plays a massive part (seriously). Your average Rule Britannia singing Rangers fan is not interested at all in Independence.
I work for one of the UKs big banks so deal with Londoners on a daily basis. Most are oblivious as to why Scots are so aggrieved by Westminster.
It’s also a crying shame that Joe Bloggs in the public are never going to see all the facts. So much lies banded about. Scots were told in the run up to our last independence vote that oil reserves were running out (for example). Within weeks of losing the vote we suddenly “find” decades worth of reserves in the North Sea.
The people of Scotland aren’t perfect. And we’re not high and mighty compared to our English neighbours but it really sickens seeing interviews with from folks from the likes of Lincolnshire banging on about how “they took our jobs” and the likes.
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Well said.
You do get the feeling the only people who the ‘journalists’ deign to talk to are a) Lincolnshire farmers, b) leave voters from lincolnshire and c) leave voters of other northern towns and cities, Whilst furthering the untrue and polarising view that Everyone who voted remain are in the the big cities and the south whilst everyone else north of Watford are card carrying UKIP/brexit party/Lennon supporters.
I suppose it suits the narrative they have to keep up. After all, it’s been a long time since the Tories have had any real presence in the northern cities and many of those towns still feel the scars of the 80’s economic trashing many of them witnessed. Of course the real picture is a lot more nuanced but why let the truth get in the way of a good story? I used to respect journalism but the older I get the more I realise there’s not much that’s decent, honourable or probing about an industry that’s 5% news and 95% opinion written at the behest of a politically aligned editor/owner.
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To get slightly more on topic I like my current MP. She’s got a good back story, she looks and sounds like she’s from these parts (which she is) and that not sound like much but in today’s climate I don’t think you could ask for more than someone you feels represents you and has a similar background. Never had any dealings with her or her office.
Several years ago the family turned to our previous MP when we were having issues around council provided care for a family member. He couldn’t have done a better job for us in terms of getting the involved parties around a table and thrashing out a compromise. Exactly what you’d want from your local representative. So yeah, MP’s aren’t all bad in my opinion. And I honestly thing the majority are in the job for the right reasons.
If you want a short „catchphrase“ to sum everything up quite well I suggest this:
„The system works because you work!“
I‘ve seen this many many years ago on some streetart in Berlin I think and ever since I couldn’t stop thinking about it. We feel powerless in this rigged game that we‘ve never been asked if we want to actually play it. Capitalism is no team sport and as time passes even the wealthier people will start losing to the super wealthy. Our ignorance/apathy paired with misinformation/propaganda is what enabled „the system“ to infect the whole world in the first place, for example drastically reducing the variety and quality of food… did you know that naturally there are a few thousand different types of apples? and how many can you actually buy at the market? when was the last time you had a tomatoe that grew in your region and that actually tastes like a real fucking tomatoe?
Have you ever heard of the „Peter principal“? It states that people get promoted until they reach a position for which they are completely unqualified. If this is true and has been going on for quite some time then you know what kind of people are in charge. Judging by the politicians we have around the globe I can’t help myself but think that this is the ugly truth.
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I think about this all the time. How if you dont play the game you are effed. And then you’re made to feel bad that you don’t want to play it. Not cause you’re lazy (even if you were) but because it’s a shit game and you’d rather spend your time doing something else.
Again, neoliberal arrogance. And this doesnt just apply internationally. It happens in our own back yard.
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Have you ever heard of the „Peter principal“? It states that people get promoted until they reach a position for which they are completely unqualified.
As an employee of a large FTSE company I’d love to share my experiences of this but our corporate IT and social media policies ban me from doing so, even at home, in my own time, on my own computer, under threat of dismissal and loss of my pension. Anyone would think they’ve got something to hide?
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I a capitalist society, bankers are no different to drug dealers, they just grew up inside the castle walls.
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Did anyone else dislike the kids at their school who wanted to be in charge. Yes these same kids grew up to be your politicians.
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the problem is though that they are the biggest addicts of their „own supply“.
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NO ONE liked our class president. And yes hes a politician now. In addition, our vp became a pharmaceutical sales rep (eg legal drug peddler).
In Britain, we don’t need class presidents, we already have the class system to tell us who’s going to be in charge.
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Kind of interesting to see the reaction to the declassification story in the US.
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Missed that? What’s happened? What’s been declassified? Questions questions!
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