Surgery though I may wander

A week ago I underwent back surgery. It was to correct a long standing problem. I was released the following day and now have three months of recovery, which was to be expected.
I have some mild exercise to do and must walk twice a day and as each week passes increase the distance, no driving for six weeks. So I have a lot of time on my hands. I have tried in vain not to watch to much TV but I was guilty of that even before the operation! I have also limited my time on my Tablet playing games checking the news etc. pretty poor at that as well!
My interest in politics and the world in general gives me the incentive to read a wide range of articles on these subjects. I have found that with so many trying to grab your attention that headlines are often misleading, especially when the site the article is posted on is not where it originated.
I am disappointed to observe that the overwhelming tone of these reports is not one that would encourage a feeling of optimism on the state of our world! There are of course feel good stories but generally these are of a trivial nature or based in the realm of the relentless celebrity culture that is now endemic in everyday life. I am not such a hypocrite that I would not admit to reading such stories but I’m often drawn to them because I cannot believe how trivial they are and that anyone would want or need to know there content?
If you reside in the U.K. your news cycle is dominated by Brexit, I will not expand on the reasons and current state of affairs in Parliament, I suspect like many I am ambivalent, bored, concerned, angry, flabergasted, incredulous, worried all at the same time as it grabs its feet kicking and screaming to a conclusion that nobody understands, properly planned for or may never agree on?
My instinct and experience tells me it will be a disaster and extremely painful but I hope I’m wrong?
Trump continues to protest to much and quite simply America should be ashamed he was ever elected and even more ashamed he remains!
Anti Semitic behaviour has raised its ugly head again, I have some experience of this behaviour and it’s exceptance as a normal attitude of society when I was a teenager and younger moulded my disgust with prejudice of any kind for any reason. That this behaviour should manifest itself within the ranks of one of the main political parties in 2019 is beyond belief and shows the extent to which older leadership with ingrained ideologies cannot shake off the past. These attitudes in this age of greater acceptance of every of sexuality, gender, colour and race is totally unacceptable and should be vehemently rejected.
I have just completed a course on Human Rights and aside from the fact that everyone should be aware of what they are even if you think you know, you would be shocked how much of the world still does not recognise these rights never mind follow them.
So in conclusion to today’s bluster the world I believe is improving but it’s slow going and often victim to the old adage one step forward but two steps back!

More art

More of the art

Parliament

I have taken great interest in watching the debates in The House of Commons about Brexit. It is interesting to see the procedures and how their business is conducted. It does not need me to tell you that from the beginning the PMs deal had no hope of passing either before or after Xmas and so there was no surprise from anyone when it was roundly defeated. The vote of no confidence was also bound to lose (only because of the DUP).
Listening to the various speeches from all sides it constantly amazes me that so many are critical of another parties stance and tactics. What do they expect The Labour Party in opposition to do meekly except the current situation and not fight for General Election to try and wrestle power? What ever you may think of each parties policies or opinions it is obvious that the Conservatives, if the positions were reversed, would do exactly the same! It’s called politics.
To keep accusing the SNP, who in my opinion, often talk quite a lot of sense, of not accepting the independence referendum is futile. Their parties foundation is to make Scotland an independent country. What else would you expect of them, just give up and except they will always be apart of our Union? So why wouldn’t they use Brexit as a tool to promote their own agenda? The Scottish people voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU. Tell me honestly if in the same position that anyone would not do the same?
I am sure there are many well meaning and genuine representatives in the House who want to do their best for their constituents but there are also many who are self-serving looking to manoeuvre and see how they can fulfill their own agendas whatever that maybe. Power is the aphrodisiac and it is, I am sure, a heady brew which for many must be difficult to resist. We have a few specific names who have used Brexit to further their own ambitions with success, followed by failure, which proves what a dangerous and fickle business politics is. Some may come again or fall in to obscurity. I am sure you know who the specific MPs I refer to?

So how does this mess get resolved? Mrs May come what may, is dead in the water, she will no longer be leader by the next election. Corbyn is untrustworthy, unable or unwilling to really inform us of what he stands for or really wants to do. There seems to be nobody waiting in the wings who has the trust or gravitas or support to step in?
The deal is dead harpooned by its backstop, no deal is abhorrent, taking the decision back to “the people” seems to negate the first vote, the EU will not make it easy for us, less more members decide to go and all the while the country grows more and more frustrated and disillusioned and no conclusion is in sight the U.K.  continues to fall into disrepair.
I write all this, as a man who is furious that my rights as a European citizen are being taken away and who passionately believes that we are better staying  in and changing and guiding a far from perfect and flawed EU. I freely admit I would like another vote with the hope the decision would be reversed but the ship has sailed and even if that happened  the country has fundamentally changed and the insidious divisions that have seethed underneath have come boiling to the surface and with apologies for mixing my metaphors that genie cannot be put back.
I fear not for myself but for those generations to come what a legacy we are leaving them!

Stop the differences

The subject I am about to approach is one that requires careful handling and could easily be misinterpreted. So let me say from the start it scares me but I think it needs to be said?

The media has a, well intentioned, predilection for promoting the differences between people and they especially write about black and ethnic groups or individuals who have broken through and made a name for themselves in their chosen field.

Only this morning I read an article on the BBC website that told the story of black players throughout professional football in the UK.. They used the acronym BAME, Black and Ethnic Minority, why?

So what you ask is my objection to such promotion and lauding of those players who were the first to play for England or broke transfer records etc? Nothing about them as people or players, I salute their success. I do not claim to understand what they had to overcome to succeed in their chosen profession or what it is like to not to be, other than, white in a society dominated by others. I am a 66 year old white middle class man, who has no personnal concept of prejudice, I know I hate it!

It is a tragedy, what so many have had to suffer and experience in order to achieve any form of equality, whatever their ethnicity, religion or gender, all forms of bias of that nature is abhorrent. Of course it still goes on and in some cases is getting worse. Prejudice is power and there is nowhere in the world where, however little, the power of prejudice is not practised. You cannot hide the many displaced people or minorities that are discriminated against, simply because they are different, whatever the reason might be.

So to my point and there is one.

The more the differences are promoted the longer they will be perpetuated and remain. It is fantastic to elevate success to encourage others and actively reinforce those successes, no matter who achieves them but it should be done without any mention of skin colour, ethnicity or gender. We all know it does not matter and yet we cannot seem to stop and it is from both sides, those prejudiced against, quite rightly, wish to stand up for themselves and use the differences to highlight the need for their rights and equality. They have more than a point. I could be accused of throwing gasoline on the fire simply for writing this piece and maybe I have?

Put simply and I am being simple and naïve I just want everyone to just be people and for the media to reflect that.

Shit!

BREXIT has anything in our modern political history been such a fuck up ? We have shot ourselves in both feet! The disruption, controversy, discord, unrest, mistrust, lies, accusations, misinformation, outright hostility, prejudice, and plain stupidity it has stirred up has made this country an unhappy and divided place to live, it has brought boiling to the surface bitter seething feelings that should have been left untouched in the hope that as the years passed they could be forgotten!
A whole generation of politicians have been derailed by it, divided by an inexorable tide of indecision and poor leadership. The divisiveness within political parties may take a long time to heal if it ever does, although frankly they are responsible for the whole mess in the first place!
I have no idea how will all resolve itself and I doubt that it will, certainly not for many years
Label the whole sordid episode under “fuck up”

Tweeting Trump

For those of you who may have read any of my rantings before you will know that like many I have a huge dislike for the current incumbent of the White House! There is nothing likeable about him and I suspect he loves it that way. His mode of operation, is to be deliberately divisive, insulting and to make people believe what he wants them to and he is very very good at it. He really has fooled enough support to vote him in as President, although it is difficult to unravel whether he truly believed he would become or wanted to be President or he just thought he'd have a go and see what happened.

I am not going to write about all the comings and goings in the West Wing or the ongoing legal battles and controversy that has beleaguered him since his inauguration and before, it's well documented and filled with truth, half-truths and outright lies, to the point where nobody actually knows what the hell is going on anyway!

I want to address one specific area of his Presidency, that no predecessor has ever used, in quite the way he does, Twitter. I am a Twitter user and I use it to spout my opinion on stuff or reply to others whose messages I generally either agree or disagree with but Trump is in a class all on his own. It seems that he cannot stop himself from Tweeting exactly what he thinks regardless of who it affects or upsets. He has no understanding of language or diplomacy. At a time when politicians need to be calm and understanding, he deliberately stirs up controversy and unrest, insulting people and in an attempt to push his agenda at home cares little for the conventions of international relations.

Now to play devils advocate, we have for years complained that our politicians and leaders do not tell us exactly what they think or mean, as they wrap up their answers or comments with double talk and language designed to say nothing but Trump as President, is perfectly entitled to say what ever he wishes and boy does he! When the many mass shootings or natural disasters that have happened during his term, he is quick to comment but always with some barb or insensitive comment. Then he quickly follows up with a Tweet with more sympathy but by then you cannot believe he is being sincere. Trump really only cares about himself and his self-promotion. That he is an egotistical buffoon surely cannot be disputed but to so actively promote that in the many messages he writes shows a complete disregard for the office that he holds.