European Union

A word or two about remaining in the E.U. Firstly let me say that I am not the greatest fan of the Euro fat cats the bureaucracy and there is no doubt serious reform is needed, having said that  I personally would rather remain in than out.
Here are my reasons :
I have had rights as a European citizen since 1974 I do not wish to loose them, I consider myself a European and freedom of movement in Europe is fundamental
I have absolutely no issue with immigration, go back far enough and there isn’t a person in England that does not originate from a race that did not come from Europe. The Scots the Welsh and the Irish can claim far more purity of race than we can. Our country would not function without people from other countries
There has been nothing stopping us making trade deals with any country we already do that plus we have the advantage of being in the European trade block
Whilst we may object to not being “ free” to form our own laws (and I confess there is some ridiculous Euro legislation) belonging to the European Court of Human Rights has provided protection that we did not have. One of biggest faults is the way Britain never argues at the time and politely implements every rule passed down.
Now a question, why are we so afraid after 45 years to be a member of a European organisation? The U.K. is not moving, the geography will remain the same. I know not every European country is a member and certainly we don’t have to be but ask yourself is the effort to disentangle ourselves really worth al the grief?
I know the is a large proportion of our population whose views are opposed to mine and will never be persuaded to change their mind and cosequently we have a divided nation right at a time in history when we need to be united!

Art

The UK

Democracy has died. In 2019 it slipped away unnoticed by many as our Parliament,s life support system was switched off due to a complete lack of interest in the proceedings! The speaker Mr Bercow last to leave switch off the lights and turning made a wistfully aimed nod at a chamber that was no longer fit for purpose. Unable to command any trust or faith by the people who voted for them it was deemed best to shut the whole thing down. Years of saying one thing and doing another has finally caught up with them! The voters apathy finally got to the point, that having MP’s represent us, is a complete nonsense and only drives the country further into ruin. The whole idea of a democratic process has fallen so far into disrepute that it is no longer tenable. A point has been reached where no government is better than any of the recent ones we voted for. Many have said this is anarchy and chaos but it seems that is what we already have so why not run with it? The civil servants carry out all the paperwork and implement the finances taxes etc let them continue and they can ask us what’s next when required. If any crisis come up we can do what we all usually do and ignore it, after all why bother,  it doesn’t really matter and most of us don’t know why we involve ourselves in the world anyway!
Some have said we cannot function without a democratically elected government but we have not been functioning for a long time with one so let’s try a more radical option. The BBC heavily object, not because of their fondness for MP,s, their objection is based on a redundant TV channel and the loss of many jobs as the machinery for reporting on Politics is no longer needed. Many other media outlets of every stripe, also object to the dismissal of Parliament,  even though they have been heavily criticising it for years!
Europe, which many would argue, is the main cause of the demise of our Parliamentary process, is sitting  back and quietly chuckling as the mother of all parliaments has died. Little do they realise that their time is near and their glee will turn sour as their democracies tumble into the same disuse as ours.
There are those who predict that a single force or more extreme movement will fill the political vacuum and indeed this could well happen but most believe any attempt to grab power would be quickly defeated by a people that no longer believe in leaders and will not stand for any dictator and frankly are so feed up with any leader would not let it happen.
RIP Parliament, it was a long but ultimately flawed experiment which finally breathed its last and was cocigned to the pages of history. Here is to a glorious future!

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!