Boris Johnson - future Prime Minister, he's not sinister... plus a look at social engineering and 1984

He walks, hunched, scraggly haired and thuggish, like a huge, clumsy, ominous crow; his aura tainted oafish.  Given his size and the way he holds himself, I imagine him as a dodgy bloke hired to clean up operations after a hit gone wrong, New York gangster-style.  Behind beady eyes lies not very much of substance; but those entranced by the Cult of Personality have already become smitten, much as with Nigel Farage's followers.  They've been  lured in by the PR image of Boris as affable, comic relief.  Some people think it's charming that he's so 'human', but they fail to notice his darker side; for instance, the rise of Islamophobic comments thanks to his column where he called Muslim women wearing the burqua 'letter boxes' and 'bank robbers,' or perhaps his nauseating racist comments about black people. The old image of Boris the harmless, comedic, affable oaf, is slowly giving way to the new image of Boris; the racist, petulant, arrogant, and selfish man, yet still, some people remain stubbornly loyal to him; their rabid idiocy and their selfishnesss mirrored by his; their yearning to get out of the EU at any cost, the overriding principle.

It's been alleged in passing comment, that he will turn up for a meeting with the wrong speech notes and deliver the wrong speech anyway.  He's been accused of being a 'spoilt, selfish child' by his young lover, during a heated, and public row, which I think, is probably completely accurate.  He's like a fat truck, or a tank, driving through poetry; nuance is lost on him, patient, complex negotiation and fine-turning, are lost on him.  He'll brazen it out, because he's British and we have sort of mystifying God-given right to do what the hell we like according to the elites, who fondly remember the 'good old days' when Britain ruled; it doesn't matter how, or the lack of ethics that accompanied that ruling.  The hazy memories have burned for years in their minds, become manic, become nostomania; fond dreams that never even took place at all.  'We'll show Trump!  We'll make Britain Great Again!'  Boris takes a sip of port, mutters something unintelligible as he stares into the firelight, squinting like Father Jack.  'I'll just produce my British passport, and slap that on the table at Brussells; that, coupled with my plummy British accent and Etonian background will save the day!'

Today, we learn, he's managed to insult French people, by claiming that they are 'turds', not to allow for any changes in Brexit.  We ridicule Trump and with good reason, but I'm not sure even he has been this childish.  And he's a terrible man-child, rapidly devolving back to the womb.  Boris' comment was made whilst he was Foreign Secretary; he was supposed to behave in a way that is reasonably Statesmanlike.  The contempt and carelessness is just about everything you don't want, ever, from a neighbour, from your kids, and definitely not from a person who holds a position of power.

The BBC buried this ridiculous remark at the time, and likely it won't stop him from become Prime Minister, just as Trump hasn't been stopped by his insanity, sexual abuse allegations, narcissism, racism, crudity and general idiocy.  Yet this remark remains deeply unsettling. Not only is it incredibly rude, it's also simply pathetic; the petulant cry of a spoilt brat who is unable to get what he wants.  The EU Courts have made their decision; they didn't make it lightly; there are 27 other member states who might then, quite rightly, also want to change their Terms and Conditions.  They need to keep the EU together, not least, perhaps, because of the threat of Russia, or other looming threats.  The EU is not perfect, but it is a voice of sanity.  They have created careful, thoughtful, rules.  This then, is a place that the Boris could never flourish. To produce such a vulgar response is to mirror Trump; the question is, what are we collectively doing or not paying attention to, to allow these people into office at all?

We've stepped across the threshold into a new dawn, a new dimension of deeply unsettling times; when. anything that threatens the left is deemed 'far right', with a new era of Orwellian censorship settling across our media and internet with seemingly barely any response.  This isn't conspiracy -- we've just learned for instance, that the Guardian has been in collusion with intelligence agencies, and that Google is working to create a new social engineering programme, of 'fairness' through it's new algorithms, which will mean what they deem fair will show up in your search feed, complete with 1984 connotations.  Are you happy knowing a giant corporation is now, blatantly, trying to shape your opinions?

We've known for a short while that YouTube is starting to censor videos, banning some altogether, and showing 'approved' content first, such as Fox News, etc.  And in politics, Corbyn, who stands for decency and ethics has been vilified by the British Press for so long that many are brainwashed, and mindlessly repeat 'he's the loony left', or 'he's a communist', without even having the faintest clue why, and not realizing that they can't even back up their argument.  A 2016 report found that 75% of media coverage misrepresented Corbyn.  And our country is lead by Tories who serve only the elite; foodbank use is directly attributable to their policies, and the DWP is often hell on earth for people who have become impoverished, or people with disabilites.  A United Nations report into the level of poverty in the UK has been ignored by the Tory party.  The architect of this report, Philip Alston, said that he initially wondered if their response was 'a spoof', such was the level of denial.  How can an entire party try to bury, or deny, such an important report?

This post isn't designed to be depressing.  We live in interesting times, but these times are also already a hell for many in Britain. We ignore this at their peril, and then at our own. We simply have a duty of care to our fellow citizens, to animals, to our planet, that is not going to be met by willingly giving up our own agency, and by allowing greed and callousness any more of a foothold.

We are starting to see censorship on the internet, so-called 'conspiracies', downplayed.  How convenient to call anything that doesn't fit mainstream thinking, a 'conspiracy.'  People are having to fight for basic rights across the world.  Why?  Neoliberalism (too much power handed to corporations), greed, money, power.  Our world -- the construct of the system that we live by, is often a form of madness.  Now Trump is making threats against Iran. To what end?  Is the future of mankind inevitable?  Was it sealed the moment the A-bomb was invented?

For now, it might help us all to simply be as aware as possible of what's going on.  Awareness means we can make better decisions (if allowed!).  In 2022, our decision, might decide our fate, whether or not we cling to the coat-tails of Trump as he and John Bolton, bluster their way into war, if they haven't already.  A decent decision in our next General Election might help raise people's standards of living. It might even save lives.  We do not need Boris' blunderbuss-approach, his puerile and arrogant responses to intricate situations.  We simply need a decent human being, capable of steering us through the difficult waters ahead, with fairness (not in the 1984-esque style of Google), but with a good head on their shoulders.  Such people do exist, alas, usually the system destroys them before they have a decent chance.  And there are other reasons; we still have the fear of who will make  power grabs; so we want a leader who seems powerful too, to save us from potential annihilation.  We're all caught in a nightmare of our own making, a twilight world where fear rules and preemptive strikes therefore look attractive, and the demise of humans, because of humans, is the only logical conclusion.  As Carl Sagan said; “the nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.” 

For the meantime then, lets  take note of Boris as he manages to mess it all up with a Trumpesque disregard for anything, whilst trying to call our bluff that He's the Man in Control.  We can observe this oafish husk as an emblem of what's wrong with our system at it's core.  Because as long as it continues the way it does, there will always be a Trump, or a Boris, or a Theresa May.  We see people override their conscience, the natural system of being able to discern right from wrong; to head for the wrong, again and again.  People who cannot show compassion because that would look weak. Or, because compassion doesn't pay.  And still, we give them our very selves, to do with as they will.  As the Dalia Lama has noted, the only way out of this mess is a system that has compassion and kindness intertwined.  No reason why capitalism cannot be refined to include these values; it must, if we are to survive.

And when we get the opportunity to get involved, we need to get involved! Whether that be to simply show up and vote in 2022.  To stand by and do nothing is to throw open our doors, welcome in the darkness and offer it a drink and a bed for the night.  We must stay alert, aware, awake.  Don't lets  sleepwalk into greater madness, greater inhumanity and unkindness, which will be to our collective detriment.

Open your eyes.


From Pastor Niemoller:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

Boris or Hunt —please help us God.

“Ms Symonds, 31, is heard to complain that red wine has been spilt on her sofa, saying: ‘You just don’t care for anything because you are spoilt. ‘You have no care for money or anything.’”

Boris Johnson: Police called to Tory leadership contender's home

 Can’t we aim a little higher for the top job in our country than this nincompoop; a silly, thoughtless, spoilt brat? And Mad-eyed Hunt, (hated by doctors everywhere), just makes my skin crawl. Isn’t there anyone else even, I dunno, half decent? Have our expectations been so crushed that this barely raises an eyebrow? Or have they slipped something into our water supply so our compliance is guaranteed; our glassy-eyed somnambulism revealing no feelings as we are lead ever closer towards the next great extinction.

 We can remind ourselves that although power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, that there have been some good and decent men and women in history who have shown qualities like courage, strong morals, and compassion. That these values are not present amid the Tory party right now, doesn’t mean we should stand for anything, whatever comes, no matter how low and loathsome, with merely a shrug. We give away our very selves far too easily, whilst we are distracted by shiny pretty gadgets and last night’s television show. We don’t want to get involved in politics ourselves, not really, but our ignorance is the bliss of a corrupt party which is bloated by it’s own decay and rapidly decomposing right in front of our very eyes. And still we shrug, become distracted, say things like, ‘oh well.’

We can set our standards higher come the next General Election in 2022. We should. And we must, simply because we need to stand for what’s right, not be led like sheep, ever deeper into the wrong.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I believe that the day Boris or Hunt gets the top job, a spell that has safely kept hoards of demons trapped deep underground, will be broken. Explosively broken. Free at last, the demons will scuttle about with wild abandon, gleefully finding new homes to nest (mostly in Boris Johnson’s hair — all the better to control him closely). And then, well, you know the rest. Locusts, and Armageddon. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The Edge of Sanity -- Call Centres in the Future

A (very!) short play, written for radio, by Sarah Horne. Featuring: call-centres, Alanis Morrisette, David Hasselhoff, red telephone boxes, and general strangeness. Is this the modern-day, Amazon?

On the Election Results and the Brexit Party

(Why did people vote for the Brexit Party?)

It’s pretty depressing to see the Brexit Party topping the election results. The Party with no policies, headed by a bloke who, according to a close school friend, allegedly used to like that his initials also stood for National Front; that he sang ‘gas em all’ at school — that an old College teacher had been informed by other teachers, that Farage had held “publicly racist and fascist views,” and that he had once “marched through a Susses village singing Hitler Youth songs.” (1). (Trevor Phillips (founding chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission) in an article for the Times earlier this year, defended Farage, saying ‘Farage is dangerous, but he’s not a racist.(2))

I think there is a silver lining to this dark cloud. As the results were announced last night, the political news editor, Laura Kuenssberg, said, that the votes strongly suggested what’s simply wanted is clarity over Brexit; staying in, or leaving. I agree. (I think Labour are missing a trick by keeping their stance set to leave.) I think Corybn is great but his stance over this reflects his stubborn nature too — inflexibility is not what’s needed here, but a willingness to step back and say ‘this isn’t bloody going to work, it is?!” We desperately need honesty, right now. (Theresa May’s inability to be able to show us her humanity also perhaps helped drive people towards the jovial Farage. Perhaps too, that will steer us towards Boris Johnson to succeed her. People are mistaking their personas for decency.)

I can understand that some people have perhaps been driven out of their minds by Brexit, but knee-jerk reactions are rarely good, and the Brexit Party have revealed no policies whatsoever. Who in their right mind would vote for a party with no policies, just to make a point? Or, can it really be that frighteningly easy? Is it all about the power of persuasive rhetoric, spin doctors, the cult of personality?

Information that’s easier to process is viewed more positively. Cognitive scientists refer to this as ‘processing fluency,(3)’ and it’s why people’s knowledge base can be filled with flawed ideas, without their believing this to be the case. This could help to explain why people voted for Farage — an easy way out that seems simple — especially as a knee-jerk reaction to Theresa May trying to present the same deal three times to the European Parliament, only for it to be rejected each time. People want to believe Britain can be Great Again, in the same way MAGA (Make America Great Again), worked —a hark back to times before, also appeals to nostalgia which seems to be more powerful as people get older. (In these instances, it could be said, both of these campaigns might refer to nostomania — a nostalgia for times which simply did not exist.)

Our system of politics has become muddied with additional popular parties recently, such as the Brexit Party, or Change UK. Change UK have no concrete idea how they would implement real change. (And what change? To whose benefit? They are being bankrolled by big businesses, which does not sound like fertile ground for freedom in innovation.) And Farage might seem more benign now he’s no longer associated with UKIP, with Carl Benjamin talking about such murky things as ‘rape jokes’, for instance. But as with UKIP, I’m sure the darker side of human nature absolutely will be lurking within Brexit, both in leaders and followers, too. Not all Brexiteers are racist or bigoted — but racists etc. absolutely will be drawn to this party like catnip. Brexit Party, former Tory MP and now MEP, Anne Widdecombe has won one of three seats for the South West; she’s a right-wing Catholic, ‘pro-lifer’ (there’s a term that I never get tired of hearing). “While serving as Prisons Minister under Prime Minister John Major, in 1996, Ms Widdecombe defended the practice of shackling pregnant women during labour.” [...]“She has also pressed support for so-called ‘gay cure’ therapy, according to PinkNews. (4). (I saw a recent documentary about a man who ran a ‘gay cure’ centre — he later came to realise the psychological harm it had done.)

What does she say of Brexit? That a “no deal Brexit should still be considered while also admitting that there may be “bumps along the road.” She insisted it was nothing compared to the price generations had to pay for freedom in World War 2.” (5). Well that’s OK then?! In truth, our freedoms would be artificial, trade deals would not fall magically into our laps, laid by a golden goose, and standards would have to be compromised. We are more protected under EU regulation; without this, I’d be worried for our collective future.

People need to stop and think, come election time. We don’t have amazing choices right now, parties are divided and there’s so much anger over Brexit. But — it still boils down to fairly straightforward choices. Who is the party who will demonstrate compassion towards those with the least? Who will look after the interests of the poor, or people with disabilities. (Not to strip everything from the rich, or raise taxes to the point that more business leave the country, but simply to recognise problems and be willing to help those in need.)

And who will take care of the environment? What about animals? The Tories seem to stand only for the elite these days. They are so out of touch, that most of them didn’t even bother to turn up to debate the UN’s damning report about 14m British people living in poverty. Only 14 MPs bothered to be present. Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, who has defended the Universal Credit system, simply did not turn up. The Tories do not seem keen on listening to the truth about poverty in this country. These are the deeper issues that we need to bear in mind when we hit the ballot boxes. Do we want a party who secures our NHS or destroys it? Who privatises companies at the detriment of our country? Who will try to represent your interests? Would Farage really be the man for the job?

Our choices are far from perfect. Most political parties are not perfect. Lord knows, the system needs tweaking. Voting is important, but it’s a responsibility. Voting for Farage as a defiant response, doesn’t even begin to address other, more important, issues. There are so many bigger concerns than the egos of people who feel thwarted and indignant over Brexit.

The Brexit Party have said in response to their victory: “it took the Labour Party 45 years to win the popular vote. The Brexit Party have done it within 45 days. This is a victory for the people.” No it isn’t. It’s a travesty. But it does show a flaw in how we can think. We want Brexit to be easier, so we backslide towards a party which paints it as not only being easier, but somehow a little bit heroic. If we are not willing to work on our own selves, and examine our reasons honestly and unflinchingly, is it any wonder history repeats itself?

(1): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-fascist-nazi-song-gas-them-all-ukip-brexit-schoolfriend-dulwich-college-a7185236.html
(2): https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/farage-is-dangerous-but-he-s-not-a-racist-pj3cmsbfk
(3): https://www.fastcompany.com/3063319/how-your-brain-keeps-you-believing-crap-that-isnt-true
(4): https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/ann-widdecombes-political-views-surprise-many-celebrity-big-brother-viewers/
(5): https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1125162/Brexit-News-Ann-Widdecombe-news-update-latest-party

Godzilla Versus Meditation

(or 'How to Live a Spiritual Life when there’s good shit on at the cinema')

Sometimes the choices you want to make boil down to the ridiculous. A while ago now, I found myself wrestling with a choice of either going to see Godzilla at the cinema, or going to my meditation class. On that occasion, Godzilla won! Proving that sometimes options can be fun – and that the monkey mind will always find reasons *not* to meditate! Always! And, sometimes you can find that you’re standing at a crossroads and although the path to take seems obvious, there is still so much comfort from reliving old stories of who we are, whether these stories serve us or not. No matter how beautiful the meditation has been (which usually leads to my trying to cling on to that beauty). Sometimes, Godzilla wins. And maybe that’s OK – because meditation cannot be clung to. It’s the moments where you sit without expectation, where you can truly let go, where you will find what you need.

I can see the challenge in your eyes – and the tiredness. 'How do you live a spiritual existence,' you begin and gesture round, helplessly, 'when we live in this madness, this world of chaos, where death can strike without notice and sorrow is often intermingled with happiness; where the media and money are our new Gods and nightclubs are neon, plastic, places of worship. Where mankind keeps repeating the same old patterns of warfare and drama. Where some people are so caught up in pain that they can see no end. Where ego is king, and Trump is leader of the USA. Where on Earth do we begin?'

We simply begin where we are. There is no magic that need to be conjured. We don’t need to wait for life to be perfect. We can’t wait for our leaders to be ethical and the madness to stop. We just begin where we find ourselves. Leaders will continue to be idiots. We will be driven to the brink of madness and back again. The madness can never stop, when ego is king. Unless we have total nuclear disarmament, perceived threats to the ego will only cause the weapons to get bigger, with more ridiculous swagger – we’ve written defcon 1 into our collective DNA, time and time again (but love is on our side, and life is more than this physical body.  And love has already won).

 We can only watch as the Farage and Theresa May and Donald Trump all jostle for attention; as idiotic machinations become more ingrained; as the forest of thorns becomes ever more impenetrable. As religious people act without God present. (We can march, and sign petitions, but we can only do what we can do. After that, there are only the choices that you have, and the thoughts that inspire those choices and the art of life, because who you are is a series of choices, and who you want to be is built from your thoughts, and when external life is hard, you have your inner resources -- always -- to softly guide you home.)

 If you stand still and listen, you might hear your ancestors calling you.  Perhaps they're telling you to stand tall and dream your best version of yourself into being, because even though, like all of us, you’re imperfect and cracked, you're still beautiful. Every action starts with a single thought; all you can be is all that you are in any given moment. So long as you do your best, that’s more than enough. And when you're weary, and feel small and cold and alone in the splendour of the universe and the insanity of this world -- please know that you're never alone, they are always with you.  Sometimes the answers are not what you'd expect.  Sometimes the answers lie beyond conscious thought and are hinted at in dreams.  Sometimes the answers are something left-field and require only a willingness to participate, no matter how illogical.  The faith is the heartbeat within you, the ancestral call is your call, because you've been here before, my friend.  Perhaps many times.  You know these shores, you've felt this pain before.  You've born witness to the miraculous, the just and unjust; unfurling flowers and the truth from a pure mountain stream.

And sometimes.  Just sometimes, the answer is Godzilla.