Whole lotta bastards and fools out there.
Jan. 7th, 2003 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zotzRighto.
Firstly I'd like to add my endorsement of George Monbiot's article about what we might be able to do to resist the apparently upcoming war. It's starting to look like the situation will be even more clear-cut than I'd expected. The inspectors might well conclude that they can't find a single trace of an active weapons program, and despite the lack of a smoking (or even loaded and stored) gun our elders and betters will decide to go in anyway. I'm not carrying any brief for President Saddam - like many member of the awkward squad I've been aware of his human rights breaches since the days when he was Donald Rumsfeld's bessie ever mate - but yet another western attempt to impose our will on the Middle East is just going to make the region even less stable. We have to stop trying to run the area sometime - why not now?
This article by Marcel Berlins is interesting too. Over the last day or two the tabloids have been going wild over the idea that burglars may sometimes not be jailed. Now, the case that made this news involved a guy who's already been jailed about seven times, so I don't think I'm entirely flying in the face of logic when I say that clearly the prospect of incarceration doesn't seem to be the panacaea that the Daily Abscess's leader writers seem to think. Two points (at least) should be borne in mind. Firstly, the critics are all members of the Tory press. Remember them? The ones who printed blatant lies and poorly-checked stories for decades? Well, they've just remembered that young Tone's a Labour Prime Minister (even if he hasn't quite) and that there's nothing on this Earth that they despise more. Secondly, any idea about crime rates that's any more complex than locking more people up for longer is always going to escape them slightly. It's not that they're stupid, it's just that they're not interested in anything more complex.
The general public, unfortunately, is little better at the moment. It has the political literacy of a goldfish, and likes being cynical, because it feels good and it's much less effort than understanding what's going on. "Mixed bag"? Never heard of it, mate. So the Human Rights Act was a Good Thing and should be supported? So?
Now, I remember the Miners' Strike. I remember seriously bad times under a seriously vicious regime[1]. This bunch don't cut it - take it from me, I was there. This bunch do good things and bad things. I'm sickened by them in some ways. While their talk is almost always revolting, though, some of the actions are seriously impressive. Probably the best legal change of my lifetime was the passing of the Human Rights Act, and devolution's pretty impressive too. And, of course, the reform of the House of Lords is also nothing less than historic. People have been trying to do that for over a century. It defeated ever previous Labour government and every previous working-class hero. And what do we got from the masses? Nothing but whining. Frankly, I'm disgusted. If I had my way, you'd all be off to your beds without your suppers.
When the last hereditary peer is throttled with his own ermine . . . well, we won't be free, but the world'll be a better place. They're suing, you know. A bunch of them are going to court. For losing their right to pass laws over the rest of us, they want a million quid each in compensation. Greedy arrogant evil fuckwits. Pass me my shotgun.
Anyway.
Over 200 people objected to Gillian Wearing's cover for the Grauniad's second section - it said "Fuck Cilla Black" in big letters. Now, in a sense that's fair enough. I don't know if she'd want to be fucked black (although I'm sure I know some people who would). It seems a bit much for people to complain about the feelings of such a talentless media whore, though. Verily she is the Tony Slattery de nos jours. Except not as funny.
To be fair to the complainants, some were more annoyed about three handwritten words being put forward as "art". Get over it, guys. Anything's art that you want to be. It may well be no bloody good, but if somebody puts it up as art then for all practical purposes it is.
Can anyone be bothered with another lyric quiz?
Actually, I'm quite amused by the other current mindvirus that's doing the rounds. I was once prevailed upon to write a brief plot summary for the Hollywood biopic of my life. The idea of working out the soundtrack is quite appealing too. It would certainly have to include my theme song - Magazine's A song from under the floorboards. Swans' Saved and Morphine's Gone for good would probably work their way in too, as would Info Freako. Maybe I should give this more thought.
fin.
[1] Actually, of course, I don't. It's rhetorical. Thaggie's opponents weren't rounded up in football stadiums and executed, or drugged and thrown out of aeroplanes into the sea.
Firstly I'd like to add my endorsement of George Monbiot's article about what we might be able to do to resist the apparently upcoming war. It's starting to look like the situation will be even more clear-cut than I'd expected. The inspectors might well conclude that they can't find a single trace of an active weapons program, and despite the lack of a smoking (or even loaded and stored) gun our elders and betters will decide to go in anyway. I'm not carrying any brief for President Saddam - like many member of the awkward squad I've been aware of his human rights breaches since the days when he was Donald Rumsfeld's bessie ever mate - but yet another western attempt to impose our will on the Middle East is just going to make the region even less stable. We have to stop trying to run the area sometime - why not now?
This article by Marcel Berlins is interesting too. Over the last day or two the tabloids have been going wild over the idea that burglars may sometimes not be jailed. Now, the case that made this news involved a guy who's already been jailed about seven times, so I don't think I'm entirely flying in the face of logic when I say that clearly the prospect of incarceration doesn't seem to be the panacaea that the Daily Abscess's leader writers seem to think. Two points (at least) should be borne in mind. Firstly, the critics are all members of the Tory press. Remember them? The ones who printed blatant lies and poorly-checked stories for decades? Well, they've just remembered that young Tone's a Labour Prime Minister (even if he hasn't quite) and that there's nothing on this Earth that they despise more. Secondly, any idea about crime rates that's any more complex than locking more people up for longer is always going to escape them slightly. It's not that they're stupid, it's just that they're not interested in anything more complex.
The general public, unfortunately, is little better at the moment. It has the political literacy of a goldfish, and likes being cynical, because it feels good and it's much less effort than understanding what's going on. "Mixed bag"? Never heard of it, mate. So the Human Rights Act was a Good Thing and should be supported? So?
Now, I remember the Miners' Strike. I remember seriously bad times under a seriously vicious regime[1]. This bunch don't cut it - take it from me, I was there. This bunch do good things and bad things. I'm sickened by them in some ways. While their talk is almost always revolting, though, some of the actions are seriously impressive. Probably the best legal change of my lifetime was the passing of the Human Rights Act, and devolution's pretty impressive too. And, of course, the reform of the House of Lords is also nothing less than historic. People have been trying to do that for over a century. It defeated ever previous Labour government and every previous working-class hero. And what do we got from the masses? Nothing but whining. Frankly, I'm disgusted. If I had my way, you'd all be off to your beds without your suppers.
When the last hereditary peer is throttled with his own ermine . . . well, we won't be free, but the world'll be a better place. They're suing, you know. A bunch of them are going to court. For losing their right to pass laws over the rest of us, they want a million quid each in compensation. Greedy arrogant evil fuckwits. Pass me my shotgun.
Anyway.
Over 200 people objected to Gillian Wearing's cover for the Grauniad's second section - it said "Fuck Cilla Black" in big letters. Now, in a sense that's fair enough. I don't know if she'd want to be fucked black (although I'm sure I know some people who would). It seems a bit much for people to complain about the feelings of such a talentless media whore, though. Verily she is the Tony Slattery de nos jours. Except not as funny.
To be fair to the complainants, some were more annoyed about three handwritten words being put forward as "art". Get over it, guys. Anything's art that you want to be. It may well be no bloody good, but if somebody puts it up as art then for all practical purposes it is.
Can anyone be bothered with another lyric quiz?
Actually, I'm quite amused by the other current mindvirus that's doing the rounds. I was once prevailed upon to write a brief plot summary for the Hollywood biopic of my life. The idea of working out the soundtrack is quite appealing too. It would certainly have to include my theme song - Magazine's A song from under the floorboards. Swans' Saved and Morphine's Gone for good would probably work their way in too, as would Info Freako. Maybe I should give this more thought.
fin.
[1] Actually, of course, I don't. It's rhetorical. Thaggie's opponents weren't rounded up in football stadiums and executed, or drugged and thrown out of aeroplanes into the sea.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-01-07 03:06 pm (UTC)Did anyone die in the attempt to keep Stonehenge accessible? That was the only really nasty bit of activism I found myself involved in, and I'm very glad to say I was way way back in the crowd... it definitely felt at the time as though people were being literally beaten to death up at the front, the horror in the crowd was palpable.
It's odd, I have almost no memories around that event, except knowing I was there. I think I must have come home from it and just gone blank, not followed it up or anything. I don't think I'm cut out for physical debate with soldiers in police uniforms, somehow...
Anyway, I doubt that was the only bit of blatant abusive force that the Tory government sanctioned while in power... although I also doubt that the current government would shy away from much of it either. "It doesn't matter who you vote for, the government always wins." (okay, so that's not totally true... but cynicism feels good and it's easier than understanding anything, a wise man once said ;) )
no subject
Date: 2003-01-07 09:53 pm (UTC)Actually, according to this he was not jailed 7 times before, he was admitting to 7 different burglaries. And people are probably having a fit (I'm guessing, I haven't been following this in every paper) because he's not a first-timer, a mischievous kid, or a casual oppourtunist who hits people that've left their doors open but someone who encouraged his clients to trust him and then betrayed them by breaking into their homes at least 7 times. That is, while some burglars would be better off with a warning and rehab he is exactly the sort of criminal who does not warrant such treatment but the judge in this case was (or felt he was) constrained by Lord Woolf's directive. Allowing judges discretion to tailor a sentence to an individual defendant is a good thing, but tying their hands with mandatory minimums and maximums is not.
Besides...there are other_ways to cut down on burglary.
no subject
Date: 2003-01-08 01:40 am (UTC)Dude! That's my theme song! Get your own! :-)
no subject
Date: 2003-01-08 02:21 am (UTC)the government always wins." (okay, so that's not totally true...
It is true, but it's also very misleading. The implication is that there's no difference. Now, it's true that there isn't a smuch difference ATM as I'd like, but that's not the same thing at all.
It's that fact that it's snappy and true that makes that sort of phrase so pernicious.
no subject
Date: 2003-01-08 02:24 am (UTC)Actually, it doesn't say he wasn't. It doesn't mention previous convictions at all, although you're probably right. I think I picked it up wrong off the Today program. Regardless, the point stands in the general case.
there are other_ways to cut down on burglary.
The Day Today already had an article about that. Several years ago, in fact. Although it was actually about letting an adult tiger loose in your neighbours' house because they were having a noisy party.
no subject
Date: 2003-01-08 02:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-08 02:55 am (UTC)I always wondered what the phrase "Kiss me black" meant. Perhaps Sir Nicholas had a crush on Cilla?
I can always be bothered with a lyrics quiz. Love them. My second favourite round on NMTB, after the intros round.
I thought about doing the Movie of my Life meme, but I can't narrow the songs down enough, and too many of them would be horribly cliched.
no subject
Date: 2003-01-08 03:22 am (UTC)Goth influence on mainstream culture?
no subject
Date: 2003-01-08 03:27 am (UTC)"Now they put the stink on us
stuffed us fulla incubus
choc-o-block with sucubus
never more than fuck to us
c'mon and kiss me black"