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| 9 from 2018 |
What to expect from 2019?
Brexit, of course, so the rise - whatever the final deal - of Rees-Mogg, Johnson (with all the other little Johnsons) and Farage. Possibly Tommy Robinson too. In Italy, looking like a bleeding-heart, level-headed liberal in comparison, Salvini shows no signs of waning popularity. Why should he, when some of the talk that got him branded an extremist previously - that gangs worse even than the Mafia, 'scafisti', do financially very well putting people in boats with promises of a new life on Italy, with these illegal immigrants lost to the system if they survive the dangerous crossing - is now being echoed by Javid, enlisting the Navy to stop people crossing from Europe. This is a quite sudden change in language, similar to currently successful Right-Wing rhetoric with no pretence of concern, that makes you understand why 'Fake News' can take off, and the conspiracy mindset, mentioned in an earlier post. Speaking of which...Trump throwing his toys out of the pram. Gilet Jaunes showing - please excuse the lazy stereotype - they still know about revolution in France. Bolsonaro in Brazil, a result of people reacting when the Left or moderates let them down - he promised to fight corruption, and drugs. That's right, people (many celebrities especially) who like to say they're Left and helping the poor people before going back to their middle-class life and patting themselves on the back - drugs are not something that we need to deal with by liberating them, because drugs ruin lives, directly and indirectly. Closer to home we didn't really have a Left - the likes of Labour Southwark council celebrating the overturned victory for their human rights by people on the Aylesbury estate after a decision taken by Tories to back the council's plans. So in comes Corbyn, definitely Left but seemingly doing all he can to avoid becoming PM, to the point you wonder if he naturally prefers some sort of opposition. 'Stupid woman' he seemed to mutter, like someone unaware cameras are everywhere and in the Commons for a few years now. An inability - unwillingness? - to despatch a flailing May at PMQs. And another misreading, perhaps deliberate, of the mood among people - even many who voted Leave, the 'regretters', or something - for a say on what Brexit actually means (no, it's not just 'Brexit'). So, apparently a topsy-turvy, double-speak, short-sighted, meaningless, through the looking glass, narcissistic world of self-harm, leading - as has happened previously - to total self-destruction. Happy New Year. And yet...
Brexit, of course, so the rise - whatever the final deal - of Rees-Mogg, Johnson (with all the other little Johnsons) and Farage. Possibly Tommy Robinson too. In Italy, looking like a bleeding-heart, level-headed liberal in comparison, Salvini shows no signs of waning popularity. Why should he, when some of the talk that got him branded an extremist previously - that gangs worse even than the Mafia, 'scafisti', do financially very well putting people in boats with promises of a new life on Italy, with these illegal immigrants lost to the system if they survive the dangerous crossing - is now being echoed by Javid, enlisting the Navy to stop people crossing from Europe. This is a quite sudden change in language, similar to currently successful Right-Wing rhetoric with no pretence of concern, that makes you understand why 'Fake News' can take off, and the conspiracy mindset, mentioned in an earlier post. Speaking of which...Trump throwing his toys out of the pram. Gilet Jaunes showing - please excuse the lazy stereotype - they still know about revolution in France. Bolsonaro in Brazil, a result of people reacting when the Left or moderates let them down - he promised to fight corruption, and drugs. That's right, people (many celebrities especially) who like to say they're Left and helping the poor people before going back to their middle-class life and patting themselves on the back - drugs are not something that we need to deal with by liberating them, because drugs ruin lives, directly and indirectly. Closer to home we didn't really have a Left - the likes of Labour Southwark council celebrating the overturned victory for their human rights by people on the Aylesbury estate after a decision taken by Tories to back the council's plans. So in comes Corbyn, definitely Left but seemingly doing all he can to avoid becoming PM, to the point you wonder if he naturally prefers some sort of opposition. 'Stupid woman' he seemed to mutter, like someone unaware cameras are everywhere and in the Commons for a few years now. An inability - unwillingness? - to despatch a flailing May at PMQs. And another misreading, perhaps deliberate, of the mood among people - even many who voted Leave, the 'regretters', or something - for a say on what Brexit actually means (no, it's not just 'Brexit'). So, apparently a topsy-turvy, double-speak, short-sighted, meaningless, through the looking glass, narcissistic world of self-harm, leading - as has happened previously - to total self-destruction. Happy New Year. And yet...
Apparently, there's this thing called generous tit-for-tat? You've probably have heard of it, maybe like me on that BBC documentary 'The Joy of Winning'. It's mathematically provable. And yes, that's generous tit-for-tat. Every time there's a fight, you get to the point where you have to stick up for yourself. Then you eventually realise the point has been made and you have better things to get on with, so leave the idiot to find some other mug to fight, if they really have nothing better to do. So every time some hawks rise up and, blinded by greed, trying to turn the well worn, sticky pages of their copy of Atlas Shrugged into reality, the rest realize this might not be the best way to go and make their point, before we then can all hopefully get on with better things. This may be a terrible explanation but hopefully you get the idea. And of course in the rush to grab, the greedy go too far and often trip themselves up. Southwark councillors must surely get the point now that they can't ride roughshod over rights and use what they should serve for personal gain, that they've been found out, and maybe some decisions made suggest this. People have hopefully made their point. Pelosi has taken position. Macron listened. Corbyn might learn. Salvini is in counterbalanced - somewhat - by Di Maio. Bolsonaro might concentrate on crime rather than targeting minorities. May unfortunately seems completely obsessed with the idea she is going to lead the country to some green and pleasant future, solely for her place in history, desperate to be the most beloved leader ever. Her place in history, as a PM, is already assured, of course. But exactly what the future holds, for her and all of us, we'll have to see. Maybe, though, January 2019 we can be hopeful.
Other news today - apparently the Large Magellanic Cloud will collide with the Milky Way, in about 2.5 billion years.
Other news today - apparently the Large Magellanic Cloud will collide with the Milky Way, in about 2.5 billion years.
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