crossroads

SE1 - The Flyover

2019 ticks over to 2020. At a bit of a crossroads, locally and nationally and, probably, internationally. Should we believe in the optimism, allow a type of Stockholm-Syndrome to wash over us and take the easy route, or remember the many lies we've been told? To get back some sort of balance, we need to sort out an effective opposition to this thing (I don't think they really know) we have on the government benches at the moment. In an early post I said it was a conspiracy mindset, and whatever else that that entails, that allowed Brexit to take hold. I also said it was an act of self-harm, and so a cry for help. This may still be true - people saying they voted Brexit/Conservative (more specifically Johnson) to 'shake things up' - but the xenophobia behind much of the rhetoric is clearly much more of a driving factor than I thought. There are reports of seeing more people feeling emboldened in these sorts of views now, thinking (rightly or wrongly) the government is on their side. It is this hate - and fear and whatever else that brings with it - that has allowed Brexit to really flourish as an ideology, a cult. The 'national desire to be heard' reasoning was maybe too generous. People voted, perhaps, not so much against Corbyn (though obviouly they did) but for Johnson. I think honesty will allow us to see that it simply comes down to wanting to follow, to be told what to think and not have to think and be told that you're exceptional, one of the gang, trusting in a leader. It may be why so many religious believers support this type of politician too. There is scary talk of us being in an age of the 'strong-man', and even in a post-democracy - terrifying, hopefully an over-reaction. But Johnson succeeded where supply teacher for the public schoolboys May who was - you can easily imagine Francois and Rees-Mogg sniggering - never could. And so, depressing as it may be, let Labour not be too lofty in their ideals - for the moment at least - in appointing their leader. Johnson and the rest are likely to be most cowed by Starmer, and for them - and apparently much of the the electorate - the posturing does count for something. Don't waste any more time allowing Johnson to think he really is king, dictator, just freely in charge of everything. That's not good for any leader of a democracy. Labour should give the job to Starmer and just get on with it. Get it done, as some might say. Perhaps Philips could be a challenge to him, but I dont think any of the others still in the running could. Not that Starmer is a bad person for the role anyway; surely he'd surround himself with a diverse group of ministers to challenge the untrustworthiness and apparent paucity (though some more is being spoken about now than just Brexit) of this government's current pledges, and seemingly he's already prioritised leaving no doubt about eradicating all anti-Semitism. What has been reported - that people said they would have voted Labour if Starmer was leader - is something I heard too. Labour are just going to have to fight dirty, else the tactics used by the Conservatives will probably continue to trump any idealism. As when Labour members in clips from the time apparently wanted Blair as leader (ahead of Prescott and Beckett) because he 'looked good', if Labour want to avoid irrelevance and to be an opposition the government won't just dismiss, the thinking probably has to be similarly cynical. 

There is room for optimism of course, a few reasons at the moment actually and not just the ones our PM wants us to trust him with (I'd like to but can't; Johnson lies...). One reason is this: someone I know who's proven to be very perceptive about things over many years, says the first 'big shock' will be in 6 months. People will realise it's maybe not what they were promised, that there are too many lies, and that is a bad thing but unsustainable. 

So much feels like 'we shall see'. 

The photo is of the flyover at the Bricklayers' Arms, SEI, London, pretty much joining the Old and New Kent Roads. A double exposure on Kodak colourplus 200 with my old Canon EOS 3000N. 

Tony's - Nunhead

Tony's, to the left, in a wider context...

And closer.

Not the greatest technically but it's a necessarily grabbed shot, couldn't really be staged again, and shows Tony interacting with a local, which is very important to what makes his story. This might also count as 'action'.

Waiting to get in.

Inside the shop.

Detail.

Portrait.

The Meaning of Research

Peckham. Heritage.

In an earlier post I wrote - rather messily, now tidied up, this was a real rambling blog and if I do it I must do better and I was even more stressed and...sorry... must do better... - that anger leads to conspiracies and comes from dishonest, self-serving authorities treating people dismissively and with contempt. If that wasn't clear, that was what  was trying to say. It's been a pretty consistent theme unfortunately throughout this blog, is one of the reasons it was started and why the posts were so erratic. It was a place to vent a little.

It also of course played into the 'B' word. Everyone now knows the win for Brexit (capital 'B') was at least partly a protest vote. Many of the people who voted this way now feel they were wrong, that the EU has nothing to do with the problems they face, and their frustrations were played on by people who had no good argument otherwise to convince enough people to vote for Brexit. Demagogues with money faking concern and for their own ends playing the frustrated, oppressed working masses that they have such contempt for.

But of course some people still do believe the arguments, still want to believe them. Brexit has taken up time that could have been spent on issues such as housing, health, education and employment (another thing the  politicians are starting to realise) and people have been left to stew. The anger is often accompanied by hatred of outsiders, spite towards those who disagree - there are enough videos of MPs and others being harangued to prove this - and suspicion of anyone contesting the conspiracies. Fake news can take hold. On ITV London news reporting the People's March this weekend said 'onlookers' booed the march as it passed Number 10. No - the protesters booed as they passed Number 10. I think. Yes, definitely...

And so we can understand the true meaning of 'research'. As in The European Research Group. Why that name, ERG? Does anyone really believe they, or their staff, are studiously delving into the detail of the true workings and nature of the EU, any more than anyone believes Rees-Mogg can suddenly be the voice of the working class? (Incidentally, as some have asked when, this must have happened the same time the EU became the choice of the wannabe liberal Left).

So ERG is playing again of what those they are...well, playing, will respond to. These guys are on our side (at least some of the way, eh, Farage?) and the good guys (eh, Francois?). They are not part of fake news media metropolitan elite. They understand. They have seen through. They have looked deeply and seen the truth. They are not mouthpieces or journalists. They are researchers. What do conspiracy theorists call themselves? Researchers. What do conspiracy theorists have to do, have to do because of the fake news? Research.

And so, with news more about personality and opinion rather than facts, and a choice available of who to believe based on who you want to be, the ERG can drop in that middle word for those who want to hear it. And because of propaganda and spin and lies and oppression and contempt and cover-ups, is it any surprise people believe - want to believe - the more comforting lies? At least some one is on their side.

The only thing is, if you really want to get at the truth, you cannot believe lies, however much you want to. Thankfully enough people now realise they've been lied to, by the self-appointed truth-seekers (that's another trigger term) and researchers.

The photo is part of a building on Peckham High Street covered by the Peckham Heritage Project. One of the fine old buildings that can, with care, serve people and last many, many years, with character that is worth preserving. This is the aim, all the while alongside plans for 48 stories agreed by councillors without, many would argue, proper consideration. Doesn't take much research to see this is happening.

The truth is out there, somewhere.

2 or 3 Things I Know... Pt.3

As flash used less, link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/dKuQWG6U1e0

Even if you read no further hope you watch the video. First shot at least is nice...

This is pt. 3 of a short video I was working on which for festivals submissions I could never quite get right - mainly because I couldn't use the dialogue from The Long Good Friday as I can here, and also maybe I was trying to do too much in such a short format. Lessons learned, I am going ahead again, freed from what I felt was a requirement - the need for it to make too much sense other than as a kind of sense of things. This is how the dialogue allows for so much more context. Hopefully then it doesn't need to much explanation and is just some (mainly) nice shots of the area with the themes clearly stated, but just to say...

2 or 3 Things I know About Her is of course the Godard film used to deliberately point to what is relevant in it. It'd be great to have his level of freedom in making a film, but I'm not Godard; however if I can get a planned interview finally done, maybe I'll get closer to it. The Her is a city (Paris), and here the two or three things just mean what I (along with many others) have come to know about what seems (seemed...?) to be true about the workings in parts of London.

As has been noted, Long Good Friday was almost prophetic.