Category Archives: Commentary

When You Can See From The Side You Hate

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Left SideRight Side

Riots in the UK. The first of the volumes are being written, of course the political ones, then the social ones and the analytical ones. While there are the excruciatingly narrow-minded blatherings or one liners on social media.

And everyone seems to have forgotten that there are families in a town called Southport who are experiencing unimaginable grief, and there are children whose once young, joyous lives are now permanently engraved with the image of a knife-wielding man stabbing, slashing, stabbing; blood, blood, screams. Yes, let’s not dwell on that. Far better to scream, rage, hate, simmer or slump into a corner as the fog despair seeps in under doors, through cracks in on the air.  At some stage we might pay attention to the twisted motivation or cause of that attack.

Currently the riots are the thing. So maybe the people of Southport can grieve in some sort of privacy from a media swarm whose attentions are elsewhere.

So what about the mindset of those mobs? What were those motivations? What was racing through them? Can you comprehend even beginning to answer those questions? Does you disgust at the actions simply have you justifiably recoil?

WARNING: The expression of very strong views will follow. You may be upset, you may recoil. You may encounter triggers. You may even be upset with yourself for agreeing. It is not my intention to win over coverts. The intention is to take those chose to follow into a Mindset. A lesson? A warning? A sharing? There won’t be any answers here. Just illustrations. Sorry about that.  

The anger is a constant. I cannot abide the extremism birthed out of ignorance, prejudice, nor because someone read something on social media and straightways took it to heart. I care not the political affiliation, nor the cause. I despise in equal measure the bigot on the Right and the single subject protestor on the Left. Though for the latter it is an analytical contempt for choosing only one subject for one reason and not for embracing others in equal suffering.

When it comes to the Right and their violent physical bullying foul mothed degenerate hate. Well, all reason goes out of the window and my urge is to respond in equal measure. To pay like with like. Orders to the police ‘Arrest and contain with extreme prejudice’. Recall parliament. Announce a state of emergency could be declared. Warning to any newspaper on the Right or legal politicians that unless you support the authorities you are against them and we will shut you down. More arrests. Those arrested paced in currently empty military camps under military guard. Announcement to the public to report any hate speech or support of hate speech or anything sympathetic seen on social media to be reported to The authorities (text, Whats App, phone number, Gov.UK web site supplied). Aggressive social media response to the Right. Message to Elon Musk or anyone outside of the UK to keep out. If Russia or Iran were involved in mis-information set up units to reply in kind on their own doorsteps. Bring any UK right wing activists home by all means available. Let the world know whoever they are the UK govt is playing by the Big Boys and Girls rules.

It’s all very bizarre actually. Thinking like Putin or Lukashenko of Belarus when it comes to domestic policy on any disruption, agreeing with their methods when not their reasons. But then I have always been inclined to respond that way when nudged. Irrational, visceral, extreme response to any perceived threat to my way of life, to my set of ‘values’. Response and not consequences. As long as there is the chance to lash out at the foe. As long they can be seen being crushed under foot and so battered they can’t rise again…… There must be something wrong there somewhere. Talking and reasoning one way, preaching about seeking the middle, rational ground, while knowing that down, just below the surface simmers, crouching The Beast. Ready to spring on anyone of a very long list of potential ‘threats’ (to me anyway). But as I have argued, I am very broadminded when it comes to who or what qualifies as a threat, political, social or religious. If they are intolerant, bigoted, ignorant of the facts, a threat to the stability of the whole community; they go on the list. Never negotiate with diseases. That’s what I say. Say. Say.

Actually when it comes down to it. When you consider the folk of Southport’s own response, the Mosque where they came out to talk and give food to protestors

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c84jjv7kp1wo

When thousands came out across the UK to stifle another round of Right-Wing protests:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy8497l7dx8t

When the authorities are going about the business in a lawful, administrative way :

See above.

Well then, look at me. Poster-Boy for the emotional motivation of those Right-Wing thugs. Just the sort to react to the media and inflame the situation. The guy who every time he has put up a political post there has been a sometimes subtle, sometime not, sub-textual slap in the face for an extremist. For I am very extreme in my hate of extremists. Yes, beneath the emotional skin I am not so different. Beware folks, beware. The extremists come in all shapes and sizes, tones and means of argument. Hypocrisy?……Me?……Gosh. I can’t stand it! Nothing worse than folk who say one thing and think another….Err…whoops?

Yes…definitely Mea Culpa time. Or to be sardonically humorous about it, taking a leaf out of my Far Left wing inclinations and having a dose of ‘self-criticism’ (which was actually a communist regime’s process of getting scapegoats to take the blame for something to state had done wrong).

And there you are a look inside the sort of convoluted mindset that was going on in those riots. Nothing pretty, nothing reasonable, nothing noble, nothing justifiable, nothing constructive. Just a Nothing. That’s how I know. I visit there. Far too often.

And sorry to everyone for not replying much to your tireless posts, it takes a lot of effort to keep The Beast chained up and to heel. Once it was loose I’d never really know where it was going to lash out, or how.

But let’s end on a lighter note:

My daughter Meg who is a Matron Midwife in Barnet, within the general region of London offered to her Muslim staff the chance to go home early if they wanted to. To a woman they said they would stay.

‘Hi Meg. Mum was showing me your txt msgs
Manager to manager – Dad to daughter let me say how proud of you I am for offering your Muslim Staff the opportunity to leave work early. Now that is management. Well done.
Also if you feel it is correct to do so let those staff know from me they displayed true courage, true devotion and true care to this country. Each one of them is worth fifty of that rioting trash. Bless you. Bless them’ 

Maybe it makes up for a week spent internally raging.

Now a deep breath, and get back to writing, reading and reviewing fiction. I said a while back I was going to do a lot more of that. I should be, I really should be.

About this guy. Vance, Trump’s Running Mate. A View From Across The Pond

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Vance

Of course there has been and is going to be a lot written about anyone who is chosen as a running mate in a US Presidential Election. The only ones that rule doesn’t apply to are incumbent VPs who unless they do or say something singular just get a few lines here and there and the odd photo.

Now Mr. J D Vance. For starters ‘J D’? I mean, that’s fine for a writer of novels ‘Another wonderful addition to the pantheon of work of J D Vance’  Yep, that sounds good. And he did it, didn’t he? ‘Hillbilly Elergy’.  Or front man in an indy band ‘Once more J D Vance’s combination of lyrics and meoldic voice take us to places we can only dream about, I’d buy the album, straight off. But in a politican? I mean what are wrong the names James, David ? Surely those are sound solid all american names? ..JAMES, DAVID...VANCE. Some folk might vote for the ticket on that score alone ‘Truth be known, ah never cared much for the name Don-nald Trrump. Ah mean when y’all get down to it sounds too northern slick. Him a Noo Yorker an’ all. But he’ll be gone soon being in his seventies…An’ then we’ll get a fellah with a real name….James David Vance…Yup. Can’t go wrong with James-David-Vance,’.
Truth be known the name struck a chord in the memory, some sinister and then it came to me this morning….J J Hunsecker the monsterously creepy columinst as played by Burt Lancaster in The Sweet Smell of Success. What an unfortunate association…..No, must be my febrile imagination…Socialism does that to you; apparently.
Anyway, we’re stuck with ‘J.D’ I guess. Maybe it’s all to do with that book. Somehow though for a politician, a class who are supposed to be all about openess and honesty (stop sniggering you lot in the back of there), publically calling yourself ‘J D’ – well jus’ don’t seem right y’all . Sounds like….well…enter-tain-ment.

And there’s that index finger and thumb gesture with the other fingers held delicately forwards
Vance 2

Trump does that all the time, now he’s doing it. I know with the fingers held upwards it means ‘OK’ or ‘Cool’ .But that way? So prissy. Reminds me of a lesser Jane Austen character explaining to a salesman just what sort of toothpick he’s looking for. No, give me a clenched hand firm of purpose. I mean you don’t, see Putin being prissy do you?

Anyway those are the lesser, but physiologically telling niggles out of the way. (What do you mean I am nit picking? The republicans do it all the time? I recall Obama couldn’t wear a flag pin right, according to them anyway). Now let’s get to the important one relevant to the United (sorta) Kingdom anyway. Mr J D Vance’s recent observation about the UK. 

The following is part open letter to J D but dear reader please feel free to take any part you like and use it in any way you care….

No kidding; the guy reckons Britain under Labour might be the first Islamic nation with nuclear weapons…..read this if you don’t believe me

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn07e2ep20no

Now it is something of a short-sighted and breath-takingly ignorant article of faith amongst british activists all of stripes that all americans are either devious, neurotic or plain stupid. Yet speaking as one brit who has defended the American in general for decades klutzs fellows like Mr J D Vance don’t make the task of defence against the last accusation easy, bearing in mind this guy might be a sneeze or a hamburger away from being President.

Hey J D. I say old chap, a quiet word or two 

OK FIRST POINT J D. Pakistan- islamic country…wait for it….Has nuclear weapons!  Kind of Counts ????? Now I know possession of a politcal or social or militray atlas may be way  down your list of must haves. BUT since you were in the US Marines, and made much of the lessons you were taught. AND were a military journalist I would have thought you might have got the idea of which nations are nuclear powers into your nogging. You having political ambitions of the highest order an’ all.  ‘Pakistan kind of counts’……Jeeeezzz Loooooeeezzzz!!

Now Second point J D. A few stats, as per last census.

Brits who consider themselves Christian (going to church optional) = 46%

Brits who consider themselves aethists and agonostics                 = 39%

Brits who consider themslves Muslim                                              =    6.5%

Now while you are figuring out how 6.5% are going to take over 85+ (others)% with 18 muslim Member of Parliment in the Labour party total of  411 Members of Parliment. Let us look at a background.

  1. The UK muslim electorate has expressed concern if not distrust at Labour (government) for Keir Stammer’s support for Israel’s right to be…. well Israel. Which is uncomfortable for Labour, but since Labour has a majority of  174 and the nation on the whole is focusing on internal issues the Muslim influence on government overseas policy is going to be minimal. 
  2. 4,000,000 folk voted for the extreme Right-Wing party Reform. Convincing those voters to drift back even to the Conservative Party in the hard world of Realpolitik will be a task uppermost in some minds. Now go and work that out for yourself yo-yo.
  3. Immigration is a ‘topic’ in the UK, but the simple idea that there are waves of folk of Muslim faith flooding in and thus taking over the UK. Well you are talking in a million a year J D, over 10 years, maybe . I’ll keep it simple for you….An’t happening

There are other factors which are subtle and work in quiet corners of places folk would rather not talk about in public and probably would go over the head of someone who thinks that Alex Jones is a source of information, so I won’t press you on that. However you are designated Interfering Fool for making an unwise statement which will be only of value to far right-wing thugs like the English Defence League and add another layer of problems for the Muslim population of the UK which suffers enough from intolerance and stupidity

Now we all sound off from time to time and make statements which are either meant to be sarcastic or satirical or just end up being plain wacko because we are either angry or have been ingesting too much of something, but that statement???…. The last time I heard something along those lines was from a very excited teenage London muslim lad who said there would be the Crescent flag flying over ‘Number 10’ (that’s where the PM lives J D), next year…..that was about fifteen years ago.

I suppose (big sigh), being on the side of US politics you are still fixed with that idea that Labour is an authoritarian, police-state, censorship, state imposition sort of party….like the 2025 agenda thing you guys have got going over there….Did I get that right? Or, like you, did I just make a stunningly inaccurate generalisation about politics in a nation I do not, nor have ever resided in.

Look J D  buddy, if you want to hold that VP cum hopeful President post, you better do your homework on the nations you will be dealing with, otherwise, well somewhere down the road Europe is going to close its doors on the USA and quite frankly you are not big enough to stand alone, not up against Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and a few other states who will climb on board. Well not unless you want to use those nuclear weapons? Now there’s an ironic thought, a religious fundementalist faith-based neo theocracy with access to nuclear weapons. Britain?…… 

Nope- Guess  again.

Closing note: Honestly dear reader, Realpolitik Roger can comprehend and accept with hostility, hardened professionals doing what they do on the International scene, whether I like them or not, that’s part of History, sadly. What I cannot abide is half-baked Amatuers with  perceptions so blinkered they make walking near a cliff edge in a fog with just a key ring torch a sensible move. Now they are the real danger.

J D Vance- Vice President….Could make some folk wanna wish Trump a long life- yep if you ask me…. that bad! (Proves there’s always someone worse y’know)

Take care all of you. We live in the Age of Yo-Yos 

In Memoriam Corey Comperatore

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Corey Comperatore

Died on the 13th July 2024 at Butler Pensylvannia, protecting his family from a shooter.

If we had ever crossed paths on social media we might have got into a bit of a disagreement over politics.

That just does not matter right now.

My respects to you Mr. Comperatore, may you rest in peace.

My condolences to your family, friends and colleagues.

And let us not forget the two also injured- 57 year old David Dutch and 74 year old James Copenhaver

To all of us on the opposite side of the late and the injured’s politics:

Judge not that ye be not judged (Matthew 7. Verse 1)

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Elections Beckon. A Series. Part III. Three Days into The Aftermath and I am still not inclined to be Singing and Dancing

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Parliamentary election in Britain

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer greet supporters outside Downing Street 10, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

It takes a singular mix of incompetence, arrogance and unsatisfied (or unsated?) ambitions to go from an 80+ parliamentary seat majority to losing 251 of those seats in the space of less than five years. Whereas Labour did make substantial gains; 211 seats, and a majority of 86 the results seems only to fortify the quirks of the UK’s First Past The Post (FPTP) voting system.

For those not familiar with the UK system and to be brief. A General Election is based around winning a parliamentary seat in a constituency, the candidate who polls the most votes wins and legally all the other votes ‘get binned’. Thus the party which wins the most seats and not the most votes will be the one which forms a government, assuming it has an overall majority, simply having the largest number of seats is not sufficient, as the 2010 and 2017 elections showed; that is where deals have to be done and later on promises reneged. Simple yes? Right now onto the quirks. 

The Conservative Government Party had become unpopular, since the Labour share of the vote remained in the region of 32-34% with an increase of 1.6% the result was a substantial vote against the Conservatives and not for Labour. In previous Conservative regions the moderate Liberal Democrats profited to a great degree and although they polled 3,519,199 votes to win 72 seats, it must be borne in mind that the Right Wing Reform polled 4,117,221 and yet only gained 5 seats. Therefore an overall move to Reform away from the Conservatives opened the door for Labour and The Liberal Democrats to profit. It can therefore be argued that aside from severe disenchantment with The Conservatives, the other factor which decided the election result was the FPTP system. Results however need to be considered in the light of percentage of votes cast. In rough terms there were 48,000,000 voters but only 28,000,000 cast, which in itself is not a vote of confidence in the system. With questions on the futures of parties, Government’s ability to turn around the current situation and the low turnout, the future is not set to be one of Bright Hopes and Sunny Uplands. We must however turn to look at the parties in the aftermath. 

Labour- Whereas Keir Starmer brought a long needed discipline back to the one credible alternative governing party in the UK  and his willingness to make compromises or ditch policies for the overall image of Credibility shows, like it on not, a theme of Realism and Practicality. Thus the very small increase in the overall percentage of the vote and the strong showing of the Liberal Democrats in terms of seats with Reform enjoying 5 seats and those 4,000,000+ votes will be facts not lost on Stammer and his team. Nor the fact that whereas a lot of folk are saying it’s a Tory(Conservative) Free Wales- all seats lost, the Reform vote increased in the Principality of Wales.
One outcome Labour will be celebrating is the defeat in Scotland of the ‘Auld’ foe, The SNP,  the ‘ruling party’, lost 39 seats, 36 of them to Labour. ‘Thus the balance is resorted.’ Small wonder Starmer is off to Scotland Sunday the 7th, to ensure that what was once Labour Heartland remains that way. 
As for how this Labour government will work remains to be seen. Rachel Reeves the UK’s first woman Chancellor of the Exchequer has the most unenviable task amongst a whole room full of them. Deputy PM Angela Rayner with left of centre credentials and battle-hardened also has the role of ‘Levelling Up’ (basically fair shares for all regions). One relatively minor role which brings a promising sunbeam is the appointment of James Timpson as Prisons Minister, CEO of a company with a policy of hiring ex-prisoners; whereas not an elected MP, he gets to be made a Lord, which says he can sit in the House of Lords and thus in the Starmer’s Cabinet (That is a quintessentially UK ‘thing’- it’s all you need to know for the purposes of this post).
It bears repeating, there will be little time for celebrating and how many holidays will be cancelled on re-scheduled is anyone’s guess. Labour will have a very short time scale in which to be seen to be turning things around. And the bane of many a Labour set-up, party discipline will be something of a priority. There may well be something of a ‘wartime’ mentality.
It bears repeating. We shall see. We shall see.   

Conservatives- Ever since the day when Margaret Thatcher was effectively told by those about her in government  ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue’. There has been an air of more than the normal atmosphere of unsettlement you’d find in a political party. The rift was initially between Thatcherites and those they thought traitors, this morphed into pro and anti-European sentiments, but as time went on the Right Which Should Not Speak Its Name, grew bolder and finally the ill-equipped Boris Johnson was made Prime Minister, deft in some respects but woefully inadequate when it came to the grim, hard calls, however his tendency to appetites caused his downfall.  There was the brief flirtation with the Ridiculous in Liz Truss and then back to the traditional ‘Rather Decent Sort of Chap’ with Rishi Sunak who played the role quite well. Even so the damage had been done and no one in the UK likes a party prone in-fighting, mixed with incompetence and in this case the Conservatives out-did even Labour on a bad day.
The aftermath may turn into something entertaining for the neutral and a useful distraction for the Labour Government when it moves into the area of bringing controversially minor but important details. The scale of the sheer disaster for the Conservatives suggests a line up between the traditional near moderate conservatives with a small ‘c’ and the activist-prone those who would be king/queen on the hard wing; as demonstrated by Labour in post 2019. Battle lines have already been drawn between those already saying ‘More Like Reform’ and the ‘Utter Tosh’ response. To write off the Conservatives as a spent force would be folly, they have an in built resilience, although with That Reform there could be a very messy four-way fight for the Heart and Soul of the basically Not Labour / Liberal (as in Lib-Dem) wing of society. Rishi Sunak will continue to play the ‘Jolly Decent Chap’ caretaker role in the meantime and many a moderate might mourn his passing. It will be a time when new names will rise.     

Liberal-Democrats – It is hard not to view Ed Davy as someone who bought a strip of lottery tickets and found he’s the winner of the multi-million currency prize. Back in 2010 ignoring history, leader Nick Clegg made a catastrophic formal coalition with David Cameron’s Conservatives, was gently pushed aside by their machine and earned the ire of a hard-built up support, dooming the party to single figures, which was its fate, until now. No doubt the beneficiaries of Conservative-Rejection, the current grouping of 72 MPs will be in a totally understandable parliamentary mindset of ‘Golly-gosh. What do we do now? Oh my. Oh my,’. It will take some very cool and pragmatic heads to lower the temperature to a ‘This is promising’ constructive level and use the bounty as a foundation for a possible long haul back to taking the centre-ground. If the Conservatives do slide to an entrenched Right wing stance, such a re-positioning with the Liberal-Democrats could be possible. The Liberal-Democrats had been written off either as ‘Nice Folk but…‘ or ‘Total Sell-Outs’ . Maintaining their composure and producing a solid and believable platform could well resonate amongst moderate folk, particularly across England who are weary of the ‘Old Two Sides’. They will need to set their sights firmly on the years ahead though and stick to the No Coalitions strategy. Another thorny issue for them; for years they have campaigned for Proportional Representation and not FPTP, now since they have greatly benefitted from the latter, how loud will their voice be?  

Reform UK – 5 MPs and 4,000,000+ votes, with hard-line Conservatives desperate to hang on saying ‘Perhaps we should chat to them’ and Farage finally getting in Parliament. It is folly to ignore this grouping, even though they attract unpleasant folk who despite and maybe because of their nasty comments did not affect the voting bloc. It has to be accepted anti-immigration and  the associated ‘R’ word (despite denials) played well. This said Reform has its own problems some of which will have occurred to its more astute followers or observers, and other issues which lurk for every party at some stage.
First- Its leader. Farage is a consummate salesman, for he has kept the Right-Wing anti-immigration,’ Out of Europe’ policies alive and thrashing throughout the years and in several forms. And yet in debate with other politicians he is a light-weight and tends to form a party which should be all about him. He was sharp enough to ditch some very nasty characters who slithered out during the campaigns and tried to distance Reform from the vile White Supremacist thugs. That said, does he have the stamina for the Long Haul? It’s one thing to be on the side lines banging a drum, it’s quite another task to work in Parliament. He will face debate after debate there, and it is a brutal place.
Second- What is Reform? Extreme Right- White Power? Social Revolutionaries intent on truly reforming the entire system? Folk looking to take over from a moribund and divided Conservative Party? Are those Five MPs truly united, and will they live up to voter expectations. It should be borne in mind amongst all their expected rightest policies there was the very Left Wing re-nationalise The Public Utilities. 
Third- The Conservative question. As stated earlier some Conservatives are fluttering eyelashes at Reform; there again Farage appears to have sniffed very dismissively at the thought. Thus in the coming Conservative turbulence, will Reform be drawn in and thus find its own internal pressures to say ‘Yes’ ‘No’ or ‘Maybe’. A four-way very arcane struggle could take place.
Four- The question which they would rather not discuss. A very wealthy Asian, Islamic business man Zia Yusuf donated a very large sum to the Reform coffers (figures vary). Now actually there is nothing unusual about someone who is not white thinking a Party like Reform would be a could thing for the UK. The previous Conservative Government had a wider ethnical base than the new Labour version. Mr. Yusuf has made his fortune in the UK and would like things to stay ‘as they were’ when his parents arrived in the UK. How is that going to play with the very unpleasant wing of Reform is another matter. Also it has been noticed that Mr Yusuf is quite the public speaker. Just saying, that’s all.   

SNP-   Brits reading could well be thinking on the classic TV sit-com ‘Dad’s Army’ and the Scots character Private Frazer with his catch phrase ‘We’re doomed’. The SNP were always in danger of suffering a backlash as a result of their recent years’ tenure as Government at the Scots Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh. Failure to push policies through, debates over deliverance on Independence, scandal and the collapse of a coalition with the Scots Greens over environmental issues. On the whole the feeling they were taking the Scottish vote for granted played into Labour’s hands. An additional factor would have been that the Conservative Government could overrule SNP legislation, such as in the case of recent Gender Recognition, therefore the idea in Scotland that a complete Labour overhaul across the UK might be a better option would have played well.
It’s a long hard road back for the SNP, and they must be looking to the Scots election in 2026 for a revival of fortunes hoping discontent has set in at Labour by then. A lot can happen in one and a quarter years.    

Plaid Cymru- Have to be feeling just a bit pleased. They now have four seats, and the whole of the western part of Wales, which looks good on a map. They polled nearly 200,000 and their percentage of the Welsh vote went up slightly now at 14.7% Whereas not earth shaking by any means, it will prove that they have not faded back in obscurity, and will look to make inroads into the Eastern Vote. Their current opponents would be Reform who have increased their vote in Wales. So forget that ‘Tory Free Wales’ triumphant message; the Right is alive and festering. Plaid are the ones to take it on.  

Greens (England and Wales)– This party must be feeling very happy. One extra seat, taken from a Conservative rural heartland which must be a optimistic rune. 1,841,388 votes 6.39% of the vote increased by 3.9%. Another party which suffered from the FPTP system but must feel they have befitted from scandals over sewerage being pumped into rivers and coastal sites, along with concerns over rural lands being turned over the building and roadways, then there are the environmental issues. For various reasons the Greens of Scotland and Northern Ireland are two separate parties, neither made any inroads, but they are both battling against entrenched issues. Overall though the Greens will look to build on this, if only to continually come second or third. 4 seats in the House of Commons is not to be sniffed at.    

Overview

To begin I apologise to any readers in Northern Ireland for not mentioning their results and the implications. As stated previously Northern Ireland has it’s own particular take and traditions and to make some overall statement from ‘The Mainland’ is simply just not right and proper. If anyone from the region wishes to write their own post on those implications from their perspective, please do so.  

In the Mainland UK the numbers, therefore do not tell the complete story. It can be argued that even Labour had mixed fortunes, losing two contests. One to Reform and another to an Independent standing as a result of the war in Gaza. With this in mind it would appear the Muslim community in at least substantial part will currently expect a pro-Palestinian stance by parties to earn their vote. That said Labour has won back the Jewish vote previously lost either deliberately or by fearful incompetence. 

The main concern amongst parties, (aside from Reform and paradoxically The Green Party) will be the lack of votes. The results seem to have demonstrated that a truly representative election system will be a Proportional System (PR), normally the preserve of liberal and left of centre parties. However the idea of Reform, The Greens and The Liberal Democrats united on the issue is an interesting concept. Meanwhile for many the thought of Reform getting seats on the basis on their share of the vote will have them thinking that maybe FPTP is not so bad for Britain, after all.

There is therefore still much to be concerned about. Studied disillusionment. A turbulence in many an overseas location. The continued progress of the Far Right. The wreckage that is the Nation, is this beyond repair in less than a decade and can folk accept that price and strain? And for those of us who support Labour, will this be a victory strong enough to handle the strain or just another paper one?

Even after this election it is still We Shall See.

Cause and Effect. This Time in Papua New Guinea

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Papua New Guinea Landslide

In this photo provided by the International Organization for Migration, an injured person is carried on a stretcher to seek medical assistance after a landslide in Yambali village, Papua New Guinea, Friday, May 24, 2024. More than 100 people are believed to have been killed in the landslide that buried a village and an emergency response is underway, officials in the South Pacific island nation said. The landslide struck Enga province, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, at roughly 3 a.m., Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. (Benjamin Sipa/International Organization for Migration via AP)

Here is the BBC’s update on the situation as at 8am BST UK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckkkyxvdv5eo

In this BBC link the toll of dead, injured and missing has risen to 670, as is often the case when more information comes to light. A landslide, and thoughts will likely focus on the possible environmental issues be they de-forestation, other mis-management or unusually heavy rain fall. Landslides, mudslides call the event what you will. Suffice it to say large and sudden movements of not just mud, but rocks, stones, trees and other dangerous debris cutting a swathe through populated areas, and not just isolated villages are a regular news events. Another warning.

I would ask you to read this and then pause at the last passage which I make no apologies for highlighting here below:

“But Care Australia, the humanitarian agency which is helping with relief efforts, warned that the number affected was “likely to be higher” because of an influx of people escaping tribal conflicts in neighbouring areas.“

Yes, the other blight which we see countless news items on. Inter communal violence. Those who work with incredible courage and dedication will have seen this aspect time and time again. We will of course not seen much in the main news about the myriad of ongoing situations

And here is a link from the International Red Cross page on the situation

https://www.icrc.org/en/papua-new-guinea-tribal-fights

And an extract from the Wikipedia page on Ethnic Violence in Papua New Guinea

“In 2021, approximately 30,000 people were displaced by tribal violence around the Highlands region. In Enga Province, fighting between the Yalingin tribe and the Yambalekin tribe that costs the lives of 80 people and began the year prior ended in a peaceful settlement.In the 2022 national election about 89,000 people were displaced nationwide, with most being from the Highlands region”

It is distressing. It may cause you anger. Despair. The eternal cry of anguish ‘But What Can I Do?’ . Yes you, I also of us may feel helpless at yet another news items of tragedy, indicating not just one but two sources. What can we do? For Pity’s Sake, we cry.

Well – If there is an appeal site and you feel you can manage even a small amount. There is that. The IRC has it’s own donation’s tab.

Also- When encountering, as we all must these days, those who make abusive aggressive comments or in the case of Charities those negative conspiracy heavy nonsense excuses, tell them they are not helping anyone, they are making things worse not just for others but also themselves, and then do not engage any further….let them think on that- it’s called sewing doubt- sometimes it has to be done.

You may also care to post up news items about these (God forgive me for using this word) ‘relatively’ minor incidents and highlight the message that unless we constructively address both problems all across the world, eventually there will be no ‘world’ left for our descendants.

Yes, I know these seem small, almost inconsequential steps but if enough millions to make say a billion or so take this approach, it is a start, a push back. Right? 

For who knows when the equivalent in one form or another will come knocking on our own door?

Stay alert. Stay active. Stay caring. Stay compassionate. Stay.

More Than ‘Just an American Holiday’ This Year

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Rishi Sunak

Rain sodden and competing with an anti-social source blasting out something which might have been music Rishi Sunak spoke with defiance and some gravitas but looked in the still photos like a fellow pleading ‘Give me another chance. I can fix this. Honest,’ And thus the UK ‘s political classes, pundits, news teams and Facebook heroes leap forth with either desperation or undisguised glee to fill the airwaves, media streams and letter boxes for the next 6 weeks. It’s General Election Times folks! Be prepared for thrills, spills, pyrotechnics, polemics, off-the-cuff errors made in public, uninformed biased trash from both Right and Left, and for the media to find a deluded someone who is going on holiday to ‘get away from it’ . Somewhere in there there will be policies and matters of importance mentioned by the major parties, but you’ll have to listen, watch or read carefully because the sound and fury will be loud. And sorry then my good American friends your election will take a back seat for a while. This year 4th July is General Election Day in the UK!!

To start off with I have to admit, personally I find it hard to actively dislike Rishi Sunak, which says more about those in the Conservative Party who have made headlines over the past ten years and also a few in my supposed homeland of the Labour Party.  That said to matters practical or more to the point Realpolitikal. Because against the backdrop of the past ten years  this is an age of choosing the Acceptable not the Perfect.  Something to Build On other than Sold to The Lowest Tender, or worse  Gesture Politics, or Pretending That Extremist Views are the answer, or thinking that Not Voting in the UK is smart.

For folk outside of the UK here is my own summary of the current parties you will hear about. At the risk of causing apoplexy amongst some fundamentalist Little Britains, the UK political scene has gone quite Euro in the past decades, no longer Two Parties and a few minor influences who fortunes rise and fall. Small parties can make an effect, either by diluting the vote of the Big Two or snatching a few seats. So in some sort of order these are

The Conservatives– Came to government in 2010 when Labour ran out of direction and drive. Started off as business as usual, the then PM David Cameron made the mistake of calling a referendum over EU membership and its Right came bursting forth. Since then its leadership has changed several times lurching further Right. Thanks to the special incompetence of Johnson and even more so Truss along with their own version of Labour’s self-destructive in-fighting it has lost much confidence of the public. Sunak tried to play the Sensible Card, but the rabid  side of the Right won’t let things be. The Polls suggest disaster. That’s an old song. The Conservative Party can be Stalinesque when determined to survive. An 80+ majority has to be quite a turnaround. File them under ‘We Shall See,’

Labour – Specialises in visceral in-fighting between what might be taken for in the USA as pragmatic Democrats with liberal leanings and a Left Wing who has a MAGA like fixation with giving Moscow a free pass, conspiracies and vitriolic social media assaults and threats on anyone who upsets them. Their tenure under Corbyn was a long term disaster at a time when the Conservatives own disarray would have been a gift to old Labour hands of the 1960s. Currently under Stammer, a pragmatist on policy and an authoritarian on internal party discipline. Not a favourite of mine but the alternatives are worse, Democracy is often about voting against as voting for. Worst worry- currently an large lead in the polls, lots of words being written about WHEN and not IF Stammer will be PM and a deluded group who might appear thinking not voting for Labour will help Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.  

Pause: The increase in smaller parties votes and disillusionment with the Big Two can lead to a ‘Hung Parliament’, which means neither have a clear cut majority of seats. This happened in 2010 and 2017. The following parties will all benefit in some way from such an event as seats in Parliament could make them king makers. 

Liberal Democrats (generally known as The Lib-Dems)- Formed out of the ashes of the old Liberal Party and a brief Social Democrats. Basically the third party, whose fortunes rise and fall. Under Nick Clegg in 2010 made a disastrous coalition with the Conservatives and lost public credibility, since then have been trying to build back. Currently profiting from those voters who have abandoned the Conservatives but won’t vote Labour. Looking to do well on that traditional theme. Aside from public recognition and trust its big problem is the internal split between the Financial / Economic wing and the Fair Deal for The Public wing (my terms). Also very few folk know any important or high ranking Lib-Dems. Current leader Ed Davey steering a basically steady course between every other party.

Scottish National Party (SNP) – Once the dominant force in Scotland but as suffered internal disputes over whether to go for full independence or stay with the ‘Federated’ stance. They are a force in UK politics in that they are the government in Scotland with a strong presence of 43 seats in the central UK parliament. However personal problems and scandals have dogged the party along with leadership tussles and blunders. There may also be a feeling in Scotland that for too long the SNP have taken the Scottish public for granted.  Both Labour and Conservatives smell SNP blood in the water and are circling like benevolent sharks to ‘save Scotland’  

Plaid Cymru -The Welsh Nationalist party has a long history, with mixed fortunes. Currently the third party in the Welsh Assembly (Senedd) and holding 3 seats in the UK Parliament. At one stage considered the main foe to Labour who traditionally held most of Wales in recent years they have lost ground to the Conservatives whose base in Wales is strongly anti-independence. They could however benefit from the perception of poor showing of the new Conservative MPs who came in during 2019 when said party made inroads in NE Wales. There again could lose out to a Labour revival. A generally Left of Centre party, they battle on. 

‘The Greens’  – The environmental party in the UK. They have doggedly held onto 1 seat in the UK Parliament since 2010. and have a tendency to be looked on ‘fondly’ by a noticeable portion of the UK population, managing to have 2 members on the non elected House of Lords, and 800+ local authority councillors. There has been a split within the party which saw the Scottish Greens go their own way. This reflected the ongoing dispute between some in the Trans-Rights movement and opposite numbers within Women’s Rights groups. Most other parties managed to bury this but in a small party which espouses tolerance and rights in all directions this stands out as an issue. They carry on though, hoping maybe that the success of the Scottish Greens in having a brief power sharing agreement with the SNP might be duplicated in the House of Commons.   

And then we have these two. Although they both have a seat in the current House of Commons, personally I hope that is redressed in the General Election. Their danger being both could dilute the votes of both of the Big Two and even remain the House of Commons. I should warn you I have no time for either, so my comments are not even slightly objective.

Reform (UK) – After UKIP fell apart Farage re-invented it as this one. Basically right-wing, anti-immigration, populist and constantly embarrassed by possible candidates for elections or elected councillors making inflammatory remarks. That said it is making inroads into the right-wing sentiments of sections of the population and could damage the Conservative vote.  Their 1 MP being a Conservative who switched sides. Personally I worry about that as it could influence some Conservative sections to move even further right to hold onto their voters. Although lead by one Tim Rice, Farage lurks ready to ‘do his bit for them’. The final word of the subject involves Farage who is apparently giving most of his attention this year to getting his friend Trump re-elected. Do you need to know any more about Reform UK?

The Workers Party of Britain – A party created by George Galloway, once a left wing Labour MP who now espouses the ‘Arab cause’ and Palestine in particular to the extent of a revolutionary fervour. It is difficult to separate the party from the man. Someone who conducts his political career with a Lawrence of Arabia / Sanders of the River / Paternalistic zeal over his adopted constituency. Won a seat in a recent bi-election through an outpouring of local Muslim anger at the Israeli action in Palestine. You might think, some in the UK do, that this is a revolutionary left-wing party (with a traditional section of the UK far-left anti- semitic ideology masking as concerns about Palestine writ even larger). Then you have to look at the record that he is anti-abortion, anti-LBGT+ and ‘socially conservative’. So forget a radical liberal stance there. A threat to Labour Vote and if the Conservatives do get back in, folk should examine where this apparent party’s vote affected the result. I now cease my comments.  

I have left out the parties of Northern Ireland who have representation in the UK Parliament because of Norther Ireland’s unique approach to elections long and deep in the sectarian question, and its own rules. The republican Party Sinn Fenn might win seats but as a matter of principal will not take them up whereas the Unionist parties can be as much of a problem to Conservative governments as any Labour Party efforts. Even so as in 2017 the latter can be power-brokers, if only for a short time. 

Then there are the usual hodge-podge of fringe parties, some of whom spring up now.

Overview 

Nothing should ever be taken for granted  in an election, those within Labour will look back ruefully to 1992, when only the efforts of John Major and the complacency of Neil Kinnock caused the result to go Conservative against the polls. Those of us with longer memories can hark back to 1970 when Labour was eased out of government against all the odds. A great deal can happen in six weeks.

As you can see from the above parties in the mix there are variables and also possibilities which could knock any party’s focus off course. Aside from the economy and the myriad of social issues, for once there are outside issues. Again, some think that by not voting or voting for extremists they will help the folk in Palestine, the logic of that escapes me, I can only assume they are very innocent of how politics works in the UK, and also know little of what is going on in the outside world in general; they leave themselves open to my eternal question…‘Where were you when the ….. (fill in the blank)Muslim populations were being slaughtered, persecuted in…..(fill in the blank)?’ . Then there is the issue of a full scale conventional war taking place not so far away in global terms from the UK. If Putin does something even more so than he is doing now, that may have some bearing, particularly if some other nation in say the Baltic is drawn in.

Overall this one is about dissatisfaction with a government. It cannot fight very well on its record, as its record is the problem. It might play a fear factor of the unknown to a great degree, and that sometimes works. There are those within who feeling this is a lost cause will settle down for a Long Game, lose this one, purge out the Right and go back to the middle ground; the danger being the party might split, something the Conservatives are usually able to avoid but we live in uncertain times.

Labour might be on track to win outright. but that will be something of a chalice with a dubious mix of beverages. The current government has been borrowing at rates which might be giving some economists and financiers nightmares. What Labour might inherit and what policies they might decide to forgo is a nightmare all of its own. You can only blame the previous government for so long, and in this unsettled unhappy realm ‘long’ will be short indeed.

I would normally say, simply Vote. It is vital for your future and those after you. However since there has been a revision of the voting system with the need to produce identity there and then, and the rules are not the clearest a number of potential votes might go by default….Why even an ex-Prime Minister got caught by that and could not vote…Boris Johnson…Who else?

I would not recommend betting on this outcome, much less the aftermath. 

Anti-Abortion Movements. Are You Socialists Or Not? Make Your Mind Up

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The Annual March for Life

Here is a thought. Well actually more of a stroll down the wander trails of reasoning of, in this case the American Right and their alleged Pro-Life Stance. The following is not based on a newly discovered accusation, more a case of taking matters a few more steps into the paradoxes and hypocrisies which, if not careful can lead folk just where they did not want to be.

According to current information the following states have total bans abortion:
Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia with Arizona and Florida on their way.
Thus these states have legislation which will enforce a woman to carry through a pregnancy and give birth to a child. A small living being whose rights these legislators and their supporters were so concerned about while the child was in a womb.

And what comes after birth?  All being thankfully well Mother and Child will be alive. Therefore Postpartum Maternal Health you might think.

Just to clarify that for you, here is a link to a Medicaid.gov page on the subject based on events 2021:

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/quality-of-care/quality-improvement-initiatives/maternal-infant-health-care-quality/postpartum-care/index.html

In 2021, you will note from the first page from Medicaid the following states were named:
‘Kentucky, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Montana and Wyoming participated in the action-oriented affinity group where teams designed and implemented a postpartum care quality improvement (QI) project in their state’ 

Move on

And here is the HHS Launches Postpartum Maternal Health page on Feb 14th 2024 regarding the current initiative:

https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/02/14/hhs-launches-postpartum-maternal-health-collaborative.html

On reading this, notice there were representatives from:
Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Hats off to Alabama and Missouri for having a certain level of consistency. As for 2021, that was a long time ago there was the 24th June 2022 overturn of Roe vs Wade.

Before going any further we have a movement which is concerned over the rights of a child in the womb. We have a state which is intending to monitor where a pregnant women is travelling, just in case she tries to skip over the border (Hey there Texas) And we have those 14 to 16 states with total ban on abortion.
Therefore it would seem rational to assume that in regions which place a very high premium on the protection of the unborn child, this concern would carry forth once the child is born? And it would also be reasonable to expect the campaigning groups to divide their time between pregnancy and Postpartum interludes, ensuring both are equally catered for. By law, there is strict imposition for the former. Is there equally strict imposition for care of the born child? Of course we have to be fair, in so far as it takes time to set up these systems and ensure they are correctly resourced? The question is are the campaigners who worked so hard in the states where there are total bans, doing the same for the welfare of the child, born? And further on as they grow.

We now move to the question of implementation. A state imposes a law that the restricts the options of a person for the good or well-being of another person, in this case the unborn child over the mother. The legislation concerns itself over ‘rights’ and turns an action (abortion)  into a crime. Next step, comparison. Now we know, accept that certain acts such as theft, assault, fraud, death through careless behaviour, murder are considered universally to be acts which carry penalties, the logical being for the stability of the society. When we move into an area where an act is to be considered a crime because it is deemed to be one through application of a social outlook, be that religious, philosophical, political then we are looking at the area of Social Engineering, and that friends is where we come to the ‘S’ word – Socialism . At least by the definitions being bandied about by the US right when it comes to Gun Control, Funding of Medical Aid, Environmental Protection and so forth. And yet they are willing to impose anti-abortion legislation, as well as control of books in public libraries. There seems to be an inconsistency. A lack of freedom, or liberty, both words which Right-Wing groups seem inclined to use.

Personally speaking as one who has been known to lurch to the authoritarian socialist tendency on several occasions (mostly to do with racism, other acts of prejudices. we’ll leave the rest out) I recognise a certain familiarity here with my own thought processes on those matters which cause strong personal feelings.

Therefore I must ask. Anti-Abortion Groups? Banning Book Groups? Maybe you ought to check your socialist credentials, for there is certainly something of the authoritarian within you.

And will you, aside from purging books from libraries be campaigning for the welfare, well-being and safety of children throughout all of their childhood?          

 

Of Perceptions, Explanations and more than a few Accusations (On My Faith Part II)

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Faith

Foreword: In addition to being a continuation from Part I
There’s Nothing Simple Out There (One Christian’s Declarations Concerning Their Faith and the Subject of Evidence. Part I)
The two together are also an expansion on a post from past August, which some might say. ‘OK that’s all we need to know. Give it a rest already’. That is your choice:
Religion. Another Viewpoint (With Some Assistance From Quantum Mechanics & Cosmology)
The intention of the two parts together is to seek to go deeper, and wider.

This post moves from the questions Physical (both Scientific and Historical) and into the more intangible concepts of the basics of Faith, Belief both in the Religious/Theological  and also in the Social…. and also gives more space to a few polemics,

Therefore:
The Theological Perspective
The Social Perspective
Finally a Summary

In this I will mostly restrict my commentary to the Christian Faith. If I do refer to other Faiths, brevity will be utilised and sweeping generalisations avoided in areas which require a more detailed knowledge.

Theology / Religiosity / Faith. All from Within

 Retrospect

In Part I I contended that when set against the backdrop of the Scientific Perspective with all the unexplored areas, by the same perspective there was therefore no reason to say a person cannot hold to a belief in a Deity. The non-existence of a Deity cannot be physically proven.

Folk will of course put forth their own arguments for that non-existence but will always come up against the problem that they cannot offer physical proof to support their case. And likewise neither can I point to the place where God is, as one would say a mountain. It all comes down to Belief, or which has equal importance Doubt. Some might argue that in a world which shows so many tragedies and harm upon the Innocent, Doubt is the most honest approach of the Three stances. And others would contend that in my last post I inadvertently produced a case for Agnosticism.

We seek out ways to perceive the Vastness in Space, Time and Reason. A journey we may never complete. Let that be so. However such knowledge should never stop us doing so.

On Some Assertions Concerning Religions / Faiths Etc.

Before proceeding I need to address two commonly made statements which appear to attribute to Theisms certain properties:

Religion Is The Cause of War

And so is Economics, so is Politics, so are Resources, so are Cultural Differences, so is The Desire for Independence, so is the Willingness to Be Led, and so is, so is, so is.
Claiming one cause is an unconscious attempt to let ourselves, that is Humanity off of the hook, the flaw in our natures in which we embrace War and its lesser relative Conflict.
Once more for Brevity’s sake, and using European thinking, of which they may like it or not Russia and the USA have embraced; yes there have been wars in which religion was a foundation. Looking at the European side of history.
Crusades (quickly to turning into a land grab, as well as alliances with Muslim states and wars with other ‘Christian’ states)
The French 16th Century Wars of Religion (nobles changes sides and beliefs like socks- And Henry of Navarre Huguenot / Protestant turned Catholic – ‘Paris is Worth A Mass’)
30 Years War. One of the more obvious ones. (Except for the fact that Catholic France was in conflict with Catholic Spain and supporting Protestant Sweden)

So whereas it can be argued religion started the ones mentioned above, politics soon became involved and in various forms eased into the driving seat.
There is a line of arguments within professional Historians circles that the term is actually a Western perspective, and is just one facet of a myriad causes.
Basically Humanity is the cause of War, to assume if there were no religions there would be no wars is to assume something very peculiar about the conflicts between 1900 and 1950, to cite glaring example.

Religion Is The Opium of The People  

There may have been a time somewhere between The Enlightenment and The Birth of Socialism / Communism that arose the argument for religion being something that the ‘Ruling Classes’ use to keep the population in line and to feel that all would be well if they believed.

Firstly as it will be seen from the experiences under authoritarian and atheistic regimes which entered the lexicon in the 20th Century, Religion was replaced by Party Doctrine as the ‘Opium’. Once more it can be pointed out that Humanity is very inventive in producing its ‘Opiums’. In Post WWII, in the West, Europe in particular religious observance went into a decline whereas materialism and consumerism went upwards ever upwards. In latter years the worship of Celebrity has become a factor, with a new schism of Influencer each bringing forth their adherents and of course nasty disputes between the various ‘belief’ systems.

Another facet of the argument that religion kept the population in check tends to fall apart when matters are exanimated under the microscope of History. Over the centuries there have been a constant list of uprising from the ground level, often targeting the established religious set-up. Far from keeping folk in check once the system is seen to be with its abuses ‘rebellion’ be it in another form of religion or in a secular approach will arise. Reformation. Rise of Communism; just two.

Be honest folks. The problem is People. Always People. It is no use blaming one system or another, WE are the ones who run them.

Religion In General. And Faith. Which Can Be Quite Separate 

OK, having tried to get Religion off the hook and shift the blame where it belongs onto People, and with that theme in mind, let us consider that issue.

World Population 8 billion
Christianity 2.4 billion
Islam 1.9 billion
Hinduism 1.2 billion
Buddhism 520 million (0.52 billion)
Judaism 15.2 million (0.152 billion )
Also some estimated other religions 10,000 (mostly local) – exact numbers not available.

We could spend a great deal of time and effort  separating those figures by differing approaches, gender, age groups, geographical locations and cultural implications. This would still leave us with a large portion of the population of the planet having a theistic belief. There one question which itself sub-divides and that is.

How much Faith is there in The Religion? When I use the term Faith I am referring not to a confidence in the beliefs I am asking of dedication to those core beliefs which transcend the Social Norms, The Customs, The Ethnicity, and The Political aspects ever present in Life and which also have an influence upon us. Religion contains a dual purpose: To Explain and to Codify behaviour. At the very root, foundation, call it what you will lies essentially a path to embrace community and seek out that ever evasive Better Way.

Now it would be naïve of me to write the above words without knowing full well that there will be a substantial number of folk who would at least shake their heads in disagreement, and possibly howl in outrage, when ‘everyone’ can cite numerous instances or bits of religious works which argue the opposite. And yet imagine if the majority of those believing in a deity took to violence. The world is tragic enough with minorities using religion as their excuse taking up arms. Of course that does attract news commentary, which is only natural. Yet there are folk of Faith, quietly working away to try to make Life Better. Relying on their Faith

I will offer you this, based on my Faith, and on reflection as to the numbers of people with a religious based Faith. I believe that there is room enough for all Faiths. I believe it matters not to me whether a person’s religiously bound Faith is different to mine. If they hold to Compassion, Respect and Tolerance as part of their Faith that is fine. The rest is just not important. We choose different paths, which evolved from myriad reasons. As long as we meet on those three principals. What does it matter? And how does that square you ask? Are there lots of gods then? Well I would say no, just many ways to receive a message.

Yes, I would get into a bit of trouble with the hierarchy. Being Christian and Catholic I am quite aware that ‘The Church’ does not like the concept of Relativism. Yeah, well I square that with God at some stage. That’s where the final say on the matter will be. Though I’m still working out my own personal theological notions. Kind of Quantum? Yes?

The Impact and Reaction to Religion in Society. (Inside Looking Out)

There is a lot that annoys me and saddens me about the divides which are going on. In this case I’m sticking back with Christianity as this is my home turf as it were’. That said I am not allowing this come between me and my good atheistic friends here on WP.

Firstly, I repeat have no time for these quasi-fundamentalists who are only using religion as a convenience to fit their prejudices, their privileges, their hypocrisies, hates, fears and hysterias.

Secondly I would make a general appeal to a section of the atheist Community.
Will you please stop packaging all of us with that aforementioned group. You don’t do that with races, do you? And it does not occur to some that the remarks they make are downright offensive to us as well? I am sure these are mostly directed at the quasi-fundamentalists? But stop to think for a moment? Are you not profiling us all? Mock the hypocrites sure. But lay off basic beliefs will you? Just ask questions. Don’t make accusations or offensive remarks, or mock. That hurts. And by the way says more about you that it does about a moderate believer. Some of the throw away lines I have encountered are mere mirror images of the MAGA style self-identifying ‘believers’ ‘Religious BS’ is a common one? Seriously? Has the accuser ever spoken to a Christian who also embraces scientific teaching, the whole of Cosmology (well as much as we know)?
Sadly this is another fracture line. Society is filled with them.

Currently there seems to be three types of religion. There’s the uncomplicated Faith based one which is down to personal choice. There’s the Community one, in which folk of similar beliefs meet up and share. Those two overlap. And there is, as is usual in Human History the one which is used for Political Purposes and is soaked in Hypocrisy and Self-Service.
The latter has it’s partner in crime in Politics itself, where the political beliefs are twisted through the same processes of suiting the purposes of a party or grouping. Places where Sincerity is a variable commodity. Truth is that which is convenient to the group. And only the Opposition is guilty of Hypocrisy.

Therefore I have to say, all those charges which are placed at the doors of Religion will be equally fitted into Politics, Social Movements, Social Interactions and so on. In short Humanity is Guilty as Charged.

Summary

So, where do we draw the line between types of Belief? A person has a secular belief, be it, say, Social, Scientific  or Political. They hold to that belief. They hold to it strongly. They will demonstrate an opinion which others strongly object to, some will say their belief is illusory, and a threat. In the broad scheme, where is the difference therefore between faith in The Religious or The Secular. In the scheme of Human dynamics is there a difference? People hold fast to something.

Think on this one.
Many will say they hold true to Democracy. A laudable ideal.
However….In the disaster that was WWII Two Democracies (well for White folk that is) with colonial mentalities signed up with a violent totalitarian system to defeat two other like-minded totalitarian systems and in doing so allowed their ally to reap unjust rewards and while doing so caused the deaths of millions of civilians. Both those democracies along with other democracies also subjugated and caused large numbers of deaths amongst the populations of nations within their ‘spheres’ of influence. One Democracy had built into laws racial discrimination. Recently through its arcane flummery the same democracy allowed the minority vote holder into its position of president. A fellow of questionable qualities, opening the doors to new waves of  Intolerance.

Do just these few examples mean that you hold Democracy to be something to be held as false and even to be despised?

You would prefer one of the other systems? Seriously?

If you set out to target Religion in general along ethical grounds then you had better be ready to target that which you hold close too. Are you ready to condemn it as false?

Finally. This I will assert, repeat to be precise.

You do not criticise a person for having a religious belief without endangering yourself of profiling and with it having a limited perspective. If a person believes in the equality of others irrespective of race, belief and gender; if that person cares about the state of the environment; if that person holds that scientific knowledge to date is to be respected, even celebrated; if that person sees flaws in all systems and ‘We’ could and must do better, while having a belief in a Deity; then why is the latter a ‘mark’ against them? Careful how you answer that; your answer may say more about you than you care to admit.

If you are unqualified targeting Religion as a concept, you are looking in the wrong place. Look around you. Look inwards too. Theists have to do that, everyday, if they do have Faith, that is.

Presidential Election 2024: Why Good Intentions About Palestine Remind Me of Cuba October 1962.

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Roads to Hell

The latest war between Israel and the Gaza Strip Palestine strikes us all in some way or another. I have to subsume my anger at the protestors, I wanting to know where they were when the Rohingya, Sudanese, Uyghur and Iranian Women, to name but just four examples were and still are suffering. I have to remember that tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead, dying, injured, brutalised, traumatised. homeless, starving- in short also unjustifiably in Hell.

I can see the strategy of those who mobilised the votes in Wisconsin and Rhode Island for  “uncommitted” or “uninstructed,”. The idea to put pressure on Biden to move to a stronger stance on Israel has its merits and is more useful than joining loud parades up and down the streets of America. And it can be argued that in an election years where every vote will count the strategy has played a part in Biden taking a tougher stance. So far so good then.

However every action has its historical resonances; part of History’s construct lies within its echoes, some do not come in a straight line, they flow in from over hills and far away. For their full effect maybe you had to have been there at one point in the long path.

For me the echoes are coming in from October 1962, when as a child of eleven growing up knowing the fear of what nuclear war could bring if only in a tabloid comic book form it was a fearful few weeks. Particularly as the filtered down news was suggesting atomic weapons would be used. In later years it became apparent there were generals and officials pushing for their use. First strike, Get the hit in. Frighten the other side into backing down. And these were not the ridiculous cartoon characters of the dangerously frivolous film Doctor Strangelove. These were men trained and school in a fearful ominous world of threat, counter-threat and then the unthinkable. They were the ones who saw the use of Nuclear Weaponry as a Necessary Eventually, far better displayed in the film for grown ups Fail Safe. Cooler, more pragmatic, subtler heads prevailed. Realpolitik came into play. Everyone had puffed up their chests. Now time for the deal to salve pride. And avoid the catastrophe.

Very well. Enough background for my allegory. Just bear in mind those last words, And avoid the catastrophe 

At this stage parts of the allegory have to be separated from the current situation.

Today the principal issue is the Democrat vs the Republican candidate Biden vs Trump. One a politician of balance and traditional perspectives. The latter an egotistical insensitive fellow feeding off of the desires and beliefs of Right Wing coalition of the disaffected, fundamentalist, and outright intolerant. In effect if elected their meal ticket, their flag of approval in all matters domestic. Bear that in mind.

No, Biden’s administration is not perfect. None is particularly when it comes to foreign policy and day to day responses. In this world you can forget consistently fair minded and ethically clean. And not just governments either. Need I have remind you about a comparative public lukewarm response to the suffering of other populations in equal numbers? It is not just in the tens of thousands in Gaza where Hell has come a’ calling.  If you care about Human suffering as a principal you do not get to be selective. Selective means preference which means agendas or worse tragically naïve. But that is an argument for another day. Because we are all culpable.

So let us return to the Domestic situation and the Risk of using this for International Ends

The current polling suggests that the race between Biden and Trump is tight. This is sobering news for those who have fought long and hard for a more tolerant and forward thinking society, for those of once lived in shadows for fear of discovery, or realised from their very birth they were considered inferior and viewed with suspicion. For those who practice their religious beliefs in quiet open-mindedness.

Not only are the polls tight, but the reaction of the hysterical right in 2020-2021 should be born in mind. These folk do not subscribe to democracy, unless it is on their terms of course. Thus unless there is a mobilisation against The Republican MAGA grouping and their nominated Trump, the situation does look grim for those who seek an equal and tolerant society as the norm.

Consider what has already happened in some states. The persecution of the LGBT+ community. The limiting of education and reading matter. The effective removal of Women’s independence of their own bodies. The underlying threats to any community not White and apparently Christian. The tolerance of violent neo-nazi quasi-militias. And there are the manifold Risks. Some might say this is all hyperbole and turning to their personal matters assume someone else might do something about it. And you have seen Trump’s attitude to the judicial system, his rantings roared on by his sponsors, MAGA.

Therefore these are outlined the risks involved in not concentrating the Biden vote and the necessity of mobilising those who would normally not vote.

Now comes the very hard and some will find upsetting part.

I appreciate the sentiments of those who have read so far and are in strong disagreement with me, particularly when the matter of the Cuban Crisis Allegory is returned to.

Those who thought the Nuclear Strike was a balanced, correct option. Dare I compare those with today’s Folk who in all goodwill are looking to contribute to ways to ease the sufferings of the Palestinians? Have I any right to suggest such a strategy and its tactical deployment carries, morally similar risks?

Yes, I do.

In a time of narrow gaps in the polls, when one side in violent in its language, imagery and implied resorts to physical violence, all under a blasphemous mix of their ideas of ‘Liberty’ and ‘Christianity’ – the same basic ideals as those who would have used nuclear  weapons?

Yes, I do.

Because one false move, one minor poor calculation, one gifted gap to the Republicans. One suggestions that your actions will encourage Trump to announce he could solve the problem; he who says he will solve something, never does and throws a tantrum, yet still convinces folk he can solve the next one, and inconsequence have some folk switch to him.

All far-fetched are they? No. Sixteen years ago, Trump would have been thought an impossibility. But It happened. A discredited fellow in court still a viable presidential candidate? Could still return? Those are the possibilities. And this very dangerous strategy of tampering with the Biden vote makes the allegorical nuclear result likelier. Because you who subscribe to this strategy cannot be absolutely certain you will not play a part in Trump returning to The Whitehouse, and with his Evangelical pushing him on to their Book of Revelation scenario, how will that help any Palestinians? You cannot say for certain what will happen. Other than it will not be a sunny uplands for every American.

If you are still offended by Cuban Nuclear Allegory then I will give you another take on risks. Any responsible driver will take note of extremes of weather. Going out in such conditions does not automatically lead to an accident with fatal or near-fatal repercussions, but you take heed of the warnings. You check your speed. You are alert to dangers. You will have taken precautions. Even if you must go out you do not drive as you would on a calm, clear day. You limit the risk, the reason may be urgent, but you still take care, you do not rush along, you rein in your emotions. Getting there is the important thing.

Therefore those who are using this strategy to influence Biden or think they are taking a moral stance which is worthy. Bear in mind the risks you are taking with this. If Trump does get into the Whitehouse and the statistics reveal that your actions played a part in that, what will you think in the future when the Right runs rampant through the nation.

You have gone far enough. You have had your say you may have played a part. Think on what might happen if you persist.

All actions have consequences, and I regret to say, in this world, there are no easy options, and no option comes without a price to pay.

An Uncomfortable Fact

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Sudan Suffering

It is understandable that folk should have become angry and upset over the latest events between Palestine and Israel. The news made the headlines. The actions by both sides were militarily and politically inexcusable and neither come out with any honour. 

 Arguably there might not have been the same impact with the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainians fought back and even if Russia does win grinding down stage the price is high. Some grim satisfaction for the observer. 

For more than a few October 2023 may have been their first introduction to the full brutality of war upon civilians en mass. And to be fair most folk have to rely on the media feeds, the intensity and the duration of the reporting. And whether any outlet bothers to gather experts, journalists and activists  to discuss the events at prime time. As for the political arenas….Well that depends on whether there is any mileage doesn’t it? Is there a Sudanese vote this presidential year? Can Trump find it on the map. At least Biden went for sanctions (which is a bit like a bucket of water in a forest fire, but he tried) 

And so Sudan suffers.

Sudan The current round of destruction of homes, slaughter and mass rape began on the 15th April last year, when fighting began between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Force (previously known as The Janjaweed whose levels of brutality have been a byword in Sudan for decades). The current death toll is 13,000 -15,000, the injured reaching 30,000 + the internally displaced about 6,000,000, refugees 1,700,000+ and if you add all those figures together and take just 1% you would have a lower figure for the number of women and children raped. Some official figure says 88. My rebuttal is redacted, even self-censoring doesn’t cover my fury.

Other internal militias have piled into the chaos, some neighbouring states have become involved. Those stalwarts of Peace-Keeping and Liberation The Wagner group operate there with the RSF and there are rumours that Ukrainian Special Forces have found time to deploy anywhere Wagner is. 

Sudan bleeds, cries, screams and finally sits in dull-eyed trauma regularly. Blink and you miss the news items. 

And are there large scale demonstrations on any streets of The West? Do any large groups concerned about the rights of one group of peoples care about the rights of the Sudanese? Do  folk who raise their flags and ranks of demonstrators any time the US , anyone in the West or Israel acts consider the Sudanese? 

Just to repeat. I can understand folk being upset and outraged by atrocities being perpetrated on any group, when that news is made known to them. Of course you would. When it is made known to you. But some professional activists? Those who cry long and loud for one case, or give a free pass to another aggressor because they ‘were provoked’ (Russia is allowed to be provoked). And yet are  quiescent when it comes to an equally bloody episode, which ‘regrettably’ does not interest them politically, or is beyond their limited capacity for perception. Where are the thousands out on the streets in support of the innocents of Sudan? (It’s nearly a year now people!)

Sudan 3

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68606201

To be fair, some do care. So let us tip our hats to students in Cambridge:

Sudan in Cambridge

https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/27249

And Sudan did get a mention thanks to the efforts of Sudanese in London:

From Sudan to Palestine: United in London’s March Against Genocide and Injustice

 

And that is to name but just one human manufactured catastrophe in our world. If a village of fifty folk gets burden down, its folk killed or raped in some remote area of a country you would be hard put to say one sentence about, the misery is just as great for them, as a nation in torment.

So pardon me if scoff in bitter derision at those who only march against Israel. Selective outrage does not hack it. And unless you are weeping, seething for the rest suffering out there, yes, it does look like antisemitism. And that ‘some’ folk are just not worth your attention. Change that image people. 

All Human suffering deserves our attention, wheresoever it may be.

(Feel free to mention those you wish to add)