Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Donate!

I laughed out loud at the cartoon in the new Private Eye - a man saying 'I can't remember being so indifferent since Diana died' and I have to say that I haven't been to a Thatcher is dead celebration street party or whatever at all.  Whole Sky Monitor did have a beer mind you...

But being serious, our man Billy Bragg who rarely says owt stupid did suggest this website.  I agree so I'm passing on the link  http://donthatedonate.com/  There is a certain callousness about celebrating anyone's death so you can go here and mark the death of Maggie by donating...

I'm going to give a few quid to the Tutu Foundation.  I'm not a Christian (far from it...) but when Des goes I will probably shed a tear...but hopefully that's a long time away...

Maggie Maggie Maggie!

One or two people who are too young to remember have asked me what all the fuss is about Margaret Thatcher...

Well, here's my tuppennyworth...

These are the things I remember most about Maggie.
  • Awful patronising tone when talking to anyone at all
  • Support for Apartheid South Africa
  • Using the police to stop people legitimately using roads in coalfield areas during the miners strike (they'd arrest everyone who wouldn't turn back at road blocks and the courts would declare it illegal and let them go - then it'd happen again and again and again)
  • Related to the above, using the police as a political tool
  • Presiding over the conversion of the economy from manufacturing to 'services' which seems to mean moving money around from screen to screen and pocketing massive profits without actually doing anything useful (until it all went wrong)
  • Her 'Victorian values' - not so much civic pride or public sewer building but a general prejudice against gay people and foreigners  
  • The massive and deliberate shift of power away from trade unions and their members to multinational corporations
  • Complete lack of sympathy bordering on contempt for workers, Northerners, working northerners and the unemployed (and more I'm sure)
  • Social values based on promoting and rewarding selfishness and greed
  • Holes in the road
  • Selling Council houses off with no intention of building any new ones
  • Oh yes, there's the massive hypocrisy of that Francis of Assisi quote about harmony!
The Thatcher government was the only time I can remember when the government seemed to actually be out to get me.  Not the same as not representing me or representing other interests - but actually out to get me personally for not toeing the line.

The sad fact is that she did win - greatest legacy being New Labour and the myth that only private enterprise works.  I give you German Railways as a quick example.  And British ones as another!

That's enough Thatcher...

Monday, April 01, 2013

Rough Little Mixes

Music!  Yes, I'm going to mention music.  I've been with Neil the top recording man today sorting out rough mixes of new recordings.  I think this is what it would look like if I tweeted...

I now have what I need to rehearse bass playing and singing.  Ah...work...Well, sort of...

Fifty three quid!

If you don't know what I'm talking about here don't worry.  Anyway, yes...any fool can live on £53 a week - for about a week.  Until you need toilet roll and shampoo and stamps and need to catch a bus and buy a bit of food and...

So if IDS is going to live on £53 a week it has to be for at least 6 months or it means nothing...

Here's a thought on the benefits bill...Part of the reason for it being so high is that wages are so low.  This is partly due to power being shifted from workers and unions to big international companies.  So...the way to decrease the benefits bill is to give more power to those demanding higher wages.  They then pay more in tax.  So basically we're talking about a shift of power and money from the rich and powerful to the poor and powerless.  Easy!  Bring back left of centre politics and trade unions!

There you go IDS, you can have that for a consultancy fee of oh, I dunno...fifty three quid.  Plus a bonus.  Call it a million quid...