nostr:npub1jutptdc2m8kgjmudtws095qk2tcale0eemvp4j2xnjnl4nh6669slrf04x is this really that bad on the streets in the UK? 👀


I'm also curious about this


Same


It was pretty bad last night in a number of cities, less so tonight but still pockets of violence. The fear is, that it will continue for the rest of the summer.


Damn! That sucks! Be careful out there !


No, recent events have amped up tensions and greed a number of grifters making careers for themselves on X.

I’m curious how those peoples visibility is funded though.


UK Protests

For years, the government has allowed, in lockstep with big business, the influx of an unsustainable number of migrants to such an extent that they have no idea of the numbers involved. The Office of National Statistics thinks the population will increase by 6.6 million (9.9%) between 2021 and 2036. The British people are proud of the many cultures that make up our nation, but the levels are far beyond what is feasible for a country to assimilate, and our own culture is being lost. The cause of the immigration, as I see it, is a flawed Ponzi scheme economy that needs an ever-increasing (cheap) workforce to pay the debts of the previous generation (and dependents on our state).

We have hotels that are full of migrants, with food provided, an allowance given, and medical and healthcare services provided. Yet, they remove the winter fuel allowance for our older generation, amongst other cuts and unresolved homelessness. We see boatloads of migrants, primarily fighting-age men. We see hotels that are full of fighting-age men. We are told they are fleeing persecution, but where are the women, and why are they not staying to protect their country?

The outcome of these policies affects, for example:

Housing: The government has a target of 1.5 million houses to be built by 2029, yet in 2023-2024 only 143,000 houses were built. Already, houses are everywhere, rammed up together, with people living on top of each other, peering into each other's gardens, and sprawling into our countryside (such as in the small village I live in, which is having 10,000 houses built on its doorstep). With supply and demand, house prices are unaffordable to the next generation (our children).

Healthcare: Our healthcare system can no longer cope. If you want a doctor's appointment, you have to wait weeks or go private. I've been waiting since December last year for an ultrasound scan. They send me texts asking if I still want the appointment and if I don't respond, they cancel it.

Transport: The roads are deteriorating—they are congested and full. From personal experience, I've spent thousands repairing suspension damage from potholes. Similarly, the airports are way past capacity, according to my travel experience.

Crime: Sexual assaults on women have doubled for children aged 13 or over since 2013. Knife crime is also up significantly over that period. Our most recent headline crimes are perceived as caused by a group in our society who do not share our values and culture—that group being (presumably) extremist Muslims.

Community in mourning after three girls killed in knife attack:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd194zkw4d9o

Two guilty of Lee Rigby murder:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25450555

'Soldier beheaded' in Woolwich machete attack: as it happened:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10074029/Shootings-and-machete-attack-in-south-east-London-live.html

Woolwich: suspect believed to be involved in attack - video:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/video/2013/may/22/woolwich-suspect-attack-video

Newcastle grooming gang jailed for raping 13-year-old girl:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-68446855.amp

Grooming gang sentenced to nearly 350 years for rape of eight young girls:
https://metro.co.uk/2024/04/27/grooming-gang-sentenced-nearly-350-years-rape-8-young-girls-20730704/?trk=public_post_comment-text

Huddersfield grooming gang: Men convicted of sexually abusing vulnerable girls and jailed for 220 years:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/huddersfield-child-abuse-ring-sex-trial-court-grooming-tommy-robinson-reporting-restrictions-a8592176.html

Yet simultaneously, they inflate the money supply, causing prices to rise and devaluing their citizens' savings. They also increase taxes and provide an education system that indoctrinates our children.

The most recent attack in Southport was by Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, who ran into a dance class of children and stabbed and murdered three young girls aged 7 or so, with others critically injured. The press was slow to clarify who committed the atrocity, which I think exacerbated the situation. Axel is aged 17 and is a child of immigrant parents from Rwanda. I don't think his family are Muslim, by the way.

So, yes, people are angry—very angry—and rightfully so. It takes a lot for the British public to protest. They have been betrayed by a government that doesn't listen to them, does not control immigration, and now labels it as "far-right thuggery." They are not far-right; they are working class (of all colours).

There is a two-tier policing system that lets one group run around with knives and machetes and protects Antifa. Yet when the working class protests, they turn up in riot gear, with dogs, and charge them down, inciting violence. In response, the government declares how they will increase the use of facial recognition and come down hard on anyone involved (including online), but there is no mention of how they will resolve the issues that have caused this outrage.

The most recent protests have been against the hotels profiting from the migrant situation. I hope that innocent people are not harmed and that the anger is directed towards the government that is complicit in causing this, not on our fellow mankind.

That said, I don't have live TV, and I am fortunate to live outside of the large towns where the protests are being held (generally up north, in Labour [left] voting towns, interestingly). I respect others' opinions, as it's difficult to see the whole picture from any one viewpoint. One thing is for sure: if the government continues not to listen and indeed acts against the working class, this won't stop here.

"When I see an actual flesh-and-blood worker in conflict with his natural enemy, the policeman, I do not have to ask myself which side I am on." - George Orwell

Sources:

Net migration to push UK population to 74m by 2036, ONS projects
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68139947

Starmer condemns 'far-right thuggery' on UK streets and says those involved 'will regret it':
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0jqjxe8d1yt
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpwddpzyxpzo

How Winter Fuel Payments are changing – and what other support is available to pensioners?:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/winter-fuel-payment-2024-pensioners-allowance-b2588687.html

Knife crime statistics England and Wales:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn04304/

How many violent attacks and sexual assaults on women are there?:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-56365412?trk=public_post_comment-text

Labour wants to build 1.5m new homes - can it really deliver on its promise?:
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-13596143/Labour-wants-build-1-5m-new-homes-really-deliver-promise.html

https://m.primal.net/JpEi.jpg


One persons take (mine):
@note1fqy2fg7e00dgd8h2skp7qyy5946fzyx97m24er5ds0zxeekltluskgkpth


I can understand you! For the past few months I have been working in immigration law company and I read the most political asylum cases these immigrants provided. Fairy tails. In the end I just left the company cause I can’t even read the bull shit we were filling to the USCIS.


Well done for voting with your feet.

It’s a delicate subject, and I reserve the right to refine my opinion. Try as much as I can to rely on facts and treat people as individuals :-) But, state an opinion in this area and not long before someone plays the “racist” card ;-)


"Shut up, for the sake of diversity."

Epic write up, Ben. Respect for putting that together and posting it. 🫡


Thanks. So much more that can be said. Didn’t even go into our foreign policy that creates migrants in the first place.


Meh, I started ignoring the “racism” topic! Nowadays whatever you say it’s being used against you any way😁 thanks for your opinion! It’s definitely not will be said on TV


Well, you asked my opinion and got it! Ha ha :-)


So yiu think they will start deporting them back?


*do you


Regarding the UK population, I wonder why certain articles on the topic have been scrubbed from the internet:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/city-eye-facts-on-a-plate-our-population-is-at-least-77-million-395428.html

https://archive.ph/nuaNb


The previous government had “a plan” to put the migrants on planes and send them back. One of the first things the labour government did is scrap that plan when they cane i to power a few weeks ago - but no clear alternative.

The democratic process creates so much legislation and process that it anaesthetizes it to actually be able to make any fundamental changes.

The most I can see happening is making a small dent in the migration in the next few years.


I think is very wrong to make the association of these murders with migration. Not sure what is the basis for this relationship. The boy was born in Cardiff. I think we, as an advanced society, need to be slightly  careful how to treat these topics.


Ahh, as always ! Government just keep promising 🤌


if immigrants are all made of highly skilled and well educated people, would it still be like this?


In sensible numbers and culturally compatible with our values then no, I don’t think it would be (or has been).


Mandibles


Writely or wrongly, that is the perception. A delicate subject and indeed care is needed.


I know… and that worries me. Is just more fuel for this society that is already inflammable.


* Rightly


You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned basis the inflation of the money supply by the government as an issue. However these protests have not been against the cause of the problem (mismanagement of the economy by the government due to short term incentives) they are against a symptom (immigrants, who are the product unsustainable immigration policies made possible by running budget deficits).


It’s all down to incentives isn’t it.

Yes, I think it’s important the right “meme” spreads at this point (hence the mask, if you’ve seen “V for Vendetta).


Your government is trying to illicit a reaction.

I lived in Melbourne during Covid, we had the most ridiculous and draconian lockdowns anywhere. Curfews of 8pm-5am, restrictions on travelling more than 5km from home, 1 hour daily outdoor time like we were literally in prison, groups of up to 2 ppl and later 5, everything except supermarkets and petrol closed.

When things finally bubbled up here to major protests (the biggest since Iraq war), the police went psychotic. They imposed media blackouts on the CBD, rolled in fucking Bearcat G3s, corralled protestors and shot them with rubber bullets, arrested ppl for Facebook posts on and on.

Leftists were allowed to march here for George Floyd’s death in the US, and they were allowed to counter protest the anti-gov/antilockdown protests with their Trans flags and Hammer&Sickles - no problem.

But go against the State and they’ll use that as an excuse to demonise and impose the harshest sanctions you can imagine.

This is what’s coming for Britain.

They’re riling people up so the people can be made into the enemy, then they’re going to come down on them like a ton of bricks.

They don’t care what the people want. How destructive their policy is is irrelevant. They see themselves apart from the rabble, with a divine right to rule over the mere plebs.

You best stay well away from all of it, no amount of protesting is going to do anything good. People are just going to destroy shopfronts and scrap with cops and some immigrant mobs, doing nothing to address the actual problems and adding fuel to the fire for government intervention.

Until and unless the anger reaches a point where people are building gallows and guillotines, hunting down the parasites to remind them they are mere flesh and blood, you’re going to be forced to watch on in horror as your society is destroyed.

This is the end game. Making demands with words won’t achieve anything any longer, you can’t vote nor reason your way out of this - costs need to be imposed or the people are going to be crushed.

Good luck to the Poms, I hope they’re ready for what is coming 🤞


Reading comments on some videos, it sounds like the protests may start targeting such law companies that have been profiting (presumably) from representing immigration cases.


Absolutely.

Problem - reaction - solution

I came to the conclusion many years ago to defund the parasitic class and stop using their money.


Exactly. And fiat money enables those short term incentives for politicians.

Even when people identify that the politicians have these short term incentives they rarely connect that these incentives are linked to / enabled by the ability to create money out of thin air.


Yeap, one of the reasons I left immigration law after 6 months 😁


#socialism always eventually leads to this.

The migrants are coming for the gangsterment largesse - not the great weather!

So, in effect the voters have achieved what they voted for generations.
Stop #EU style handouts and fire most of the bureaucracy, and the migrants shall move to greener EU pastures.

Best of the #British with that!


Very good point!

Democracies seem to have a tendency to self-destruct with more and more free handouts.

The government are not going to be able to deport people. Once again, needs to be about incentives.


I will never forget our protests in Melbourne.
Between the lockdowns and the response I was taken from a more theoretical libertarian viewpoint to a true hatred of the state.

I was radicalized.


Understandable. VicGov showed how truly evil socialists in the modern day can be, they radicalised a lot of people and then The Greens demanded an inquiry into “far-right extremism” in exchange for them voting for the new pandemic bill which gave VicGov even more power.


Many European cities face similar problems. I agree with most of the points.
I believe another part of the problem is that the Western world has realized in recent decades that it must compete with Asia to remain competitive. As a result, the standard of living continues to decline.

You cannot build a basic income utopia in your own country because you are not alone in the world.


Ben, your words could very well describe what is happening in Italy (the North at least). Immigration is a major business here, “accoglienza” (i.e. acceptancy of immigrants) is state funded and is an industry.

We are not yet at the UK level, but it is just a matter of time.


It’s not where you was born, it is the sub-culture you are grown up in.


On the face of it you’d assume any country geographically south of the UK in Europe would have higher immigration than the UK.

I guess UK has higher incentives (economic, language, education, welfare, healthcare, etc.).


Many immigrants come to Italy just as a starting point to the rest of Europe. But many stay here… young males of course.

The left and the Church are the driving forces in favour of immigration.


Why are the church?


The Catholic Church is in the “helping business” and is more and more a “third world church”.


I think German is doing great in this, I'm a new immigrant here. the social stability is high and people in general have lower time preference.
I'd agree your part of value compatibility, however I believe every human shares the same underling value system such as kindness, respect and integration, otherwise we'd be very alien-phobic to see a person in a different color or dressing style or living habit.

Never been to UK or US, can't feel it myself or judge, there's a lot saying the unrest due to too much immigrants. My instincts are the immigration are just the scratch of the problem, with all due respect, it may be very phenomenal but should never be the root cause.

The world has been cycling in terms of order and chaos for thousand years, there's unrest in both immigrant countries and non-immigrant countries, and at the same time there's peace and flourish in both ones.

For thousand years empires rise and fall, it's the natural cycle. Take an example, not logically related to the root cause to social unrests, the fiat system has been to it's peak and the biggest winners of fiat system ie US and once UK possibly feel the pain. That been said, even if we remove the factor of immigrants in UK, the pain of fiat cultivated habits and people's reliance on the PoS system won't alleviate.
It's weird to say but as part of human nature, it's kind of a destiny of the rise-flourish-falling


Not really. So only matters the “sub-culture”? What about the culture itself where you are exposed to? That doesn’t matter? I talk by experience.


Long story short. In my culture what happened would have been inconceivable.


No, Germany is literally disintegrating and going bankrupt because of too much immigration.

You just don't notice because you don't know what it was like before.


All true stories. However in America I'm being tortur** about it. I've had enough. The violence is getting worse but it's good it's evidence so people who are for me will believe me when I tell them about their harassment.


Thank you for speaking up about why are the men not at home protecting women? My story is they want me silenced that's why you don't hear my story they don't let me talk in person


Can you give more information?


I tell Edward Snowden every single day they have my information that's what I'm being tortured about


All the rape stories human trafficking guys want to marry me so only for sex.


Stay safe. Stay anonymous. Spread the truth.

Nostr was made for you.


Thanks


And enable zaps :-) (using a KYC-free Lightning wallet)


great thread bro. real fookin talk


MadMunky!!! :-) xxx Did you loose your nsec? :-) nostr:npub186k25a5rymtae6q0dmsh4ksen04706eurfst8xc5uzjchwkxdljqe59hv0


No nevah, but nostr loos my list of follows 'hehe


This is brutal to read but so very well presented and documented

…we all know this is going on and it seems to be the new normal in the developed western nations as we enter the twighlight of the hegemonic power of the USD and massive trade deficits (living beyond their means) of these same developed western nations…which I suspect are the cause/justification for these policies

…the journalistic approach to these stories seems to be blatant dishonesty (gaslighting) or stories that are so disparate and fragmented that they desensitize the public to the severity of these atrocities

As hard as that is to read and digest we need more journalism like that🌅


Yes similar situation in Canada especially the protesting our lying prime minister illegally enacted the emergencies act (meant for war alor terrorism) because of peaceful protesters protesting crazy covid laws and is constantly taking away legal gun owners rights (and guns) while gun crime sharply rises (from illegally purchased firearms). If you ever watch an interview with him he doesn't actually ever answer a question he is asked and he's just the face of the whole currupt mess that is the Canadian government.


I guess I should say especially the police brutality towards protesters


Unless something radically changes England is lost. I was over there recently, my first since 2006. It has completely changed and not for the better… God speed.


My friend Carlos who’s been living in England since he was 18 years old told me same things you’re telling us here. It’s a shame that the UK turned into this kind of place. I see that many other countries are going to the same direction. How come the labor party won the last elections? I still don’t get it. If nothing is done to protect the population,a civil war will happen soon.


Three main factors: as to why Labour won

1) Tory govt had become so bad, so loathed, that people wanted a change. Tactical voting websites were promoted to vote for person most likely to beat a Tory.

2) Reform UK won 14% of national vote and took a lot of their vote from Tories.

3) UK's 'first past the post' voting system is corrupt. Labour won only 33% of national vote, yet got 412 seats our of 650, which is 63% of seats.

Reform won 14% of national vote, but only received 5 seats - 0.7% of seats - corruption personified.

And I heard a lot of people who didn't want Blue (Tory) or Red (Labour). They are a Uni Party, passing leadership baton to each other at elections, whilst their big business oligarch funders, paymasters, remain the same.


Good summary but lots of people are so fed up of politics you should have mentioned only 60% of the eligible population voted.  So from a total perspective only 20% voted for them.


look I'm not defending immigration because of myself being an immigrant, you can keep your anti-immigration stance and I hear you, altho i don't agree at all, it's fine.

my point is the whole world is going in a big down trend and wherever you are you can apparently feel it, just in synchronous pace. maybe there's deeper reason like the fiat system breaking up, and chaos-peace unstoppable cycles. the alien-phobic response is the easiest way to be weaponizd by nationalistic governments to tackle internal problems, my government uses this trick all the time.


I don't need a government to tell me that being overrun by foreigners sucks.


WhAt Is A wOmAn...?


Agreed.
Those registered to vote, but didn't, plus those not even registered to vote are larger than the Tory and Labour vote put together.

The Uni Party / Oligarch worst nightmare is  seeing these people becoming engaged and voting for a party away from Red and Blue.

Hence, I've a sneaking feeling that behind the scenes they promote "It's cool to check out of the syatem" to ensure they don't realise their voting power.


Germany is being overrun by foreigners? you gotta be kidding me.


UK Protests - A Constitution

From what I can see, most successful movements unite people around a single, galvanizing idea. To avoid fragmentation and distraction, the British public should rally behind a simple, powerful message that can draw broad support from diverse groups. A peaceful revolution is crucial for gaining public sympathy and making it difficult for the government to respond with authoritarian measures.

What is that idea we should unite behind?

The unifying idea is a constitution. This constitution should serve as a social contract between the government and the people—a living document written by and voted on by the people. It should clearly outline our collective expectations for how we agree OUR government and fellow citizens should behave. Like our elected representatives, this constitution should evolve over time through the democratic process.

A constitution of rights AND responsibilities

We need a constitution that includes a charter of rights and clearly defined responsibilities. This approach ensures that we articulate not just what we expect from the government but also what we expect from each other as British citizens.

What should we demand from our government?

YOUR charter can DEMAND that our government upholds fiscal responsibility, avoids foreign entanglements in wars that we do not consent to, controls immigration, and refrains from expanding into an ever-growing financial burden on us all. For example, the responsibilities we could demand include:

Responsibility for Fiscal Responsibility:
The state must exercise fiscal responsibility by reducing the national deficit year-on-year, creating a sustainable financial environment for future generations. This includes addressing unfunded liabilities by ensuring that all future obligations, such as welfare, are fully funded and accounted for. This includes a strict separation of money and state, where the government does not control or influence the money supply, dictate legal tender, or establish a central bank. Fiscal policies should prioritize long-term economic stability and the financial freedom of citizens.

Responsibility for Defence:
The state must maintain forces and measures sufficient to protect its citizens and territories from direct external threats. These forces should be strictly limited to responding to clear, imminent, and direct threats to the nation's sovereignty, territorial integrity, or the safety of its citizens. This includes ensuring a net zero immigration policy to safeguard national security and effectively manage the country's limited infrastructure, space, culture, and resources.

Responsibility for Welfare:
The state is responsible for establishing a welfare system that protects society's most vulnerable members, especially when they cannot work. However, this system should be carefully structured not to incentivize non-native immigration, ensuring that resources are prioritized for those in genuine need while maintaining the sustainability of support structures.

Responsibility for Government Size Reduction:
The state is responsible for reducing the size and scope of central government and the civil service year-on-year. This includes downsizing government departments, reducing bureaucratic overhead, and streamlining public services to increase efficiency. Powers should be decentralized, transferring authority and resources to local communities, thereby minimizing unnecessary interference in citizens' lives. Centralized governments are more susceptible to corruption by lobbying, so decentralization also protects the integrity of governance, empowering individuals and communities to take greater responsibility for their own affairs.

How would we implement this?

You can read the rest of my draft charter here: https://github.com/BenGWeeks/Pactum/blob/main/CharterOfRightsAndResponsibilities.md . But this is YOUR constitution—copy it, suggest changes, or create your own. What would you include? Should the government provide healthcare? What about state education? After public discourse and debate, we should reach a consensus on how we want our country to be run and what we expect from each other as fellow countrymen. We will do this by voting, through a democratic process, on the version of the constitution we want.

How do we get our government to listen?

Change won’t come without action. We can march on parliament, spread the word, and use the alternative press—all through peaceful protest. But more importantly, we can instigate change by refusing to use the government’s money—a money supply that can be printed at will, taxing YOU while you sleep. By stopping the use of their money, we can smoke them out, cutting off the flow of funds they rely on for their endless wars and big government contracts to their mates. Use Bitcoin—the people's money—decentralized and controlled by no one. It’s not illegal, and it's peaceful.

STOP USING THEIR MONEY

"It might make sense just to [have your say] in case it catches on. If enough people think the same way, that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy" (or something like that) - Satoshi Nakamoto

#ConstitutionForTheUK #StopUsingTheirMoney #EnoughIsEnough #StudyBitcoin #BuyBitcoin

https://m.primal.net/JtWj.png


Ben i think i found a writer for our blog.  Lov ur posts


But is this an idea that could catch on with "normies" (said in a loving way ;-))?


it can.  prperin blog around activism.  privacy culture music art and issius.  general. for. normies and not only. kindow platform giving ppl to start critikal thinkin.  who know were it can go.  want to boild.to be ready when masses will come, they need a help


Where’s your blog?


In progress hope few weeks mabe shorter


Stop believing in government.
Start recognizing the only true Sovereign, King Jesus.
https://peakd.com/library/@creatr/the-kingdom-of-jesus-god-the-heavens-my-library-shelf


Ummm…I thought we had that already🤔


We don't have a single written constitution. Maybe we should just define a Charter or Bill of Rights and Responsibilities"?


Picking up on your comment about “our” culture being lost, I’d agree that it is. However I’m not convinced it’s due to immigration. It feels more about apathy than anything else. Apathy and lack of quality. Give me a sit down meal in the street with fab food than a bunch of morris dancers ruining a good pint any day. And now I’ve swerved the convo to beer (fave subject), I am surrounded by pubs that don’t serve British ale anymore due to lack of interest. Everyone is drinking continental lager (Yuck!).
So what is British culture? I’d hazard a guess that mine could be different from others. If it’s lager and fry-ups I’ll stick with my croissant and ale ta!


Yeah my mistake…I have a US perspective

…but our constitution has been trampled on and sidestepped in the name of “interstate commerce” for over 100 years now


Yeah, I think it served you well for a bit. How would you stop that happening?


I think you raise a really good point. I came to the conclusion that you have to go back to the lowest common denominator, which is what is defined in English Law. So, for example, it is not our "culture" to openly carry guns. There are many layers of culture above that of course.

And I agree that it is not solely down to immigration. I had a situation a few weeks ago where some kids were throwing rubbish out of their car; I went over and questioned why they were doing it as we all have to live in the country together, and they should pick it up. They refused and didn't care at all that they were "shitting on their own doorstep" - and I'm lost as to where that apathy comes from.

If it were up to me, we'd have a 1-in-1-out policy and get rid of the likes of the runts in the video :-)

Can you explain "lack of quality"? Intrigued.

PS I do love a Moretti myself ;-)

Video of the (latter part of) incident is here, which also got me thinking about this (couldn't upload video media in Nostr client):

https://x.com/BenGWeeks/status/1804515171890552872


Hopefully via the peaceful route of opting out of centralized systems (fiat currencies/assets and information matrix) … cuz the alternative would be bad for everyone.

Either way our quality of life will likely change dramatically…I think for the worse materialistically but for the better culturally and socially

…my grandpa didn’t have near all the bells and whistles we have in his life…yet he was happy, successful (or so we all thought), culturally grounded socially and spiritually…that generation went to each others funerals and weddings cuz they wanted to not cuz they had to…they respected, helped and loved one another and worked collectively for a better future…”long time preference”…those are the things the magical alchemy of fiat has stolen from us… “short time preference”

🤔IMHO everything you need to know about the current system u can learn from watching The Lion King, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc etc…the system is based on old entrenched lions trying to delay the inevitable rise to power of younger, smarter, hungrier and more powerful lions using  the alchemy/magic of worthless fiat, paper tokens…but wtf do I know…I truly am an idgit and virtually always wrong😉


Being "virtually" always wrong is OK ;-)


Well, this has got me thinking…………. First off, my ‘lack of quality’ comment was a rather crass and lame attack on the first ‘British’ thing that came to mind i.e. Morris dancers, but thinking deeper you’ve only got to look around and you can see the demise of ‘British culture’ in places like the high street. Most UK towns have a pretty identical high street these days. Yes I’d agree that there are many imported food outlets, though these are usually small businesses, often family run that most of us (including right wing racists) enjoy. (I bet most of those joining in the riots last week could be found having a curry on a Friday night). But look at the chain stores that homogenise our towns. Where does this idea come from? The US. So I would argue that US style commercialisation has had a far more dramatic effect on our loss of culture than immigration. In fact, I’d argue UK culture is one based on influence from all over the world (since we thought it might be a good idea to colonise far flung places) and the presence of exotic food venues have a more beneficial effect on our culture than all the chains selling the same stuff town after town after town.

I can see how a 1 in 1 out idea might look attractive on paper, but is it really practicable? How would that work out economically? I’m no economist but I can hear alarm bells there.

Which led my thinking onto a subject that often gets my head scratching - borders. This is where I struggle with the label ‘libertarian’. I get the idea, but when I see most self proclaimed libertarians apparently caring more about rights to carry guns than anyone else’s right to be safe, or what my concept of liberty means - freedom of movement. I feel that I should be free to travel anywhere I like, any time I like. In this way I struggle with the concept of borders. I don’t even like fences ffs! And if I feel I should be able to go anywhere I like, why shouldn’t anyone else? I would call myself a libertarian if I felt it didn’t give people the idea I love guns. (Clearly I don’t).

I can now hear people waving their arms in horror imagining all these people “coming over here, taking our jobs and houses etc etc”. But think of it in terms of what many people like to refer to in their conversations about economics - markets. Markets are supposed to be reasonably self regulating (I’m not sure they are or should be but remain to be convinced). So why wouldn’t freedom of movement be the same? If an area became over populated, wouldn’t that in itself encourage a movement away from that area?
Maybe I’m thinking too long a term, more anthropologically than politically. I don’t know.
In any case all this could well be academic as I’m not convinced the human race has much longer left to run. I can’t see how we can turn around climate issues faster than they seem to be accelerating, but I still try to hope.

There was an interesting comment on a Miriam Margolyes programme the other night. She was in Byron Bay. Someone said that the cost of housing there meant that businesses were struggling to employ staff, leading to “rich people having to make their own sandwiches”. Made me chuckle, but could this be a glimpse of what the world might look like soon enough? The only survivors the rich, whose only experience is in employing staff, finding out they don’t know how to feed themselves.

Sorry for going on but nice to chat in a way that doesn’t lead to the toxic nastiness I’m seeing more of on extwitter these days.

Stay well stack well!