EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Article by Beth Porter

The Power of the Meaning

I’ve referenced him before, several years ago, but worth another look. Author, journalist, satirist, and all-round genius: Brian O’Nolan aka Flann O’Brien, also Myles na Gapoleen. One of his bugbears about spoken language and its many expressions of the ridiculous included that familiar phrase – “So I turned round and said…” As though the unrelated act of turning around somehow gives credence to any pronouncement.

I mention this because our language is seasoned with similar meaningless phrases, either spoken or introducing comments on social media. How often have you heard or read, “I’m not even joking, but…” before a statement of alleged truth?

The implication is that everything else, before or afterward, may not be trusted. What a strange way to restore probity.

Winds of Deceit

Along with the counter-balanced highs and lows of barometric pressure, dividing the UK into regions of extra jumpers and daily hydration, our current government is at war with itself as we’re all advised to sit tight and wait. Several analysts from both wings of the political bird are finding it difficult to identify exactly what we’re meant to be waiting for. By the time you get to read this, we may have resolved some of them. A redacted report. A reluctant royal testimony. Yada-yada.

Still, the conundrum envelopes us all, blown about by those persistent winds of deceit. Unless you’re waving the bubble wand, both your life and mine are being caught up in half-truths and blatant lies. Accountability? Don’t make me laugh! Nothing is more important than the survival of the planet – by which I mean ensuring the Earth can still host tomorrow without burning us to death or freezing our assets off. The combined wisdom of Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg, reflecting on recent, past and future international COP conferences addressing climate change, dance along to the catchy ditty: “You can stick your climate conference, you can stick your climate conference, you can stick your climate conference up your arse!”

It’s not just the UK Tory factions threatening global stability. From the 18^th century, Ukraine has sought to slip its Tsarist reins and ally itself with the West, falsely assuming it might thus acquire democracy. That’s the primary reason it’s so keen to join NATO… well, that and a military devolvement. A savings of lotsa dosh. But it’s all alotta crap.

The paths of confusion criss-cross each other, burying the truth. Uber-rich John Bolton, currently nursing his wounds inflicted by the lunatic accusations of former president Trump, has for some years been funding armed militias, allied with both Israel and Saudi Arabia, to address Ukraine’s ill-founded demands. No NATO member, including the UK, has any intention of offering Ukraine membership. Yet, Bolton resists. He has publicly stated he wants to destroy all non-Christian factions throughout Europe; Ukraine’s primary religious affiliation is Russian Orthodox. He actually wants war, and wants to use both UK and US allies to foment it.

A Disunited Kingdom

Recent British attempts to piggy-back restrictive legislation under the guise of controlling such disparate agendas as tax rises; NHS and social care funding, a conflation of sporting events; the imminent death of the Queen and implications for her succession as her Platinum Jubilee looms; shuffling Parliamentarians with the insouciance of a novice Vegas dealer; the alleged net worth of UK millionaires and billionaires with drone pix of their homes; social media messages advising how ‘stunning’ celebs are; and perhaps swamping all, a legally binding imperative to prevent members of the public from suing government ministers AND/OR companies wherever they’re based, as well as their senior officials.

None of these inward-looking actions can possibly unite us “little people” as a nation, no matter which Tory headline you fancy. A ministerial report about parties and Number 10 refurbs, along with the self-appointed investigation by the Met, neither will regulate trips to the food bank, starving the parents to feed the kids, or celebrating the proto-fascist clamp around our necks. Power to the people? I’m not even joking!

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This post was written by LPJAdmin