Personal Blogs

I went out to see Dark Waters last week. I mentioned it on the blog a few weeks ago. It’s the story of lawyer Rob Bilott who sued Dupont, initially, on behalf of Wilbur Tennant, a farmer whose animals had died, or were dying, in Parkersburg, West Virginia and which eventually became a large, class-action law-suit, which he fought for 20 years on behalf of the citizens of Parkersburg and won many millions of dollars for them in compensation. Although, it’s not much good, when your health is buggered.

Mr Tennant’s animals were being poisoned with the chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA/C8, which is made by Dupont and which we know as Teflon. Your non-stick pans are coated in this stuff and it has also been used on waterproof clothing, stain-resistant rugs, microwave popcorn bags and even dental floss. Add that to the fluoride in the toothpaste and that’s a nice little toxic mix to put in your mouth.

It is estimated that 99% of all humans on the planet have PFOA in their bodies because once it is in it is very hard to get rid of.  The worst thing about it is that Dupont knew how toxic it was but just never let on. They released it into the water in Parkersburg and it was also released into the air. They even tested it in cigarettes which they gave to their employees and who, of course, took ill but weren’t told why.  It has been linked to six diseases, including kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, pre-eclampsia and high cholesterol and it was also found to cause birth defects; one of the real life children affected by this appears in the film, Bucky Bailey.

It’s a deeply moving story (at least I thought so) of the little guy (as always) getting screwed over by those with money and power. I highly recommend you go see it because we don’t see enough of this kind of exposure anymore.

Coincidentally, I’m reading Dark Actors at the moment; this is the story of Dr David Kelly by Robert Lewis who ‘committed suicide’. He was the only person to speak out against the ‘dossier’ for war with Iraq, remember that fake news? He was vilified and hounded by New Labour and the media for his honesty. I’m only 79 pages in at this point but it gives a very good insight into that New Labour toe-rag, Jack Straw and Tony Bliar too.

Considering now the whole Epstein/Prince Andrew/ Bill Clinton and other various scumbags story that is playing out, it wouldn’t take a genius to join the dots of a Mossad/CIA led honey trap whereby up and coming politicians/celebrities are seduced by the glamour on offer from the likes of Epstein, then filmed and recorded, and which is then used to blackmail and control them and ensure the agendas of the puppet masters are followed. 

I also read another book this week, it was a very short one and I got through it in an afternoon. It is the Great British Skripal Hoax by Nicholas Kollerstrom, and available from richplanet.net. I never believed the Skripal story for a minute, the whole thing is too absurd (do they really think we are that stupid??) but what is most disturbing about it is where exactly are the Skripals? Are they being held against their will by British and/or American intelligence? Are they even alive? How can people just be made to disappear in an allegedly ‘free and open society’ and no one even question it or do anything about it?

It’s worth a read especially in relation to a man by the name of Christopher Steele, who compiled the other fake dossier about Trump and the alleged Russian interference in the last US presidential election. Apparently, Mr Skripal who was a double-agent and was released from Russia as part of a spy swap, was about to leg it back to Russia and the security services (MI6) couldn’t allow that to happen because he helped Mr Steele compile the dossier which the Russians would then know about, and who knows what else he may have had to tell them.

By the way, also beware of an organisation called Integrity Initiative, it’s just another black ops group spouting propaganda on behalf of the deep state.

The thing about all these dark and dirty goings-on is that they aren't really very secret at all. We are all aware of the propaganda and lies that are pumped out by a compliant media and there is no such thing as an investigative journalist any more, at least, not in the mainstream media. Everything is hiding in plain sight, we know that the politicians don't really run the country; we know there are dark actors behind the scenes manipulating and controlling everything. We and they know that there is little or nothing we can do about it, some people just don't want to know and who can blame them when we see how ruthless and murderous they are. But still, it does no harm to remind ourselves just how rotten the deep state is and it is laudable that there are still people out there, researching and reporting on the rot that corrupts politics and business and are prepared to take them on and expose it.

Since I was out every night this week, and both the weather and the telly were crap on Saturday, I went out to see Joker as I didn't want to have to wait at least another week before I could get to the cinema and also, to see if it lived up to the hype, which it does.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers a stunning performance as Arthur Fleck, a man clinging to the bottom rung of life, in desperate need of a break or maybe just a genuine act of human kindness.  (Don’t we all Arthur, I feel your pain…)

This Joker is no comic book cartoon character, in the mould of a Jim Carrey or Jack Nicholson Joker, and while Heath Ledger brought a new dimension to the character in the Dark Knight Trilogy, this Joker has a much darker edge.  This is not an action hero movie and Joker is not the nemesis for some do-gooding boy wonder to flex his virtue-signalling heroics.  It is much more and he is more than that too; he is Joe Ordinary pushed over the edge of sanity, scraping together a miserable existence, in a miserable world, the demented product of a sick and demented society. 

Considering the attention this movie is getting, there is more to this than just a brilliant acting performance, it is hitting nerves in all the wrong/right(?) places.

I can understand why the NLF's are nervously fiddling with their self-righteous indignation, worried that Joker might inspire copycat acts of violence, for if ever a movie encapsulated the disconnection between those at the top and those who are not, Joker depressingly does.  He is the bogeyman who, by his actions, inspires a violent revolution against society and the rich, and (spoiler alert) who publicly executes smug talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro) when he is invited on to his show after Murray has used a tape of his comedy routine to mock and scoff him (shades of X Factor auditions?) but when it goes viral, sees it as an opportunity to be exploited. 

There is also some controversy around the use of one of Gary Glitter’s song and one of the reviews I read, accused the director (Todd Philips) of trying to be ‘edgy’ by using the track.  I have to say, I found the music appropriate and suited to the scene (and it is a good song regardless of what you may think of Glitter) and maybe the director was not being edgy but merely using the music of Glitter to highlight the hypocrisy of the elite who would condemn Gary Glitter but cover up and excuse the equally deplorable actions of the ‘right’ people (Epstein/Prince Andrew/Weinstein/Saville/Catholic Church).

One of Arthur Fleck’s grievances with the world is that no-one listens anymore, that people are nasty and cruel and have no compassion for their fellow human beings.  He is the on screen manifestation of the injustice and inequality that has been eating into the heart of those on the bottom rung of society for years and who have been ignored and dismissed by those on the top.  He is one of the ‘deplorables’ like those coal-miners who Hilary Clinton vowed to put out of work and, who kept her out of the White House, when they gave their vote to Trump.  

When Arthur first hits back against the bankers, he feels powerful, the little guy has fought back against those who would look down their nose at him and I certainly felt a sense of satisfaction in his actions. 

Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Arthur Fleck has created a character that repels and appeals in equal measure but he is also a character that many will identify and sympathise with, and Joker is, in my opinion, the perfect movie for this time. It captures the zeitgeist and demonstrably highlights the disconnection between the top and bottom of society.  De Niro perfectly encapsulates all those self-righteous media types who sneer and scoff at the outsiders (Trump supporters/Brexiteers) and those who don’t quite fit in with the ‘right’ people or have the ‘right’ opinion.  And there was, again, a certain satisfaction when Arthur dispatched him to meet his maker.  There are other violent scenes and there is one scene where the character attacks a former work colleague which is pretty gruesome and one that I couldn’t watch but which demonstrates the twisted morality of the world of Arthur.

I felt the film had a strong political message or maybe my own political outlook has led me to see more in it than the director was aiming for, but Joker hits a nerve, and I fully expect to see Joker masks on the front line of political protests. 

Overall, I would highly recommend seeing the film, it is a fair construction of a character from the Batman series but this is not a film for children.  This is a bleak and disturbing portrayal of what could happen to any one of us, if our lives got off to a bad start and turned the wrong way.  I will, in all probability, go and see it again, it is definitely worth a second viewing.

The ending is ambiguous and I will leave you to make up your own mind about it but at the end Arthur is laughing and is asked what he is laughing at.  He replies ‘you wouldn’t get it’ and with Trump up for re-election next year and Brexit looming on the horizon maybe that final message should give the Neo-liberal Fascists something to think about because I still don’t think they are…you have been warned!