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Edited by Aideen Devine, Friday, 25 Aug 2023, 09:07

I just finished the last of the Strike novels by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling), The Ink Black Heart. This was number six in the series which includes The Cuckoo's Calling, The Silkworm, Career of Evil, Lethal White and Troubled Blood. It was, in my opinion the best yet. It all centres on the murder and attempted murder of two people who created an online cartoon based in Highgate Cemetery (by the way, if you are ever in London, I would recommend you go and visit Highgate Cemetery, it's an amazing place) and their online critics/fans. It’s a long read, over a thousand pages but doesn’t feel like it and I didn’t want it to end. As to the perennial question of Strike and Robin, and will they won’t they, there are no spoiler alerts here and if you want to find out, you’ll just have to read it or look elsewhere. I haven’t watched the TV series at all and probably won’t. The books always have so much more in them and you form your own picture of the characters.

I was in Dublin on Saturday to see a friend and read Hiroshima by John Hersey, on the way up and down on the bus. It details the events of 6 August 1945 through the direct experience of six people and provides an update on how their lives turned out afterwards. 

It would be something if we could read that now as history and were comfortable in the knowledge that the lessons have been learned but, sadly, that is not so. The lunatic fringe is still running the show and making huge profits from the death and destruction of endless war.


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Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

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I recently watched a video with Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi, in the interview he said that there is no democracy in the temple between student and master. The master is in charge and the student is there to learn from him.

Society here in the West could certainly benefit from adapting this model and returning to the idea of the adults being in charge. The ‘students’ have been allowed to take over, the ‘masters’ have relinquished responsibility, and political correctness has mutated into ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’.

However, in the striving for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, some simple facts have been forgotten, like the fact that people are not equal, in many different ways. People, also, naturally gravitate towards the groups or cultures they identify with, their tribe, so to speak, and not everyone wants to be included. As the late, great Groucho Marx said ‘I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member’, a sentiment I share.

Men, on average, are physically stronger than women, some people are academically gifted, others talented with their hands, some people are great dancers and singers, others are tone deaf with two left feet. Now, just supposing you could equalise people on, say, intelligence, how could that be achieved? You cannot make someone smarter than they are so would everyone have to be lobotomised to the lowest level of intelligence. And what intelligence would it apply to, academic, spatial, emotional? Some estimate that there are between 8 and 12 types of intelligence. How could you possibly equalise that and, let’s be honest about it, the powers that be do not want a population that is too intelligent which explains why they are continually dumbing down the education system.

It is the differences that make people interesting which is the beautiful thing about humanity. And who said everyone should be treated equally anyway? You would not treat a four year old the way you would treat a teenager, or a pensioner, although, I have heard many a teenager and pensioner spoken to as if they were four years old.

Equality is a nice idea, but it doesn’t work in reality. I used to believe in equality of opportunity but I’m even re-thinking my belief in that because sometimes not having the opportunity is the very driver that motivates people to achieve. I do believe that the basics of life, like access to food, water and shelter are a must, and there is no excuse for children being deprived of those basics in any country in the world now. Although, on the positive side, world poverty has declined by a massive 85% since the 1980’s so we are moving in the right direction. This is partly due to the industrialisation of eastern and some African countries as companies and corporations moved their manufacturing to lower waged economies and which has, in turn, fuelled the decline of the west. Hopefully, in the not too distant future we will be able to develop a more balanced system so that a gains for some does not mean losses for someone else.

However, in pursuing the equality agenda, I do look forward to all those ‘traditional’ roles being equalised and diversified, where men are represented in social work and nursing in proportion to their numbers in the population, and women the same on the building site or the coal mines. Or even the suicide figures, a step too far, maybe, but considering just how miserable they are making life at present, they are certainly driving those figures up for everyone. Helped again by the useful idiots in the media and the ‘wokies’ (social justice warriors/neo-liberal fascists, whatever you wish to call them) and their relentless whining and doom-mongering.

In the West, we have raised a generation with an overblown sense of their own importance and a belief in their entitlement to ‘have it all’. They demand equality and inclusion without having done anything to earn it. This year at Wimbledon, one of the lower-ranked, female tennis players (I think she was ranked 17th) was complaining about not getting as many complimentary passes as Novak Djokovic. Novak is a seven times Wimbledon champion with 23 titles in total to his name. The number of passes he receives reflects his expertise and status as a great tennis champion, and how he can draw the crowds. He has earned them.

However, the most high profile example of the overly entitled, self-righteous, pontificating, spoilt whingers has to go to none other than Emma Watson who played the character of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. Emma has been one of the most vocal critics of JK Rowling for her views on ‘transgenderism’ (which I agree with btw, JK that is, not Emma) and was the main instigator in ensuring JK was not invited to the 20 year anniversary of the first Harry Potter movie. Thanks to JK, Emma Watson starred in one of the biggest and most successful movie franchises in the last 20 years, and catapulted Emma into fame and a considerable fortune. But is Emma the least bit grateful? Not at all, just like the character she played, who Professor Snape called, ‘an insufferable know it all!’ Emma in her egotistical desire for attention and self-righteous, virtue signalling has become confused between reality and the character she played, and ‘thinks’ she knows it all!

Sadly, Daniel Radcliffe seems to have gone down the same road. I look forward to them coming back, when/if they ever grow up, and apologising to JK for their arrogance but I won’t hold my breath. If Emma and Daniel are really so offended by what JK has said, why don’t they give back all the money they made from the Harry Potter movies, or give it to all those worthy causes they support? But I won’t hold my breath on that one either.

As for diversity, how is that to be achieved, is every organisation to have a representative percentage of the ethnic/religious breakdown of the population on their staff regardless of ability or qualification? And if that was actually achieved, would that be enough to satisfy the whingers, or would they then move on to our private lives and demand we all have a selection of friends from different ethnic/cultural/religious backgrounds to prove we’re not racist/misogynist/misandrist etc. Although, I don’t know if ‘misandrist’ would apply since men are the group who are most under attack, and white men, in particular.

How is it right to just lump people into their ethnic group and assume they all share the same abilities and beliefs? Isn’t that a bit racist or culturist or whatever fake offensive ‘ist’ they can make up because these are all fake issues. These so-called battles for ED&I, have already been fought and won back in the 1960/70’s, the legislation is in place and is regularly updated, it’s called the Equality Act (2010).

The main focus at present is around ‘trans’ rights and, as I said before, they have the same rights as everyone else. And like a bunch of parasitical Pharisees looking for a cause to attach themselves to, in order make themselves appear ‘liberal and progressive’, we have none other than Irelands most hypocritical reformed tarts, Sinn Fein, now calling for puberty blockers to be given to children as part of ‘normal’ health care. Just in case anyone doesn’t know what Puberty Blockers do, they will sterilise anyone who takes them. (See article below, if you read the whole article you will also see how cowardly the rest of the politicos were in calling out the insanity)

It isn’t that long ago that the West were condemning Africa for allowing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and now we are lining up our minor children for castration and sterilisation. You can’t legally buy alcohol or get a tattoo under 18 years of age but you can be sterilised or castrated. This is where we are now! And where did this idea even come from? Was someone sitting in a lab one day and thought, ‘Gee, I’ve just had an idea, let’s make a tablet that stops children going into puberty’. Now who would want that to stop children developing adult bodies? Is it part of some collective Western Peter Pan complex, or is it more insidious and part of trying to normalise paedophilia as an acceptable ‘sexual preference’, as demonstrated by the name change to Minor Attracted Persons.

The West, unlike the East, no longer values or respects age and wisdom. You only have to look at how we treat our elderly to see that. We also used to protect our children and it’s not that long ago that it would have been considered insane to allow children to make decisions around life-changing and irreversible surgeries that are too often regretted in adulthood. (see below article on trans surgery.)

Being confused as a teenager is par for the course, you are transitioning out of childhood and into adulthood with the added bonus of raging hormones, and it is normal to be confused. There is a high percentage of autistic children in the ‘trans’ community and 80% are gay. (I know two and they are both high on the autistic scale). Autism is challenging at the best of times and certainly not helped by modern pressures and the toxic mix that social media can be.

The medical profession has profoundly damaged the public’s trust in them, in the last three years, and their willingness to go along with this this is further evidence of their moral corruption. Where are the adults and where has courage and common sense gone?

Dr Jordan Peterson is renowned for speaking up in defence of men and has advocated for people to take responsibility for themselves and their lives. He is one of the most interesting and intelligent modern day thinkers in the West but the lefty loons, and the media minions, continually insult him as right wing and anti-feminist, and go off like a pack of rabid dogs on anyone who does not agree with their ‘narrative’.  Intelligent debate is becoming almost non-existent and freedom of speech, a distant memory. But there are no concerns about ED&I when it comes to those who disagree with the narrative, try to call out the insanity, or point out the blindingly obvious, that men cannot become women or vice versa. It seems that everyone is equal but some are more equal than others. Hmm…where did I hear that before?

I was never homophobic or had any problem with anyone who was ‘trans’. As a child I enjoyed watching Danny LaRue on the telly, although he was a called female impersonator back then. We all loved Dr Frank N Furter, the sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania, from the Rocky Horror Picture Show and I even have Sylvester’s album, Step Two.  I remember when ‘trans’ seemed exotic, different and fun. Yes, fun, a concept that appears to have died a death in the relentless march of the po-faced self-righteous and their dictatorial edicts. And I don’t care what consenting adults do in the privacy of their intimate relationships, it’s no one else’s business. Another concept that seems to have been forgotten, privacy!

I, like many others, am sick of hearing about all this and the never-ending whining and doom mongering, as evidenced by the viewing figures for mainstream media dropping off a cliff. It’s getting so bad even the gay community is coming out against being lumped in with the insanity.  And far from winning support, all it is doing is creating bigger and deeper divisions, and turning people against their causes. And I don’t care how vociferous the crowd becomes, or how loud they shout, or who is offended, I will never agree that castrating teenage boys or cutting the breasts off teenage girls and removing their wombs and ovaries is morally right.  

There’s an old saying ‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions’ and that was never more relevant than it is now. I seriously wonder just how well-intentioned the fomenters of all these movements are and what outcome they are aiming for. We would do well to remember how Jimmy Saville hid his perversions and paedophilia behind the mask of charitable ‘good works’. And let’s not forget the fraud that was perpetrated on the population under the disguise of the ‘greater good’, in the last three years, and now excess mortality is at almost 15 million across the world. (see link below, Dr John Campbell).

This insanity all began back in the 1990’s with political correctness but as the late George Carlin said ‘Political correctness is just fascism masquerading as manners’. It really is time for the adults to step up and take back control before this nonsense destroys the mental & physical health of an entire generation, as if they hadn’t enough to deal with in the last few years. (see link below)

And just to end on a positive note, if you’re feeling worn down by it all and in need of a good laugh, I strongly recommend checking out that most irreverent and politically incorrect cartoon of all, South Park, as an antidote to all the misery and a reminder of what it was like to laugh and you could take the p*ss out of someone without being censored, hounded or arrested for ‘hate’ speech.

9 Types of Intelligence (And How to Know Your Type) - LifeHack

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/puberty-blockers-sinn-fein-calls-for-a-guarantee-in-law-that-trans-drugs-can-be-given-to-children/ar-AA1eKaLx#:~:text=Ms%20Sheerin%20confirmed%20that%20it%20“needs%20to%20be,the%20south%2C”%20the%20party%20said%20in%20a%20statement.

Massive Increase in Euthanasia Referrals for Transgenders (shiftfrequency.com)

European excess deaths - YouTube

Damage to children’s mental health caused by Covid crisis could last for years without a large-scale increase for children’s mental health services | Children's Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)

British Police Arrest At Least 3,395 People for 'Offensive' Online Comments in One Year (breitbart.com)

TRY NOT TO LAUGH - South Park (FUNNIEST MOMENTS 2023) - YouTube


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Working Class Hero

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Edited by Aideen Devine, Wednesday, 26 Dec 2018, 13:13

As the Brexit shambles rumbles on with no leadership in sight, the country as divided as ever, and the war of words, long on rhetoric and short on truth, sincerity and substance, I came across a documentary film called My Generation on Netflix one night and thought this could be interesting, a look at 1960’s Britain (pre EU) narrated by none other than ‘Alfie’ himself, Michael Caine. 

It told the story of Britain in the 1960's, and how the teenagers of that era, were the first generation to enjoy freedom and money in a way previous generations never had.  These were the children of the working-classes who had fought and sacrificed so much in the First and Second World Wars, who demanded the social changes that put the Labour Party into power in 1945, and which led to the creation of the Welfare State that gave us free healthcare, education and decent housing.

As a result of these changes, there was an explosion of working-class talent in art, film, music, fashion and politics that led to London becoming the centre of the 'Swinging 60's'.  The class barriers were torn down as they stormed into places previously denied them and they did so through sheer force of talent.  They were educated and confident, and not afraid to challenge the class barriers that previous generations deferred to, and instead of remaining 'in their place’, they questioned, challenged and created new places.  They marched against war and discrimination, demanding peace and equality for all, and were a beacon of inspiration and hope for others.  The baby-boomer generation; advantaged by the political consciousness, of their parent’s.  A new generation of working-class hero, as recognised in song, by John Lennon.

Looking back, I must ask, where did it all go wrong?  What happened to all that working-class energy, why did it not grow and expand to encompass future generations?  What happened to all the potential and idealism that since the 60’s, has seen the working-classes reduced to an object of sneering disdain, and led to the social and political stagnation we have now? 

There are several factors to consider which together created a perfect storm which has insidiously diminished the gains made by those previous generations.  One of those was in education.  While those on the liberal left despised grammar schools, they did give many the opportunity of a college education which had been denied previous generations and helped to fuel the explosion of talent in the 60’s.  We have the grammar school system to thank for educating people like John Hume and Seamus Heaney.  But even if you weren’t academically inclined, you had the option of leaving at the end of 3rd year and going to a technical college where you could learn a trade and become a plumber, electrician, joiner or brickie; there was also the option of secretarial courses with shorthand and typing.

The 1970’s saw the demise of grammar schools as the liberal left, in pursuit of equality for all, created the comprehensive system (which seemed like a good idea at the time).  The decision to try and create an equal playing field has unfortunately, over time, led to the dumbing down of the education on offer.  Some comprehensives still maintained a grammar stream in their schools but the chance to leave and get a ‘technical’ education at the end of 3rd year was taken away and there is now an academic requirement for GCSE’s in order to get on a plumbing or electrical course (at least that's what happened here).

Also, in the 1970’s, Unions that were set up to protect and fight for worker’s rights became more and more demanding, leading to strikes and, eventually, to the winter of discontent when they over-played their hand and lost the support of the public, leading to the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 and almost 40 years of Tory rule since. (I include Tony Blair's New Labour in that)  It was the working-classes who helped elect Margaret Thatcher, she promised to give them the right to buy their council houses, brought in legislation to curb the power of the unions and promised to create a nation of shareholders in the great sell-off of public utilities; selling off to the few, what belonged to the many.

As the public housing stock was sold off (and not replaced) those who had been in council properties for a long time, received large discounts and with the economic boom in the 1980's, many of those home-owners saw the chance to make a profit and so sold their houses, many of which have now ended up in the hands of private landlords.  This happened to most of the public utility stock too, and the race for a quick profit meant that most of those nationally-owned companies and industries are now in private hands and/or foreign corporations, and the profits for the many have ended up in the pockets of the few.  

On top of this, Globalisation and Free-Market economics saw many working-class jobs either disappear abroad or disappear altogether.  The job losses, the Miner's Strike and the legislation to curb union power also had another effect, which was to close the door to a political career.  Factories and trade unions used to be where the working-classes learned, or were introduced to, politics.  They received an education in how to negotiate and fight for their rights and many started on the road to a career in politics and into the Labour Party through their union.  Since the 1980’s, the Labour Party lost its working-class edge and under Tony Blair became a middle-class party.  But, with the election of Jeremy Corbyn, there is a move back to the Labour grass roots, and the working-class are making their presence felt again and trying to wrest control back from the Blairites who, realistically, should be on the Lib-Dem or Tory benches. 

These changes are some of the main reasons for the disaffection that is driving the Leave voters here in the UK today.  At its heart, are the working-classes, ignored for years by the political establishment, and punitively targeted by that same political establishment with 'austerity', and made to pay disproportionately, for the reckless gambling of the private/corporate banking sector.  And now sneered at disdainfully by the middle and upper-classes over Brexit and dismissed as a bunch of ignorant racists. 

Looking at the My Generation documentary, I was struck by how many of those 'working class heroes' from the 60's turned their backs on the class they came from and are now firmly part of the establishment, including 'Sir' Michael Caine himself.  One of the most recent to accept the bauble from the Crown and tug the forelock, and one of the greatest disappointments, is 'Sir' Billy Connolly.  Like his fellow countrymen, 'Sir' Sean Connery, that great supporter of Scottish independence (ironic or what??) and 'Sir' Rod Stewart who, on a recent show, tried to excuse it by saying it's from the British people, not the Crown!  Then, we also have people like Dame Judy Dench, crying crocodile tears about the lack of opportunities for working-class actors while helping to support and maintain the very system that keeps the working-classes down and out. 

So, if anyone is worried about Britain after Brexit, it would do no harm to check out this documentary and get a look at Britain before the EU, when it was the centre of everything with a strong manufacturing base, and thriving home-grown industries: when working-class was something to be and something to be proud of. 

When Britain joined what was the Common Market back in the 70's, it was with the intention of making trade easier among the countries of Europe, which seemed like a good idea at the time.  It has now grown from a ‘common market’ into a bloated, bureaucratic monolith, expanding and growing beyond the remit of easy trade into a superstate, now with plans for its own army (under whose control, and to what or whose purpose?).  

Watching My Generation, has consolidated my belief in Leave.  Britain has the potential to do well as an independent nation but only if everyone in that nation is considered worthy and given the chance, starting with a decent education for all, so their talent and ability has the chance to evolve.  Those working-class who achieved so much in the 1960’s need to be reminded where they came from and instead of rushing to join the establishment, they should try extending a hand downwards to their fellow countrymen instead of pulling up the ladder after them.  

The working-classes believe they have found a hero in Jeremy Corbyn and all the sniping and sneering by Blairites and their supporters will not change that view. (Take note, JK Rowling! Another working-class, gone snob!)

The disaffection among the working-classes here, is now visible on the streets of France with the Yellow Vests, and is spreading to other European countries with many taking to the streets in solidarity.  The silent majority who have been pushed to their limits, finally making their voices heard.  

I sincerely hope the Yellow Vest protesters find a leader or spokesperson, if this movement is to become more than just a 'street riot', to be put down by the forces of the state.   I sincerely hope Jeremy Corbyn lives up to the expectations of those who have supported him and helped him become leader of the Labour Party.  He carries the hopes and dreams of the working-classes on his shoulders, something they haven't had for a very long time.  I sincerely hope he becomes the hero they think he has the potential to be, because if ever the working-classes needed a hero, that time is now.


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