Letter From London
One year from the next mayoral election I am already disenfranchised, current candidates are Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and the likely Lib Dem candidate Lembit Opik, one demagogue and two jokes. There will of course be fringe candidates; no doubt the so called Respect Party will put up a candidate as will the insanely masochistic Green Party. I have nowhere to go and may as well deposit my ballot paper into the nearest dustbin.
I watched the scenes at last weeks mass protest against the government cuts, the mass march as well as the smaller direct action events. Even before these events one suspects the narrative had already been composed:-
‘The story currently being spun by the police, by parties in government, and by most of the press is that an otherwise successful mass demonstration was ruined by disgusting little vandals with hate in their hearts. That mindless acts of violence were perpetrated by a small, hardcore group of hooligans calling themselves 'the black bloc', who trashed banks and businesses at random and attacked the police without provocation. That their behaviour undermined and discredited the half-million citizens who marched to the rally point in Hyde Park. That it was a major own goal for the Left in this time of crisis. ‘ *
The term mindless is the giveway of this narrative, in fact it most accurately describes the writers of such dead cliches, the absence of thought naked to anyone able to see. As to the’random’ attacks on banks and business I would have thought carefully selected might be a more accurate way of describing the targets. For my self being wholly mindful whilst watching these events I must say the sight of a branch of Santader being trashed cheered me up no end.
When a consensus like this quickly forms it is always worth asking whose interests this consensus serves.
Watching a recent debate on British television a fundemenatlist Muslim who has threatened an imman who had the temerity to suggest that Islam and Evolution might be compatible, stating that this made him an apostate, the sentence for which was death, (he also believes, amongst other things, that the stoning of a Somailia woman was an apprpriate sentence for the ‘crime' of adultury), complained that his views were being sneered at. Well unpleasant business sneering, though possibly not as unpleasant as stoning people, though hey sometimes someone has to do it.
A chronic insomniac I often listen to the BBC World Service, the BBC one of the jewels in the crown of British culture. This institution has just been subject to a severe cuts in funding, a form of cultural vandalism on a par with taking a hammer to a statue, , (at a time incidentally when the Chinese are massively expanding their own international news and radio services). One of the services to be completely axed is the BBC Serbian service at a time when the whole Balkan region is in a continuing state of transition. Stupidity on this scale deserves some sort of recognition, however it is as nothing to the cultural vandalism involved in the destruction of the public library service now being undertaken, however perhaps herein lies something with a more malign odour, a hatred of the role of the state in any aspect of cultural life, (possibly with the exception of the English National Opera where it is always nice to have access to expensive tickets).
*Lies in London
By Laurie Penny
I watched the scenes at last weeks mass protest against the government cuts, the mass march as well as the smaller direct action events. Even before these events one suspects the narrative had already been composed:-
‘The story currently being spun by the police, by parties in government, and by most of the press is that an otherwise successful mass demonstration was ruined by disgusting little vandals with hate in their hearts. That mindless acts of violence were perpetrated by a small, hardcore group of hooligans calling themselves 'the black bloc', who trashed banks and businesses at random and attacked the police without provocation. That their behaviour undermined and discredited the half-million citizens who marched to the rally point in Hyde Park. That it was a major own goal for the Left in this time of crisis. ‘ *
The term mindless is the giveway of this narrative, in fact it most accurately describes the writers of such dead cliches, the absence of thought naked to anyone able to see. As to the’random’ attacks on banks and business I would have thought carefully selected might be a more accurate way of describing the targets. For my self being wholly mindful whilst watching these events I must say the sight of a branch of Santader being trashed cheered me up no end.
When a consensus like this quickly forms it is always worth asking whose interests this consensus serves.
Watching a recent debate on British television a fundemenatlist Muslim who has threatened an imman who had the temerity to suggest that Islam and Evolution might be compatible, stating that this made him an apostate, the sentence for which was death, (he also believes, amongst other things, that the stoning of a Somailia woman was an apprpriate sentence for the ‘crime' of adultury), complained that his views were being sneered at. Well unpleasant business sneering, though possibly not as unpleasant as stoning people, though hey sometimes someone has to do it.
A chronic insomniac I often listen to the BBC World Service, the BBC one of the jewels in the crown of British culture. This institution has just been subject to a severe cuts in funding, a form of cultural vandalism on a par with taking a hammer to a statue, , (at a time incidentally when the Chinese are massively expanding their own international news and radio services). One of the services to be completely axed is the BBC Serbian service at a time when the whole Balkan region is in a continuing state of transition. Stupidity on this scale deserves some sort of recognition, however it is as nothing to the cultural vandalism involved in the destruction of the public library service now being undertaken, however perhaps herein lies something with a more malign odour, a hatred of the role of the state in any aspect of cultural life, (possibly with the exception of the English National Opera where it is always nice to have access to expensive tickets).
*Lies in London
By Laurie Penny
