Was a large swathe of the population given some kind of bizarre drug when they were born that made them want to take it up the arse whenever possible and go back for more? I know that's a bizarre analogy of something, probably closest to describing the proportion of the British public, who aren't wealthy, who vote conservative because that's what they do and ... but Labour...
Brexiteers seemed to and still desire a return to the 1970s, as they rewrite history to suggest these were the halcyon days of this former empire. Well, if it hasn't escaped your attention, we've been hurtling back to the 1970s in spectacular fashion since 2010 and suffering all the bits about it that nostalgiacs want us to not remember. With hindsight, the 1970s had a few things going for it that people hanker for - a sense of community and belonging, safer streets, amenities that exist and potatoes at 3p a lb. Energy problems, strikes, rampant inflation, recession - all the things the Brextremists want you to forget.
We've had an example this year of what another summer of 1976 amplified by climate change will do to this country if we have more than 5 days of extreme heat. 1976 at something like 32 days where the temperature was 30 degrees or more. Imagine the whole of July and half of August in 40 degree heat?
Yeah, we not responsible for climate change - solely - but when you have a government who have literally slashed subsidies and grants for clean, free energy in favour of lining the pockets of fossil fuel users, you have to start wondering if these people have your children's interests at heart?
We're now having an unprecedented energy crisis, which isn't solely the fault of Brexit, but our exit from the EU has certainly made it considerably more expensive for Brits than it was likely to be anyhow, especially given most of our energy companies and suppliers are owned by EU countries - not businesses, but the actual countries. France own one of our biggest energy suppliers, their own energy is nationalised, so they're quids in and their population are paying a lot less for their energy and are still being asked to cut back to keep costs down for the poorest. In our country, we have to cut back any way because some of us want to be able to eat while we shiver rather than starve and shiver at the same time - although the vibrations might keep you warm...
Thatcher's Tories were responsible for selling off all of our assets and nearly 50 years later can anyone reading this blog say they feel it's been a benefit? Especially when our government is essentially on holiday and letting the country burn while they argue over which fascist is going to steer us to our next disaster. We've seen a lot of straight talking by union people and consumer experts about the state of the country and what an absolute disaster it's hurtling towards, countered [naturally] with gaslighting the population into accepting that the coming tough times are just going to be tough and you're going to have to cope the best you can.
Not once have I heard anyone ask any politician - why are the energy companies allowed to make so much profit for their shareholders while the rest of us struggle to make ends meet? Isn't this simply licensed profiteering? Privatisation might have been a great idea to someone in the 1980s, but I think most of the population can see quite clearly that the only countries in the world where energy prices are massive are the ones with privatised energy suppliers and you have to be really stupid not to understand that we're the people lining the pockets of these extremely rich people.
Seriously, I've been writing this particular blog for over 10 years and I've commented on some crazy, scary and downright ludicrous things that have happened on the political landscape, but I don't think I've ever felt like the fight had gone from people, but I think this is going to cripple the nation, it's going to plunge almost everyone we know into a situation where Cameron's Big Society finally happens, because the only way we're going to save lives this winter is to open our doors to people who won't want help but will need it. It's going to end up being what little is left of community spirit to keep each other going, while our politicians - whatever variety - swan around Westminster telling us they're doing everything they can, which we really need to understand has and always will be nothing.
Unfortunately, I live in a place where they'd probably still vote a Tory MP in even if Liz Truss annexed Scotland and put Glasgow under Martial Law, but there's a good chance the rest of Scotland might kick them out for good. Those who oppose independence on purely economic grounds are going to struggle condoning being part of a union that is sinking faster than the Titanic. Frankly, I don't think we could do worse than our Westminster overlords, in many ways we're already better.
If this country has a future, it needs to relegate the Tories to the position the LibDems are in; a generation of being the minority party for the rich racists and profiteers would help everybody, including the deluded.
