Advent Calendar 0 (let's do this properly): Tinseldown

It's supposed to be Twelve Nights! I'm always confused by people that take tradition seriously enough to participate, but not so to do it properly. Though all things considered, and where we are, it woudl seem more than a little churlish to complain to the neighbours. A few days extra tinsel propbably makes them feel better and isn't really much compensation for all the stuff that isn't going to happen. It doesn't look like the official council-installed decorations are arriving, and the sight of Christmas trees and babules in the windows of local cafes seem a pretty forlorn invitation for an inadequate takeout replacement. Especially now they are all forced to compete on the same, slim, grounds. No-el here, just hell.

Well not literally, it's just rhymed. Other places fit that description better. Sadly.

Last night Novara Media (a posh way of saying new media, apparently), had an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Youtube last night to celebrate 100,000 students subscribing to hear Aron Bastani bang on about pumping iron. Now you could ask, but the chances of them responding seemed to be dictated by how much you were willing to donate through the 'superchat' mechanism (pay an amount and your comment in the live chat following along gets automatically highlighted, and thus seen).

All this would be fine if it weren't for two things: Novara's continuing and baffling support for Labour electoralism when all signs clearly indicate that the left are no longer welcome in the party. Novara especially. Their argument seems to be: it's the only game in town for an official opposition, and, that, by staying, the left can bring balance back to the force. If only this were true, but as we have seen this year, under an increasingly hapless authoritarian leader, that's not going to happen. The infrastructure just isn't there to support it; the ground has been salted. There is no fertile ground. That will change but not for generations. 

What then remains is electoralism; energy and time wasted fighting the very party they want to convince to be the thing they are fighting for. This is at best an exhausting diversion. At worst it blinds people to their own power: the strength of the working class to be masters of its own destiny. No doubt all this is done with the best of intentions. Novara's people are well read and educated, but they are blind to the lived experience of the most deprived. Some of whom they have sneered at in the past through vox pops featuring ill informed paupers caught on the camera. This is not a good look.

I bailed on the conversation, they weren't going to answer my questions anyway. Someone asked about eating meat and, predictably, the vegan position was asserted, without evidence. I'm tired of this. I have no problem with people being vegan; they have every right to that position and to eat no meat if they so choose. It doesn't offend me. However I find the ideology lacking. I don't think you can assert, as Bastani did, that eating meat is "evil". It isn't. It is a function of life on this earth. It's no more evil that I eat meat than if a Lion does. Meat is the optimal source of nutrients for the human body. That's a fact. A vegan diet, in my view, is lacking and I don't want, where it can be avoided, to rely on supplements. 

That itself would be fine. I can respect that vegans have a moral principle. But what bothers me is Novara's belief in lab grown meat, impossible burgers and the like. I don't believe these products as they currently exist are remotely healthy. They are vat grown abominations; I believe them to be unnatural. Food should be simple and wholesome - and not in some faddy way. When the latest celebrity chef asserts the virtues of 'simple home cooking' he's being just as pretentious as if he were serving haute cuisine to gullible liberals. What I mean is that good nutritious filling fare should not be subject to corporate commodification and should be freely available for everyone. Calling it evil is no better.

Maybe one day science will be able to culture fake meat that's just as good as the real thing, but for me that's just a form of subterfuge. It's dishonest. Fortunately I don't have to worry about that yet because the science isn't yet there. Capitalism will ensure that such developments are done on the cheap so quality will remain an issue. 

More importantly however is the idea that eating meat is harmful for the environment. This idea is omnipresent on the left and among the environmentally active. It saddens me because by lecturing people to give up meat you are going to have a serious impact on many indigenous communities. But that's the voice of the privileged western elite; it is not a working class position. It is also incorrect. There are, of course, many problems with industrial agriculture (as there would be with industrial plant agriculture) under capitalism. However forcing people to adopt an extreme diet is not the answer. Ending capitalism is the best solution. Get animals out on the pasture, raise them well, slaughter them well, and let people eat as humans have always eaten. The way that benefits them, nutritionally and socially. These processes can and should be the glue that bonds communities and families.

The problem with Novara isn't their analysis or their understanding - most of them are way more educated than I. They know, or seem to, an incredible amount of stuff. But they are naive to the needs of the working class. Their position on Labour is logical and rational, but it's also incorrect. Personally I think too much knowledge can be a bad thing, it allows one to over-analyse. This makes them appear high minded, Bastani especially. I don't think they are bad guys/gals, but I do think they are out of touch. They very much represent the liberal intelligentsia stereotype and that's unfortunate because on many issues I agree with them. 

Pre Tier 3 Weekender 2

 Universities have fined students for a total of just shy of £18,000. The majority being Nottingham students. While there are no doubt many idiots among this cohort, this is just the crude exercise of power.  Can we really blame students given what they've been put through, without as much as an apology? The government don't seem to care that students, having bored heavily and moved far from home (many for the first time), want an outlet to the situation. They've been lied to and exploited, left in often poor accommodation, sometimes without sufficient resources, and given a piss poor education replacement that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. If only in the form of the debt that will increase as they struggle to find work in the post Covid world.

Landlords. They are just parasites. We've got a society where children have to put themselves into crippling debt in order to have somewhere to live while they study. Kids are paying the mortgages of these people. That's it. Doesn't seem right to me.

Dominic Raab is warning of a third wave. We all know there's going to be a third wave. Until something changes to truly short circuit the virus nothing will be achieved. All we are doing is tinkering with the edges, picking at the frayed threads of this shit tapestry. Opening things, then shutting them, then opening them again is just that. It changes nothing; the virus is there and will spread again if those fundamental conditions aren't addressed. The only we have for that, at this point, is the vaccine. The government has squandered the goodwill of the community and failed at every step to step up: testing is still inadequate, still in the hands of the incompetent. That remains the key.

The Christmas confusion, which is certainly what will ensue, is going to lead to another spread. What I suspect might happen is that when the tiers are reviewed in a couple of weeks, many will move into tier 2. This is largely a sop to the whiny Tories banging the drum right now. Unfortunately the progress of the virus post-lockdown will only come clear around this time, but by that point it might be too late given their plan to let everyone have a 'week off' over Christmas. But the virus doesn't care about holidays. 

And Philip Green is a tosser.

Pre Tier 3 Weekender 1

Last weekend of the month, and thus Lockdown 2.0. I suspect that, as with most modern blockbusters (god, can you imagine Hollywood's take on all this? I think Ernest Borgnine's dead though!), this will be a trilogy. In fact they're likely to split the third act into two movements, across the year. In the meantime, shop till you drop. Though preferably not literally.

If you look at the graphics it really does appear as if the Tier system is politically based. The entirety of London however is in Tier 2, including, of course, the City. Business as usual then; that blow isn't going to snort itself! Now London is pretty Labour, but it's also the capital and they aren't going to lock that down, even though it's doing worse than other places in Tier 3.

We have a new minister. The roller disco minister, Nadim Zahawi (you pay to heat his stables). He's the roller minister. Better get his skates on. TO be honest, it doesn't matter which clone of corruption they pick, they are all birds of a very shit feather. I suppose we should be thankful it's not Grayling. His job will be to pick up the pieces after Brexit when we betg the EU to let the vaccine through despite shoving two fingers up at them and threatening to break international law for 4 years. Or he'll pick up the pieces when the health authorities declare the vaccine unfit for human consumption. Obviously I hope that doesn't happen, but we can't assume it won't!

So we are now entering what, if I was writing a TV show about a washed up cop in London, would be called 'endgame'. The great season finale - until they resurrect the show. A terrible metaphor in a terrible world. The Tories are banking on this vaccine which makes me all the more sceptical of it's efficacy or viability. I just don't trust them. All this will be happening in the shadow of Brexit so you really couldn't ask for less secure economic conditions for this to happen. On the plus side, maybe the vaccine will be the like the Wild Card virus (superhero novels curated by the guy behind Game of Thrones) and we'll get crazy super powers (and not the horrible mutations). 

Finally, the government is planning to dish out Vitamin D supplements to the most vitamin-vulnerable. It's  not a bad idea but I can't help thinking that facilitating a proper diet with access to good quality food (fish is high in vitamin D for example) and not starving kids would be a long term better solution. Sadly this attitude is just typical of the Tories and their quick fix approach. Perhaps they think the virus is a like a trip to Holland and Barrett where you get a 2 for 1 deal on Vaccine + Vitamin D. Just drop some pills for the plebs, never mind the quality of the supplement. Let's have access to good nutritional food without the pompous pricing, faddy 'haute cusine' bollocks, and we can all be permanently more healthy all round.

Covid Winter Plan 5: Shopping To Death

If anyone believes we are going to see orderly shopping over December given the situation I would respectfully suggest they are very wrong. Never mind the long weekend we'll be getting just before Christmas Eve, there's also the entirety of December as non-essential shopping (that is, gifts) is allowed in all three tiers. If they think people are not going to flood the high streets like a retail deluge they are mistaken. I'm sure shops will do their best (some) in terms of limiting capacity (don't envy the door staff), but that just means, at best, a huge crowd of people outside; queues around every shop. 

This long weekend is also a green light for mass social not-distancing (synonyms have today failed me!). It will not - cannot - be enforced. People will just go everywhere and meet up with relatives wherever possible. This is a recipe for disaster and will, inevitably in some cases, lead to infections rising - all as we are potentially on the verge of a vaccine. I'm told that the vaccines are ready to go, waiting for the all clear from the relevant authorities. Don't know if that's true and it's certainly not going to be enough for everyone. If that is true then it would have made sense not to allow this madness. I hate this lockdown as much as anyone (though for genuine reasons, not the 'covid recovery group's' bullshit mission statement), but the bigger picture can't be ignored.

Sadly though, it was.

And of course Boris the bozo wants the Union Jack on the vaccine bottles, because nothing says 'large and in charge' like risking the rollout of a vital medicine just to assuage the fears of Gammon across the land. Idiots. Have you ever heard anything so petty and insecure in your life. As if people need to be reminded, while getting jabbed, what country they fucking live in! That's right, it's the one turned into a shithole by the clowns insisting on branding a bloody virus on grounds of exceptionalism.

I don't see a vaccine becoming effective during December. Afterwards we better not hope it's coming from the EU (I think it is). Can you imagine the 'Covid Recovery Group' wanting to eat crow and giving into any deal just to get the vaccine? I wouldn't put it past them to deny even that, though surely it would be their funeral.

And just ho much money is this 'Covid Recovery Group' getting from the taxpayer? We know the 'European Research Group' charged the taxpayer and got its knuckles rapped for it. It's members have also used their expenses to pay for it as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the same was happening here.

Questions need to be asked given that's mostly the same cast of miscreants.

Covid Winter Plan 4: Welcome to the Failed State

 The winter plan is among the most cynical schemes I've ever heard, and from among the most awful government's I've ever known. Actually that's a lie: it IS the most awful. 

It seems perfectly obvious and entirely rational to suppose the Christmas plan will lead to more infections. We don't have the necessary tools in place, thanks to Dido (currently Lie Low) Harding and the Tories, to make it work. Every time we've opened up, and make no mistake this is going to lead to social movement on a large scale (because it's Christmas!), things have gotten worse. Like ill advised couple counselling!

Remember: the virus wants to spread. 

According to the government (remember them?) I live in a Tier 3 area. The highest of all restrictions. I wasn't expecting that, which means most people round here will be likewise unpleasantly surprised. This is highly confusing as it seems to indicate non essential shops can be open (which means bust shopping streets) but that we are a serious enough case to merit the severest restrictions which seem not to include outdoor sports and Primark.

Honestly this may break me. I was looking forward to an end to lockdown even though I have been repeatedly saying it won't happen. In practical terms theses restrictions are a confused sop to the elite and the whiny economically illiterate Tories. All of whom are perfectly safe (except from each other). 

It makes no sense to have a lockdown, ostensibly to lower the R number and ease the burden on the health system, but then to come out of it into a series of restrictions, that, regardless of tier, allow more to be opened. Yet again we are being gaslighted: we are fed cognitive dissonance on this basis. It's no wonder people look to conspiracy for explanation. These two realities are competing for the psyche of the nation and the only outcome guaranteed is anguish.

Some good news: the second wave does appear to be passing. You can see from the official weekly data, here. 

However, this is looking to be the most uncertain and possibly hazardous period yet. We have no government, at this point. They are simply hoping the vaccine will arrive and quickly. There is absolutely no guarantee of this at all. Yet, despite everything, these utter fools are arguing amongst themselves about the placement of their constituencies into the tier system. Their whining is utterly aggravating. It's authoritarian, claims Brexit 'hard man' Steve Baker. Clearly not authoritarian when it comes to denying food for kids over this period. None of them gave a shit about the working class over the last ten years, inflicting their austerity and poverty. I have moved beyond utter disgust into something like cold hatred; we do not have a government. We are a failed state.

Reap the whirlwind, we are.

Covid Winter Plan 3: Spent Round the Bend

 According to the Bank of England's governor, Brexit will cost more than Covid. This is part of an article relating to an apparent internal government report talking up a perfect storm of economic chaos over the winter. Brexit alone will cause much of that as we hurtle off the cliff edge, Lemmings dressed in Union Jacks.

The Chancellor (or should that be Chancer), a man with no understanding of how sovereign economies work, has frozen public sector pay. Importantly, and conspicuously, this offers the NHS a reprieve. Even the Tories don't dare cut the pay of nurses after everything that's happened, byt you can be sure they'd love to. This is couched in terms of fairness. It is not fair to starve the poorest in society; it is, however, Tory policy. We all knew to expect a continuation of austerity. 

The curious thing is that by cutting pay they are just putting more money into the hands of capitalists by saying they won't have to pay their staff more - even if they could (which many easily could). This is the great lie of capitalism: with no increase in pay relative to the cost of buying stuff (including luxuries because they are still made by people who need a wage) there's less economic movement. People can't spend what they don't have. They call this belt tightening and talk about it as though it were a virtue. It isn't. Strangling the economy just ensures people go without because workers can't buy the things that pay other workers their wage. All that the chancellor is doing is ensuring the bottom lines of companies. This is why he is economically illiterate.

Of course none of this will prevent the pigs getting their annual pay rise, as they have this year already.

Sunak also says more money will go to the NHS, enough to pay for 50,000 new nurses. By strange coincidence, of course, this is the number Slippery Matt the health minister promised would be hired. Remember that? The crazy shenanigans and mental gymnastics he put us through prior to the election to convince us persuading nurses to stay was the same as hiring them. What a liar.

The same paper has an article with comments from scientists, including members of SAGE (Science Antagonises Government Extremists). They seem fairly unequivocal in warning that the planned Covid Christmas arrangements will lead to a third lockdown. How can they not? We are effectively going back to where we were prior to November and the situation that saw is locked down for a second time. Imagine how that will be in January? The season of post-seasonal blues, with winter in full swing. This is a terrible risk the government are taking, informed by a mix of sentimentality and greed. The more convoluted the rules get, the more 'detail' and exemptions, the more Tiers there are, the greater the opportunity they will be exploited or ignored. There is no way any of this will be policed either. Are they going to have Christmas Covid Checkpoints? Do you have a Tier 2 passport sir, for you and your kids at the bridge into East Berlin? Of course not! 

I despair of all this. On one hand lockdown is of course deleterious, no one has ever said otherwise. It institutionalises you, I think. Then, with no thought as to how that transition might work, they fling the doors open, yet advise people maintain their social distancing protocols. This of course doesn't happen and so one feels caught between two worlds, living in the worst of both: the stultification of lockdown, and the uncertainty of a more open world. 

With the virus free in both.

Covid Winter Plan 2: Winterval

 The point was made by Novara media that, with an imminent vaccine, opening everything up, briefly, for sentimental reasons is a pointless risk. Why not maintain the restrictions for a little while longer and save Granny so she can have a vaccine? The Tories pretend to care about wellbeing, but again are either too short sighted to care, or to selfish.

Or both: it is of course about the profits. They want those sweet Shite Christmas dollars. This is the busiest time of the year for retail, we know what that means. This is a dangerous time and in response, once again, our government looks set to fail us. The covid plans seem to allow for spectating at sporting events even in the highest tier of the system. The rule of six returns, increasingly sounding like something from Mordor. Six there are, on the fingers of men. From six different households, one disease to bind them.

Did I really say that.

The Guardian is reporting early indications that the situation in Wales is perhaps on the rise again. It just seems we are past the point of control now. 

608 dead today. Highest since May - a statement we've heard a lot over the last month. Yet they still want to allow Christmas to be celebrated as if we were virus free. One thing that's brewing in my veins: a cold and lingering hatred of the Tories. I've always despised them, but this is now tangible. 

So essentially folk can form Christmas Bubbles (for fuck's sake) of unlimited size but up to three households (er?) during four from 23rd December. 

Travel between tiers and across the country during this period is allowed because of course it is.

Bubbles can't change; this won't matter as all of this will be ignored and abused and of course not policed. It is an open license for the spread of this virus simply for sentimental reasons - and for what? A vaccine is potentially imminent, maybe even during December. Why the fuck jeopardise this all?

Yes I sound cold, I am cold; the heating's not on dammit! But seriously, I don't get this. It's abundantly clear, from everything so far, that the more convoluted or complex the rules (as evidenced by the need to make exemptions for profiteering) the more the potential for spread and exploitation (and thus spread).

They've essentially turned Britain into a terrible viral pick'n'mix - although given how people handled the displays back in the days of Woolworths (the Age of Myth and Magic) they were probably just as contagious.

Covid Winter Plan Week 1: None of this Makes Sense

 The first thing I saw on Twitter regarding the Covid Winter Plan (because everything has to have a brand these days, including pandemic responses, somewhere the Grim Reaper is opening an ad firm) is a Tory saying that football fans will be allowed back to watch live games. A capacity of about 4000 limit. 

I'm going to assume this is a joke. Surely not even the Tories are this stupid.

So we're going back to the same three tier system as before (4 if you live in Bristol, where the mayor invented a 'tier one and a half'). I despair; that system didn't work before. It was filled with inconsistencies and proved confusing. Ultimately it proved unsuccessful which is why we are here, looking forward to a return to the same mess. 

Johnson says more places will fall in higher Tiers which will be tougher. I can't really understand how there can be more than 2 grades: either you're in lockdown or you aren't - but with appropriate social distancing and not opening the places that prove a vector, like pubs. But no, the doors will be flung open once again.

Essentially these are the rules:

a. In tier 1, the government will reinforce the importance of working from home wherever possible.

b. In tier 2, pubs and bars must close unless they are serving substantial meals (like a full breakfast, main lunchtime or evening meal), along with accompanying drinks.

c. In tier 3, all hospitality will close except for delivery, takeaway and drive-through; hotels and other accommodation providers must close (except for specific exemptions, including people staying for work purposes or where they cannot return home); and indoor entertainment venues must also close.

Also the Rule of Six is a thing, again. Utterly ridiculous, it made no sense before, it's not suddenly going to work now is it!

So in tier 2 pubs will just get round restrictions by serving 'substantial' meals (ie more than just a bag of crisps and 10 pints of lager). What a joke. It's good, then, that Covid is stopped by food. Right?

All this just to appease the economy. They pretend it's because they care about people's well being, but we know they don't. One look at the last ten years is enough to prove otherwise.

The following modifications also exist:

a. The 10pm closing time for hospitality has been modified to last orders at 10pm and closing time at 11pm. This allows customers to depart gradually and provides greater flexibility.

b. In tiers 1 and 2, spectator sport and business events can now resume inside and outside with tight capacity limits and social distancing, providing more consistency with indoor performances in theatres and concert halls.

c. The government is expanding eligibility of ‘support bubbles’^{[footnote 2]}. This will help mitigate the impacts of the restrictions on parents of children aged under 1 (or under 5, but with a disability that necessitates continuous care) and for those households where a single adult cares for someone with a serious disability.

How on earth does this make any sense? They believe this is going to help make the conditions safe for a more open Christmas, but it won't. The disease is still prevalent and still dangerous and people are still asymptomatic. It may ease the burden on the NHS (which is really all the vaccine can do at this point since it's not going to be widely available until Spring).

The hospitality industry gets its way through a series of confusing conditions that don't do anything to stop the virus. People will of course still pile in and then pile out come closing time, even if it's an hour later. People won't depart gradually, they'll stay until chucking out time as they always do.

How mass events like sport and entertainment can now be deemed safe off the back of this second vast wave is beyond me. 

NO one wants this situation to continue, except, it seems, the Tories who are doing their damnedest to ensure it does.

You can read the rules here.

Wet Weekender 2: Does Covid Know It's Christmas?

The shitlord in number 10 is going to (or has given depending on when this goes out) another of his welcome thought shares, informing us of the conditions of Christmas under Covid. Sing No-sana!

Well now, who among can claim surprise at any of this. What is interesting though is that is strips bear the festive facade, revealing just how infantilised we are by consumerism (by which I mean capitalism) at this time. Even the Mirror is calling Boris 'the Grinch'! Gods, I'm certainly no apologist for the wretch, but this isn't journalism, it's just childishness. Covid doesn't care about Christmas, Grinches, or Boris. It cares about spreading. If dealing with that means moderating our behaviour, within reason, then yes, it's necessary. It's always been necessary, and had our response been, well, responsible, and coherent. Had we followed global best practice things could well have been different. 

So yes, in a way, Boris is the Grinch. But not in some Christmas cartoon manner. Not in this facile representation, that always accompanies this time of year when we collectively loose our minds before shiny baubles and consumer debt, but in the manner of arrogance and corruption. In fact Christmas was stolen late summer when, in the name of the economy, he sold students and schoolkids down the river, and threw open the doors to the nation's booze industry.

Now he faces the latest mad dog Tory sect, the Covid Recovery Group. The irony that these filth claim to care about people's wellbeing when they've spent the last decade curtailing life chances and cutting support for people whose wellbeing was already compromised. They are, as a party, antithetical to wellbeing. This is Parliament giving actual representation to fringe conspiracy voices in our society. The rightward drift continues, unabated. While we are not a fascist society, these are the stepping stones necessary. The normalisation of this fringe thinking, masquerading as compassion. If they really cared they would have handled this situation better from day 1, possibly preventing the need for the current mess we are in. Now they claim they want science to prove the case, but they have already stepped outside the bounds of science and so aren't going to be persuaded. Fortunately their number isn't likely to influence any vote on the matter.

None of this is good though. We can't have a week or two off from the virus, like the school holidays. Viruses don't play by our rules of sentimentality. Sadly no one seems to want to explain this to people and so it will be too late, being that lone voice in the wilderness. Fiddling while Rome coughs.

What abtou the wellbeing of the health workers having to dress in bin liners in lieu of actual ppe? Well we can clap, I suppose.

Wet Weekender 1

Wet weekender indeed. I think what sums up this lockdown for me is the real sense that we are locked down: there's nowhere I can go and noone I can really talk to. This is oppressive. The weather doesn't help; a heavy damp grey blanket. One of the, few, blessings of early night time is that it draws a hasty curtain onto a grey day. Most people round here associate though having kids and sharing that at the school gates, or, it seems, walking the dog. I have and want neither.

Government inflicted rules are always problematic. This is not helped by the slave and corruption on display, but that's why it's problematic: because those elements are unavoidable. The pandemic is not in our hand. The working class isn't even allowed ownership of that which is, for now, slowly killing us. Make no mistake it's affects the poorest the hardest, if only indirectly. Within that cohort there are intersections of even greater disadvantage; we know that people of colour are particularly affected. Vulnerable people in care homes. Those dependent on not being evicted as well. I could go on (and will for a couple more paragraphs, then I'll spellcheck and press 'Publish').

Of course, if we were rich we could ride it out playing golf on pristine pastures where the working class are only fit for green keeping and forelock tugging. Or complaining about how the elections was stolen from us (They stole it precioussss!). Meanwhile Mr Bezos is now the first human (and that's up for debate, he looks like a robot wearing human synthetic skin) worth two hundred billion. I had to write that out instead of numbers because it's that mind boggling. Just think of the good that worth could do for the species. Instead it's squandered in such a limited way. How many helicopters does one personoid need for god's sake?

My day involves clicking on the daily case notification, seeing how many are newly infected and how many have died, and where. It's became I thing I do. I can't remember not doing it. I don't even really feel it, though if the number's are excessively high I will. I can barely even remember the halcyon days of single digit infections. That seems a lifetime ago; a better time. Even then I was worried about travelling. It was only when everything started going way south that I ventured out. Doesn't really make much sense does it. 

Somewhere on the page there will be a picture of Trump sat looking sour, no doubt enraged at some minor slight. That has never not been there either. It's the wallpaper of the day.

Fortunately, although it's still early days, it does seem that the second wave is peaking or, hopefully, passed the peak. The death rate is lower this time around. The question is: will there be a third wave, or, perhaps more importantly, a third lockdown? Will this one continue, albeit with a brief sentimental yet ill-advised Christmas break? That is my feeling. I cannot see much re opening if we're to manage the virus without a nationwide vaccine programme, and that isn't going to happen before Christmas. 

I imagine the Queen's speech will just be footage of her and that vile zombie husband of hers getting the Royal Jab. A compliant nation approves, bowing and scraping, waving its plastic flags and doing with out. "We're 'appy to go without, it's what we did in the war!". Gawd bless 'em! 

Idiots On Parade 5: Half Time, Keep The Oranges

So we're two weeks into this current lockdown and today the weather has been miserable. Which you would think would make the lockdown better in that if we weren't locked down we'd still be sat in doors because it's pouring down. I sincerely hope this pattern of weather changes soon and for a good long while because it's bloody depressing not even being able to enjoy a walk.

This experience is full of incongruities and they do not make things easier at all. I go for a walk in the evening, after dinner. A very pleasant experience to end the day (when it's not pouring down), but with everything shut it's somewhat eerie. Except for the places that aren't locked down, like the convenience store, or the chip shop!?! It is the most incongruous sight to see people queuing up (outside as they do ensure customers socially distance, tbf). Any other time and I wouldn't bat an eyelid. Now, and the site of people buying takeaway food during a pandemic is oddly unsettling. Just seems unhygienic.

There are builders and tradesmen out a plenty during the day. You wouldn't think we were in a lockdown with the amount of building work people are having done. I guess some things you just can't put off. On top of that, houses are being bought and sold which really spins me out. The estate agents (yes, that's plural) are open. The charity shop isn't. One of the cafes (yes that's plural) is sort of open, though in practice I don't see a difference and neither would covid, but the community cafe isn't. The other takeaway (again...plural) is open and to get your goods you sit and wait inside. Makes sense.

None of this does. I'm not opposed to it out of necessity, but in a microcosm it's a mess of apparent contradictions. Not helped by those that still aren't wearing masks. What can you do, start an argument? Get punched in the face? No thanks. There's a kid that works in the convenience store who wears a mask, except he never actually wears it properly, it just cradles his chin like it's an ill fitting pair of trousers edging closer to your shoes. I'm so tempted to say something, but what's the point? If you don't to wear it, don't wear it! This half way house just looks slovenly. I can't believe how it makes me feel but when I see people like that, or the van full of builders who were behind me in the queue at Tesco, all without masks, I start to get angry! This is not good!

I shall come away from all this a tired and petty old soul. I'm hidebound in many ways, but rules are important for the way I perceive the world. Structure and routine are important to neuro diverse people such as myself. When those are upset it is very difficult.

And so here we are. Another two weeks of this twilight zone. Then what? I imagine another two weeks after that. "I have no choice" he will say, from his luxury apartment, privilege sparing him the reality of life in lockdown's increasing misery. They have conceded the fight, instead now hoping a vaccine will come along and fix things. Meanwhile everyone will be allowed a brief 'covid holiday' so they can spread the virus, I mean visit family, over Christmas. A bit like the football match in no man's land during the war. Except not, because Covid doesn't understand the offside rule and doesn't care that you do. So that'll be lockdown the third in January until April at least, when the scienticians are saying we'll be offered the vaccine en masse. Before then the only people that will get it will the vulnerable, ostensibly to ease the burden on the NHS. The rest of us will still face restrictions and social distancing, and possibly endless, dreamy, dreary, lockdown. All courtesy of the most incompetent sleazy government I

Idiots On Parade 4: More Labour Stupidity

On one hand, I don't want to talk about Labour again. This is because they are irrelevant and redeemable. However even if they had all their ducks in a row and weren't hobbled by this antisemitism crisis (which is impossible, this was inevitable) I would still reject them. Labour's history is too closely aligned with capital. This isn't to say they have never done positive things (the NHS!), but those things are still dependent on capitalism and the continued support of the politicians. Whatever Westminster giveth, it can so easily taketh awayeth (the NHS!). This is because these things, under capitalism, aren't ours. The NHS doesn't belong to the community, certainly not the frontline workers that have been abused throughout this crisis. When conditions permit (when crises arise) the NHS and the like will face the chop. 

Furthermore, fighting for the Labour party, while sometimes necessary, as I believe it was last year, is a hiding to nowhere. This is the false dawn of electoralism. It's happening right now in the US. The trap is like this: vote for Biden knowing he sucks because you're really voting out a maniac. Then, when Biden wins, start wasting time planning for the next election. This detracts from valuable community and grassroots work. It's being put forward even now, plan for 2022 to get the Republicans out of the Senate, and so the cycle goes. The problem isn't wanting to get scumbags and dangerous narcissists out of power, it's that once you get into this trap it never ends. It should never have started. Anyway, here we are. What do we do?

Well we don't support Starmer. That is point the first. I read the article in the Guardian talking about Corbyn with a handful of his constituents (the Guardian really is shit and John Harris is a vicious turd), you can be sure the people they polled won't ever get to talk to Starmer. He won't represent, more likely these people will get booted out of the party for talking about the Forbidden Stuff! 

The bottom line is that Corbyn is obviously a popular constituency MP. He has a lot of respect. He's been there for decades. Starmer on the other hand was locking up kids for stealing some water and only became an MP in 2015. Suddenly he's the new hotness. That says it all really; Labour, in their rightward drift, are more interested in appeasing capital. Now they can't even get kicking Corbyn out of their party right. In so doing he may well have a case for being mistreated. He has the whip removed from him by the New Guy. They are provoking him, wanting him to seal his own fate. It's ugly stuff.

But like I said, it's their problem. I don't support them. Doesn't mean I don't have an opinion on how they're happy to smear a left winger.

Idiots On Parade 3: Walk Away

It will never end. A bit like Covid, though I hope not.

I speak of the antisemitism affair that has set fire to the Labour party. Maybe when the sun finally dies and the last vestiges of humanity float off into trans spectral space in their thought yachts, one of the Eloi will recollect the billions of years old drama and say "maybe Jeremy wasn't such a bad guy."

Look I get it. He has associated with people of questionable character. That's true of any politician - especially the Tories who sell guns and death around the world and shakes hands with horrific human beings. But that doesn't mean he hates Jews and engages in racism! The cognitive dissonance required to entertain that notion is frankly painful. But we live in the post factual world; where ideology wins. Jeremy is a racist because of course he is. Just like when people say, now, "at least Corbyn isn't in charge" when faced with the facts of our failed Tory response to a pandemic they themselves planned for.

There really isn't any point engaging anymore. Those that bash Jeremy will never stop. Sadly Labour has given in to these people. A minority within the Jewish community (I hope) who have the ear of the establishment, given a platform in the media, which is all to happy to hear how awful Corbyn is. Labour has hobbled itself. It's lame duck new leader is an inexperienced appeaser who has allowed the bullies to dictate how things should be. 

So they have reinstated Corbyn. This was only ever going to go one of two ways: either you kick him out permanently despite that he said nothing false defamatory or hurtful (unless you're looking for hurt) or you let him back in which just makes you look weak. As a consequence, and as we are now seeing, all the usual suspects kick up a stink. The idea that, if Labour accepts Corbyn (elected by his constituency, the more important standard), it is now an unsafe place for Jews is hysterical nonsense. But suspending him was just a sop which is why I call Starmer and inexperienced appeaser. 

Remember he's only been an MP five minutes. The guy is useless; so far his 'opposition' the Tories is just to fown at the utter incompetence of the PM. That's not difficult; Johnson makes it easy. But that isn't a substitute for being a good leader and having good policies. He is and has neither.

Anyway what do I care. People are better off out of Labour. They have always been a party of capital; good cop to the Tories' bad cop. Each are two sides of British capital representing nothing truly revolutionary. to capitulate to them is to engage in pointless electoralism and to devalue grassroots work. I still maintain that voting Johnson out was the best strategy last year given how damaging he has proven to be. But that's not an endorsement of Corbyn. 

The only change can come from us and the only venue for that is our streets and communities, not the talking shops where the Labour leaders will ban people for disagreeing with them in their 'broad church'.

Idiots On Parade 2: We Are No Longer United, Jack.

This lockdown is the worst of all possible worlds. It's happening at the worst time of year and has none of the novelty or even camaraderie of Lockdown 1, as well as, dare I say, the novelty. On top of that it isn't secure either. Plenty of things are open, just none of the things that I'm interested in other than the essentials. 

The local charity shop had to close again, along with the community cafe (unable to do takeout I guess). Meanwhile the estate agents, both of them (because one isn't enough I guess), are open. Perhaps they have particular arrangements or dispensation, but it makes no sense to me. The chip shop is open, serving people at the door. The other cafe is open but again no indoor seating, though it makes little difference as it's still full of customers. The other other cafe, properly a restaurant, is sort of open. It makes me sad: I don't know the owners, and they've only just opened which is why I feel so. They seem to be trying their best, but they aren't suited to it. I have no idea if they are OK, it would be sad to see their dream get Corona crushed.

I am curious, they operate in the morning selling, presumably, take out breakfasty stuff. I can't help thinking they'd be better off not spending the money running the business which, as far as I can see, can't be serving many people. Instead just take government furlough money. But I don't know how the scheme works, whether it's one or the other. I can't worry about other people's businesses, but to have your business start fresh at this time...that's just shitty luck. Not that capitalism cares. Dishy Rishy don't care; he'll be fine in his mansion with his millions.

We're almost two weeks into this Lockdown and I'm already tired. I expect you are too. It's just such a mess. I don't see much evidence things have improved. I hope I'm wrong, but the infection rates appear to be the same, around 20,000 a day, I don't hold out much for things improving when our four weeks are up - the government will have to continue the lockdown. Bad news for those believing they can hug their granny for Christmas, as the Daily Fail is recklessly promising off the back of a vaccine that has yet to be made. There's no chance I can see it happening in time for Xmas hugs.

I could be wrong, and if I am I'm certainly not going to complain!

I think it's clear at this point our government has completely lost the plot. Utterly unravelling and now pinning it's hopes on a vaccine saviour. If they get lucky, we all win, but the damage has been done. A year of disastrous mismanagement combined with utterly radiant transparent corruption. They don't care. Sadly their supporters don't care either; the ideology trumps everything. Children starving, thousands dead, but all that matters is you vote true blue Tory. It's tribal at this point.

I think we are witnessing a fundamental shift in society. Perhaps it began earlier, perhaps it began with Brexit. I don't think there's any turning back from this, not now. I wouldn't say we're headed for civil war, but god knows. Last year who would have said we're headed for pandemic! A culture war perhaps; something that will fundamentally shift the very landscape of the country. Maybe even the collapse of the union. We are no longer united, jack. It will take decades to play out, perhaps transcending my lifetime. I will be but a stone amid passing currents in a river of change. Perhaps a reed, if I'm lucky. Bendy with it. However climate change, like Brexit, will exacerbate things. 

What a time to be alive

Idiots On Parade 1: Through A Cabinet Darkly

...to self isolation!

This time I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. What could possible go wrong when you stand dangerously close to a halfwit Tory. Pro tip: they are all halfwits. I was being tautologically tautological.

At the risk of sounding monstrous. I simply don't care whether he lives or dies at this point. We have teachers working with greater risk darkly and they haven't the luxury of self isolating in privilege grace and favour housing. Besides it's not as if Boris does anything or makes any important decisions; the guy responsible for that quit the pother day. Hopefully he took all the bad decisions with him, though I suspect another bad decision maker will be found to make ever more increasingly bad decisions at a time when that needs to stop happening. The bad decisions.

Matt Hancock, who prioritises his links with the jockey fraternity (see; Dido Harding and the Cheltenham Festival fiascofarce) above health care, opines that it would be great if people could get tests for Christmas so they can hug their care home bound relatives on Jesus' birthday. The care homes whose staff nearly died for want of PPE several months ago, and who work for a pittance in the economy Matt Hancock champions. Funny old world. It's all so patronising really; the idea we can just slop a coat of shitty glitter over a situation and get away with it because it's Christmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas! Like smearing Vaseline over the lens to ocver Miss Piggy's indiscretions. I can think of a few things I'd like to smear Mr Hancock in, and none of them are the sort that you find in Ann Summers.

That got weird, quickly.

The government has bought 5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, which boasts 95% success. Of course it has yet to be officially release, like all these products. Five million seems bizarrely small; how is that going to achieve herd immunity? Is this because of Brexit, or general governmental incompetence? IS there a difference.

The reality is that, in this stage of the plague, we have abandoned everything to hope. It could have been different. We could have learned from countries that have handled this properly. Imagine if that was the case globally, the synergy would have helped stem the spread immeasurably. But there's no profit in sublimating ego. 

In reality a vaccine or even just the promise of one, which is all we have right now, is no short cut to normality. When these products arrive (if), people will still have to obey social distancing and wear masks etc. There's no way we can safely test the effects on grandma since that will involve infecting her with the virus, so the whole thing is taken on faith. We'll only know if it works...when it works. At some point the scienticians will say that now we can all come out of our underground plague bunkers and peel off the masks, now permanently affixed to our faces with a film of sweat. There will be a mass burning in which the apparition of covid will waft from the flames like an evil smoke. It will smell of Sulfur and Barnard Castle. Only then will we know for sure if it worked, in the months ahead.

Post Bug Post Dominic Weekender Weekender (post weeekend!)

 Feel much better today. Importantly the symptoms never amounted to Covid. I could taste and smell (and I certainly do smell!) and didn't develop a horrific cough. Must be one of those 24 hour bugs the cool kids talk about. No, I think I'm getting a cold. How that has happened I don't know. I see myself dodging covid so much I'm blind to the other regular bugs. Fun. It's that time of the year.

So, Cummings gone. What a petulant little ma. Happy to lie through his teeth (and badly) about the Barnard Castle eyesight extravaganza. That still makes me laugh, it's like a Little Britain sketch (only without the casual racism). I doubt even he believes anyone believes him. He's not a smart guy, he's just a very rich and well connected guy. In other words, he embodies the arrogance of power, and in Boris Johnson, he found the perfect vessel. Someone arrogant himself enough to want power but stupid enough to be open to Dominic's bizarre ill conceived plans.

The sad thing is that it isn't those schemes that got the better of him. It was a spat between his weird little clone, Lee Cain (have you seen the together? Birds of a feather!) and Carrie Symonds; the woman that is inexplicably Boris' girlfiancebreedingmare. Brexit, of which he is one of the architects, is still going ahead as best I can tell so he's picked the right time to leave the sinking ship. Unfortunately that ship isn't just HM Government, it's our economy. Flung over a cliff by people who couldn't see the massive drop over the edge. Now he gets to walk away and live in clover. He's part of the ruling class.

I suspect he may well shack up with Farage's latest project. The 'Reform Party' or whatever they are calling themselves this week. I thought that was failed actor Laurence/Lawrence (delete as appropriate) Fox's endeavour. They'll probably merge, like road traffic accidents. More likely he'll be chewed up and spat out by the Farage machine. Make no mistake, Britain's top xenophobe, Nasty Nige, is, IMO, very well connected. One simply doesn't start a brand new political party without serious and dark money. He seems to be very good at that. The Brexit party, for all its bizarre crank members, did pretty well - Claire Fox for instance sits in the House of Lords now. I guess being a professional victim of 'cancel culture' isn't so bad after all!

The Farage party I'm sure has Steve Bannon's backing. Last we heard from him he was calling for Dr Fauci, beleaguered US CDC boss (doing a great Martin Brody at Amity Beach impression ;), to be murdered. He's not stupid, despite being a horrific scab faced racist, he did this deliberately. NOw he gets to move on and do something else, and both he and Farage are, well, birds of a feather. Fast friends. Comrades in dark money arms. I'm sure he's part of this Reform party project.

This group wants to combat the lockdown. Now this is a strange policy since, by the time of the next election, in 2024, it's likely (God, I hope!) we'll be through this horrendous nightmare. Even if the economy isn't, there wont' still be a lockdown. But that's the angle Farage is playing: as the perpetual outlier he gets to criticise without the responsibility of an alternative. He never offers an alternative, he always shifts the burden of proof. 

So either he believes a general election before 201024 is more likely, or he wants people to remember and believe that the lockdown was a disastrous economic policy for which the government should be punished. Now of course I believe the Tories should be punished; they have catastrophically mishandled this pandemic. But remember: Farage has no answers. He's just a pub bore shouting at clouds while wearing driving gloves (fuck's sake). This his is MO, he's a stochastic terrorist committing drive by ideological violence without sticking around to help the community pick up the pieces.

Late article is late.

The Post Dominic Weekender

 Or so I thought. 

Unfortunately though I am not feeling well. I am slightly shivery; my skin feels all prickly and I need to pee almost constantly. No fever or, hopefully, other symptoms of Corona, but since there's no way I can get tested there isn't much I can do. Frankly I don't really see how it could be Covid. Even here there aren't - as far as I'm aware - many people with the disease and I have hardly been socialising nor being subject to the tender moistures of my fellow villagers. It was always going to be dicey at this time of year because it's that time of year.  I'm hoping it's nothing more than some random bug, but then I've no idea how I could have caught that either. I guess all it takes is to pick up something in the shop that's been handled by someone less careful and boom. I can't rule out Covid.

Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow. I had this in January, but then who knows that could have been Covid as well! What luck eh!

Anyway, I've been writing this old bollocks solidly (ore or less) since March, this is a day off. To recap: the government are shit, the world's going to shit, covid is shit, have a nice night!

Return To Lockdown: And He's Out The Door!

That's ok mate, just leave the monkey to clear up your mess. 

The former organ grinder on his way out, and, as people have correctly pointed out, right before Brexit crash lands. 

What now Boris? Where are your mad ideas going to come from now? Johnson claims his Brexit position hasn't softened. Reality will take care of that and he will have no one to blame. He's on his own now. What this means for Gove isn't quite clear since, really, he and Dominic were the government. Johnson just gets to sit in the big boy chair and say stupid things.

Who will be left to take the blame for Brexit? Will that be the day that 'inexplicably' Mark Francois will return to continue his long missed grandstanding. His brazen parading of utter stupidity. Mogg won't be around, he'll have jetted off to some Corona-free (he hopes) tax haven. Like the enclave of the rich in a zombie apocalypse, where the elite sit quaffing whatever it is they quaff, playing golf while armed security bozos gun down anyone that starts coughing at the gate.

Johnson's days are numbered. But then so are Britain's. Maybe he'll just concede everything the EU wants and then fuck off to play croquette with Mogg on Spaff Island.

None of this will make any difference. The next grey eminence will be no less a weird tory ideologue, full of stupid antisocial ideas. Desperate to use the empty vessel that is our PM to push them through. None of these people are good people. By virtue of being what they are they invalidate themselves. It's not like we have a say in any of this anyway, as if representative democracy actually works. Ha ha! What joke, of course it doesn't; we have no say at all!

It seems that the R rate is getting under control. At least according to the people at the ZOE study. I have no idea how reliable they are. Locally only 5000 out of 200,000 have their app btu at least it isn't run by Serco. I guess we have to take our good news where we can find it. Of course the real issue all along has been what happens when the doors open once again. Can we really afford to entertain another Eat Out To Help Out when it didn't last time. Word is, the chancellor hasn't ruled this stupidity out again.

Oddly, according to their data, I live in a very highly infected area, as the numbers go. But because it's a low population area it is difficult to be accurate. What we know is the R number is an average. You need to take into account that Covid is spread by a few who infect many. The R number averages this. So if you can isolate those people you'll go a long way to solving the problem. Shame then our useless government gave billions to Serco and the like to do...something.

I notice there's a lot of bumph around the place talking about Children In Need. Certainly there are, sadly, plenty of those right now. It doesn't need to be that way. The amount given to these privateers throughout this crisis utterly dwarfs the amount Children In Need raised last year (about 50 million quid). Yet somehow these Tory arseholes can't find it upon themselves to feed kids without kicking up a stink. It's ridiculous. That's taxpayer money given to these privateers, yet we allow ourselves to fall for the charity telethon con, thus allowing the government off the hook. 

Is that a good thing?

Return To Lockdown 9: Thus Ends Lockdown 2's First Week

A strange little bald man got into trouble in the government. You'd be forgiven for thinking it was Dominic Cummings again, though his fingerprints are all over the situation. No, it was some other little Tory weirdo. Is there a factory that spews out these creepy little oddballs? One after the other; a production line of antisocial monsters who view society as some grotesque experiment. They are like Q from Star Trek. Not omnipotent, but powerful nonetheless. Playing games with the rest of us like broken toys.

Is there a chance Cummings could be goings? I really don't know. Anything's possible right now. These are febrile times and uncharted territory. I don't really believe Johnson is politically long for this world. Perhaps he'll cling on like Trump, albeit without the result of an election. Perhaps he too will end his career sandwiched between a porn shop and a funeral directors shouting at clouds like that bizarre little gnome working for Trump.

According to Micro-President Macron, of Le French, Biden will make our planet great again. Isn't that nice. A 77 year old neoliberal has the power of the gods, apparently, and Monsieur Macron is only to happy to kowtow in such a meaningless way. Biden does have power....in January (god knows how many more Americans will have died by then), but of course Macron is essentially celebrating the rise of another capitalist orthodox operator. Business as usual, salut!

Yeah, no.

This is how Trump types win. It will be four years of business as usual, like I said, and the working class will be screwed over. It will be exactly the same over here. There's every chance Starmer could win the next election, but by 2024 the Tories will likely win. You cannot out-Tory the Tories. If you try you do so at the cost of the working class who already lent Johnson the red wall. Why would they go back to the racists at the Labour party? Starmer is bending over backwards to be perpetually sorry for the minority of cranks in the party, but the more he tries to appease, the more of his blood they will want - and he'll happily offer up the vein.

There's no future in these people. Look at how far to the brink they have brought us already. Meanwhile the risk here is that the government will use the potential for a vaccine - far from decided - to abrogate its responsibilities and district from its ongoing mismanagement. Day after day it's just one more example of corruption. If I read another article about that bloody Baroness Harding I will scream blue bloody murder. But it won't matter because, and ably supported by the screaming media, desperate for a normal Christmas, there's a vaccine on the way. Happy birthday Jesus, here's your corporate capitalist multinational medicine deal. Now look over there while we quietly bury all the evidence of how tragically we fucked up the economy and people's lives.

Return To Lockdown 8: The Days Feel Longer

 Anyone believing that lockdown, the winter remix, was going to be fun is clearly wrong. I doubt any such people exist. It is no lie to say that this time around, I am feeling more stressed and anxious. As the days get shorter and the weather commensurately rubbish they also feel longer: hours tick for longer as I struggle to fill them. To be clear, there are things I could do but I am both filled with lethargy and restless. I don't want to be here. I want the opportunity to do something meaningful to stretch my legs, other than just stretch my legs. 

And god knows they need stretching (I hate exercise, the way Indiana Jones hates snakes). I'm becoming filled with hate. Hate for the Tories, that is. But it threatens to percolate, becoming a pervasive constant hatred. Animated by itself. I don't want to be like that, but I have all the time in the world now and there is plenty to justify it.

This isn't an argument against lockdown. It's an argument against the continued mishandling of this crisis. It's reaching a point now where I can't imagine a day going by that doesn't include another example of utter incompetence mixed, like piss in wine, with corruption. It's just become white noise at this point. Like television static (remember that?). It's there all the time, pixels of cracking colliding snow that end up in the wallets of people like Dido Harding.

Christ I hate that woman's face. She sort of strained smile she effects. A look like a smacked arse. It's indignant; how dare you question that I receive 65 grand a year for doing precisely fuck all - for driving the bus backwards. Meanwhile the staff in the call centres driven to distraction by the script they are forced to read instead of actually helping people are working full time for less than half that. Capitalism is a sick joke. Are we even actually any closer to a working test system? Of course not, they are now hoping that a can of pfizzy Pfizer vaccine will save them from themselves. 

This useless government can't even make up its mind whether or not it hates/likes Joe Biden. I know what I think. He's a rich old man who will shore up capital and inspire the next Donald Trump by being everything Trump campaigns against - even though Trump is part of that swamp and just as corrupt. More so, in some ways, as he's willing to wepaonise horrific social injustice and inequality to make his point. Perhaps he'll rise from the grave in Election Horror The Sequel and drag Biden, and thus America, into the depths of civil war. It's not impossible - saying that makes me feel like I've passed through the looking glass. It's actually a possibility.

The working class across the world remains divided and the left, the conventional left, has no understanding, nor any willingness to. Instead the smartypants crew over at Novara will cite arcane historic figures and scenarios while cheer leading for the beige terror himself. The Ultimate Centrist, Keir Starmer. A man so bland he could only come into being if Thanos willed it. The Banality Gem. The Unity candidate who will unify Labour under capital at all costs, specifically the cost of the working class.

Anyone that thinks they have a chance of taking their party back is fooling themselves. Labour are done. They never were anything special. Everything they did was within the confines of Capital. Even the NHS exists within a capitalist paradigm: it's theirs not ours. Meaning they can take it back at any time, they being the ruling class, and that's exactly what's happening now. Labour aren't it's champions any more than they are ours. It's sad so many committed hard working activists are willing to throw their time away. Stop funding Corbyn, he's a lame duck - don't worry he'll be alright. Go into your communities and make the state irrelevant. Labour won't help us, not now not ever again. There's only us.

Return To Lockdown 7: Let's All Pretend Idiots Can Deliver A Vaccine

 Now the government are playing with fire...again.

I'm not sure how wise it is to be promising nearly 1000 tests a day. The vaccine is a promise, it is hope. But it isn't made real by the intensity of our collective need. Do our useless leaders think they can just sprinkle the possibility of a Christmas vaccine like fairydust? A bright Christmas?

How likely is it that a vaccine will be approved and distributed in time? Even then it will take time to work; it requires two shots a month apart and there's no way we can test it. It's not like we can infect Granny afterwards just to make sure! 

This is a gamble. A necessary one, but the idea of these stinking Tories fermenting hope as recklessly as they play their Brexit game isn't the solution. Beware people pretending to be wisemen bearing gifts. I don't know how likely the vaccine is, nor how near. Hopefully very. But what comes out of the mouths of Tories should never be trusted.

Baroness Horse Rider (Dido Harding, I'm running out of witticisms, bear with me) was in front of the select committee again today. A selection of more grasping parliamentarians, including Jeremy Hunt, now trying to whitewash his time as wrecker in chief at the Department of Health. Ridiculous; is he trying to position himself, once again, as a leadership candidate once Johnson, inevitably, goes?

Of course Harding has no answers, while she takes her thousands of pounds salary (on top of her free money for being a peer). People like here must just wake up in the morning laughing like giddy drunks. I bet they can't believe their luck. Of course they can't: it isn't luck to them. It's how things should be. They are the op of the perfectly justified and necessary social order - where they belong! Fucking obscene.

This lockdown is getting me down right now.

Return to Lockdown 6: Online Discourse Is A Bloodbath

 If there's one thing I hate about political discourse online, it's the vampires...no wait that's the movie The Lost Boys. Sorry I mean, it's the bad faith actors.

Vampires, in other words. No difference :D

It's intensely frustrating, I find, because conversation is a minefield and I'm shit at it. I speak very poorly and stumble over words. I am not a clear speaker. That makes activism difficult. This, here, is different for obvious reasons, though you'd be forgiven for thinking I'm any less incoherent! (Not by me though! Hah!)

Forums are just filled with puffed up players. Mainly young blokes with a bit of theory under their belt that think as a result they know it all. It's the vanity of youth as yet lacking the wisdom of experience. Just live a little, see what the working class puts up with and how it gets treated before quoting Milton Friedman at me, or pretending that what you read in fucking Breitbart is truth.

It's a bloodsport; a pit of fighting cocks who argue with ferocity matched only by the endless tedious need for sources and citations. I get it; evidence is absolutely important when making a point. But calm the fuck down about it. The call for proof isn't a mating cry, charged with testosterone like deer fighting in the rut! Horns up! \m/

Most of the time, in my experience, it becomes an exercise in trapping the opponent. This makes conversation an exhausting exercise of constantly having to guard your speech and hedge your beliefs. If you don't then you find what you said earlier is taken as an absolute statement which you will then be hung drawn and quartered on. "But you said x! I win!" - because winning is the most important thing. Ironically though these re people that I, at least, will never convert away from their capitalist beliefs. Views that are proving destructive to the world. It's just a horrible tiresome waste of time. Sadly in lockdown I though it might be productive. At best it would help sharpen my own arguments, but that's actually not the case, and I'm certainly not convinced of capitalism. Not when I can live see and smell it for real everyday, not just in some macho fantasyscape online. 

It's just a proving ground for young angry men. In the absence of social certainty, now that we're in late stage capitalism, these people are searching. Unfortunately theirs is a bloody quest.

Meanwhile there's talk a vaccine is looming. A corporate concoction (aren't they all?) has an apparent 90% success rate. That's great, we all want an end to this dreary nightmare. I certainly do, today I've been feeling quite negative. Only another three weeks of this shit (before a break and then lockdown number three). Of course this is only half the story: getting the vaccine from the lab to people's bloodstreams is the real task. I look forward to Brexit making that impossible. Nothing's ever simple.

Wweekender No More War

 Today is Remembrance Day. The local God outpost is livestreaming their event. How very 2020. I won't be watching, what's the point? I don't wear a poppy. Why; because I don't support the war machine. 

It's just like clapping for the NHS. Meaningless. What does it mean for me to 'remember'? I don't know anyone that was involved in war and what am I meant to remember? It seems like propaganda; we are annually envied to condition ourselves into believing in noble causes and justice. But that's not what happens in wars. What happens is people lives and communities are destroyed; perverted by ideologies and divided. We learn nothing precisely because all we ever 'remember' is the narrative the elite sells us while we compete for who's got the biggest poppy.

Tell you what: I'll commemorate the day we end war. It wasn't enough when they came back from the trenches with the brutal message 'never again' many shocked into silence, keeping the depth of the horror form their families. The government didn't care then, Germany was eviscerated and fascists rose to power, we know what happened. But they'll always reference ww2 as the just war, while ignoring the context and the course of events. Hitler was a vile monster, one whom the British ruling class didn't have a problem with (while conducting their own horrible imperialist actions) for the longest time. But my enemy isn't the German working class; it's the ruling class of all countries. All of whom are happy to bomb or sell guns and death to tyrants, exporting it globally.

That's what the poppy represents. Inevitably. Look, I get it. You have a grandfather or great grandfather who fought. You want to honour him. That's fine. But that's a private thing. What we have with the poppy affair is an industry; one intended to prop up the war machine. One that allows the government to avoid caring for those whose flesh it chews up on foreign shores to fight in its name. Not my name. I don't consent to your warmongering and your death industry, and I will not buy a poppy, borne on my chest which I puff out with pride, wherever I go.

Clapping was the same. For a time it was (I'm guessing) a grassroots symbol that people used to show simple kindness. But it achieved nothing. It become perfunctory. A duty, and in so doing nothing was learned or improved. If these acts don't achieve ends like this, then they are merely mechanical. They just serve a darker purpose: propaganda. Reinforcing ruling class values, allowing them to propagate more death and destruction. Currently our stupid leaders are risking a return to the Irish troubles; the years of funeral bombings and children being slaughtered. Fuck that and fuck them. These people are scum.

I will not wear your poppy as long as war is still a thing. That is the real message of those you blithely call heroes, whom you laud while leaving them to rot in the gutter. I will not subsidise your death and destruction if you can't even take care of these people. Those that came back from the trenches had a simple message and the poppy obscures that allowing it to be repudiated and ignored. All for the profit of the capitalist imperialist war machine, oppressing and exploiting. 

That's why they call the Union Jack the Butchersapron.

Weekender Indoors: Rich Old White Dudes

The boy done it.

By which I mean, the neoliberal rich old white dude. The one who will be in his eighties when the next election occurs.

Now that's potentially ageist, which is problematic, no doubt, but it is true. It shouldn't be a problem. I don't really care about his age. In fact the more I hear from the strained right wing blowhards that proliferate social media the more sympathetic to said rich old white dude I become. 

But honestly I can't pretend it would be better for society to have someone younger and more vital. That won't happen though, this is about the establishment. You'll never see AOC in the White house, never mind the ballot for that position, even though she would be better. If she were it would be evidence of her being co opted and possibly corrupted. It doesn't really matter who's in control, because being in control is the problem. It's always and only rich old white dudes.

Even Trump, who was most certainly a rich old white dude (if gone orange). But, like his choice of tan fakery, he is an aberration. Except not: he won on a maverick ticket, promising to drain the swamp and empower the working class. In truth he did neither, and wrapped up his empty gift in a bow of racism and self delusion (just watch his speech after experimental drugs animated his covid addled corpse). A present of hatred that will take a generation to pack. He was, and always will be a rich old white dude. He wants all the things rich old white dudes want and represents all the interests rich old white dudes have, such as tax breaks and corporate bonanzas.

Still, it's hard to argue with the intellect behind...

I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020

 

Return To Lockdown 5: 24 Hours In

 I ought to be writing something profound. I have high standards to maintain after all. That's why you're reading this of course. Viewers of taste and distinction; savoir faire. Or something.

Except I'm stuck trying to download some music from Amazon's frighteningly shit music app. 

Anyway, who cares about that. Not those sartorially astutue souls I count among my readership. That's YOU, genius!

So where are we? The week ends as the crisis began. A belated lockdown, hobbled in efficacy by the Tories who refuse to accept any harm to their precious economy. Even though it's minder, it's babysitter, knows not how it works.

Dear @RishiSunak,

We're afraid you got some things wrong in your #AskRishi twitter Q&A last week.

Retweet to help Rishi learn the truth about government spending 👇 https://t.co/nkQGLpOcAq pic.twitter.com/93GHQDxE2n

— Positive Money (@PositiveMoneyUK) November 2, 2020

Ho ho ho. What a clown. But he's a hedge fundie bankster type! Just shows how deep capitalist propaganda goes doesn't it!

Anyway, time once again to check in with our American friends (ooh, careful) and see how things are going in the world's greatest democacy.

 

I easily WIN the Presidency of the United States with LEGAL VOTES CAST. The OBSERVERS were not allowed, in any way, shape, or form, to do their job and therefore, votes accepted during this period must be determined to be ILLEGAL VOTES. U.S. Supreme Court should decide!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2020

Hmmmn....better leave it a while, it's going to take a while for the stink to clear. Woooweee!

Twenty Four Hours in a brand new cage

The same old story on a poisoned page.

Led by donkeys but not by data

was on the curriculum of the alma mater

Now at the mercy of those fattened with ballot and vote

Who legislate away all reason and hope...

Where a poppy where it red

Make it big, like the size of your head

Make it shine like a mushroom cloud

Gratefully blinded by England proud

The people salute while their kids starve

Covid got in the way of tearing us in half

Brexit comes a Tory takeover

Selling England off the White Cliffs of Dover

Make it loud like the braying crowd

Behind the king with his thatch of wind

Mr Speaker! Forgive me for I have sinned!

Goodnight.

Return To Lockdown 4: Lockdown Returned

Let us break bread while we continue to tolerate the petulant tantrum masquerading as democracy in America. A storm with far more reach than it deserves. While President baby spits out his dummy; while a rich old white guy threatens him with accusation of 'malarkey', we have to sit and endure this nonsense.

Is there any point staying in the Labour party? In a zoom meeting the other night, discussing the Corbyn conundrum presented by Starmer, a couple of party members were adamant that the right thing to do was stay. Their dedication is admirable; they resolved to fight for their party. But this, unfortunately, is naive; it isn't their party. It never was. That, I'm afraid, is a reality that can only be experienced. Their denial cannot be pointed out to them, they will just have to go on the journey by themselves.  No one can persuade them they are banging their head against a brick wall; only the pain of doing so will be an adequate teacher. That isn't intended to be arrogant; it's just the nature of the situation. Sometimes people can't be shown what they need to learn, they have to experience it directly. Realisation that the Labour party isn't their party is experiential.

The recent suspension of Corbyn will not yield a positive result. Corbyn himself is died in the wool labour. He will not form a new party. More likely he'd stand independently, probably after being forced into that position. He's treading the same path as Ken 'Red Ken' Livingstone. Though while the latter has over time descended into absurdity and become a parody of the left, Corbyn has been largely placed in this situation. He will not change, and neither will Labour. 

The only way this can go is further sanction, perhaps an endless cycle until the party just gets sick of him and boots him out. A likely outcome for the simple reason that Starmer isn't out to win over socialists; he's out to impress capitalists. Therefore any talk of socialism, any association with such, particularly when perceived as manifesting as being antisemitic, will be met with aversion such that it must be expelled. He's white washing the party. 

We've seen how the Tories have now placed themselves into an impossible position through their non-response to Covid. By refusing to censure Cummings (never mind associating with such a creepy weirdo to begin with), and by doing all the things they've publicly criticised Labour for doing, they are left without a leg to stand on. Rightly, Starmer wants to capitalise on this. Unfortunately as he's also looking to win over big business, corporate media, and the ruling class, the Labour party is now super-averse to anything with a tinge or touch of socialism. There is no future for you if you pursue a socialist agenda in the Labour party. Your ideas will gain no traction and fall on fallow ground. At best, Labour will publicly distance from such ideas, and, inevitably, such people. It happened to Rebecca Long Bailey after all, and, by staying in the party, these people are agreeing to their own emasculation. Willingly neutering themselves ideologically. 

You can't have it both ways.

In other news, no new president as yet. The greatest democracy in the world, yeah right.

Lockdown 2 begins today. Though all the local shops seem to be open. The post office, which completely shut before. The local cafes are now serving takeout. That does seem a little cheeky, but I can't blame them. I don't think they are run by miscreants. But who knows. This is going to be a different kind of struggle. People are going to try and keep things open as much as possible, but is that a good idea?

Return to lockdown: It Is Never Over

Is it over?

Can we come out yet? Have the monsters gone?

Nope, best I can tell they still seem to be fighting. Two giant dinosaurs, dripping with blood and treasure. One is older, the other will use any political tool to maintain power, no matter how divisive. They roar and swipe, like Kaiju. We are their Tokyo.

I've no idea if anyone's even won, but I can point to several hundred million people that have lost. Even if Trump loses, he's not out until January. That gives him a good couple of months to set fire to the furniture and further fuck up the Covid response. If he wins, the Covid response is also fucked up because the mask averse will be shooting it up in town squares like it was 1779 (that's a Simpsons joke).

What if it's all been a dream? From 2016 onward to Covid today? What if, should Trump be electorally, evicted, we wake tomorrow morning with Bobby Ewing in the shower? Hi Pam!

Just a thought.

There's a clip doing the rounds from Parliament today. In it Theresa May tries to make a point to the PM who, in a heroic example of social distancing, just walks out. Can't be bothered. Spaffer J obviously would rather go and do anything else but field questions - and why should he, he's only the PM after all.

We have the worst leader at the worst possible time, and he's screwed this whole thing up so spectacularly that it blows my mind. I can't encompass the totality of where we are as a result. Not only that but there is no way out for him. Once he let Cummings off the hook for his goings, he was in trouble. But this second lockdown? After repeatedly rebuffing Labour, accusing them of wanting to savage the economy at every turn, Johnson has no credibility at all. There is no coming back from this. He has nothing left. He cannot possibly get away with criticising Labour anymore. At best he can rely on the 'lockdown sceptics' who will happily and thoughtlessly run interference for him, but politically? He's done.

So, too, hopefully, is the other idiot.

Return to Lockdown 2: Dear America, You Know What To Do...

Today is the big day.

If you're American and want to do a little something to help the world. Do us a solid; vote out an incoherent arrogant narcissist.

Only to vote in a neoliberal establishment politician. Oh well! The goal is harm reduction, therefore the only course of action, at this time, is to vote for Biden. Were I involved I wouldn't be happy about that, but that's the situation you're faced with in the US right now. Again, as with our election last year, that's the only praxis. Harm reduction. Yes, the system is shit. No, I don't want to support electoralism. I think you have to judge it all on a case by case basis, thus for the Americans, as with Tories vs Labour, there is a clear case to make for using your vote in this fashion. The alternative is too horrible to contemplate. At least that was the notion, now we've lived with that level of horrible for a year and we're facing a second lockdown under a leader so terrible that literally anything would have been preferable.

Yet the Tories will all exhort that 'Comrade Corbyn' would still have been worse. At this point I wonder if voting is just an exercise in tribal tub thumping. We are in a post truth world defined by ideology. You vote Tory, even if that produces a response to an existential crisis so terrible that thousands have died that didn't have to, while kids starve and the economy explodes over the White Cliffs of Dover.

This was demonstrated by IDS's bizarre tweet, in response to the new lockdown proposition, chastising the government for listening to the scientists! This is where fascism begins: the denial of expertise in favour of herd mentality (perhaps even herd immunity, coincidence?). Trump is the same: a wealthy landlord drenched in privilege to the point of narcissism who wants to convince voters he's not part of the elite. That he's against the elite because it's a corrupt swamp. In IDS's mind it's become a strained technocracy; elites with expertise. How dare they lecture you.

Ignoring the reality of course.

These are the beginnings of fascism: late stage capitalism. People look at claims such as fascism and think it must be a phalanx of brown-shirts jackbooting down the pavement, fronting up to people's houses with guns and pogroms. As with any major social changes, they never appear so brazenly and so obviously. Change comes upon us unexpectedly, slowly, and often in forms we don't recognise. By coming slowly it runs the risk of being easily normalised. This is dangerous: a comment here, a faux outrage there, a Nigel Farage tweet, or a starving child. Excuses are made, money can't be found, let the migrants suffer. We must take care of our own.

But our own is everyone in the working class. There's no difference between you and a Syrian on a boat being exploited for the media camera or judged by a millionaire stockbroker for the benefit of his latest scheme. No difference at all.

Unless you're name is Donald J. Trump. The J stands for vote the fucker out!

Return to Lockdown 1: It Feels Like Christmas Shopping!

We now wait until Wednesday. That's the day Parliament votes on the lockdown proposal. It's a joke. They can't even get on with a catastrophically delayed lockdown properly. There is no part of this that isn't an enormous shit show. What is the delay for? How many lives is that going to affect - on top of the number that will already be lost due to delaying a lockdown initially? 

At this point it's tantamount to murder. They must know what they are doing; they are being told by the scientists. They are just choosing to ignore it. Fuck!

I went into Bristol today. For the first time in seven months. Bought a load of CD's which I then stupidly washed in a bowl of hot water thinking the shrinkwarp would protect it. Going to Bristol was a big step, after all the city centre region has a considerably covid rate. Highest in the city, though I wonder if that's because of the presence of the hospital. 

Aside from the enormous queue outside Primark and the presence of masks (mostly, though, inexplicably, not totally), it was just the same as it always was. Tesco operating a limited entry system made it feel like walking into a nightclub. All it needed was a young student girl upselling perks and privileges. There were stalls inside the Galleries shopping centre as there usually are, as well as around Broadmead. I found that utterly incongruous, but business be business...

To be honest, it felt more like doing last minute Christmas shopping (though perhaps - thankfully - not quite as busy). Rush home before the shops close for the holiday. I thought I'd treat myself because if we're going into lockdown again, I sure as eggs don't want to be miserable (though I suspect that's wishful thinking). Not quite the holiday season though, more the looming lockdown which could well last thorughout winter. Especially with these clowns in charge.

What is frustrating is that the best shops are the ones in town which are likely going to be harder to reach during lockdown. Being limited to what's here, in this village, is problematic because, even factoring in bus fare, the choice is very limited and just as dear. The local Tesco express is needlessly overpriced and fairly unreliable, and quite limited. They don't for instance have the cheap ranges which make shopping in town more attractive.

In fact, now that I think, it might well be safer, during the lockdown, to travel to these shops, as they will be open. Presumably the buses will still be running, as before. If we are locking down then it stands to reason there will be less people around due to all non essential shops being closed. It might even be a good idea in general, get out into some fresh air, even if that's just a walk on the sea front or the habourside in Bristol. Upon reflection that might have been a good idea during the Spring/Summer for obvious reasons. 

We don't know how long this period is going to last. A most uncertain Christmas. Yet people in town seemed to be acting as normal. Shopping, chatting, bimbling around. There was a certain energy to it, whether that's a false sense of security I don't know. Covid is invisible, after all. But it seems clear that the differences between being locked down in a relatively isolated rural area versus the big smoke is a very different proposition. People will still be in town, I'm sure of it. Some places will be open, not just Tesco. I guess it depends what they consider essential.

I won't be washing my Cd's again though. What a turkey (they are ok, just my pride, and some soggy inserts).

Weekender: He Blinded Me Without Science

And so ten months of 2020 have passed; two and a half of which were sans virus. What do we have to show for it? Another lockdown. A terrible do-over.

What a day for a horribly delayed and poorly delivered announcement. The weather is total crap: wet, windy and dark. This is the immediate future we face, thrown at us like a bucket of shit. Not even our useless PM seems convinced, because of course he isn't. He'd rather be anywhere but here. Who wouldn't? Yet he has a choice - one he'll no doubt exercise on his Christmas break (because of course he'll take one) - we don't. We are permanent residents in the Eton's mess.

Everything is on the shoulders of this government; Atlas's shoulders aren't up to the job. They chose this course of action, by taking no action. They followed absolutely the wrong course of action from day one. They didn't lock down when they were told. Too much was opened and much too soon. They were told that, with pubs open and the new school year imminent, they had reached the limit, and they ignored it.

All of these choices are informed by attitudes bred into the ruling class. These decisions aren't made by objectively stupid people: they are well educated. Schools the kids currently locked up in the University of Covid, will never know. An education clearly squandered; money for nothing and cheques for free. All the product of the systems we have in our society. These must now be examined and will surely be found wanting.

We cannot go on like this. What happens after this lockdown, will it end? Do they have the capacity to understand their failings? Can the systems and positions within society they occupy allow this? I do not believe so. They cannot be anything other than what they are.

And what they are is venal and self serving. These people are objectionable and objectively surplus to requirements. I have no doubt the working class could handle this better. If freed from capital's infantilising yoke we would recognise our worth, our abilities, and each other. 

Do we really think adequate testing and tracing services are going to appear over the course of November? By what metric; they believe their approach is correct. If they would only see things differently - clearly.

I worry this will hit people's well being harder. It's certainly going to hit mine. Yet that isn't sufficient reason not to do it. That's the awfulness of it all. There is good reason to believe that many people will flout the rules. They are keeping schools open, for example. Yet kids can't associate with classmates outside of school?

These sorts of inconsistencies become leaks in the lifeboat. People will exploit them - and who can blame them? Who are the elite to deny us our lives? Unfortunately, while they have no credibility, that is where they have left us; blinded without science. Where do people turn: conspiracy and credulity.

They have no credibility only power. They have no answers only doubt. They are leading us to destruction. There are very real crises ahead of us, with Brexit peaking at the predicted zenith of the second wave. We cannot isolate and socially distance from that. Where will we hide? Who has a private jet, a country club, an apartment in uptown, or a hedge fund in Belize they can escape to?

Yet again capital destroys and the working class are left to pick up the pieces.

I say no more.