Apathy, Atavism and the new Strasserites

Photo: By SchwarzerFront

For the first time since this long and tedious election began I finally saw a poster and placard in someone's house whilst travelling home through Putney. It promoted the Liberal Democrats which given the area wasn't much of a surprise but when I watched out for others but there were none. Not one other.

Given the ferocity undertaken by activists and others on social media this does seem a little odd until I think about those I work with. The election does not get much, if any mention. Other more "mundane" matters plus a little banter remain the order of the day.

The big debate on Sky/Channel 4 did not get a mention at all. Not once.

Most people I know would normally vote Labour if they bothered voting at all and it never ceases to amaze me how many people don't. Corbyn has changed that. People want a Labour Government but those I have engaged with do not want the man or his movement.

And yet the polls show a closing gap between Jeremy Christ and the vicars daughter. How can this be? Most voters think old Corbyn is a total twat.

Theresa May is responsible. She is losing the election at the moment through sheer incompetence.

"Strong & stable" she says and then backtracks every five bloody minutes.

At the beginning the Prime Minister had a huge lead in the polls. Labour was heavily divided (and remains pointedly so), with Corbyn having such bad personal ratings one wonders why he bothers. Only his twisted ideology kept him going.

All May had to do was concentrate on delivering Brexit, standing firm on defence and throw a few crumbs on the table for the proles and she should be romping home. No need to rock the boat by upsetting the grey haired brigade with things like the "dementia tax".

The Tories have just over a week to restore their fortunes. Theresa May could have had an easy ride, a big majority and Corbyn would have been shafted.

Meanwhile the Corbynistas are showing their true colours in attacking a professional journalist from the Woman's Hour programme on Radio 4.

"Are you Jewish" they ask.

New politics? No, Just plain old National Socialism.

Corbyn must be stopped.

Old Labour is finished. Come June 9th there must be a reckoning. We need an alternative to both Labour and the Tories.

RIP: John Noakes (Blue Peter)

The BBC have just announced the very sad news that John Noakes of Blue Peter fame passed away at the age of 83. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this tragic time.

John Noakes was famous for all the stunts he took part in going up tall towers and such. All pretty dangerous and probably wouldn't be allowed under the modern health & safety regimes. But entertain us kids he did.

Then there was Shep. Heh.

Rest in Peace mate and thanks for all the fun.

Jihadists prove Corbyn is wrong

Photo:By Sophie Brown

At the moment the main topic of discussion every time I turn on the TV is Corbyn's view that it is British Foreign policy that causes terrorism. Not just historically incorrect (Jihadism has been with Mohammedanism or Islam since it's inception) but flies in the face of what the Jihadists themselves say.

Here are four reasons given by ISIS from the online magazine Dabiq.

1. We hate you first and foremost because you are disbelievers. You reject the oneness of Allah whether you realize it or not...

2. We hate you because your secular liberal societies permit the very things Allah has prohibited.. 

3. In the case of the atheist fringe we hate you and wage war against you because you disbelieve in your lord and creator...

4. We hate you for crimes against Islam and wage war against you to punish you for transgressions against our religion. As long as your subjects mock our faith, insult our prophets ..... and openly vilify the laws of Sharia'ah we will continue to retaliate not with slogans and placards but with knives and bullets.

Got that?

The foundation of their theology is a violent one and it stems from the warlords Koran itself. Stop telling us it's "nothing to do with Islam".

A lot of Muslims may not think and act like this but the ideas stem from the religion itself.

It is not Islamophobic to criticise either the theology of Islam or the actions and beliefs of some, if not many Muslims around the world when women's rights and human rights are trodden on and ignored.

Bank Holiday Interlude: Siouxsie And The Banshees

It's been a few days since I last blogged here, though I have posted a couple of pieces over at my other blog Howie's World of Comics for those of you who might be interested . Normal service will resume shortly. I just need a break.

Meanwhile I discovered Siouxsie is 60 today! One of my favourite all time acts. A unique sound.

Here's a little number to help celebrate.

A war on life itself

When I sat down last night to write a piece about Trump's new found alliance with the Saudi's I suddenly found myself plunged into the dark. Outside sirens blazed as a serious incident cut the power to the block in which I live. A burning cable it turned out which has left me without electricity until this evening.

As a result I was oblivious to events in the outside world until this morning when I remembered where the wind up radio was stored.

Another terrorist incident. This time in Manchester at a pop concert mainly frequented by kids. Young kids and their parents, enjoying a night out with some American singer I'm not familiar with. Not one to keep up with the modern scene but then youth passed me by a long time ago.

Life is precious and those early days enjoying a good time with friends and family listening to the music of the moment is time well spent. The last thing anyone would expect is a fanatic blowing himself up ending so many young lives prematurely and in the name of a so-called religion.

My heart goes out to the victims, their families and friends at this awful time which puts any inconveniences I and others may face into perspective.

The perpetrators of this crime and so many others around the world are those who do not respect life or any vestiges of those things that make life worth living. It doesn't matter whether the criminals are ISIS, the Taliban or al-Qaeda the aim is the same.

Death to those who will not submit to the whims of the representatives of some imaginary deity and his warlord of a prophet.

When I looked at the Saudi's yesterday it occurred to me that their theology and that of the Ayatollahs of Iran were themselves only one step away from being like the Islamic Caliphate they claim to oppose.

Yet to speak out carries the "risk" or inevitability of being called "Islamophobic". Strictly that means having a fear of Islam.

When I see gay men caned in Indonesia, an unmarried couple stoned to death in Mali, women flogged for being raped across the Muslim world and  non-muslims subjected to brutal sharia and blasphemy laws I shudder.

And I care not for those who appease atavism whilst such barbarity stalks our world.

Election 2017: The Fringe

It's a weird old election. On that we can all agree. The far left nutters have mostly buried themselves in Labour to support old Steptoe and the far right has all but disappeared. As for the Lib-Dems, the sandal wearing community has had to resort to calling for the legalisation of cannabis to try and draw attention to itself.

There are as a result far fewer fringe candidates this year, but there are a few.

First off the remnants of the gang of fours party, the SDP has announced that:

The Social Democratic Party has announced a full slate of 5 candidates to contest the Sheffield parliamentary seats in the 2017 General Election.

The SDP has been steadfastly representing people throughout the UK for 27 years and can trace their roots to the original insurgent party of the 1980's.

As believers in true democracy, the Party campaigned strongly to leave the EU and members were fully committed to working harmoniously on a cross party basis.

Besides the fact they should change their name to the Sheffield Democratic Party, I was also surprised to see that they campaigned to "leave the EU". Then I noticed  their spokesman was none other than cross-party serial joiner Steve Winston, last seen quitting UKIP.

Then there is the far-left. Oh yes a couple of them are standing against the Corbynite revisionists. Firstly the Communist League (along with the Socialist Party of Great Britain) who are contesting Islington North, the hallowed constituency of St Corbyn himself. 

The Communist League is affiliated with the US based Socialist Workers Party (no relation to the Comrade Delta Cults) whose  version of third worldism led them to criticise Trotsky himself (shock, horror). A former faction of the old International Marxist Group they are so small that they do not even publish their own newspaper and can usually be seen flogging the highly turgid and unreadable US publication 

(again..).

Old Arthur Scargill is standing three candidates this time round. Not sure where the Socialist Labour Party gets it's money from, or whether it has many members but here it is:

 

Last but by no means least is the Workers Revolutionary Party publishers of the daily News Line (how is a mystery, no more Gaddafi gold these days) who are standing five candidates. 

How this group have survived the fallout of Gerry Healy's crimes is a mystery. Think Comrade Delta and multiply, add internal violence, selling details of dissidents to foreign regimes and you get the gist...

Where are the Spartacist League when you need some comic relief......

May the farce be with you

Regular readers will notice that I have cut back on blogging over the last couple of weeks. In part this has been due to general tiredness but is also down to the simple fact I am so disillusioned with politics. I mean what a farce this general election has become.

ITV screened a two hour leadership debate without either of the candidates who could possibly even become prime minister on June 9th, though in reality there is only one. Theresa May is on course to win and the only question is how big a majority she will have.

For Labour there are two questions. How many anti-Corbyn MPs will keep their seats and will Corbyn himself obtain a big enough share of the vote to try and stay on as leader. He won't automatically resign because he has a "mandate" from the people who elected him. There are two Labour Parties.

The remnants of the mainstream centre/left party and the politically vulgar Corbynistas.

The problem is the better Labour does the more likely Corbyn's ascendency will continue. A dilemma that will plague the centre left come June 9th.

For me the problem of how I vote locally is already resolved.

"None of the above".

I am not a Tory and want an alternative to their party, but Labour is no longer that vehicle. It also galls me somewhat to say I would prefer Theresa May to Labour under Corbyn. But I'm far from alone in feeling that way. The man is seen (rightly) as an incompetent and dangerous fool.

Nobody would feel safe with Corbyn in power. The man says he's not a pacifist. That's true. He has never condemned IRA violence and makes friends with terrorist groups like Hamas & Hezbollah. Corbyn only wants to disarm the West.

As for the Manifesto, there are some good policies when taken on an individual basis. Trouble is we all know this shopping list is not affordable as a whole.

Has anyone noticed the lack of solidarity with Venezuela recently? The now bankrupt socialist paradise?

A warning to us all of the folly of so-called socialism.

There are another three weeks of this near pointless jockeying to go.  Like most people I am resigned to its outcome and simply await what happens next.

Musical Interlude: Aldious

Left it a bit late to blog tonight so here's a new track from Aldious one of my favourite Japanese bands.

Aldious are: Re:No, Yoshi, Toki, Marina & Sawa.

Website: https://aldious.net/

Election on my doorstep

The first leaflet for the 2017 general election has finally dropped on my doormat. A message from the sitting MP Greg Hands, the Tory incumbent for Chelsea & Fulham who will be returned with a large majority no matter how I choose to vote.

This prompted me to look up the list of local candidates who are disappointingly all from the five main political parties:

Bill Cashmore, Green Party
Alan De’Ath, Labour Party
Greg Hands, Conservative Party
Louise Rowntree, Liberal Democrats
Alasdair Seton-Marsden, UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Given my disposition against Jeremy Corbyn I thought I'd better look up the Labour candidate who is a local councillor. Seems he's not my type of Labour and was opposing action against Islamist extremism.

According to the Hammersmith & Fulham Forum:

....one Labour councillor – Cllr Alan De’Ath – attacked the programme as “Islamophobic”. Of course he is entitled to attack Council policy – he is not a Cabinet member and thus not bound by collective responsibility. Constructive criticism is always welcome. But to undermine the Council’s work in this particular way was pretty irresponsible.

I also didn't like the sound of his mate either:

Not that De’Ath’s outburst was the worst of the evening. His fellow Fulham Broadway Labour councillor Ben Coleman made some astonishingly crass comments during a discussion on anti-semitism.

In a brave speech by Cllr Joe Carlebach about his personal experiences. “I know what it is like to stand outside a synagogue and have sharpened coins thrown at you,” he said.

Coleman’s speech immediately followed. He said: “Sometimes people in the Jewish community think they are the only Jew in the village.” For good measure he then said that concern about anti-semitism in the Labour Party were “overblown”. Really disgraceful.

Really disgraceful pair who represent the worst of the new politics of Corbyn's Labour.

The slogan De'ath for Labour does amuse though....bring on the dark side of the force!

I was hoping for a decent fringe candidate. No one to vote for. I will have to spoil my ballot paper.

Eurovision 2017: Howie's Choice!

The Eurovision Song Contest (which takes place on Saturday night) has been a welcome distraction from the depressing general election campaign taking place here in the UK. The two semi-finals were broadcast on BBC 4 (the better songs were on the Tuesday night) and the stage is now set.

This years contest has been marred by the exclusion by Ukraine of the Russian entry, but then politics has been "bubbling under" what should just be a fun event for some years. Tactical voting by geographical neighbours also spoils the contests with countries like Greece and Cyprus giving each other "Twelve Points". They aren't the only ones....

The current favourites seem to be Italy who have entered a man and a his gorilla (it's a man in a costume) and Portugal who's singer reminds one of a young Herman Munster. Then there are the novelty songs.

Romania gives us a mixture of yodelling and rap. Less said the the better. Then there's the other weirdo from Croatia who mixes pop and opera depending on which way he's looking. My girlfriend likes it. God knows why. Takes all sorts I suppose.

But when it comes to songs (and we can't vote for our own piss poor entry) I rather liked this number from Azerbaijan (which I still need spellcheck to type). Their live performance on Tuesday quite impressed me.

This song will get my vote.

Beyond the general election

A couple of days ago I posted a short piece on whether social democracy had a future and ended with speculation over the future of the Labour Party. When posted to one of the "moderate" or mainstream Labour Facebook pages I found myself being admonished by an old political ally from the PCS union who demanded I wait until after the election to discuss such matters.

Given that every time I pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV I see Corbyn refusing to answer questions he finds uncomfortable such as Brexit under Labour or old McDonnell trying to deny he's a Marxist when asked directly, let alone the complete arse Diane Abbott made of herself..twice I think like most people who normally vote Labour I'm perfectly entitled to speculate

This morning I picked up The Telegraph in addition to my normal times because of their front page story Labour faces historic party split:

Labour faces a historic split after the election with as many as 100 of the party's MPs set to walk out and form their own breakaway group in an attempt to force out Jeremy Corbyn, The Telegraph can disclose.

Moderate Labour candidates are already in talks with potential donors about a new “Progressives” group forming in Parliament if Mr Corbyn stays on as leader after a Tory landslide.

If MPs at the top of the Labour Party are indeed planning such a move then it is perfectly legitimate to discuss what happens next, now!

From where I'm sitting there seems no hope of Labour winning the next election and frankly under the control/leadership of Corbyn and his Momentum disciple it is frankly undesirable.

The Tories are set to win, it's just a question of how big their majority is going to be. The UKIP vote which includes large numbers of former Labour voters is decamping direct to Theresa May. Old "tribal" loyalties have broken down amongst a huge swathe of the electorate. The situation is nowhere near the same as when the failed SDP was formed under the "gang of four".

However a formal split is a long way away. In the meantime a battle royale is going to be fought inside the Labour Party itself. It's not just the MPs. Staff at Labour Party headquarters have threatened to strike if Corbyn doesn't go after a disastrous election.

He won't. He's said so and tried denying despite the publication of a tape recording of his answer to a straight question. Left-wing leaders do not see themselves in the same light as democratic politicians who generally resign when they fail. 

The left think us plebs all have false consciousness and are brainwashed by the MSM (mainstream media) and will eventually accept their leadership. The hell we are,. The hell we will. Patronising bastards.

So how should we vote in the forthcoming general election?

Frankly I would urge those of you with anti-Corbyn MPs should support them and do not vote for anyone who supports Steptoes or is involved with his political tendency. If you live in the constituencies held by the likes of Corbyn, McDonnell or Abbott vote for the candidate most likely to unseat them. 

If you don't you might as well vote Tory because Corby is their best asset. 

Any candidate that supports Corbyn must be rejected. The election is already lost prepare for what comes next. If that means a new party before the following election so be it. The far-left will not go quietly or peacefully. They are beyond redemption.

They are a cult.

And there's enough cults in this world already

Students ban the Tibetan Flag

Remember the students union that banned the wearing of sombreros as "cultural appropriation" even though they were being handed out by the local Mexican restaurant? Well they're at it again.

This time they've removed the Tibetan flag from a display because of complaints from the Chinese Communist Party Society which described as "secessionist". These comrades also demanded the removal of the taiwanese flag but since there was a Taiwanese Society this was declined.

There were of course no Tibetan students. I wonder why?

The left has either remained silent or actively supported the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

For further information please visit the Free Tibet website: https://www.freetibet.org/

The end of social democracy?

With John McDonnell avoiding the question about whether he was a Marxist or not the fact is that there across the West there is a general decline of not just the political centre but also social democracy. This theme was picked up by Niall Ferguson in The Sunday Times today (no link £):

American Democrats and British Labour supporters have essentially the same problem. Blame the leadership, by all means. But the reality itself is that the centre left- whether it calls itself progressive, Labour or social democrat - is in disarray. And it can't be because all the candidates are terrible. It's because social democracy is dead.

His evidence is based on the decline of European Socialist parties and the rise of Trump. The Greek left failed miserably, everywhere else these parties are in decline. The runoff for French president is between two "non- establishment parties.

But more than this Ferguson makes a disturbing observation:

The old coalition between progressive elites and the proletariat is broken. The former are too liberal on immigration, too in love with multiculturalism. The latter loathe both. 

This seemingly sums up the reasons for the growth of the right leaning parties. Certainly the recent wave of immigration encouraged by the German PM has encouraged the turn to the right.

Too many, too male and frankly too Muslim for so many people in her country, across Europe and here in the UK. It was the final nail in the coffin of Britain's membership of the EU.

In the UK an out of touch activist caste around Jeremy Corbyn has weakened and for the foreseeable future made the Labour Party unelectable despite being the largest political party in Europe. Uniting the comrades has simply put all these people in one place but virtually no one outside is listening.

The local elections give an early indication of where this country will be for the next five years but what happens to the the centre/centre left is unclear. A Corbyn led defeat will give rise to more internecine warfare. A Liberal revival seems increasing unlikely and frankly irrelevant.

The time for a new party is not now , the right conditions do not yet exist though many of us would rally to it. First the old order must wither away it would seem.

Carry on Regardless

Over the past few days pundits have been predicting Labour losses in the local elections of around 100 seats, with the Tories making ground possibly at both Labour and UKIP's expense. A Tory revival of sorts was predicted in Scotland and it was feared Labour would lose control of Glasgow.

Today suffered an electoral defeat on a scale that was four times as bad as the predictions. Glasgow was indeed lost and the Tories gained in excess of 500 seats. Theresa May did so well that it was necessary for her to downplay the result so as not to appear too self confident.

Oh and UKIp was wiped off the map. Hardly surprising since (a) it's aim has been achieved and (b) their new leader is not any more fit for purpose than Corbyn is for Labour.

Yet I turn on the TV and watch Corbyn rush to Liverpool where one of his stooges managed to gain a Mayor position and act as if Labour was on course for a victory. The crowd of adoring duly chanted "Tories Out" as if it was some kind of incantation that would magic victory from defeat.

The fact is Corbyn, Momentum and the rest of the far-left has now actually succeeded in achieving the electoral defeat everyone has been warning them of.

400 losses.

And a general election barely a month away.

Yet  Momentum supporter Rachel Godfrey-Wood (which the Pub Lanlord might describe as a "good working class name") writes in the Guardian:

..the pundits should be careful because the ground is shifting from under that narrative. Labour, which under Corbyn’s leadership has grown to be the biggest left of centre party in Europe, has woken up.

It’s the people versus the establishment, and for the first time in my lifetime we have, in Jeremy Corbyn, a potential prime minister who is really on our side.

Such vanguardist arrogance from the comrades who claim to represent "the class" (to which most of them do not actually belong). The "people" have decided otherwise it would seem. 

The "people" in my workplace think Corbyn should fuck off now. But he won't and we all know that the Corbyn/Abbott/McDonell triumvirate will carry on regardless.

The "left" has become toxic

As I walked home in the gloom of clouds and rain I wondered whether there would be yet another atrocity committed by one of the Labour leadership in this equally gloomy election campaign. I had arrived home yesterday oblivious to Diane Abbott's "car crash" of an interview which was drawn to my attention by both my partner and seemingly everyone on Facebook when I went on-line.

I can't add to the mixture of bemusement and horror that people have expressed about her performance or lack of it when asked simple questions about Labour's policing policy. However once again it brings into question whether Labour is not just fit to govern, but even fit to be the opposition party.

There undoubtedly remain lots of good people inside the Labour Party but they and the MP's have lost control. The Corbynistas have the car and its skidded off the road and is sinking in the swamp that is the of the far-left.

John McDonnell hasn't helped matter with his appearance on the May Day march which has been long hijacked by the Stalinist and Trotskyists who are no friends of the workers, just another set of oppressors. Just look at the treatment of workers and trade unions under Soviet rule. Trotsky long suppressed them before Stalin grabbed power. Communism is no choice.

Of course the Corbynistas will claim other countries are closer to their "vision". they usually mean Cuba & Venezuela. You can't even get toilet paper in a country with the world's highest known oil reserves. What kind of sh*t leads to that situation.

The comrades have captured Labour. They don't care about winning elections. Talk of alliances with equally deranged Green Party and tactical voting to "keep the Tories out" falls on so many deaf ears. Interest in this election has fallen to the lowest levels I can remember even though the pundits wet themselves with excitement.

Diane Abbott represents the worst of the left. Arrogant and patronising.

The left has become toxic beyond belief.

Normally I would be planning a series of articles about the political fringe, but there isn't one this time. The lunatics have all joined or called for support for Labour.

Like so many who crave a real democratic opposition and potential government there is no one to vote for.

Labour is failing and the vultures are circling

Photo: By Source

There seems to be some confusion about the level of support the Labour Party is getting in the run-up to the general election. One poll I came across suggested that over half of those who voted Labour at the last election would not be doing so again yet other polls show a slight decrease in support for the Tories and an increase to 30% for Labour. So what is going on exactly?

With out a doubt Theresa May will still be Prime Minister come June 9th with an increased majority of some sort whilst Corbyn himself remains a derided figure amongst the vast majority of the electorate, Labour voters included.

There are signs of both resignation and panic in Labour's ranks. In Scotland the party is putting resources into just three seats. Obviously Labour see Scotland as a write off.  Meanwhile the Guardian reports:

Labour’s former policy chief has called on Jeremy Corbyn to stand down candidates in two key constituencies in order to help the Greens defeat the Conservatives and boost their hopes elsewhere.

Jon Cruddas has teamed up with MPs, including the former shadow cabinet member Clive Lewis, peers and campaigners such as Neal Lawson and Billy Bragg to issue the demand through a letter in the Guardian that warns of a looming “Tory landslide”......

Lawson, who chairs the pressure group Compass, said Labour could unlock 20 seats where the Green vote was key by simply stepping aside in two: Brighton Pavilion and the Isle of Wight.

The group, which also includes Helena Kennedy, the MP Tulip Siddiq, Paul Mason and Owen Jones, say they believe Labour is the best vehicle for a more “equal, democratic and sustainable society”.

But they warn: “With the progressive vote split the danger of a Tory landslide and all it means for our country now looms darkly on 8 June.”

Cruddas, the Dagenham MP who led Labour’s policy review in 2015, agreed but admitted that the move could trigger a backlash within the party.

A backlash? It's an admission of defeat that Labour will have to ally with the unreliable and ultra-left Green Party to even save a few seats. Cruddas & Owen are looking the wrong way. 

The problem for Labour is Jeremy Corbyn and his followers. The man and the movement that you Master Owens helped create. A monster that has destroyed the only viable opposition party in the UK.

Reports have appeared in the press and on-line that even long term Labour voters are going to cast their ballot for Mrs May because they do not trust the old fool.

Nor should they.

It's too late for change before the election but in the aftermath there must be a re-assessment of whether Labour can continue as it is because at the moment it's failing.

That's bad for democracy, not that the Corbynistas care they are waiting in the wings like vultures to pick the bones of a once great party to satisfy their own carrion-like ideology.