Woo-hoo it’s bank-holiday-arama, or May, as I believe it is more traditionally known. While it is persisting down outside of the window right now, I feel as if I am properly coming out of the winter doldrums-I have even considered spring cleaning, but I went and had a little lie down until the urge passed.
So we are now officially!? Heading into the warmer, nicer months of the year, but the political climate is really getting into Iron Throne territory, and winter, my friends, is most definitely coming. I try not to start soap boxing about politics too often, because I can be hard to stop when I get up ahead of steam… That said, come on, really? At the moment I honestly feel that something needs to be said. Grab a chair and some biscuits, to read my political horror story in four chapters, and I’ll see you on the other side.
Chapter One: Brexit, full steam ahead
Surprise! The Brexit thing is still happening, and it wasn’t just all a bad dream after all, sorry. I try really hard to keep up with Brexit news-I have a semi-serious intention to move to mainland Europe over the next decade and my parents already have property in France, so I feel as if I have skin in the game on a personal level. That said, given how selfish and myopic I tend to be, this is not at the top of my tree of concerns. I try hard to understand the implications of the various moves that are occurring regarding the Brexit, although I do get lost on occasion. There are a couple of things I have observed personally though, and I am sure anyone with the wit to do so can do the same in terms of their own life if they wish.
First of all, when the pound basically committed suicide in disgust at the whole thing, I immediately noticed the impact in terms of my work-all of my jobs with American clients (which pay in dollars)suddenly became a lot more lucrative, and I started getting more of them, as it immediately became that much cheaper to hire a British writer. However at the same time, my work from UK clients dropped off a cliff, because everyone panicked and nobody had any moolah.
This is only a small angle on the massive changes that are going on around us continually, if you know where to look-it might seem from reading the news that Brexit is on it daily with nothing new being said, but the impacts are already acute and universal.
For instance, I was talking to a client yesterday who sources and retails Afro hair products, and serves the needs of Afro hair dressers in the UK. She told me that given that something like 80% of the human hair used for extensions is sourced from China and that China isn’t loving the whole Brexit thing too tough either, the price of hair for weaves, wigs and extensions-basically all things that are really important for many black women in the UK-have shot up in price. This is already having a direct and immediate impact on Afro hair dressers and the black community as a whole.
This is just one small capsule example of how fast shit happens in so many different ways, and in terms of things like fashion, makeup and all sorts of other things that are sourced from China and the Far East, the impact will have a knock-on effect on everyone, including the Goth community and the shit we like to spend our money on.
Pick up, say, five random things in your home-a couple of items of clothing, an ornament, pots and pans, anything-and check out how many of them are made outside of the UK. If you can find just one item that is made in the UK, I will honestly be surprised.
STUFF IS ABOUT TO GET EXPENSIVE, so err, maybe start stocking up on bottled water and tinned food? No wait, that’s for the zombie apocalypse. I’m not sure that’s not coming next though, to be honest.
Chapter Two: Wotsit Hitler Marches on
Well, the orange knob head (it gets really confusing when my friends call Trump this, because I keep thinking they’re talking about my ex) still hasn’t been impeached and is still trying his damnedest to start All Of The Wars. However, to lighten the mood somewhat, I was delighted to learn that Trump’s new “report an immigrant” hotline (no really) is being trolled to death by calls about aliens and UFO’s, which frankly is absolutely the correct response and long may it continue.
I am still sat scratching my head about how this whole thing is STILL GOING ON, and to further reinforce the whole what-the-fuckyness of the whole thing, I feel the need to share this recent article from The Slot, in which they lay out word-for-word some of the orange tiny-handed one’s actual statements and responses to questions. Lemme just remind you all right now that this man is the PRESIDENT OF ‘MERICA, and leave you with my “favourites” courtesy of The Slot ):
TRUMP: “Number One, there’s great responsibility. When it came time to, as an example, send out the 59 missiles, the Tomahawks in Syria. I’m saying to myself, “You know, this is more than just like,79 (sic) missiles. This is death that’s involved,” because people could have been killed. This is risk that’s involved, because if the missile goes off and goes in a city or goes in a civilian area — you know, the boats were hundreds of miles away — and if this missile goes off and lands in the middle of a town or a hamlet …. every decision is much harder than you’d normally make. (unintelligible)… This is involving death and life and so many things. … So it’s far more responsibility.”
MMMMKAY.
Chapter Three: The Nazis do France-Grudge Match
You really would think that France’s whole shitty deal in that whole WW2 thing would have taught them a thing or two about xenophobic dictators, but apparently not-Marine Le Pen actually has a really solid voter base, and could genuinely win the French presidency.
I really don’t know what the fuck is going on with the electoral base in France, honestly. My mate and his (mixed race) family live in Normandy, and he told me a year or so ago that the local anti-immigration party won by a landslide in the next town over from him in the local elections-a town that consists of over 50% British expats. So I guess they’re I dunno, a bit confused about the meaning of immigration? Or ticked that “secret” ballot option for “only the brown ones out, cheers?”
It’s sad. I mean, genuinely sad. Aforementioned mate’s mixed race daughter (whose non-white mother, as I mentioned in a prior blog post, was stonewalled by the other parents at her daughter’s school in the wake of the Paris terror attacks) pointed at the local posters, and told her Da that she would vote for “the girl” (Le Pen) because “girls are better.” Not this time sweetie, not this time.
However, I can only believe that the whole country is following that same logic right now, because WTF, France? Really?
Chapter Four: General election madness
So, we’re having a snap election, which places me once more in the position of scrabbling to get registered to vote as a traveller, as I do not have a residential land address in the area in which I live on my boat. This is all doable-even homeless folk are entitled to vote, of course-but can be a real ball-ache because as with most things that involve bureaucracy and something a little out of the norm, there’s so much red tape and “computer says no” involved, that it invariably becomes a major mission.
My local electoral ward is a real Tory stronghold, and the Tory MP du jour is in my opinion one of the wankiest of the lot, based on his voting history on the issues that matter to me. During the last general election (here’s hoping for a lot more dogs at polling stations this time around too) I would have voted Green if all things were equal, but voted tactically for Labour.
The Tory MP kept his seat (this is a nice, leafy and relatively well-off area, so he is a popular dude here) and I fully expect him to do the same again. I will once again be voting for Labour this time,and although there is an element of the tactical in this again-although I still don’t think we stand a chance of taking the seat-I am actually feeling a lot more positive about Labour now, and am quite securely sitting in the bleachers cheering on Team Corbyn.
Whilst the general consensus seems to be that the Tories will take the election again-and to be fair, it seems to me from my simplistic view that Ms. May is only holding it because she knows she will win and then people will have to pipe down about that whole “unelected leadership” thing-I have a tiny bit of hope.
This is because I have noticed something of a trend among a lot of my friends, and the wider circle of people I know through social media as friends of friends, in terms of people really being willing to get off their asses this time and register to vote. A whole host of people that have not voted for years or that who have written off the whole “voting while traveller” thing as too much of a hassle are actually coming out to make the effort this time.
So, while I am not overly optimistic about a magical result on the day, I think the anti-Tory sentiment that is being generated in the ale houses and food bank ques and works canteens of your average town might be gathering momentum, which will make life less comfortable for the fat cats at the top over the coming cabinet term.
We’ll see.
I do acknowledge that I am kind of working from the viewpoint that most of my fellow Goths are fairly left leaning as a whole-I accept that there are some Tory Goths out there-I guess? I mean I’ve never met one, but then I’ve never seen a weasel either, and I am given to believe that they still exist. I would genuinely love to hear the thought processes and reasoning from a Tory Goth if you want to share with me-obviously we’re kinda coming at things from different corners, but I will listen and not shout abuse etc., assuming that I am extended the same courtesy.
To tie off, what I really want to say to everyone is USE YOUR VOTE-even if you’re not on my team. FFS, use it. Use your voice, use your rights in a democratic society, and SPEAK UP. Not everyone gets that luxury, don’t piss it up the wall.
If you like to help out disadvantaged people, aren’t too happy about all the “bloody immigrants” bollocks or wonder why in a rich, first world country in 2017 we still have a massive demand for food banks, VOTE.
Your tick in a box on election day can do so much more for people who do not have a voice or who are unable to use it than anything else you can do over the term of the coming cabinet term.
VOTE.
Peace out, y’all.
