Is truth stranger than fiction

 This weeks crazy...

Most of are used to satire, we read publications such as Private Eye, we watch the likes of Have I Got News For You and radio shows often taking current affairs and putting a twist on them revealing a little more about the people at the centre of them than perhaps they would be confortable with.

It seems today though that some matters are in effect beyond satire as how they act, their actions are out of the everyday norms but seem to be entirely normal for them.

It's probably fair to say recent rants and statements on their own social media - a major world leader that has spare time to rant away and create their own A.i image creations - have caused much alarm, mirth even in recent months.

His depection in recent days as a christ like messiah in a major spat with The Pope, the leader of the world wide Roman Catholic church is just such an example that only a matter of  few years ago would of been unthinkable.

The State of the World

We are living in rather worrying times, some of the grown ups seem to have taken leave of their senses  and as I'll be away on a easter playaway day I'll leave this week with a well observed cartoon in the Calvin and Hobbes series I adore that tackles what to me seems to be the notion of "american exceptionism" head on.

That last frame is just marvellous for puncturing it.

No country is perfect, all have their good points and bad ones what matters is being free to live where suits you best.

Current Affairs

I dislike having to say anything regarding regarding current ffairs but given where we are right now, unable to rely on the United States tolook after Europe's interests,and  concerns I'm just going to have to as much as I keep stuff like that Off Forum.

Some might say to raise the question of security guarantees at a press conference about a Mineral Rights might be inpolitic but the suggestion that merely having a number unspecified of Americans working there patently does not guarantee a breach of ceasefire as even if a mine was not bombed, transportation from it might well be which would be driven by Ukrainians. What then?

So it's not unreasonably to ask about and for a short response "We'll talk that through later" reply to be given and move on but it is exceedingly likely a metaphorical grenade was planned to be tossed in show the Ukrainian president in a poor light starting from the frankly bizarre assertion that to wear what is his usual attire in the Oval Office is disrespectful.

Anyone who follows the news knows what he is likely to be wearing at meetings at which point blatant often pro Russian lies are being tossed into a massive rant by the President and Vice President the latter at one point seemed to me running the show than President Trump, just watching on enjoying the spectacle unfold.

And for challenging that, the Ukraine President is ordered out, no deal being signed.

Trump and co may feel they made him look humiliated but frankly you made your country look like it is run by school bullies where diplomacy and due process are no longer a given for incoming Prime Ministers and Presidents and has exposed the petulant infantile nature of your leader

Yesterday morning he announced he'd cut off all aid to Ukraine doubling down on his assertions that Friday. How the hell does that get you peace???? And leaving Ukraine unprotected for President Putin to blow to smitherines and take over.

Some "Peace" that is!

Your country is in state of disgrace and I do question if you even should remain a NATO member given your behaviour to allies (and I might add I'm no lefty).

That '74 feeling again

 

The more or less four yearly competition to see who makes the most rashes promises to run the government is in its final stages although a common response is to "stick it to the man" as people are fed up people promising what they don't (and maybe) can't deliver and not really answering the question when it comes how they they will pay for things.

Dad was saying he thought it might be as close as it was in 1974.

Crumbs! I remember the chaotic period only too well.

There were better memories of then though as a original ten year old and that was of watching a series of five minute cartoons by the Wombles who became a pop group and environmental champions too.

This very limited record came the other week.

It's basically a Greatest Hits album with all your favourite singles in there chronological order of release as issued on CBS Records over here with the Wellington solo track, and exclusive US single and the version of The Wombling Song used in the film Wombling Free in 1977.

That means such classics as Super Womble, Wombling Merry Christmas and Remember You're a Womble are gathered up with a essay and picture on the inner sleeve to be played and enjoyed the way we did back then.

Listening to that was pretty enjoyable as we seem to be going through another colder damp spell.

Incidents, anxiety and grief

Today I've been feeling upset following the weekend's reports of how Hamas the terrorist group backed by Iran launched an attack on Israel, left over 250 people at a music festival dead, took women and children hostage and fired rockets into appartments.

Understandably such action brought swift retribution which itself resulted in over 550 deaths and inevitably hits civilians who only wish to go out to shop, school and work.

Forget the adult talk about motives and justifications although from my dorm chair I cannot  begin to imagine how you can justify killing so many people incuding children and of injuring others.

On top of high inflation, strikes and protests this take my mind back to 1973/4 and the Arab-Isreali War following the terror at the Munich Olympic Games the year before.

I remember only too well how my world fell in during the period shops, clubs and places of entertainment were targeted grim picture after grim picture of bombed out buildings, injured people and seeing bodies carried out.

I was ten at the time, loving to play out, play with my toys and read comics but then the big newspapers kept coming through the door with the latest bombing across its front pages, the hourly headlines on the radio and shocking footage on tv.

Its relentlessness didn't just make me nervous, I started to worry all the time my folks or my dad alone cos he travelled a lot in his work when I stay with with my grandma and grandpa worried sick if they were coming back when you heard something happened. My world no longer appeared safe.

Tonight I feel very numb about this incident, very shaken and concerned for those who today who are of a similar age to how I was and just how for some what was planned to be a weeking of partying and fun turned in a nightmare.

There is injustice and at times deep frustration at the speed of progress in resolving it but these kinds of action solve nothing and only serve to leave people in misery.

Dealing with citizenship

In a couple of weeks unlike a good 99% of the time I will be engaging in adult activities for a few minutes having spent a hour thinking things through just a bit first so you may well be wondering "and how do you of all people do that?"

The first thing to say is I had an interest in current affairs - what is happening and why - in childhood because when we joined the Common Market that was something that was talked about in class cos whatever you thoughts now, it was a change in our lives we would be living with.

We had a good number of visitors to school who were people like visitors like the late Baroness Shirley Williams ministers and educationalists and indeed I did have afternoon tea with then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at No. 10 Downing Street no less.

We did debate things, often very spiritedly because really we we learning to listen to different points of view and reply to them rather than 'cancelling' them.

I could at twelve and even a little early get to grips with key issues and the things in common and the things that differ between different peoples views being less concerned with the frankly childish bear pit that is Party Politics and rather more at trying to solve problems and make things run better for the ordinary person.

Like a number of areas we have Police and Crime Commissioner elections and what I am more interested in are things like ensuring people who report a crime do feel that crime is important and will be looked into, that no one section of community are able to feel they are above the law and that people are able to go about their lawful activities without fear and intimidation.

I also feel much needs to be spent on providing youth services to both provide a path away from anti social activity and to offer opportunities to learn life skills like resolving differences in ways that don't include the use of knives. 

There were swinging cuts to the youth budget before the pandemic kicked in and that saw youth clubs shut with increases in crime and anti social behaviour in some areas that didn't just cause problems fro residents but also resulted in actions against the police whose job it was to see and respond to incidents.

I think a refocusing on youth prevision would be a good idea as we come out of lockdown.

Purely personally I don't feel these positions actually do that much for ordinary people when you bear in mind many councils have Police Committees with a chairman who do meet with the public.

I don't feel one commissioner and a deputy plus admin is the best use of very scarce resources given they achieve little more than the committees themselves did before for rather less money.

I'll be looking at the candidates manifestoes and deciding which I feel is the best given we can't opt out of having one