Jeremy Corbyn – Part of a Wave of Progressive Change sweeping Europe

Congrats to Jeremy for winning by a landslide the leadership of the Labour Party. Hopefully this will be a return to truthfulness, justice and radicalism fo a party that under Blair and others became pro-big media, pro-spin, pro-banks, pro-nuclear weapons, pro-military invasions, pro-austerity and pro-billionaires. 
Unlike Blair and co, Jeremy will not suck up to media barons such as Murdoch, oil-rich Arab totalitarian regimes and American war-mongering neo-conservatives. All over Europe new popular movements are shaking corrupt political systems that are too often in league with a tax-avoidance elite made rich at the expense of ordinary people’s rights.  As with the Scottish National Party and Syriza, Jeremy is part of this tidal wave demanding change.
It will not be easy to re-establish community grassroots democracy in England. The stakes are high to break the stranglehold of the few. But I firmly believe that ultimately 'people power' will win out.

Thatcher: A Destroyer of Communities

I very rarely speak ill of the recently departed. But I have little affection for Margaret Thatcher who died today.

When she became Prime Minister in 1978, she used the words of St. Francis to define the tenets of her new government, “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope."

However she practiced the complete opposite and brought division, suffering, unemployment and poverty to so many communities across Britain and Ireland. Her political philosophy of individualism, light touch business regulation and free markets, was anathema to me and as a young radical in the early 1980s, I took part in many protests against her policies including that of the H-Block prisoners. 

Her government operated a dirty war in Northern Ireland and controlled Loyalist death squads that killed nationalist civilians. When IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands was elected MP with a bigger mandate than she ever achieved, she had the law changed to stop prisoners from participating in parliamentary elections. She supported right-wing anti-democratic terror regimes in countries such as Pinochet's Chile, Saudi Arabia and apartheid South Africa.

Thatcher with Pinochet

She was the chief ally of a United States that openly funded military puppet regimes in Central and South America that launched vicious wars of oppression against their own peoples.

US President Ronald Reagan and Thatcher were united in building a new expensive generation of nuclear missiles (Cruise & Pershings) that were to be placed on British and European soil. This decision spawned an international peace movement that included the huge female peace camp outside the RAF base at Greenham Common Berkshire where these weapons were to be sited.
 
Thatcher used all the forces of the state to destroy traditional mining communities in England. 

She took away local government in London when she abolished Greater London Council (GLC) then led by Ken Livingston. Thatcher privatised key sectors of the economy to the detriment of the British people, oversaw the loss of many of nation's manufacturing industries and the growth of the financial services. Britain no longer had an international image of being a country that made and exported things. Instead London became instead an international centre for banks and financial houses which spawned a generation of young bankers and stock traders who arrogantly portrayed themselves with a 'Greed is Good' ethic. The peoples of Northern England particularly suffered immensely under her rule as the large manfactured industries closed down and as the new financial services gravitated towards the south. 
The Poll Tax left to high levels of civil unrest.
 
She left Britain a deeply divided unequal society. 

"Nobody would remember the Good Samaritan if he had only good intentions. He had money as well." (Thatcher 1980)

 

Thatcher with Rupert Murdoch

She assisted the news corporations to undermine the media trade unions and to monopolise ownership of a press that became a mouthpiece for big business.

A quote from an interview that she gave in 1987, best summaries her life’s work, “there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families".  Such a philosophy has little time for the weak and community and only promotes greed, selfishness and egotism. 

London's Olympics & Paralympics have changed People's Perceptions of a Nation & of Disability.

As with last month's Olympics, the Paralympics 2012 was an outstanding success. For me what stood out was the a) social historical themes of the opening and closing ceremonies with their colourful anarchic format and b) the high level of professionalism and friendliness shown by a huge army of volunteers.

The British and particularly the English have regained a sense of national pride and value in the world. For a long time, the legacy of an arrogant superior English colonial mentality 

that is still promoted by a hard core of drunken, foul-mouth racist, beer-swelling tattooed wolf -pack hooligans on overseas holidays or at football matches 

Anti-Irish Emblem of the English National Front

diminished the huge contributions that the country has given to world culture (e.g. in literature, drama, music, film, architecture, human rights, progressive politics, sport, science and technology).

Drunken English Students in Salou Spain

Also notable was the fact that the London Paralympics has led to a seismic shift in the perceptions of the general public worldwide. 

Overcoming extreme prejudice as well as physical and mental barriers, the participating athletes achieved greatness and in the process have become positive role models to us all. They are no longer judged on their disabilities but rather on their abilities.

Thank you so much London!

The Royal Wedding of William & Kate: The Irish & Eco Associations

Shades of a 'Merry Old England'

As a committed republican and anti-imperialist, I have to say t

hough that I was genuinely surprised and impressed at how the ordinary English happily celebrated the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Lots of street parties, and fetes on village greens with music, old-fashioned games, champagne and cups of teas with scones. The huge crowds in London were of all ages & were so well-behaved enjoying family picnics and small group get-togethers.

The 'walkers-pace' mass movement of people to the gates of Buckingham Place was surreal, as if they were all guests in a wedding party group of days gone by chatting and laughing as they merrily followed the bride and bridegroom from the church up to the parents' house. The church service in the picturesque medieval abbey was very spiritual; the fulsome singing of hymns such as 'Jerusalem' absolutely magnificent.
It was at one level a re-awakening of a sense of community and neighbourliness in England.
And boy, do the English do

pageantry like no-one else can. The main parks, boulevards, historical fountains, statutes and buildings seemed to posively sparkle as if they all were given an extra cleaning and polishing. Very impressive- the whole scene was like something out of a fictional pre-WW1 'Merry Old England' novel.

A Happy Couple

The couple too seem genuinely in love, which is really nice and should be celebrated. So I sincerely wish them a long and happy life together.
And to be honest, everyone in our house was watching the television coverage of the wedding at some point during the day and commenting positively, admiring Kate's dress, Harry's ruffled look etc.
On some occasions one has to chill out and not be so serious, take the whole thing at an enjoyment level and not get too caught up in the politics and the unaccceptable hereditary nature of the British aristocracy.

The Wedding: Irish Dimensions

But of interest to me also was:
a) the 'Irish' elements of Kate and William's wedding, especially noticeable in this photo, that shows a large gold shamrock on his uniform, which is that of the Irish Guards, of which he is colonel.

Kate's magnificent wedding dress had a hand-crafted intricately pattern lace design known as 'Carrickmacross lace' after my home town in County Monaghan.

The person that did all the beautiful floral arrangement inside Westminster Abbey was Irishman and royal florist Shane Connolly.

The Wedding: Environmental Aspects

b) the spectacular sight of large trees adorning the interior of Westminster Abbey. The eco-symbolism is obvious. This is so good as trees need friends more than ever due to ever-increasing destruction of the rainforests which is significantly affecting life all across the planet. I feel William's father Charles, who is a great environmental campaigner, had some role to play in this important decision. These Maple and Hornbeam trees will be re-planted in Highgrove Park.

Kate's wedding lace pattern incorporated four plants to represent the four nations of the United Kingdom: the Rose (England), Thistle (Scotland), Shamrock(Ireland) and Daffodil (Wales).

Her bouquet contained five symbolic flora: Lily-of-the-Valley (Happiness), Hyacinth (Constancy), Sweet William (Gallantry), Myrtle (Love) and Ivy (Fidelity).

Actually the use of plants in wedding ceremonies was much more common in earlier times and symbolised humanity's reliance and deep respect for Nature: Laurel Wreaths on the head of the bride and groom, Flowers in the churches, Floral Bouquets, Flower girls and Ivy Garlands that covered walls and doors were for millennia features of weddings and other religious events.

So well done to Kate and William for putting Nature back onto centre stage.

c) the fact that this wedding was really an 'English' and not a 'British' affair. Very few community or street celebratory parties were held in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The 'United Kingdom' now seems like a thing of the past.