Two weeks until voting begins.
Another day, another piece of self-imposed disappointment. Life slowly ebbs away doesn’t it. My coverage of this election hasn’t been as exhaustive than I had originally intended but then, I ain’t a professional journalist. I have a terrible job to go to. Then again, there also hasn’t been a lot to cover, just the usual cutting away of our societies core values, which is apparently normal these day.

A few days ago I was discussing the in’s and out’s of homelessness with someone who hadn’t every considered them. Someone who seemed convinced that is was the homeless persons fault. It didn’t take long for me to explain the flaws here. Then we turned to drugs. Or rather, discussed the failed war on drugs. Again, it didn’t take much logic or time to get to the startling conclusion that the war on drugs doesn’t work and that the opposite strategy would be a healthier and more effective way of eradicating these problems. This was the day before the tragic attack in Manchester. And though we didn’t discuss the issue of terrorism I would have had a fairly clear argument on that too, one that is driven by logic. The war on terror doesn’t work.

There are logical conclusions which are somehow not wide spread. Obvious questions which are seemingly not asked. Instead responses are predictable.
The most predictable being from the Prime Minister who didn’t have to do anything to score points with the media. The instant an attack like this is perpetrated, especially during the lead-up to a major political event, you are asked not to politicize. That is fair, and understandable for a little while. However as the frequency of these attacks seemingly increases, the response remains muted. Surely that is dangerous.

In this instance, Corbyn stood up and delivered a very relevant and well thought out speech to address the attacks and how we move forward. Since, he has been attacked ruthlessly by the Tory camp who claim he is excusing the terrorist?!
The Government are apparently so at ease with this type of attack that they don’t even need to formulate a response. The blasé nature of May et al. should disturb us all. Clearly these attacks are the norm and there is no intention of stopping them anymore as Corbyn echoes the Foreign Secretary’s sentiments, indeed much of the countries sentiments, and he is branded reckless, dangerous, a threat, in league with the terrorists. Prime Minister May should take after her key ally President Trump and start a twitter for her future speeches – “Attacks, bad. Corbyn, dangerous. Strong and stable.”

Let’s not forget that one of the victims of the attack, was the attacker. This cannot be ignored. He was failed by underfunded services, we all were. I’m not excusing the actions of the bomber, that is unthinkable, I’m living up to the fact that he symptomatic of something wider.
This is an individual who was motivated to carry out an attack on children and families enjoying themselves. This is someone who was mentally ill. Someone who should have either received help from a nurse or been investigated and stopped before something like this could happen.

The atrocities of Manchester will be swept away with the usual programmed responses from the media. The Wannacry attack which ironically crippled our already limping National Health Service didn’t actually happen. Neither did the Tory election expenses scandal. The two week mark feels like a countdown certainly, to something tragic.

These examples are the more blatant, obvious events which seem to poetically sum things up. The responses from the media are telegraphed, predictable and so lacking in insight that you have to wonder who it is written by. Indeed the naming and dissecting of his actions and recent behaviors surely glamorize and romanticize the journey of a terrorist for other would be terrorist/ mental health patients who are also being failed. Again, I don’t want to deny the role of someone who is equally sick, even more-so than the bomber – the whispering coward who fed the perpetrator full of hateful, nonsensical ideology.
Do Journalists not understand this? Or they choose not to for personal betterment? Or they are not allowed to hint at understanding by those who don’t understand or choose not to for personal betterment? Or I don’t understand? But I’m fairly sure that isn’t it.

The establishment does an incredible job of mimicking terrorism here, spreading hate, hysteria and radicalized ideas. A right wing press and a ring wing government in cahoots which has allowed alternative narratives to become radical. Which by its failings allow these attacks to happen. Stimulate them even, with aggressive and ill thought out foreign and domestic policy. This press has degraded debate to the point where if you don’t sheepishly echo their point of view then you’re radical. That isn’t healthy for debate, nor for the country, or any country. Not that we can have debate.
That is healthy for the economy and that is all that matters. That is why we have to have a strong and stable leadership who balances the books and……………
……
Wait a second.
That isn’t working is it. Can we admit that Corbyn is correct, that he has been correct on every major issue of foreign policy in the last century or should we instead remember that he doesn’t believe in neck-ties. Or shall we drag up the fact that this so called pacifist won’t drop a bomb?! This so called pacifistic met with warring factions in order to stop war?! Doesn’t Mr Corbyn understand that we can’t have peace without dropping bombs? That discussion only leads to one thing… stopping terror?! Nobody wants that.

Actually everyone wants that. Only we’re not allowed it. We’re being force fed the images of identity politics. May who in reality is coming apart at the seems (much like the country) and Corbyn who often appears thoughtful, statesman-like and enthusiastic are now in reversed roles in the eyes of the public. Because May favors business. Because war is peace and we’re in the market of aggressive peacemaking. Because the interests of Murdoch and others are stroked and petted by a Conservative government who lack the fundamental strength and ethics required to stand-up to this ridiculous system we are trapped in. The perpetual shipbuilding. Corbyn’s policies are popular with the public yet they they believe in the propaganda which trickles from May’s leadership. This is a ship where we don’t like the captain, or the way things are run, and the crew are turning against each other and hungry, yet we won’t follow through with the obvious answer – Mutiny! – because we heard that head Mutineer Corbyn keeps a diary and wants us to each have equal rations. This is a ship which is doomed for failure. Play us out Chet.

Things are getting worse. Our NHS cannot protect itself. Our children aren’t safe in a pop concert. Austerity clearly doesn’t work. Growth must stop. The death of capitalization is nigh! Mutiny! Mutiny!

The short-termism, hypocrisy, cronyism, hypocrisy, dishonesty, laziness and ineptness of this government exemplify capitalism.  Surely now it is now time to say goodbye to such a tragic idea. The yo-yoing, results-based, CEO-style of leadership must go too. (Except it won’t.)

This may all sound radical but not as radical as the end of our conversation which ended with myself assuming the role of Prime Minister (hypothetically). I rather successfully did the following-
1. Decriminalize drugs.
2. Fund public services (health and social care) with revenue created by taxed drugs.
3. Radical press re-form.
4. Stop war on terror.
5. Reward Social Enterprise.
6. Privatize rail networks.
7. Build houses with rail revenue.
8. Actually tax multi-national corporations.
9. Invest in foreign policy which nurtures rather than destroys.
10. Political reform – Proportional representation.
11. Done.

Editorial – Sorry for the nature of this little ditty which I went and wrote. It is slightly lacking in flow, mainly because I’m bloody furious as soon as I think about any of this. I’m sorry if this offends anyone, it doesn’t stop it being true though.

I did have a further point about how the press has eradicated the very term ‘Labour’ so much so that it now seems to be a concession or a compromise rather than a party. That is not debate. I’m far too hungry to try and shoehorn it in above, plus it’s the last day of sun before the apocalypse so I’d like to go out and scorch my skin as a fond adieu to life as I never really knew it. And a on that note, it’s a fond adieu to you too, you stupid political underclassling.

Adieu x

Mr Hummels