Friday 1 July 2011

MEGA RANT TIME

I apologise for this post as it is in no way related to my film and video work. However, I really need to vent because I have just witnessed something that has really pissed me off. I make no bones about it I am an angry man a good 75% of the time and it is not because of any one thing in particular but a combination of things that get my blood boiling. One of these things is UK politics and this little video pretty much sums up what I mean. So please have a watch as Ed Miliband some how manages to say nothing in 2 and a half minutes.



Okay lets cut through the crap. Basically Ed Miliband does not support the strikes and he believes that the government has acted in a "provocative manner". His solution is to enter in to talks. Okay! I tell you what would be nice. How about the leader of the Labour movement actually doing some leading like the interviewer asks. Labour is still in part funded by trade unions and is supposed to represent the working class. Therefore surely Ed should be trying to come up with an alternative solution besides saying, "can't we all just get along?". I'm not saying he should be supporting day strikes but at least have the conviction to suggest how to progress. Instead, Ed rambles on bumbling and repeating himself like a Hugh Grant character. This is the best the Labour Party has to offer. Really? REALLY? Good luck next election.

My stance on the whole thing is that the public sector workers are well within their right to strike. In fact I don't think they are doing enough. If they want to take on the government they need to strike properly. None of this day strike nonsense. Hell a days strike at the end of the school term. Everyone knows the last couple of weeks of the school term are complete balls. My last week of every term usually involved me going on holiday a couple of days early. At Christmas as soon as the word church was mentioned I was out of there. I'm sorry guys if you're going to have me mime hymns and tell me fairy stories instead of educate me then I'm outta there. Sorry I got side tracked. My point is that their strike at this time means very little. Most kids are already playing truant anyway. If the teachers wanted the governments attention they need longer term strikes. I'm sure Cameron and Loki...er...I mean Clegg would take notice then. It's certainly better than Miliband's do nothing and hope everything works itself out approach.

The bigger issue here is the state of British politics. Labour the Conservatives and the Liberal Hypocrites are all virtually identical. To use a soft drinks metaphor (made famous by Jesse Ventura) what we have is a choice between Pepsi, and Cola, and ASDA's own brand. They are all virtually the same but which one you prefer depends on your tastes. It is a sad realization that in my life time our nation has become a democracy with no choice. What a complete contradiction. Having said that unlike the peeps south of the border I have a choice. With the SNP in Hollyrood there is a very real opportunity that an independence referendum will be held. This is an issue that I've flip flopped about over the years but now I'm 100% for it. At least the SNP have a leader with an ounce of leadership skills and charisma.

For my friends south of the border, I feel for ya. Having said that we had a chance to make UK politics more democratic and guess what we didn't take it. I'm talking about the voting reform that took place on the same day as the Scottish elections. I voted for it so I'm not taking any of the blame for that one. I'm kind of left scratching my head about who to vote for next election. I can't vote for any of the main parties or the three headed monster as I like to call them. Minority and extremist parties tend to be single minded in their policies. The other choice is an independent should one run in my constituency but that is not guaranteed. The only other viable option is for me to spoil my paper. Contrary to what candidates would have you believe, spoiling your paper is not a wasted vote. They are counted therefore it is a valid statement by the individual. You are basically saying there is no one who represents me on this list. I happen to agree with those who think it is a good idea to actually a box for none of above. This means that by ticking the box you are formally declaring that you are not represented by any of the candidates. If enough people vote this way then it identifies a deficiency in the electoral system that will have to be addressed. It's the Brewster's Millions approach to politics (video below). I know it is a comedy but in all great comedy you can find truth. If you don't believe me Youtube Bill Hicks or George Carlin.



This clip from Brewster's Millions is so on the money it is scary. It really highlights that when you vote for a politician you're not voting for policies, you are voting for a carefully created image. Wouldn't it be cool to see a guy running who dressed in casual clothes though. Someone who cut through all the bullshit and told you the truth? I wouldn't even care about their policies. They'd have my vote by virtue of them going out there and putting themselves on the line. It's certainly more exciting than the Ed Miliband 2000. Hmmm... Actually now that I think about it maybe that interviewer sent him in to an infinite loop. Whatever they do don't send them to Microsoft for repairs. They can't even make console that works beyond 6 months. Thats me for now. Hopefully next time I'll actually have some filming to discuss.