As I have often stated in my original writings on this blog, modern life is a mystery to me and I am often left confused by it. The older I get, the more I am aware that I do not belong. This modern world is alien to me, I little understand it but nor do I wish to. I am adrift and no longer part of this post-modern world. Assuming of course that I ever was.
I have noted this circumstance over the past couple of weeks, as a detached observer of the political games being played in the media. Here in the United Kingdom we are being distracted from the real news, the serious economic effects of rising utility bills; by a media focus upon our Prime Minister and the manufactured Ukraine crisis. Both stories may sell newspapers in the short term but the average citizen isn’t interested in either. Our concerns are surviving COVID, paying bills and just getting by. I suspect the average British citizen doesn’t even know where the Ukraine is but setting that aside, we all know that the posturing by the West is a show. Russia will do with the Ukraine whatever it wants and the West; after a suitable verbal condemnation, will forget all about it. We are witnessing a political charade, not dissimilar to that of a couple of years ago involving Korea.
Events closer to home are following a similar vein. The alleged ‘voluntary’ removal from post of a Police Commissioner, is claimed to be the result of the inappropriate behaviour of junior officers. The cynic in me thinks otherwise.
The career of the woman involved has without doubt, been an eventful one. In 2005 when Police shot and killed an innocent man on the London Underground, she avoided blame and was soon promoted. More recently in 2020 with rising crime rates in the capital and despite showing an inept ability to control the disgraceful riots, she like many others still kept her job. Here we are in 2022 and as the result of junior officers participating in ‘locker-room’ talk, she voluntarily steps aside. Pocketing no doubt an excellent severance deal on top of the expected pension.
I admit that politics is a mystery to me but surely no one believes this has anything to do with ‘locker-room’ talk or perceived racism? People cannot be that naïve? This is a politically motivated removal from office and has I suspect, rather more to do with the approaching elections for Mayor of Greater London.
With remarkable tenacity and despite the efforts of the media, the current mayor of London is holding on to office. Mr Khan is arguably the most unpopular Mayor of Greater London since Ken Livingstone but that isn’t much of a claim to fame, he is only the third to hold that office. The second mayor was our current Prime Minister and he wasn’t all that popular. Being Mayor of Greater London is not an enviable position.
Like many people living in the provinces, I object to the London focus of the media. I live closer to Manchester and Birmingham than I do London. I have no idea who the mayors of the first two cities are, nor do I care. I do know the name of the Mayor of Greater London, although I still don’t much care. He isn’t my mayor but the media fails to understand that.
I sit here in my living room wondering what the next manufactured news story the media will peddle, in an attempt to amuse the masses and keep us from questioning the truth. Although I try not to think about it too much, my detachment has the benefit of providing me with a buffer and I am able to focus my mind away from the media.
A more recent story that may not go anywhere, is the claim that a political advisor has himself claimed; that only white people can be seen as indigenous in Britain. He has a ‘point’ perhaps (and I am being generous) but he is only half correct. It really depends on where you draw the line and that has nothing to do with colour. From an intellectual and philosophical perspective, I ask how does one define indigenous?
The pre-Celts settled the greater British Isles (by which I mean Britain, Ireland and all the surrounding isles of the archipelago) soon after the Ice Age. That was 25,000 years ago and they were building henge monuments as early as 6000BC. At some point around 500AD the people we now call (perhaps erroneously) the Celts arrived. We can discount the Romans, their influence on the genetic nature of the British Isles was minimal. Various Germanic and Scandinavia tribes settled the Isles around 500AD. The Normans (themselves a mixture of Scandinavia and Frankish elements), invaded in 1066.
Traditionally we would draw a line at 1066, as there is something of a ‘native English’ identity often retrospectively perceived but whether that is accurate is another matter. Do we draw the line therefore; at 20,000BC or 6000BC, at 500BC or 500AD? Do we arbitrarily stick with 1066 or choose another date from the post-modern period, recognising later immigration during the Industrial Revolution? How does one define indigenous within the post-modern paradigm? Within the context of European migrations and later immigration, is a definition even possible?
Perhaps I think too much but I can see beyond the frontage of this modern world. That ability to see beyond, allows me to explore intellectually the darker recesses of the human experience. It is not very pleasant and I should perhaps not go there. Yet I do see the manipulation and how the media sets white versus black and Left against Right. If that is your world you are welcome to it, because it isn’t mine.
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