Music & Politics

[number11]

We live in a country where the people are disenfranchised, education has become a joke, petty crime is rife, respect is minimal and two-bit morons are worshipped as celebrities. We're embroiled in two concurrent wars, both of which look set to outstrip World War Two in terms of longievity. Personal debt is enormous, house prices are about to tumble, the economy is going to explode and Howard Brown is still doing those poxy Halifax adverts.

Where are our heroes now?

My GF told me yesterday that in one of the London free papers yesterday, Suzanne Shaw, who it seems one a recent dancing competition for celebs, was asked a series of questions, based on the premise of being given two options and she had to state her preference. When asked Obama or Hilary Clinton, she stated she didnt know who they were. Moron.

 

[Uncle Leo]

The funny thing is that in amongst the nostalgia and soundbites, the journalist never addressed one key point; where are the protest songs now?

To be fair Billy Bragg is still churning them out. He called Boris Johnson a 'blonde b*ll*ckchops' the other day too, which was funny if not exactly Wildean.

 

[Slipperduke]

My GF told me yesterday that in one of the London free papers yesterday, Suzanne Shaw, who it seems one a recent dancing competition for celebs, was asked a series of questions, based on the premise of being given two options and she had to state her preference. When asked Obama or Hilary Clinton, she stated she didnt know who they were. Moron.

If ever this country needed Spitting Image, it's now.

 

[The Big Shrimp]

There are a lot of people in this world who listen to a tune, mouth the words and never pay the slightest bit of attention to what the lyrics mean. I believe that some daft Christian band covered The La's classic 'There She Goes' a few years ago, completely oblivious to the fact that the 'she' in question is apparently heroin, racing through his veins. I think it's clear that the Tories interviewed did the same, otherwise their political alliegances would have been rather different.

It was certainly interesting to see Hazel Blears behaving like a six year old and actually screwing up a Tory own goal. David Cameron recreating the Salford Boys Club picture? Political suicide, surely? What would that be about? Misguided hopes of wooing the disaffected Generation X over to the blue side of the street? They are, tragically for democracy, all as bad as each other these days.

The funny thing is that in amongst the nostalgia and soundbites, the journalist never addressed one key point; where are the protest songs now?

We live in a country where the people are disenfranchised, education has become a joke, petty crime is rife, respect is minimal and two-bit morons are worshipped as celebrities. We're embroiled in two concurrent wars, both of which look set to outstrip World War Two in terms of longievity. Personal debt is enormous, house prices are about to tumble, the economy is going to explode and Howard Brown is still doing those poxy Halifax adverts.

Where are our heroes now?

Well put, I don't many people could have put it any better. The one thing you missed off is the touchy subject of Race, which is what most people are scared to mention. Thats a big can of worms to be discussed another day.

When has there been any REAL stability? There have always been major issues throughout the ages, some more major than others.

 

[Slipperduke]

To be fair Billy Bragg is still churning them out. He called Boris Johnson a 'blonde b*ll*ckchops' the other day too, which was funny if not exactly Wildean.

It would make a fantastic title for his next album. I love Bragg, but I'm a little worried about him cosying up with Gordon Brown, even if it is just to sidestep the Tories. People should be attacking Labour, not cuddling them.

 

[Firestorm]

It would make a fantastic title for his next album. I love Bragg, but I'm a little worried about him cosying up with Gordon Brown, even if it is just to sidestep the Tories. People should be attacking Labour, not cuddling them.

Maybe the re-emergence of a party which is left of Thatcher might help.........

Whilst the papers and the media are all capitalist run and they primarily control what the majority of people think (Sun readers and Radio 1 listeners for example) the protest song will never get above Underground.

And whilst people are still out for what they can get for themselves and will not elect anyone who does not give it to them, society will be at the whim of the moneygrabbing masses and what is good for society as a whole will take second place to that new plasma tv.

 

[Napster]

Well put, I don't many people could have put it any better. The one thing you missed off is the touchy subject of Race, which is what most people are scared to mention. Thats a big can of worms to be discussed another day.

Obama gave a decent speech on it recently

 

[Napster]

My GF told me yesterday that in one of the London free papers yesterday, Suzanne Shaw, who it seems one a recent dancing competition for celebs, was asked a series of questions, based on the premise of being given two options and she had to state her preference. When asked Obama or Hilary Clinton, she stated she didnt know who they were. Moron.

Me and my friend came up with an idea for the 10% tax. Now seems a good idea to implement it. The rationale is everyone is tested once a year. The bottom 10% have to pay 10% extra tax.

As it's once a year, the incentive is there to self-improve if you find yourself in the bottom 10%, and the beauty is the really stupid people wont even realise theyre being taxed. An election-winner.

:clap:

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Maybe the re-emergence of a party which is left of Thatcher might help.........

Will it?

Other than in 1945-50, when has this country ever been socialist?

Thatcher's most damning legacy is perhaps that she has ingrained selfishness into our society and into our political class.

So, people don't want to stump over their money to the Inland Revenue - especially when, at the other end of the scale, you have people living lives and having families on the socia - again, a deeply selfish act.

As always, the root cause is education. Someone, at some point in time, stopped investing money in schools, playing fields and education - be it classroom or apprenticeship based.

From there, aspiration died - and that's why we are in the miserable place we are now.

:(

 

[Firestorm]

Will it?

Other than in 1945-50, when has this country ever been socialist?

Thatcher's most damning legacy is perhaps that she has ingrained selfishness into our society and into our political class.

So, people don't want to stump over their money to the Inland Revenue - especially when, at the other end of the scale, you have people living lives and having families on the socia - again, a deeply selfish act.

As always, the root cause is education. Someone, at some point in time, stopped investing money in schools, playing fields and education - be it classroom or apprenticeship based.

From there, aspiration died - and that's why we are in the miserable place we are now.

:(

The very presence of a viable left wing party (either in power or in opposition) has helped the country with its outlook on society. When the labour oppostion was weak, Thatcher ran roughshod over the working man and sold all the family silver .....

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Obama gave a decent speech on it recently

I thought it was an excellent speech (in terms of content rather than performance, it read better than it was performed), but I wonder about the wisdom of making it.

The danger is that he openly turns race into an issue. If that happens, then he'll lose. I imagine he has made it in the hope of getting it into the open now, so that it is neutralised as an issue by the time of the election.

FWIW my money is still mainly on McCain, although I'm also in profit if Obama wins in November.

 

[Firestorm]

As always, the root cause is education. Someone, at some point in time, stopped investing money in schools, playing fields and education - be it classroom or apprenticeship based.

From there, aspiration died - and that's why we are in the miserable place we are now.

:(

Why invest in schools when if you save enough money in tax you can pay for Your own child to attend the best you can afford and that way none of your hard earned goes anywhere near anyone else.

 

[sufcintheprem]

My general complaint on modern politics is that the parties are so generic with nothing to choose between one or the other. I used to think that this was bad planning on the part of parties out of power as with nothing to differentiate themsevles to win a campaign but how can it be? Political parties employ some of the best brand-builders in the country who are surely as skilled as any business' equivalent at building and shaping perception of a brand.

This leads me to believe that it must be a conscious decision by the Tories and Lib Dems in particular to allow their beliefs and policies to merge or disappear from view. They must be letting their policies become secondary to their image, public behaviour and ability to deliver speeches whenever they can ge the opportunity. In short, celebrity politics.

This frustrated me as soon as I was old enough to vote and I'm sure it will continue to frustrate me. I actually think that the only problem we have is that we have had it so good for so long that we have become more embroiled in petty, unsubstantiated discrimination and the morality of the actions of public eye figures whom we don't even know. In the 80s, the Convservatives were forced to make a number of tough decisions which would inevitably upset certain voting groups but had difficult circumstances in which to operate.

In contrast, the nineties was full of expectation and economic stability which carried on in to early 2000s and only now are we starting to feel the early pinch of some sort of slowdown having successfully ridden out economic crises in the wake of terrorist attacks and an Asian financial crisis.

To me, it feels as though every party will stay middle of the road until there are popular(, maybe rational) and strongly felt concerns over public issues. At that point, I expect one of the parties out of power to actively pursue these voters and hopefully we will get a public split opinion on a subject that really matters. As long as collectively we're all worried about immigration that isn't really that bad, crime that hasn't really gone up much and decline in national sovereignty which hasn't really declined much, then we're going to be in for more bland politics. Worryingly, a sharp economic downturn may be the only thing to snap us out of it.

 

[Napster]

I thought it was an excellent speech (in terms of content rather than performance, it read better than it was performed), but I wonder about the wisdom of making it.

The danger is that he openly turns race into an issue. If that happens, then he'll lose. I imagine he has made it in the hope of getting it into the open now, so that it is neutralised as an issue by the time of the election.

FWIW my money is still mainly on McCain, although I'm also in profit if Obama wins in November.

My guess is he feels confident enough to bring it up now, and like you say, neutralise it by the election.

McCain's a shoo-in if Obama and Clinton are still this close in a few months time.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

My guess is he feels confident enough to bring it up now, and like you say, neutralise it by the election.

McCain's a shoo-in if Obama and Clinton are still this close in a few months time.

That is a guess rather than an informed analysis isn't it? He was backed into making a speech to counter Pastorgate (basically a clip was posted on youtube of the Pastor at the Church he'd been going to for 20 years saying God damn America instead of God bless America) so was doing it from a position of weakness rather than strength. He could have tried to defuse pastorgate in another way.

I had McCain down as favourite well before the Republican nomination was wrapped up and it looked like the Democratic nomination would rumble on. It can only help McCain if it goes to a brokered convention, especially as Hillary is fighting particularly dirty.

As far as I'm concerned, McCain beats Hillary if Hillary gets the nomination, because Hillary will mobilise the republicans far better than McCain can. An Obama-McCain contest is a lot harder to call as Obama is still something of an unknown quality, but if Hillary continues attacking him, she is doing McCain's dirty work for him.

 

[Napster]

That is a guess rather than an informed analysis isn't it? .

Well, dur. :chill:

 

[The Big Shrimp]

Obama gave a decent speech on it recently

That has nothing to do with what our yellow politicians will or won't say. The new Presidient will look forward to patting the little pet GB on the head, once in power!

But what he says to the gullible Yanks is not the same as what is happening in this country. In America it is MAINLY a black & white issue. In this country, it is way beyond that & is not much of an issue. This country is the bread winner for most of Europe who will stop here & not Germany, France etc.

It is, as I said before, a major issue that politician are scared to address, for fear of offending. Too big an issue to address on here & also politics & football should try to stay apart. Ask the Spanish on that part!!!

:soapbox:

 

[sufcintheprem]

That has nothing to do with what our yellow politicians will or won't say. The new Presidient will look forward to patting the little pet GB on the head, once in power!

But what he says to the gullible Yanks is not the same as what is happening in this country. In America it is MAINLY a black & white issue. In this country, it is way beyond that & is not much of an issue. This country is the bread winner for most of Europe who will stop here & not Germany, France etc.

It is, as I said before, a major issue that politician are scared to address, for fear of offending. Too big an issue to address on here

Any reason why?

That'd be the second time in 24 hrs a debate has stopped for fear of some sort of recrimination.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Any reason why?

That'd be the second time in 24 hrs a debate has stopped for fear of some sort of recrimination.

None from where I'm sitting, unless people start getting silly. Bring it on.

 

[Aberdeen Shrimper]

None from where I'm sitting, unless people start getting silly. Bring it on.

I better not read all the posts and join in.....knowing me i will get it closed down!!!!

;)