Irony*
The British have always been good with political comment. Sometimes it's been long, reasoned, logical treatises. Sometimes it's been a quick cartoon, such as published by Punch for a good hundred years or so and continued by Private Eye. Sometimes it's been a song - back in the days of the James II - William III changeover it was Lillibulero, whistled by sympathisers everywhere. These days it's sung by Phat Bollard. (As it's sung in the twenty-first century there is swearing. Unfortunate but there we are.)
Millionaire - as sung in Reading town centre. The picture itself is a comment on the economic situation - shot outside an empty shop which, as you may notice through the performance, has large windows either side of a central door. Once upon a time this was quite a big shop in Reading town centre. Now it's a vacant lot. And there're those currently in government trying to tell us the Recession is Over. That Things Are Improving. That Things Are Better Now Than They Have Been For Years.
And Reading, which has been quite a prosperous town, in the SouthEast - traditionally THE prosperous area of the UK, has (large) empty shop units in the town centre.
For that matter, 'our' church building is opening as a Foodbank Distribution Centre next week. Things Are Getting Better, etc. And we're opening another Foodbank Distribution Centre - because it's needed. Erm, for whom, precisely, are these Things Improving?
Yes, Dear Reader, I do realise that, in many ways, poor people in the UK have it so much better and are in fact so much richer than poor people in other parts of the world. But the very idea that in the UK, in 2015, we have poor people, and people who are still getting poorer, rankles. No, I'm still not decided for whom to vote, but I can think of a few it won't be.
Y'all have a good, and thoughtful, day now!
*Despite appearances this has absolutely nothing to do with ferrous metals!
Click to viewMillionaire - as sung in Reading town centre. The picture itself is a comment on the economic situation - shot outside an empty shop which, as you may notice through the performance, has large windows either side of a central door. Once upon a time this was quite a big shop in Reading town centre. Now it's a vacant lot. And there're those currently in government trying to tell us the Recession is Over. That Things Are Improving. That Things Are Better Now Than They Have Been For Years.
And Reading, which has been quite a prosperous town, in the SouthEast - traditionally THE prosperous area of the UK, has (large) empty shop units in the town centre.
For that matter, 'our' church building is opening as a Foodbank Distribution Centre next week. Things Are Getting Better, etc. And we're opening another Foodbank Distribution Centre - because it's needed. Erm, for whom, precisely, are these Things Improving?
Yes, Dear Reader, I do realise that, in many ways, poor people in the UK have it so much better and are in fact so much richer than poor people in other parts of the world. But the very idea that in the UK, in 2015, we have poor people, and people who are still getting poorer, rankles. No, I'm still not decided for whom to vote, but I can think of a few it won't be.
Y'all have a good, and thoughtful, day now!
*Despite appearances this has absolutely nothing to do with ferrous metals!