People should not fear their government...
Maybe I should stop watching political documentaries? Maybe I should watch more of them. This is going to be a bit of a strange one I'm afraid, half introspection, half rant, so anybody with better things to do wit their lives has my permission to stop reading now and go about their lives.
I have recently watched the rather wonderful film, Taking Liberties, something that I advise anybody with even a tiny interest in politics to watch, and it left me thinking I should do more to assert my beliefs to the government. I don't have many, which is why I choose not to vote. I know that will annoy a few people, but I do my best not to complain about the party in power and as long as that stays the same, I don't feel bad about it. What bugs me is people who complain about the system but do nothing to change it.
Recently the party in power were talking about introducing measures to force teenagers to continue in higher education even if they realize they have made the wrong decision. Not too bad, but as a mature student I am struggling a rather large amount with money, barely making ends meet (but still managing to eat ethically, which is a form of protest against supermarkets who do not trade ethically - if you have been watching Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall last week, you will know what I mean) and it seems a little wrong that the govt. is spending money to force this issue but doing nothing to make it easier for people with a genuine desire to better themselves through further education. God bless the Lib. Dems. at this time though; their acting leader at the time, Vince Cable, stood up in the house of commons to protest about it. I hope their new leader is half as good.
Having watched Taking Liberties I am led to believe that the govt. is doing more than I thought to erode my civil liberties, and I should do something about it. For the first time I have something I care about, something that affects me, and I feel the need to do something about it. But legislation is now in place to make it harder for people to do such a thing, namely the terrorism act. That makes me want to protest even more, but I am as always faced with my own shortcomings; my lack of belief that I will accomplish anything. Would it make a difference at all? To the country as a whole? maybe not, but to me, definitely it would, even if those affects are as small as having a little less money but a much larger sense of accomplishment.
I wish I had it in me to believe I could make a difference, even if it was small. Having also watched Sicko this very evening I have seen what happens when the governments of other countries anger their voters, France being a prime example, and I wish I could be involved in something like that. In basic terms I wish i was Mark Thomas. If that name means nothing to you then google it and have fun. His first (and only) book was a joy to read and I have been lucky enough to see him perform live.
In this country, because most people are like me, and at least vaguely happy with their lives we have no reason to upset the apple cart in case things get worse, a fine example of this seen at the beginning of Taking Liberties (I know I have mentioned it a lot, but it has had an affect on me. Go now, buy it) when several coaches of people on the way to a protest against the war in Iraq were stopped on the way and illegally searched by officers citing the terrorism act and were escorted home, in their coaches, with no chance to get off them to use the services or even to get off the motorway - police cars and bikes herded them down the motorway. If people stop protesting because of this kind of activity, we have all lost, surely more people should protest because of this kind of behavior being carried out by our leaders.
Then why aren't I on my way to London? Why am I not joining in the mass individual protests? I wish I knew. I have never considered my lack of voting to be apathy, just that I saw no reason to vote for a change. Now that I do have that reason, what is stopping me?
Thank you for time my faithful readers. I know I don't post very often, but I try to make them interesting when I do. I hope everyone is all OK and that those of you allowed to go to Conception have a ruddy good time.
Normal service will now be resumed.
I have recently watched the rather wonderful film, Taking Liberties, something that I advise anybody with even a tiny interest in politics to watch, and it left me thinking I should do more to assert my beliefs to the government. I don't have many, which is why I choose not to vote. I know that will annoy a few people, but I do my best not to complain about the party in power and as long as that stays the same, I don't feel bad about it. What bugs me is people who complain about the system but do nothing to change it.
Recently the party in power were talking about introducing measures to force teenagers to continue in higher education even if they realize they have made the wrong decision. Not too bad, but as a mature student I am struggling a rather large amount with money, barely making ends meet (but still managing to eat ethically, which is a form of protest against supermarkets who do not trade ethically - if you have been watching Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall last week, you will know what I mean) and it seems a little wrong that the govt. is spending money to force this issue but doing nothing to make it easier for people with a genuine desire to better themselves through further education. God bless the Lib. Dems. at this time though; their acting leader at the time, Vince Cable, stood up in the house of commons to protest about it. I hope their new leader is half as good.
Having watched Taking Liberties I am led to believe that the govt. is doing more than I thought to erode my civil liberties, and I should do something about it. For the first time I have something I care about, something that affects me, and I feel the need to do something about it. But legislation is now in place to make it harder for people to do such a thing, namely the terrorism act. That makes me want to protest even more, but I am as always faced with my own shortcomings; my lack of belief that I will accomplish anything. Would it make a difference at all? To the country as a whole? maybe not, but to me, definitely it would, even if those affects are as small as having a little less money but a much larger sense of accomplishment.
I wish I had it in me to believe I could make a difference, even if it was small. Having also watched Sicko this very evening I have seen what happens when the governments of other countries anger their voters, France being a prime example, and I wish I could be involved in something like that. In basic terms I wish i was Mark Thomas. If that name means nothing to you then google it and have fun. His first (and only) book was a joy to read and I have been lucky enough to see him perform live.
In this country, because most people are like me, and at least vaguely happy with their lives we have no reason to upset the apple cart in case things get worse, a fine example of this seen at the beginning of Taking Liberties (I know I have mentioned it a lot, but it has had an affect on me. Go now, buy it) when several coaches of people on the way to a protest against the war in Iraq were stopped on the way and illegally searched by officers citing the terrorism act and were escorted home, in their coaches, with no chance to get off them to use the services or even to get off the motorway - police cars and bikes herded them down the motorway. If people stop protesting because of this kind of activity, we have all lost, surely more people should protest because of this kind of behavior being carried out by our leaders.
Then why aren't I on my way to London? Why am I not joining in the mass individual protests? I wish I knew. I have never considered my lack of voting to be apathy, just that I saw no reason to vote for a change. Now that I do have that reason, what is stopping me?
Thank you for time my faithful readers. I know I don't post very often, but I try to make them interesting when I do. I hope everyone is all OK and that those of you allowed to go to Conception have a ruddy good time.
Normal service will now be resumed.