As I discovered when I was seconded out to Germany as part of my job over a decade ago and lived there for 2 years, the above term was used often by Germans to describe those who lived in the UK. Like most simple and blunt characterisations it comes with more than a grain of truth, however much the term may prickle.
This description is no more obvious than when tackling our membership of the European Union. Not only according to some so-called eurosceptics can we arbitrary remove ourselves (6th largest economy) without
any kind of consequences for the world economy but that many of our institutions are unwilling - or unable - to admit where our real government lies. Every story in the media, every MP's phrase, has to be planted with a UK flag thus ignoring (wilfully or otherwise) the bigger picture.
Nothing illustrates this more than the complete silence from nearly all newspapers, and the BBC, regarding the news today
that the Royal Mail is being privatised as a direct result of EU laws - the arguments of which have been rehearsed on here, and elsewhere, many times to the point of tedium. So instead we see, for example, privatisation discussed in purely domestic terms:
And:
Depressingly the insular nature of the reasons that lie behind privatisation of the Royal Mail is echoed in many of the comments, across all media platforms. Words like; "back to the '80s", "Thatcher", "Same old Tories". Phrases that starkly betray short memories of Labour attempting the same
in the run-up to the last election. But no matter it seems, everything must be seen in tribilism of party politics, in the false vertical dividing line of so-called left and right. All the while it ignores the fact that it's always a useful guide, if Labour and the Tories agree on a policy - and it goes against their party members' wishes - then more often than not Brussels lies behind it.
But, nevermind, it's conference season so we'll see the same old tribal bollocks trotted out en masse as before. The
Lib Dems last year:
The
Lib Dems this year
One wonders why bother? It bores me to tears let alone, I guess, most of my readers to keep mentioning the EU's effects on the Royal Mail. And for what reason, when so many cannot accept that therein lies the real cause - that they are in denial. In the words of Kenneth Williams; "
what's the bloody point?"
Well, Kenneth Williams certainly had a point, but George Orwell went to the heart of things :-
ReplyDelete"If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever."
The boot, of course, will be made within the EU since China and Russia will no longer deal with the totally corrupt Western world!
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ReplyDeleteYes you are absolutely right Paul about the Royal Mail being privatised because the EU regards it as "unfair" for us to maintain any essential services. The result will be sooner or later the end of the mail service. No more door to door delivery, no more paper letters, and parcels delivered by private courier only.
ReplyDeletePostmen are very underpaid, exploited workers and those who work in the few remaining sorting offices and Royal Mail administration are pretty fed up too. They have been squeezed and pushed to the wall. Meanwhile local post offices are run by managers with franchises, which they can use to make private profits - some of them by sticky methods, or so one hears.
You can only expect bullshit from the Mirror, but I am disappointed that even the Daily Mail has not got the guts to put the blame for this where it belongs - on the EU.
Yes, I was surprised to see all the comment about Post Office privatisation without one mention of the EU. So still the lies go on, and on, and on, FUD all over the place!
ReplyDeleteDerek Buxton
"Postmen are very underpaid, exploited workers"
ReplyDeleteNo. The Posties I talk with say the REAL problem with Royal Mail is the layers and layers of incompetent managers who are on a revolving door of promotion and retirement.
Naturally like everyone they would be happier with less work and more money but they realise they are in competition with many other companies who do the same job in a different way.
The Frog has it though. Britain, or at least the things that all assume makes Britain, Britain is being dismantled bit by bit by 650 liars and actors in London fronting a cabal of mandarins who are disciples of the cause and let's not forget the thousands of local 'politicians' and mandarins who together dismantle Britain at a local level.
It's all going terribly well except people are slowly but slowly waking up to it all. In truth they are not sure what if anything they can do about it but they are at least waking up.
I am not in the least bit pessimistic for the future and as much as people would like an 'orderly exit from the EU I feel it will happen without warning triggered by an unforeseen circumstance. The sooner the better in my humble.
The mere fact that the Tories have not exposed the real reason for the privatisation proves that their loyalty lies with Brussels.
ReplyDelete