Kevin McKenna Guardian Unlimited. Freakshow TV has replaced bread and circuses.
Posted by celticman on Mon, 10 Apr 2017
I know I don’t do enough reading or enough writing. Unless Celtic are playing on a Sunday, which increasingly they are, I do nothing much but read the Observer from cover to magazine. Kevin McKenna is the kind of specialist they consult about all things Scottish. Like me he’s a Celtic man. Here he is mimicking me, I’ve been saying these things for at least the last five years. I can’t bear to be in the same room as people of the Jeremy Kyle ilk. McKenna calls him the poor man’s Jeremy Springer.
Let me recap. Since the Thatcher/Reagan era there has been a movement of money (in all its myriad forms) from the poor to the richest.
This is tied in with the idea of a meritocracy.
The popular analogy and aphorism is a rising (economic) tide lifts all boat.
The propaganda arm of this is reality television. Anything with ‘Benefits’ in the title, or Neighbours from Hell, sums it up. Jeremy Kyle’s role is ringmaster, to stir it all up. To show us and them – scum. Scum do things like use bad language, steal things from each other and polute the earth not only with their presence, but also with too many poor children and even worse, they tend to smoke and drink.
The simplest solution would be to kill them all. We’ve not got to that stage yet, the Tories aren’t Nazis, although a few of them have more of a ring-wing bent than Mussolini or Nigel Farage.
Simply stop giving the scum state support and any kind of benefit. We’ll be a stronger and better nation by giving money to rich people, who deserve it more.
This is a tautological argument based on eugenics. So don’t let me stop you guffawing at the stupid looking cunts performing on cue for Jeremy Kyle. They’re paying his wages. Sometimes you’d think they were almost human.
Close readers of the Observer would note a recent trend. Arguments from Nobel Prize winning economists such as Joseph E. Stiglitz or Thomas Piketty’s glorious refutation of all these assumptions and tautological arguments in Capital, doesn’t work. They’ve been Trumped. The propaganda war has been won, the foes routed. Smart people don’t want boring arguments. They want reality. The cost of thinking is too high. We lob invective from our silos of social media and cite Jeremy Kyle as source material. Nobody is listening and everybody, but the poor, have their own megaphones and websites.
In terms of fiction its worth looking at George Orwell, but perhaps the closest to our current situation is not Kevin McKenna, but a fellow Scot, Alastair Gray’s short story Five Letters from the Eastern Empire, in which the immortal Emperor is a glove puppet, with a side-line in genocide, of his own people, to make the world a more beautiful place.
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A meritocracy going where?
A meritocracy going where? And why do we only think in terms of humans and the cult-worship of the individual? Clusters of buildings give us good stories, they can be the real 'show and tell'.
I was in Stonehouse in Plymouth last week. Union Street has been the big nightlife street for over 200 years. In the day it's horrible, a long too-straight road with lorries thundering through and big boxy buildings. At night I would guess it's fun but with its horrible side, lots of booze-fuelled fights, turf wars between Devon guys and those from Cornwall venturing across the Tamar bridge. There were two now closed down 19th century theatres, a second-hand furniture place, the usual cheap shops, a youth project that looked good but was not open enough hours.
There were lots of poor people with disabilities hirpling along with walking sticks wearing shabby clothes but alive and enjoying the sunshine. There were small colourful rough-edged businesses too, little cafes, some with a colourful lick of paint, an Asian cafe that did a good cup for tea for £1.00. Everyone I asked for directions was helpful.
There is nowhere like it in Exmouth or Exeter. Bristol has a more developed version, still community friendly but marketed as 'the peoples republic of Stokescroft', Stonehouse is the real deal, fab in the Spring sun, doubtless drab and bleak in the cold and wet. In 10 years or so people with money and a vision will rebrand it as 'Union City' or something. That too will be a story containing people.
England got problems with
England got problems with social care but im the first to shout up for english person they are kind compassionate warm hearted maybe the best in world.
For the last year I was forced to beg on the streets of london always wiithin one hour I would have 25 pounds some days I reached over 70 pounds in an hour. Thas 140 dollars in an hour.
Begging taught me about the real english people. I love them in my eyes they beutiful and there lots of hope around the corner for this beutiful country and its humane people.
Walk on england.
By the way I was a drug addict not a proffessional beggar and when I get my benefits I always make sure I give something to a beggar.
Hopefully my addiction days are behind me.
But england open is doors to everyone give everyone help. Jeremy kyle he not represent my england.
For the record I a scotsman who made england his home.
And a problem cm.regarding focused intelligence, creative and emotional intelligence has higher value, focused intelligence is learning from anothers educational learned intelligence. The problem with focused intelligence that it can be a destructive force and prophetical visions from focused intelligence is dangerous in that people of average intelligence promote a destructive vision to point of reality which is happening and which we need to stop to remain safe.
Im not been rude and making suggestions about your intelligence so you know as who am I to do this. If I did I would be a fool so not get me wrong there.
Together let us reject the suffering of others. When u see someone suffering try help them.
When you talk about the
Peace unconditional love compassion forgiveness charity understanding support care fellow friend neighbour. Humanity.
thanks for reading and
thanks for reading and commenting elsie and thornwood. I hate jeremy kyle, that's about it.