A Collection of Writings
What a difference a day makes? Well a bit longer than that, I suppose, but you get the idea. For months/years the papers and newscasts have been full of War President Bush and Yo Blair telling us how great we were doing in Iraq. In spite of the evidence, they continued to grab the headlines with their done and dusted attitude. Realism never seemed to check in.
As the death count rose, the announcements became more and more ecstatic. Iraq was now a Democracy and soon they would whip all those 'insurgents' into line and Iraq would become a haven of peace. Just like that other Democracy Palestine with its newly elected Hamas government.
Of course the Israelis, another functioning Middle East Democracy, would have to lick them into shape first. Once it had razed Palestine to the ground and reduced the size of the population to a manageable number there would be no problem.
The strategy was positively beamed upon by the War President. Then the fractious neighbours on the other side of the fence got a bit uppity and Israel had to sort Lebanon out as well. Still the rictus grins stayed on the face of the War President and Yo. But then Afghanistan popped up and the slaughter of innocent civilians in one area was moved to another. Meanwhile Iran was making ominous noises - and a Nuclear Bomb. Well that was what the War President was predicting. Iran claimed that it wanted to use nuclear energy for domestic purposes.
War President Bush positively sneered at that. He knew he had a cupboard bulging with nuclear devices and was fully aware of their purpose and wasn't about to give a tin pot country like Iran a chance to get heavy. And then, like a number eleven bus, a second vehicle came up with a full blown nuclear weapon and was willing to demonstrate its efficacy. North Korea has always been a bit of a thorn in the side of the West - now they have the capacity to make it hurt.
By now the total of 600,000 deaths ascribed to Saddam Hussein during his presidency was made to look as if he wasn't trying. It was announced that the Alliance had managed to surpass it in only three years. The Alliance total, and rising, was 655,000. Suddenly even the media seemed to want to look elsewhere for headline stories.
The shift of interest started before the Alliance score was made public. The media promoted the ball tampering furore in the England versus Pakistan Cricket Test Match series to world shaking status. It was the top news item in the media for a week. Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine and Lebanon were confined to a strap on the front page and a story on page two.
As the news on the warring fronts got worse, the headlines got sillier. Forests of paper were consumed with the ongoing saga of Sir Paul McCartney and his soon to be ex-wife, Lady Heather. The minutiae on their wedded un-bliss was examined microscopically with a thoroughness that few of the broadcasters or news sheets had exhibited when we were being fed a pack of lies about the reason we were invading Iraq or why we felt we should move into Afghanistan.
General Sir Richard Dannatt, rather unfairly, did manage to grab the headlines by saying, unequivocally, that we should get out of Iraq and let them sort themselves out, but he was howled down and Yo Blair spun the story until everyone was dizzy and it seemed like the General had been just repeating what Yo had been saying for yonks.
So with all the lies and excoriation flying around, with the tally of the dead, innocent and military, mounting obscenely, on a daily basis, focus is diverted to a young lady, a teacher and a Muslim, who teaches her class wearing a veil. Let me just make my position clear here. I think that wearing a veil, in public, in England is not on. If for no other reason than the security angle. This comes at a time when it has been announced that Al Qaeda considers Britain an easier target than the more hysterically hyped-up United States and is threatening to wreak havoc on our streets.
To demonstrate my terror of the veiled gangs which patrol our streets, I would give this instance. I was walking along a street in Uxbridge a couple of Sundays ago when I saw six black clad figures approaching. Four were on the pavement and two in the gutter. They were all veiled. The leader was very tall and heavier than the rest. I kept going expecting them to open up so that I could pass. As they drew nearer I realised they had no intention of giving way. Believe me, I'm not easily intimidated, but that black covered phalanx of unidentifiable bodies bearing down on me made me sweat. I flattened myself against the wall and let them sweep passed me.
So, as you can probably guess, I'm not a supporter of the notion that people should be able to wear masks in public. If you want to strip off and run down Oxford Street - fine. I actually saw this happen one night and everyone who witnessed it found it highly entertaining. Mini skirts up to your navel may be a bit OTT and if you want to hang out in Stringfellows in a see-through dress with no underwear - be my guest. As hard as I try, I cannot think of any form of dress that I would object to. But for me the Veil is a giant No-No.
Let's extrapolate the idea. What would happen if six men walked into a bank wearing Balaclavas? Or tried to get into the Houses of Parliament with a scarf wrapped around their face, a broad brimmed hat pulled well down over their eyes and a flowing ghalabia? Or messengers insisted on wearing their crash helmets when they walk into the Bank of England? As far as I can see there is no logical reason why anyone should be allowed to walk our streets in clothing that makes them unidentifiable.
Just by sheer coincidence, this story is big at the same time that a Security company has come out with a new means of identifying wanted people based on facial constants. A camera takes a photograph of the centre of the face, nose, mouth and eyes basically, runs the vital proportional dimensions through a computer and can make an instant identification. It is already in operation but - a veil is a veil is a veil. The argument about the veil is based on the premise that as a religious symbol it overrides National and personal security. This is utter twaddle. Made even more ridiculous by BA sending home one of their employees for wearing a crucifix. What was that argument about Religious tolerance? And is England no longer a tolerant but Christian country?
Waves of immigrants have arrived on our shores from the Vikings onward. They have come here because they wanted, for whatever reason, to be here. For that reason they were willing to fall in with the funny ways of the natives and make a life for themselves. The Huguenots, the Jews, the Jamaicans, all came here to seek relief from oppression and settled down without overtly trying to suborn the country to their own ideas and ideals.
The only way to avoid the present strife escalating is for the Muslims either to recognise that they are guests in the Host country and act like guests, or go to a country where their views and way of life are more acceptable. I don't think suggesting this is an exhibition of racial intolerance or xenophobia. Just common sense. Of course this side show is welcomed by the Government. It means that pressure is taken off the main issues of the death, destruction, mutilation and terrorist breeding that is going on around the world.
The end of civilisation aside, there is still a lot to look forward to in this green and pleasant land. Temporarily green and pleasant land if the purveyors of gloom and doom are to be believed. There's Christmas already being touted in the shops. Unless it is cancelled by mad local councils bulldozing the supine government into cancelling it.
And Hallowe'en, if you are a devotee of the dark side. I will be spending Hallowe'en in Sheffield at the massive Fright Night Party being put on by the local council and sponsored by The Star newspaper. It certainly looks like it is going to be a night to remember. And then, on November 18th, at the Lowiczanka Restaurant in the Polish Centre, Hammersmith, there is the 10th Annual Fan Club Reunion and Birthday Bash. Great line-up of guests and places being snapped up at a dizzying rate.
So, if I haven't depressed you too much, let's look forward to a long Winter of Contentment and War President Bush being struck with intelligence and Yo Blair locating his spine.