In our own view ...

5 December

I fancied a couple days off from writing the blog over the weekend, that’s why it didn’t appear. While I was sat watching telly though, I saw a recorded show in the Timewatch series that was more than a little ‘look how much we have done’ sort of show. Basically they looked at five events that they claimed TV had helped to bring change. The first was the aboltion of capital punishment, which majored on the Ruth Ellis and Derick Bentley cases where death sentences at the time, would not happen in today’s more enlightened times.

Years ago I was very much in favour of its reintroduction. In last 37 years, my view has changed completely, and I’m no longer in favour of it. Or am I? Cases like Brady and Hindley, Sutcliffe, the Wests and so on can be seen in a light in favour of it. Other cases, like the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six makes me wonder. The Soham and Shipman case, along with the recent one of the guy killing gays pushes me the other way.

The cost to the public purse in keeping those men locked up for life is going to be huge. However, is cost a justifiable reason for executing someone? No, it’s not; nor is the fear or perhaps perceived horror of being banged for years on end. Prisons today are a far different place than they used to be, even with the problems that they currently have. Anyway …

The reason I mentioned this one show is the claim that it made, that of TV, with the BBC in the lead, being instrumental is shaping the policy here in the UK. That is where I have a really big problem. No matter who we are or what we do, we are all shaped by our own experiences. Those experiences will colour our thoughts and feelings and we can’t divorce ourselves from them. We may be able to tone down some extreme thoughts and beliefs, but if we do that, how much are we wedded to them in the first place. It is something that you dear readers will need to taken into account while you read this blog.

No matter what the programmes makers might claim, that show was coloured by the thoughts and beliefs of those making it. The had access to the whole of the BBC archive, so why did they choice those five issues, and why those photos and film clips? They chose them because they fitted in with the story they wanted to tell, and for no other reason. They couldn’t help it. None of us are truly 100% independent of thought and mind. All our lives we have built up years of experiences, all of which have had an effect on us one way or another. Those effects will remain with us for life. And that is something we need to remember when we read/watch any news in print and on TV.

With that in mind then, what do you make of yet another ‘populist’ vote, in Italy this time. The actually issue behind the referendum I know nothing about so I can’t make any comments about it, but this issue of ‘populist votes’ strikes a chord. BREIXT was a shock for many people; Farter Trump winning the vote in the states was another, but perhaps a lesser one. How many more such votes will there be I wonder? And why is it happening? Perhaps the reason is down to the age-old rumblings about politians not listening to voters. After these votes we can only hope that they will now start to listen to what voters are saying.

But do remember my friends, the muppets we send to Muppet Central on the north bank of the Thames, are only the figure heads. The real power lives in senior civil who actually do the real work of government. Muppets can sprout words as much they like, but it’s those ‘grey men’ that that never changes at election time who hold the real power. Sadly, their main interest is what is best for them, not best for the country.

And don’t forget the lobbyists who are paid to get muppets on the side of large corporations. Their power base is fairly large too, that is part of the reason why so many good ideas on papers become watered down enough to make the idea less effective and therefore almost useless.

Can you see my own thoughts behind this little rant? They are there for all to see. Top and bottom is my dislike of politicians as a group, not on party lines. They are all the same, no matter which party they belong to, and that is likely to remain for as long as I can see.

Today’s photo …

A wee cracker …

Today’s funny …

Two policemen are called to the scene of a crime in a convenience store. One asks the manager what happened.
He replies "There's a man over there covered in Corn Flakes and he's dead."
"That's odd," said the first policeman, "didn't we have one covered in Bran Flakes yesterday? And another covered in Wheata Flakes last week?"
"Your right" said the second policeman. "This must be the work of a cereal killer."