Where’s the party?

Well I’m sorry I haven’t written for a while, but I’ve been working for a living, trying to keep my job and support my family. As a consequence of this, I’ve been working some rather long hours and, more importantly, paying my taxes and making my own way in the world. With the number of job losses in the worldwide economy and the fall of the financial markets, I come home and turn on the TV to be told of more turmoil, and how we’re heading for global meltdown. But in all of this upheaval, I’m curious that we haven’t heard anything from two groups of people that should be celebrating their ultimate win…

Where are the Greenies and the Anti-Capitalists/Anti-Globalisationists?

We’ve been told by the Greenies of the world that owning cars is the ultimate sinful purchase and will undoubtedly turn our once beautiful blue and green planet into a ravaging sandstorm that may soon overtake Venus in the inter-planetary wasteland league, so the news that the major car companies are laying off people, closing plants and stopping production of 4x4s should surely be great news to their ears. But I haven’t heard one ecomentalist on the news saying how great this is, or cracking out the elderflower bubbly. Surely this is what you’ve been campaigning for all these years? So where’s the celebration? Can’t we all climb some trees with you and enjoy a bowl of tofu and spinach? And before you say “Hey, well they’ve been given £2.3 billion”, let’s just consider a couple of things. The money has gone to the UK car industry. Oh really? What car industry would that be? Name me three car manufacturers that are British owned. The last one was MG/Rover – bailed out to the tune of £6 million, just before a general election. £100 million would have provided them with the funds to produce a new series of models based on the stunning IP they held. Because of UK.gov ignorance, that expertise was sold at a discount to a foreign company. And so the money that I’m paying as a British taxpayer, is going to prop-up overseas companies – despite the fact that the UK is listed as the country that will be hit hardest. No wonder people are going on strike when overseas contractors are brought in to perform a service that could be performed by currently unemployed UK workers.

While you’re thinking about this, let’s look at the same people who like a good riot and vandalising shops and offices – the Anti-Capitalists. We’re currently looking at some 51 million jobs being lost in this global recession. That means families on the breadline, families being evicted from their homes, families losing everything they’ve got. But it’s OK, because the Evil Of Capitalism is being hurt.

So where are the celebrations going on? Once again, the protesters are getting what they want; major corporations and banks failing. What these people don’t seem to appreciate is the fact that their win is a very cruel loss for the people once employed by these organisations. But hey, you’ve got your financial losses, and that’s what you wanted. Of course, the protesters have gone quiet for one simple reason – they like their money, too. Have you ever seen one of these protesters that looks like they have a day job? Or are they just claiming support payments while “Fighting against the evil of capitalism”…?

I’d like to remind you people that WE are paying for you to lounge around, smoke dope, get pissed, drop acid and THEN attack they places we work. The same places we work to get paid and then pay taxes on so that it can be given to you to fund your sad, misguided anarchic protests. I’ve never heard of employed people book holiday days to go out and smash the windows of their nearest McDonalds.

Having said that, we’re in a unique position in the world right now – the biggest, richest companies begging for help from governments that they’ve tried to defy over the years, and yet getting handouts. This is Socialism For The Rich – something I never learnt in my history lessons – maybe I bunked off for that lecture. I don’t know how it will all end. What I can tell you is that 2009 is 30 years later than 1979. I was 6 at the time, and my son is nearly five. There are a lot of similarities between the two. And hopefully the same change will come soon and bring the same benefits that happened to me at that age…