A LECTURE TO LEFTIES - JUSTIFICATION FOR MY RIGHT WING VIEWS ON THE RIOTS

The only thing to do is to take an immediate ‘right wing’ stance which will act as a deterrent, followed by a long term ‘left wing’ addressing of the issues that are causing the rotting of society.

Of course, there are major issues with society that need to be addressed, but let’s get this straight: the rioting was simply an opportunistic crime spree, organised mainly through social media networks, to take advantage of the overstretched police forces. Looting, vandalism and assaults turned parts of the nation into no go areas where feral youth did as they pleased without consequences. There was no political agenda, no 'voice' trying to be heard. It was not related to public sector job losses or cuts in funding. It was not caused because a man was shot by police, or because David Cameron was on holiday... It was simply because these people are unreasonable, selfish, heartless scum who don’t care about the wellbeing of others. As a realist who deals with members of the general public often behaving at their worst when intoxicated, I don't find it that surprising. I know the general public is popularised by more dangerous and callous individuals than some of you might possibly imagine. The general accepted truth is that a male was stopped and searched at or near a peaceful protest. To prove that the police were in the wrong, nearby people who may or may not have been known to the individual, started rioting. Well… you’ve certainly proved a point there. Well done. Your actions will go a long way to improving police relations in the future… idiots.

The comfortable surroundings some of you live in mean that you can’t fathom that people could behave in such a despicable manner without there being genuine justification… you’re wrong. Some people are animals.

Take that as patronisingly out of touch, take that as deluded, but I’m putting this out there: My profession, background, personality and political curiosity mean that I feel I have the knowledge to talk at an informed level on the subject of social disorder. I genuinely feel I’m more in touch with a broader spectrum of society than most people are. I know, get on with and understand the actions of more people from more walks of life than most people. To put it bluntly, I can be a bit of a ****, and therefore I understand the actions of other ****s.

Anyway, back to the point:

If it ever kicks off like that again, you have to understand that frankly you cannot reason with large groups of bad people in a short space of time unless you have some charismatic leader that everybody looked up to and obeyed... These people are one in a million and we don’t have one at the moment. Yes, eventually, you have to win them over with words and placating actions, gradually getting them to understand and empathise like the rest of us… but that takes time. It’s taken me nearly 3 decades to get to my mindset – I’m not perfect by any means, but most of my actions are justifiable. The idea that a few choice words to the masses could change a situation like this is unrealistic. Short term, rioters have to be taught a lesson the hard way: Hurt them. The fear of physical pain or at least physical discomfort is the main reason order is maintained within large sections of society, and that’s been the case all over the world forever. Pouring reasoning and trying to explain causes for rioting (which has often sounded worryingly like a diluted form of justification from some people) does not help when it’s kicking off… immediate action is required, hence my frustrations vented at ‘lefties’ who just wanted to let the aggression burn in it’s own time. Reasoning only works with reasonable people. These people were not.

In short, if you understand that an action somebody is committing is wrong, make them stop it by using reasonable force. In some cases, words are enough, but in this case, reasonable force was rubber bullets and batons. Case closed.

So what now?

Immediately, it is important that the individuals charged with offences are made examples of. An e-petition is calling for the ceasing of benefits to anyone charged with an offence, and apparently Salford council are threatening to evict anybody from their council houses who was participating in rioting. Personally, I think that is the most beautiful, fair, justice I’ve heard of in a long time. Eviction will not drive these people to a definite life of crime like some people are commenting. You can get a job without a fixed address and the people they are forced to lean on will hopefully give them tough love and direct motivation to sort their heads/lives out.

And then we can start to care about the deeper issues that are affecting society. A good start would be to address 2 key factors:

1) Distancing between the people and the politicians.

2) Growing lack of respect in society.

...but I'll leave that to the professionals...

The Fate Of Music Retail & The Silencing of His Master’s Voice

FALL IN SALES
It depends who you listen to, but it seems the future looks bleak for high street giants HMV. Sales have fallen 13% and 40 of their 280 UK stores are set to close. It has also emerged that companies supplying HMV have had insurance policies stopped, ultimately meaning that they are trading at their own risk. Robert Peston, BBC's Business Editor, says that “suppliers really rate HMV, and they're desperate for it to survive... most of the ones I have spoken to say they are continuing to supply HMV and take the risk." The reality is that a similar thing happened shortly before Woolworths and Zavvi closed down. Share prices have fallen and retail analysts have commented that it could signal the beginning of the end.

DEMISE OF THE MARKET
But is this really surprising? Even before the economic downturn, music retail had been hit hard - firstly by the fact that illegal downloading is practically socially acceptable and therefore rife - secondly because legitimate consumers have the option to buy products legally for cheaper, online - and thirdly because most supermarkets now stock chart music, convenience is king these days, after all. Showing his usual good foresight, after monitoring the beginnings of the downturn in the market, Richard Branson sold Virgin Megastores to Zavvi in 2007 – a shrewd move, as Zavvi went into administration in December 2008. HMV, not seeing what was around the corner, bought 19 Zavvi stores which they merged into the HMV chain. Acquiring more property at a time when sales were falling, not long after your main competitor got out, seems unwise to me. For a while, they would have benefitted from being the main music retailer on the high street and this could have masked the reality of the matter.

FALSE ASSUMPTIONS?
Or… they might not be in trouble. The analysts could be wrong and this may just be the result of a company adapting to the market, streamlining in order to ensure stability in difficult economic times. HMV Group announced they are simply selling the stores in order to save £10 million over the next 12 months. They are also a fairly diverse organisation which could hold them in good stead if the music side of the business is in trouble. They have strong international presence with 132 HMV stores outside of the UK. They also own Waterstones, (20 of the 312 Waterstones stores are also set to close) which over the years has acquired Dillons and Ottaker’s, dominating book sales on the high street. They’ve also diversified into owning large stakes in music venues and are really pushing the online sales side of the business. But of course, sound business practice often demands you act as though everything’s under control, even if you’re in fact treading water. HMV boss Simon Fox will be desperate to implement damage limitation: By selling off the stores now, he knows he’ll get a much better price than if he waited for the administrators to get involved.

DAMAGE & DEVOLUTION
Seeing HMV disappear from the high street would also have negative knock on effects that would damage the retail industry as a whole. For example, HMV stores act as a pull factor in shopping arcades, with smaller retail brands capitalising on the passing traffic by enticing customers through their doors. Despite a fall in sales, I wouldn’t be surprised if numbers passing through HMV’s doors have remained fairly constant. 'Customers' have simply turned into 'browsers,' and HMV Group have suffered a predictable devolution from a successful retail icon, into a kind of tangible audio search engine. Come to think of it, even though I love the brand and I’m often in HMV, I can’t actually remember the last time I bought anything there…

Stuff from the Pharmacy

As i'm ill i'm doing pharmaceutical product reviews & posting them on official review sites. Enjoy

#1 'Tyrozets' dual action throat lozenges:

Effectively numb your tongue for about 3 minutes, whilst maintaining high levels of throat pain. I'm impressed with the sheer wankiness of this product. A cheaper alternative to replicate how i feel would be to stick your tongue up a dog's bum & gargle glass.

score: Felch/10

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#2 Halls Soothers (Blackcurrant flavour)

Like McDonalds, the VERY first taste is loooovely, but then all the other shit starts to come through which wipes the smile of your face. With McDonalds you KNOW it’s bad for you, but the Soothers’ negative undertones are good for you, right?? HANG ON A SECOND!!! It doesn’t say anywhere that these are medicinal?!?! On closer inspection, these are… ‘sweets’… Whaaaaaaaaaat????? Well… who makes them?? Boots?? Glaxo Smithkline?? [googles]

CADBURYS!!!! Or for fu…

Score: Deception/10

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#3 Day Nurse, Night Nurse combo pack

The Day Nurse capsules actually calmed me down from my state of delirium… maybe a placebo, but we’ll give science some credit. I stopped feeling restless and my headache jogged on… And then it was time… for NIGHT NURSE!! Oh how excited I was, this shizzle ‘really knocks you out’ according to el pharmacisto. After not sleeping for more than 4 hours over the past few days I couldn’t wait.

And then: nothing.

I was left to endure another night of restless, painful, shifting, eternal coughing and moaning. It was like spending a night making love to the Queen.

Score: Nettles/10

predictions for 2011:

After building him up for years, the tabloids eventually turn the nation against stephen fry after some off the cuff remark is blown out of proportion.

The recession double dips, partly attributed to terrible weather conditions from jan - march. August sees the start of a real economic recovery though, basically because people get a bit reckless with their money.

Alex ferguson announces retirement will be at end of 2011-2012 season: cantona set to take over, and fergie is then rumoured to be considering the England job for the 2012 euros.

Worst May Day rioting in years. The police are expecting real trouble and in turn act too heavy handedly. Video evidence of riot police not wearing there number id is plastered over the internet. Chief of police resigns.

One day towards the end of the year everyone logs onto Facebook and is told you have to pay £1/month, but on a 12 month subscription to access your account. People outraged, but pay just to get the photos and to not lose touch. (12 months later everyone is accustomed to paying for the service)

Collapse of major record labels and film houses sees less money being ploughed into aggressively trying to close file sharing sites. Pop music dies and a new era of politically motivated , intelligent music starts. Some guy with long hair and skinny jeans is tipped to be ‘the Bob Dylan of our era’… Turns out he’s not.

Julian Assange mysteriously disappears. Short term global outrage, followed by unfruitful investigations… followed by apathy in the western world as people get on with stuff that directly affects them.

The nation goes crazy for Honey Nut Clusters.

We see a revival of Global Hypercolour t-shirts.

Evidence about the damaging effects of mobile phones emerges. It seems the manufacturers held back some important information… the nation carries on using them because they’re soooooooo convenient.

‘The Brights’ get stronger and stronger as religious conflicts dominate the headlines.

The word ‘affect’ is abolished, and ‘effect’ is used for both meanings to avoid confusion.

Simon Cowell gets knighted.

Sailor Jerry revert back to the old recipe.

The Old Fashioned gets busy, and Ben Steers is forced to stop writing his blog at the bar.

Concerning Students...

Basic rules to follow during a protest:

1) Know your facts

If you don't really understand what the implications of the fee hike actually are, don't talk to the media. I’m getting frustrated hearing “I can’t afford to pay £9,000 per year” being met with “But you realise you wouldn’t have to pay that money up front?” Cue reaction of stifled surprise, followed with sidetracking to avoid the issue. Not only does it make fees seem a more agreeable option - it makes you look stupid.

2) Don’t break stuff

So… students have a reputation for causing criminal damage when drunk. Obviously it’s just a few that ruin it for the many, but it’s a common stereotype. Needlessly smashing stuff up simply reinforces said stereotype, and in turn will not help win the hearts of the nation. Obviously.

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To be honest, I’m not 100% against student fees going up.

The argument that “They had free education, why can’t we?” carries no weight with me anymore. On all political issues, I think you have to deal with the present situation, rather than constantly wanting to reinstate the past. Take it into account, yes, but consider relevant developments that have happened since then and look for a realistic and fair solution.

On this issue along with millions of others, it’s hard to be impartial when you’re heavily involved, but it’s important to stay open-minded just incase you’re wrong. I can remember being baffled by the party representation across the board at the NUS Conference back in 2003. I have always thought that absolutely toeing any party line shows questionable morality – (surely you can’t agree with one party’s policies on everything and therefore are willing to sacrifice your core beliefs on certain issues) - but when it’s 18/19/20 year olds with ‘Young Tory’/‘Young Labour’ t-shirts on, it smacks of naivety. Or am I just being ageist?

(Anyway, getting back on track… ) I feel that as a nation we need to consider the current university system. This may sound savage, but I think that certain degrees are pointless and are chosen as an easy option. Too many people have been going to university for the lifestyle rather than the education. I’ll put my hands up and say that the lifestyle massively appealed to me… which is why I’m torn: I want as many people as possible to experience the good times that I had, but can the nation afford it? If we can’t then it’s not really fair to keep the party going, is it?

I could write for aaaaaaaaaages on this subject, but I’m probably already boring the handful of people who’ve bothered to read this, so my final point is: We forget as students, (probably because it doesn't feel like you're actually paying anything) that we are the customers. Therefore, ultimately on the issue, I’d be happy to pay back 9k per year IF I received an education that was worth it. The forecasted debt repayments will not be crippling, and I guarantee that my 18 year old self would have worked a lot harder and taken it a lot more seriously had he known there was that much money involved.

Letter to a "Rising Tory Star"

Have a read of this article. [edit - article removed, but for the general outline: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/may/03/philippa-stroud-twitter]

The following is the email I just sent to Philippa Stroud: philippa@philippastroud.com. Enjoy!

"Hi Philippa,

I'm just writing to say thank you so much for your efforts leading up to the election. I read about your Christian groups and was so happy to learn that you are so commited to improving the state of the nation. I also learnt that you aren't being paid by the Conservatives, which makes it even more impressive.

As a potential Conservative voter I was looking for a party that represented my opinions and you have certainly made my decision easier. Your dillusional thought process has made it so much easier for me to make my mind up, and trust me, David Cameron will have been cringing at the revelations in the press concerning your prayer sessions to 'cure' gay people. You will certainly be having an impact on the outcome of this election, which as I mentioned before, is made even more impressive due to the fact you're not even being paid for it!

Your narrow mindedness and complete lack of awareness about what is/what is not acceptable astounds me. According to your website, what brought you into politics "was seeing the damage being done to people by a government that didn't understand what British people wanted or needed." I feel that your homophobic views have no place in British politics, and we would live in a very dangerous country if your opinions gained support. Step down Philippa, you're out of touch.

I have recently become interested in think tanks and learned that you are Director for the Centre for Social Justice. I will take every effort to campaign against you personally, and hope that my actions go someway towards your removal from British politics completely. I understand that you genuinely feel that your actions have the nation's best interests at heart, but you will undoubdetly be doing more harm than good. You are fundamentally wrong and have disgraced your party, please leave.


I feel genuinely sorry for your teenage children, but I hope they have the strength of character to not simply take everything you say to be fact. Imagine if one of them grew up to be a 'demonic' homosexual?! I hope your "thanks, but no thanks" phone call from Cameron's secretary goes well.


Good luck with your limited political future. Perhaps the BNP would welcome your opinions?


Regards,


Ben S"

Foreign Policy

Apart from the war, people in the UK seem to be demanding a focus on internal policies. I’ve been picking up for a while now that we need to concentrate on sorting out this country first, moreso than ever, but obviously we still have international obligations. Good foreign policy benefits us immensely. The Lib Dems in particular have come under criticism for a weak foreign policy, so I thought I’d give it some attention. Firstly, something that seems to have gone widely unmentioned by the media recently is David Cameron’s alliance with the Ulster Unionist Party in Northern Ireland. This will undoubtedly unsettle the peace process and is a very bad move, condemned as ‘reckless’ by Secretary of state, Shaun Woodward. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/02/david-cameron-criticised-northern-ireland

But anyway…


When it comes to standing up for England and arguing the point against the Obamas/Merkels/Sarkozys of the world, the individual personalities of the 3 leaders really comes into play. Agendas on meetings with foreign leaders are set out well in advance and Think Tanks are brought in by the political parties to discuss exactly what strategy we should adopt as a nation. Now, to be sitting on a think tank, you really have to know your stuff. Regardless of whoever’s in power, great thinkers will be putting forward well thought through ideas that will then be carefully considered and finalised by the ruling party.

So what I’m saying is, no matter which party wins, they’ll be incredibly well prepared before dealing with any situation beforehand. The thing to consider, in my opinion, is how each leader will perform off the record. There will be a certain amount of socialising going on, and as far as I’m concerned this is the real opportunity to win people over, and indeed around to our way of thinking. If two nations are at loggerheads on certain issues, there is every opportunity that deadlock could be the outcome. This will delay progress on that issue and could potentially have far more dangerous consequences. Agreed? Right.

Sometimes, the only way to solve a situation is for both leaders to give a little bit of ground, to go out of their way to smooth the situation over, even if it’s not exactly what they want. Informal talks get things moving. Situations are avoided by late-night international phonecalls… I wouldn’t even be surprised if the wives get involved. It all comes down to human politics from time to time - the way individuals react with one another. So with that in mind, how do we think the Party leaders would do?

Let’s consider an informal after dinner drinks setting that would be commonplace in the world of international politics:

Gordon Brown seems incredibly uncomfortable in front of people. The awkwardness he displays, plus and apparent lack of social awareness suggest to me that he’d always be the outsider. Dishing out inappropriately manic grins (did you see the end of the debates after his final speech?!) when he thinks things are going well and repeating the same throwaway questions over and over and over (like he did on a recent Sky News coverage of a meet and greet in Tescos) Gordon Brown wants to be Prime Minister obviously, but he’d prefer it if he could run the country from behind closed doors and didn’t have to socialise. First to leave the party with a lame excuse and poor at building any relationships that could help the UK.

I imagine Cameron to be the much better than Brown in this scenario. He has a certain amount of swagger about him and he’s probably very confident in such situations. Everything he does though, seems too staged. I wouldn’t be surprised if he brought along a group of frends (advisors) who he strategically placed in the middle of the room... He'd keep nipping back to them for input on how well he’s doing and strategy on how to get ‘in’ with his next target. I imagine he’d be one of those people who can’t help but show on their face that they're judging you. He’d let certain issues that he fundamentally disagrees with pass without argument, throwing a false smile that can, and will be picked up by the other guests. His ultimate strategy would be to get whoever he ultimately wanted to talk to into a car, whisking them away to a much quieter place so they could have a one to one. When he’d have them where he wants them, he’d probably dismiss personal space boundaries and try to put pressure on them that simply wouldn’t wash with some of the big players.

I think Nick Clegg would be visibly happy to be there, or at least he’d convince everyone that he’s happy to be there. Unlike the other 2, he’d actually listen to the other guests, rather than simply waiting for his turn to talk. He’d be true to his word, candid, but fair in his reply, and would throw out the odd joke every now and again. (He’d probably even have a shot if he was offered one!) I’d put money on Clegg staying until the end of the night, staying focussed, but letting his hair down, playing the long game and winning the trust of the other guests. He’d be charming, confident and would end up being invited to an informal breakfast meeting to iron out some issues before the following day’s formal meeting.

So, when it comes to winning the game ON the pitch, we’re in a great position. Three strong leaders who argue well and have what they believe are the nation’s best interests at heart. But, if like me you’re keen to have somebody representing our nation who can build strong international relations with the other leaders of the world which in turn would benefit the UK, Clegg seems the obvious choice.