When they write the history of the Great Depression 2012-2022, the names of the multi-millionaires Cameron, Osbourne and Clegg will be rightly despised. Despised for the all the usual reasons that the likes of me despise heartless arseholes, but more importantly they will be despised for being unable to recognise a truly unprecedented catastrophe and being unable to understand that the old ways no longer cut the mustard.
Adrift on a raft of hubristic stupidity they are intent on doing a 'Lady's Not For Turning' impression whilst failing to recognise that Margaret's intrangisence flung many onto the scrapheap during an economic crisis that was nothing like as profound as the current one. Growth is flatlining, inflation is beginning to creep, the Governor of the Bank of England is twitching, the Eurozone is listing like an ailing galleon and America has nothing to offer.
In short we are deep in the mire.
But it's not just Dave and his chums who are unable to grasp the necessary paradigm shift, Ed and his crew are merely delivering the same-old yah boo sniping from the comfort of the Opposition benches bereft of truly original thought just like HM's Government.
It's simply not good enough.
We are, in my opinion, about to enter one of the biggest Global economic catastrophes since the late 1920s and all our elected representatives can offer is a repeat of the Politics of the Past. Even the so-called BRIC economies are beginning to falter. You can't 'grow' without demand and you can't demand without the wherewithal (earned, borrowed or stolen) to pay for it.
Capitalism isn't some natural world order, it's a man-made construct and, as such, it can be pushed, prodded and pulled in whatever direction we want it to be so that those at the bottom of the pile don't buckle under the weight of the mountain of fat cats on top of them.
But it seems no one has the political will to ease the burden for the majority. Governments have constantly chipped away at all the things good citizens have aspired to: from education to home ownership to pension provision and savings. I would hate to be a teenager at this moment, about to leave secondary education and wondering what the hell to do next. Get a job? Further education? Not much chance of either. You could volunteer to do something for nothing in the hope that the skills acquired will help you find gainful employment one day. Running a library where all the trained staff have been sacked maybe.
Soon you will be told you need to get on the property ladder before it's too late - better get saving for that hefty deposit. And don't forget you'll be paying off your tuition fees but be aware that you really should be investing in a pension fund of some kind. Unless you want to rot on next to nothing when (if) you retire.
It's not much of a Social Contract is it?
Still, at least we're all in it together.
I'd take to the streets if I was you.
Kos was wonderful (if expensive). The sun shone, the wine flowed and we relaxed. We saw some football matches, did our bit for the Greek economy and met some great Dutch folk. It hadn't rained on the island since the end of May but, on the day we left, the storm clouds began to brew and all the locals were getting excited. The rain was coming!
Fortunately it held off until we had flown and we missed it but it didn't matter as there was plenty to go round when we touched down. Mancunian rain. So familiar. So fresh after the Mediterranean heat. Time to get active again.
We'd missed Littlest so much while we were away, it was great to see how much he had progressed in just a couple of weeks. The vocabulary has improved immensely and he seems much more 'little-boyish'.
Youngest, Youngest's Dearest, Dearest and I took Littlest to the Bury Steam engine Thomas the Tank Engine weekend. I loved it. It was great meeting enthusiastic people who clearly loved the various trains and trucks they looked after. Littlest was amazed when he saw Thomas. The look on his face was priceless and by the time we all bundled on he was beside himself with excitement.
The waiting room has been converted into a real ale bar and restaurant so that went down well as well.
They're doing a 'Santa Special' in December - on Littlest's birthday (and Dearest's) too. Might be worth the trip.
I've got two concerts coming up. Both by men way past their pension ages. Both by men who wrote parts of the soundtrack to my youth.
First up is 70-odd year old John Mayall. British Blues flag bearer and all round nurturer of home-grown talent, especially in his early years. His bands have always changed members frequently but I expect he'll always remember the likes of Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Mick Taylor more than some others.
I first saw him at the Free Trade Hall in 1969 when he was performing a pretty much acoustic set with bass, guitar, piano, harmonica, sax and nylon strung guitar. Hair down his back and headband firmly in place. He looks a bit different now. It was 68's ('69?) 'Blues from Laurel Canyon' that got me hooked. John Mayall helped me understand that that visceral, stripped back stuff that excited me as much as the psychedelia, rock and folk of the day was what is known as the Blues. He always, helpfully printed the key the track was in on the LP sleeve as well so you could stumble along with the band. Eeeee I'm 14 again.....
Second up is 69 year old hopeful James Paul McCartney at the soulless MEN Arena. I saw him back in 1979 at Manchester's Apollo theatre in the days when he was still raw about his Beatles past. He only did 3 or 4 Fabs' numbers then but nowadays crams most of his set with them. He also plays for not far off 3 hours! Dearest really wanted to see him before he retires. I'm quite looking forward to it actually. For all his thumbs-up, glass half full carefully stage managed persona, he's an incredible song-writing talent and a pretty adventurous bass player too.
Beep beep beep beep yeahhh
