Poetry – Election Blues

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Election Blues

Brexit and Trump are setting the scene

As crisis grips the world.

The fascists and right are on the march

As the liberal dream is felled.

There is a divide between young and old;

A divide between rich and poor;

A divide between leave and remain;

Between changers and hard-core.

The country is split as hatred rules.

No consensus is in sight

As arguments violently rage

Giving no glimmer of light.

Friend takes on friend with vile and bitter words,

Personal attacks and passionate abuse from computer nerds.

No idea how to heal the wounds that gape

To reconcile conflicting views and beat them into shape.

There is a divide between young and old

A divide between rich and poor

A divide between leave and remain

Between changers and hard-core

It is bridges that end divides – not walls

Talking is better than fighting –

Heed the calls!!!

Opher – 9.6.2017

There are always power-mad people who look to exploit everyone. They will lie and cheat to gain power and line their own pockets. They lead us up the garden path.

Fascism is an evil.

The scapegoating of those in need and the endorsement of division and hatred is deplorable.

I look towards a future which is outward looking and based on justice and freedom. I don’t want to be locked up behind walls. I want to be out there enjoying the differences.

Let’s break down the barriers and chose to live!

Poetry – Goons

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Goons

They follow orders without question,

Shooting their own in the back.

They don their uniforms, turn off their minds

And always hunt in packs.

They’re the goons.

The bask in their power.

They kill with impunity

While people cower.

They learn to torture rape and gas

Which becomes their stock in trade.

Stand proud in lines, in uniform

In the big parades.

They’re the goons.

The bask in their power.

They kill with impunity

While people cower.

Without these heartless minions

The world would be a better place.

These tools of the tyrants

A disgrace to the human race.

They’re the goons.

The bask in their power.

They kill with impunity

While people cower.

Opher – 10.4.2021

Everywhere you look around the world you see them. They are dressed in body armour and are armed to the teeth. They are the ones who beat up protestors, who go around in the night rounding people up. They take them to underground dungeons to torture and degrade as a warning. They bury the bodies.

You see them everywhere – where-ever where people are fighting for justice or to oppose a tyrannical regime. In South America, Nigeria, Hong Kong, China, North Korea, the USA, Myanmar, Israel, it’s the same faceless brutal state thugs – the Stormtroopers, torturers and tools of the despot – the ones shooting unarmed protestors – and enjoying it.

Without these nasty arrogant little pieces of scum no oppressor can ever hold power.

They strut about in their uniforms thinking they have power.

The goon is the enemy of us all – the expression of fascism, the long arm of oppression.

The narrow-minded nature of flag-waving and nationalism.

Posted on by Opher

All people are equally important. No nation is superior to another. No people have a monopoly on what is right. No nation has a perfect history. Every nation’s history is littered with injustice, war, violence and suppression.

I see the fascists wrapping themselves in their nation’s flags. I see unpleasant politicians hypocritically using the flag as a prop.

It disgusts me.

Nationalism and Flag Waving – Arundhati Roy

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I agree with Arundhati. I find it very worrying.

Life has taught me that there are good and bad people everywhere and no nation is exempt from bad actions. Every nation has good and bad things.

People are people. One world: One people.

I prefer to have a flag for the whole planet – including all life!!

Flag Waving Nationalists!!

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The Union Jack and flag waving what is this all about?

I think it stinks!

I’ve seen the fascists strutting the streets with the Union Jack as their symbol. I’ve seen Tory profiteers wrapping themselves in the flag. I’ve seen flag waving military parades that lead to genocide and torture. I’ve seen the USA use its flag to denote arrogance and superiority.

I despise nationalism.

It is divisive and used by scoundrels to justify their crimes and throw a smokescreen over their actions.

I’ve just seen an arrogant Tory MP telling me that if I don’t like his brand of flag-waving nationalism I should find another country.

I don’t like his brand of fascism at all but I would be prepared to fight (metaphorically) to keep this country free of this xenophobic, racist bigotry.

The Union Jack is not so much a symbol of a fine unified country as one of oppression. You can stuff it. I have no interest in isolating myself. I’m part of a world community of free thinkers, free people – not some bunch of fascist nationalists.

Core Value 3 – Tolerance

Posted on by Opher

I am, believe it or not, an extremely tolerant person. I will argue my views most fiercely but will also stand vehemently in support of anybody whose beliefs are threatened.

I don’t care what colour, race, politics or religion a person has. I stand firmly against racism, prejudice, misogyny and elitism.

I believe in the strength of a polyglot, pluralistic society. I believe that a culture is enriched by diversity and weakened whenever it seeks to impose a single belief – either in a narrow political view or a theology. Cultures flourish when they are tolerant of many political, religious, spiritual, artistic, cultural and social views and structures.

I am extremely intolerant of intolerance.

That is why I find fascism and theocracies utterly abhorrent.

I have a global view. I believe in one people one planet and love to travel the world to appreciate the diversity of thought, culture, perspective and philosophy. I find that very broadening of the mind.

I am quite happy to share my community with people of different races, cultures, politics, views, colours, sexuality, religions and creeds. I will happily argue and rant at them. I find that stimulating. However, when any group attempts to make out that its nationality, religion, culture or creed is superior to any other then I take exception. If any religious group or political cult attempts to indoctrinate, groom or intimidate anybody, particularly children, then I shall fight it (non-violently) and oppose it forcefully. If a religion or social group is misogynistic, homophobic or racist I believe it should be countered most strongly.

I stand against nationalism, racism and theocracy.

So I stand for a person to hold their own views and values but not their right to impose that on others. I want religion and politics either out of education altogether (no flags, pledges, prayers etc) or presented in a reasoned way where all views are presented – including those of atheists like myself.

I would like to see all religious, nationalisatic and political views discussed rationally without prejudice.

I find flags, anthems, rituals, pledges, parades, uniforms, dress codes, prayers, dietary codes, holy books, political proclamations…………………. (and all the other paraphernalia used by politicians and religious leaders to instigate unity and create group culture) either interesting, amusing and fascinating or sinister, worrying and downright evil. It depends on the extent.

To Make America Great Again is a good example. It is an extreme nationalistic slogan that in reality is proclaiming a superiority of Americans over other cultures and that they deserve to be great and the rest of the world (the inferior nations) can go hang.

It does not take much to see how daft this is. America has no real culture. It is too new. What it has is artificially created out of the national story created by it’s show of flags, repeating of pledges of allegiance, its parades and demonstrations of military might. It has to do this because it’s people are all immigrants pulled in from all parts of the world and all cultures. It is seeking to unite them into a new people with this artificial unified culture that doesn’t exist. It has to do this because it has little history and unity to build on and its people are so culturally diverse as to require this great show of unity to cohere them together.

Americans are obviously not superior to the other people of the world. America is, more than any other country, made up of all of the people from these other cultures.

The only true Americans are the Native Americans and I doubt that a lot of them would subscribe to the culture, flag and attitude of the MAGA ethos. They still probably wish that the whole load of these immigrants would get back on their ships, disappear over the horizon and allow them to live by their own creed.

We buy into the stories we want to believe in.

So – the dilemma is how tolerant should one be?

It is a core value I hold dear but it has been sorely tested by the rise of extreme right-wing fascism, the post-truth rise of fake news and conspiracy and the horrendous intolerance of all religions – the Islamic terrorism and strict conservative theocracies, the racism and misogyny, the Hindu extremists, the hypocritcal American evangelists, the environmentally destructive Christians, the fanatics who run the Jewish, Hindu, Islamic and Christian religious schools to indoctrinate children.

Should I be tolerant of warmongers? Racists? Misogynists? Fanatics? Indoctrinators? Political extremists? Liars? Conspiracy theorists? Cheats? Fake news purveyors? Abusers? Exploiters? Polluters? Environmental vandals? Political corruption? Religion?

Do I simply have a scale of tolerance that is slightly more in one direction than another?

How does one select what is worthy of tolerance and what one should be intolerant of?

Two-faced Republicans exhibit moral cowardice and gross self-interest – exemplified by McConnell

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It is quite incredible to see the hole that the Republican party has dug itself into. Trump, as a charismatic fascist leader, has a large and vociferous fanatical following.

The extreme fascist tendency that began with the Tea Party is now a majority of Republicans. It has been consolidated under the extreme nationalistic movement – MAGA – Make America Great Again. The traditional conservative Republicans are now a minority in the party. Without support from the Trumpist wing no Republican can become elected. So they hold the power.

Any Republican who votes against Trump is met with a tirade of threats and threat of deselection.

McConnell is two-faced and exemplifies the cowardice and self-interest that pervades the party.

McConnell was unequivocal about Mr. Trump’s responsibility for initiating the insurrection and orchestrating a coup. “There is no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” he said, and added that Mr. Trump watched the events unfold on television. “A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name,” he said. “These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him.”

“This was an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories orchestrated by an outgoing president who seemed determined to either overturn the voters’ decision or else torch our institutions on the way out,” McConnell said.


But McConnell argued that he believed it was unconstitutional to convict a president who was no longer in office.

So McConnell knew Trump was guilty and abhorred what he had done bur recognised that in order to have a political career he had to vote to acquit.

Where does the morally bereft Republican Party go from here? Does it become more fascist and oust it’s conservative wing? Does it fight back against the fascists and reinstitute traditional conservative values and repudiate fascism? Or does it split into two – neither of which is likely to be electable?

We’ll see if there is any morality left, won’t we?

The Republican Party’s lurch to Fascism

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The Donald Trump populist movement seized on extreme nationalism as it’s core creating the MAGA movement (Make America Great Again). In many ways it paralleled Hitler’s rise to power. Hitler used the Jews as scapegoats while Trump used immigrants and Muslims. Hitler used his Brown Shirt bully boys to intimidate and cause fear. Trump is deploying his MAGA mob. Hitler rose to power with a minority but caused such fear that people were afraid to speak out – just like what is happening in the USA today.

I think the party has to make a painful decision. Does it continue down the path of the Trump cult – a path of extremism, fascism and racist white supremacy or does it pull back and base its values on those espoused by Abraham Lincoln – honesty, decency and conservative values.

The Trumpist MAGA FascistsAbraham Lincoln conservatives
Conspiracy theories Lies Threats, intimidation and violence Neo-Nazis White Supremacists Fascist Proud Boys Extreme nationalismTruth and honesty Conservative values Decency Small government Low taxes Free market capitalism

Personally I think the Republican values stink in any form but the lurch to the extreme right and undermining of the whole democratic process is utterly repugnant. It’s a new all-time low.

If they continue down the Trump route I reckon they will trigger a civil war.

Chris Riddell Cartoon sums up the tragedy of America’s slide into fascism.

Posted on by Opher

Who would have believed that this populism could harness virulent nationalism and slide so easily into fascism?? Who could believe it?

A short while ago these same senators that voted to acquit Trump were cringing for cover and having to be escorted from the Capitol by armed secret service to protect them from a mob, incited by Trump, seeking blood and seeking to overturn a legitimate election.

They were threatened by Trump that if they did not support him he would orchestrate his boot-boys to vote them out of office.

These senators have received death-threats. Their families have been threatened.

Is this what democracy looks and sounds like in America today? Ruled by the mob and not by law and order? Ruled by a fascist dictator who sits in the wings and deploys his bully-boys to do his will?

Is this what the Republican party now stands for?

Was this what draining the swamp was all about?

So now lies, fear and hate rule and morality goes out the window.

Fascism – the cause and who is milking it.

Posted on by Opher

Patriotism is just nationalism dressed up pretty – both despicable. One people – one world – all important.

The cause of fascism?

It’s when people start being in fear of their jobs or struggling to survive. They look for the reasons. The fascist politicians like Trump point to immigrants, blacks and Latinos. They say stupid shit like Make America Great Again, Build Walls and support outdated industry.

It’s no answer but it makes sense to some people.

The real problem is inequality. AI and automation have made ordinary workers redundant. Outsourcing to third world countries with cheap labour and terrible work conditions, no health and safety and no environmental limitations exacerbates the problem.

The rich get richer at the expense of the poor.

Trump was cynical. He played on the fears and hopes. He is a billionaire, masquerading as a friend to the poor, who was feathering his nest, stirring up division and hate and coming up with silly solutions for his own ends..

Walls and old tech are not going to solve this. The wealthy have to be taxed more leading to a greater distribution of wealth. At present, it is all being channelled to the top.

We’re only seeing the tip of this. Much worse is to come.

When driverless cars and self-stacking supermarkets happen the drivers and shelf-stackers on zero-hours will be pushed out. The majority of people will not be needed. The wealthy owners will take all the money.

We either sort it with taxation or we end up with the extreme wealthy living in walled communities protected by drones and robots while the rest of us fight it out for scraps in order to survive on nothing. That’s when it descends into Mad Max and fascism.

The people who support Trump or Bolsonaro foolishly think these macho guys will fix it.

The macho guys like Trump and Bolsonaro are conning them all. They are part of the problem. They are the billionaires siphoning off the money. They don’t want to ‘fix’ the problem. They offer short-term solutions.

Fascism breeds off fear, insecurity, inequality and dread of the future. Fascism requires scapegoats, elitism and easy solutions. Fascism is the ultimate right-wing control.