The War on Woke!

Posted on by Opher

I’m woke and proud of it. I know exactly what it means. I woke up long ago to see through the hypocritical straitjacket that we were all corralled in.

Back in the 1940s it was all God, King and Country. We had a rigid class system and knew our place. We were meant to wave Union Jacks on Empire Day and knew that Britain was the greatest place on Earth. We were British, proud and better than the rest.

What a pile of bollocks.

I woke up to the hypocrisy of this long ago when I was a kid. I intrinsically knew it was all a lie. When we went to the cinema they used to end the film with the National Anthem and, like the placid mugs we were, expected to stand and pay homage to our superiors. I sat.

God. Well I never did deal with that invention very well. The idea of some invisible superbeing who was watching everything you did, judging you, setting impossible targets, expecting daily worship and adoration with dress codes and dietary requirements and meting out infinite punishment for indiscretions, but loved us, seemed ridiculous. Is ridiculous.

When I was young I just saw it as weird. When I became woke I realised that it was a vehicle of repression, a game. The rich and powerful, with all their pomp and ceremony, dressed up and went through a performance aimed at keeping us in our place. Those Bishops, Business tycoons, Royalty and dignitaries did not believe in the stuff. If they had they wouldn’t have been kiddie fiddling, exploiting workers and amassing wealth and power. It was a game, a charade. I could see the rich paying lip-service. Church on Sunday – screwing everyone the rest of the week. They dressed up and played a part and were the biggest hypocrites on the planet. It was about control and power and I was not going to be one of those placid sheep.

King. Well for some reason, that I never could fathom a family stemming from a group of blood-thirsty robber barons and ruthless cutthroats who ruled by violence and fear, set up despicable warlords in castles to subjugate and control, were now considered respectable and ordained by that invisible superbeing. So were these people, this family, superior to me? Was their rule based on superior intelligence and breeding? Or was it based on a series of historical crimes, wars and terror? Was I supposed to kow-tow to these super-wealthy, powerful individuals? I think not. They shit and pee just like me. They have no power over me.

Country. A country is a concept. In one sense it is a piece of land but in this context it’s a nation. Various tribes fought over it since time immemorial. They fought to gain land to settle, hunt, farm, mine and exploit. Like primitive animals they fought for territory. Except the land was divvied up among the ‘aristocrats’ who laid claim to it and charged the serfs for the privilege of living there. These robber barons claimed the land as their own then sold it to us for profit. Over the course of time they have exploited us and used us. Am I meant to be proud of their robbery? Am I meant to be proud of the way they used us in their armies to fight against other tribes for gain?

The story of any nation is the story of the amassing of wealth and power for a small minority who lived in luxury off our efforts. History records the sordid exploits of the powerful. The humble majority lived humble lives often in poverty and drudgery. They were only ever fed the crumbs.

The Empire was the result of trade, conquest, slavery and violence. The subjugation of other cultures is not something to be proud of. The poor who were used to fight for possession of other peoples’ lands is not something to be proud of. The cynical pillaging of foreign countries to steal their resources is not something to be proud of. The way all that wealth went back into the hands of a minority who lived in their palaces and mansions while the rest of us lived in hovels and slums is not something to be proud of. The exploitation of workers on starvation pay, dangerous work for long hours so that those wealthy elite could live in luxury is not something to be proud of.

I am proud of the way the working people stood up for their rights and fought for fair pay, equality and workers’ rights. None of which were freely given. I am proud of them securing the vote for men and women. I am proud of the compassion, empathy and equality we fought for; our support for oppressed people around the world.

I am proud of our British values – tolerance, equality, empathy, compassion, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, freedom of speech. Values to be proud of.

I am proud of our achievements in creative areas, our writers, dancers, actors, poets, artists, sculptors, film makers, inventors, scientists and innovators.

I am proud of our sportsmen and sportswomen – though they get paid ridiculously.

I’m proud of our carers, reporters and aid workers.

But am I proud of my country? No.

I love living here. I love the landscape and I love most of the people. I despise the racist thugs, the fascists and conmen like Johnson, Farage, Tice and Rees-Mogg – the modern-day robber barons who are in it for self-gain. I despise royalty and the class system. I despise the power-mad and greedy.

Is Britain worth dying for? Depends who the fight is; who we are fighting and why. I don’t know of too many just wars. Most are fought for the benefit of that elite.

I am not a nationalist or patriot. I weigh things up. I know there are a lot of evil deeds in our past. I know there are evil deeds in every country’s past. I’m woke.

I see all people as being equally important.

I think this attempt to divide people on race, religion or nationality is not just pathetic; it’s obscene. We are one species. We have one planet. We’re best when we support and care for each othyer.

I’m woke.

You won’t find me painting roundabouts, putting up flags, attacking immigrants, supporting racist xenophobic parties, wearing crusader uniforms and denigrating other nationalities or races.

I’m woke.

I don’t think that a violent Turkish thug, now called St George, a man who never came to England, represents the values I stand for – and I don’t believe in dragons.

I can see why we created these social structures – it’s all about social cohesion. When a society is stable and people work together around a shared set of values we are happy and secure.

The irony is that the chancers and scoundrels, the greedy and power-mad populists like Trump, Farage and Johnson, have done their best to disrupt that social cohesion. Under the guise of false patriotism they seek to divide, spread fear and hate and then prosper from the division and discord they sow.

I’m woke.

I see the good and the bad.

I’m not blinded by God, King and Country. I know the past, with its poverty, slums, racism, drudgery and inequality was not a great place to aspire to. It worked for those at the top.

These modern-day populists, who tell us they’ll make us great again, are feathering their own nests. IMO they are selfish, greedy, dangerous people.

I’m woke – I recognise them for what they are!

IMO it’s about time we recognised the elite and populists as the self-serving liars they all are, rejected their greed and coalesced around a bigger, better vision!

Standing up for British Values!!

Posted on by Opher

Yes!! There are many British values worth fighting for!

Social justice! – Our ancestors fought for social justice – for workers’ right. The greedy elite did not give out annual holidays, good work conditions, 40 hour weeks, health and safety, pensions, maternity leave etc. without a fight! Then there’s the right for everyone to vote! That’s a British value worth fighting for!

Equality – That too was hard fought for. A short while ago only the rich could vote and had rights. We created a judicial system that was fair for all. First men and then women got the vote. We brought in race fairness so that people could not be abused or discriminated against because of their skin colour, hair colour, race, religion or creed.

Tolerance – A great British value. We have a society that tolerates differences! That is truly multicultural, where women are equals. I like that. Our culture and language is rich because we have incorporated so many other great aspects from other cultures.

Empathy and Compassion – we are a generous country, giving to foreign aid to help others. I think of Live Aid and the appeals for help. I think of how, throughout history, we took in persecuted people Huguenots, Jews and recently Afghans and Ukrainians. I’m proud of that.

Freedom – freedom to speak, write, read and practice whatever religion, sexual orientation or creed (as long as it does not hurt others). I’m opposed to hate and division but I want to live in a country that allows me to do and be what I want to be. I greatly value that.

Justice – The right to have the laws of the land upheld, to be protected from the violent, cruel and nasty.

Love of Nature – I hate cruelty to animals, destruction of the environment and am grateful that I live i n a country that values nature and protects animals

These are the British values I fight for.

I do NOT support patriotism or nationalism. I am human, part of the world, and I know there are good and bad people everywhere. We are no better or worse. We just had ancestors who struggled to create the right values here and created a civilised country with values and laws based on the above.

I do NOT support the greed of the elites who set out to fill their own coffers by conquering the world and setting up colonies and Empire. I think they are greedy bastards who did a lot of evil things – murder, slavery and suppression. I despise their arrogance, elitism and sense of entitlement. In my eyes they are scum.

I do NOT support the bloodthirsty generals who waged wars on behalf of that elite. They supported a hierarchical regime that I despise. I spit on them.

I do NOT support the class system and privilege that controls the system and has used its wealth to maintain its power. That system gives privilege to the wealthy, privilege that is not earnt or based on any meritocracy but is bought! The monarchy have inherited their wealth and power from evil robber barons who slew and threatened, robbed and murdered.

So forget your stupid flags of St George and Union Jacks. They represent a myth and support a system of repression. Forget your religious doctrines and class system. They are not British. They are impositions of foreign elites and foreign religions! Our monarchs didn’t even speak English! They aren’t English! Forget your Turkish/Palestinian knight who for reasons unknown was adopted as our patron saint. There were no dragons and he is no more English than Montezuma.

I Stand For REAL British values!!

‘My Britain’ – A long lost poem recreated. (Minus photos)

Posted on by Opher

This was my attempt to recreate the lost poem from memory. It turned out very different.

This is the poem without the photos. People told me that the photos interrupted the flow of the words.

‘My Britain’ – A long lost poem recreated.

Posted on  by Opher

My Britain

So this is my Britain:

A land of rugged rocks on shores with crashing waves;

A land of green rolling hills,

Craggy mountains,

Meadows of gaily coloured flowers alive with insects;

The chirp of crickets, the buzz of bees, the scurry of beetles and the bob of butterflies;

The darting of lizards into crisped undergrowth, the rustle of mice, voles and hedgehogs.

In the dappled glades of the forest remnants the fallow deer chew alertly. Under hedges rabbits venture from their burrows, adders, grass-snakes and slowworms bask in the sun, soaking up the heat, or languish in safety under the corrugated tin.

In the fields the red poppies bob among the feather-top grasses, the purple thistle stands erect and the yellow buttercup and dandelion gleam like tiny glowing suns.

In the streams the stickle-backs dart, frogs are still with eyes protruding, prone within the water and newts crawl lugubriously between the fronds of water weed as pond skaters skim above.

On the seashores and mudflats the waders scamper and peck as the waves recede, the gulls soar, glide and call, crabs peer from beneath rocks and barnacles scoop specks from out the water.

This is the land of moors of purple heather and green bracken, of lakes, lochs and cwms, abandoned mines and standing stones, of brochs, long barrows, burial chambers and castles, that signify the history, the mystery and long faded memory of the past, vestiges of by-gone eras.

This is my Britain:

A place populated by a mongrel race whose stride was large enough to girdle the whole earth, whose imagination has changed the world, who have left their mark in time, in every continent, in every clime.

A race rooted in Celt, in Pict, in Angle, Saxon, Norse, Roman and Norman, and later, as the trade routes opened up the world, in Asian, African, Australian, American and beyond – a mixture of races full of hybrid vigour and the purity of nascent blends; and all the stronger for it. Whose very language reflects this rich history of intermingling, so diverse, so expressive, so vibrant, so fluid – as if the opulence of genes flows forth from effervescent minds through the versatility of tongues. For though rooted in our European traditions we have incorporated the whole gamut of mankind and extracted the best to create something all the greater.

These are the people from whom I have descended – the outward looking, the brave and adventurous, those that rose to the challenge and sought the novel, whose poets revealed, whose story-tellers delighted ears, whose adventurers ignited spirits, whose philosophers dared to question, whose inventors and scientists harnessed wonder and whose dreams reached for the stars.

These were the people whose compassion and tolerance created hope and homes; whose spiritual buccaneers tackled mysteries and whose first response was the helping hand.

This is my Britain:

A land of contrasts, of variety, of peace, serenity and wonder,

A land of pleasant folk, with varied traditions and minds of scope,

A land of scholars, wisdom and industry,

A land full of history, yet still reaching for the future.

From these rocky shores, sandy bays and welcoming harbours, we still reach out to embrace the beyond.

From this place of culture and civilisation we welcome in the new, to incorporate and grow.

This is my Britain!

Not an insular island, alone, but a thriving centre, a focus of trade, a flourishing nest of humanity, a creative force, a smiling face of civilised companionship, reaching out to the world, living at one with nature.

Not the warlords, not the politicians, not the mean-minded bigots, the small-minded nationalists, the money-grabbers and life-suckers, but the musicians, the artists, the scientists, dancers, the merry-makers, singers, swashbucklers, free spirits, travellers, roamers, explorers, dreamers, builders, players, writers, poets and the ordinary folk whose smiles and gleeful voices are an example for us all.

Yes, this is my Britain,

A gleaming island, a green jewel, surrounded by cleansing waves, whose people have this spirit to delve and solve the greatest ambiguities, to shine light into the darkness and turn the bitterest bile into the sweetest nectar.

This is the Britain I am part of, stem from and take with me where-ever I tread.

This is my Britain.

This is my Britain.

I wrote a poem much like this many years ago. I put it to a pastoral piece of music by Frinzi. I melded it to a slide-show of my photographs of Britain – from the mountains and lochs of Scotland, through the green valleys of Ireland and Wales, the moors and forests of England to the abandoned tin mines of Cornwall – incorporating the flowers, wildlife and Neolithic rocks.

I showed it a number of times and it always garnered a good response.

Unfortunately I lost it. I have searched for a number of years as its memory festered in my mind.

Finally, today, I decided that enough was enough. I wrote it again.

This is not the same poem but the elements are mostly there. In these days of Brexit, with its mean-minded insularity, and fear-ridden hatred, I wanted to reaffirm my belief and faith in a better Britain, one based on the love, creativity, friendliness and expansive, welcoming nature that I crave. That is the Britain that I love, that is what gives me hope and strength.

That is the Britain I want. That is my Britain.

Poetry – Defending the homeland

Posted on by Opher

Defending the homeland

Defending the homeland

                Against the Russian foes.

Barbaric practice

                As all morality goes.

Fighting to the death,

                Arena of horror.

Giving up on life.

                No hope for tomorrow.

War is madness.

                Can be no excuse.

Protest all we want.

                But it’s no use.

The elite call the tune.

                Gain from the violence.

Drunk on greed and power

                Profits are immense.

These elite tyrants

                Pull all the strings.

We live in the shadow.

                The crop that madness brings.

Opher – 18.4.2022

I despise nationalism and patriotism – the territory of scoundrels.

I despise the propaganda and spin that stops people from thinking.

Defending the homeland? I have some reticence. But if it came to standing up for freedom and justice, fairness and democracy, I think I would be prepared to defend.

War is run by a greedy elite for profit. That is all.

We tolerate that greedy elite. We put them them. We vote for them. We are taken in by their propaganda.

They are nothing but greedy tyrants. History is littered with them.

Time we changed. They are only as powerful as we allow them to be.

War is a tool of the elite. Time we banned it!

Poetry – Those Days are Long Gone!

Posted on by Opher

Those Days are Long Gone!

God, Queen and country,

To follow blindly!

Those days are long gone!

We know far too much

To drown in liquid mud

For something that is wrong!

All three an excuse

To further an elite

That sets itself above the throng!

All three artificial artefacts

Created for power

To make that elite strong.

We much prefer

International inclusivity

To which we all belong.

Opher – 20.11.2019

I have no faith in the artificial constructs of God, Queen and country. They were invented by the elite for the elite and perpetuate a system that works for the elite.

They send us to war in order to bring back the spoils for them. I prefer to think, view the evidence and decide.

George Orwell speaks on Nationalism.

Posted on by Opher

It’s because we have good reason to be ashamed. A good section of our population is arrogant, racist, gullible and easily led into fascism.

They read the gutter press and believe it. They make you ashamed.

Nationalism and patriotism are used by scoundrels and politicians to divide and create hate.

One People: One World!

Poetry – Ashamed to be English

Posted on by Opher

Ashamed to be English

I’m ashamed to be English

When I see the strutting arrogance,

The haughty ignorance,

The tight-lipped diffidence,

Xenophobic belligerence

And racist effluence.

The nationalistic stupidity

Feels like crap to me.

We’re better than that

And so we should be!

Opher 27.6.2019

There is an element of British culture that I find repulsive – the smugness of the elite with their arrogant classism, little clubs and attitude of superiority. There is a xenophobic element that is racist and a falsely inflated ego that is extremely unpleasant.

They make me feel ashamed.

Poetry – Flags, Anthems and Pledges

Posted on by Opher

Flags, Anthems and Pledges

Flags, anthems and pledges

Brainwashing instruments

That restrict freedoms.

Nationalist fascism,

Flaky around the edges,

Warlords and fiefdoms.

Tying us in to allegiance

To forces that exploit our desires.

Strangulating our freedoms

With their economic empires.

Consumer units under control

Slotted into the patriotic hole.

Opher 26.12.2017

As Samuel Johnson said – Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

Patriotism, with its entire flag waving tribalism, is nothing more than a fiction to manipulate people by. It comes straight out of its partner nationalism and is the cause of much war and conflict.

Populist politicians use it to gain power. Businessmen harness it to gain profit.

It is visceral not cerebral and it panders to the gut rather than the brain. Many a brave lad full of ideals has been beguiled and used. Many a brave lad has returned with his legs blown off, his mind scrambled and his future in tatters all for the love of a notion of country. To quote the great Wilfred Owen (himself a victim twice over) – The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.

Poetry -When Britain is no more

Posted on by Opher

When Britain is no more

What is it that we will leave behind

When Britain sinks below the waves

And the sun finally sets?

Democracy and freedom?

Fighting for the underdog?

Creating dreams with few regrets?

We are masters of the understatement.

We have the humour and the wit,

The empathy and daring

The bravery and grit.

All part of a culture to be proud of.

The best of what we are.

So put the bad stuff in the past.

The best will take us far.

When Britain sinks beneath the sea

We’ll know it will not have gone –

As long as people stand for their fellow man

And can still put those words to song.

Opher 11.12.2015

When Britain is no more

The British have always been a creative race. We like dance, song and music. We know how to have fun.  We are problem solvers and wonderers.

We’ve sailed the ocean and discovered the world. We’ve searched our hearts and discovered poems and songs.

We set up trade across the world and tried our hand at many things. Our genes were enriched with those of others from diverse parts of the world.

I set my Britishness upon the ideals of William Wilberforce, Wat Tyler, Mary Wollstonecraft, Emmeline Pankhurst, William Lovett, Henry Hetherington, the Swing rioters, Tolpuddle martyrs and all those who fought for liberty, social justice and better conditions. They stood for fairness, respect and equality. That’s Britishness for me.

The British speak up for justice in the face of brutal government or despotic tyranny.

The trade union movement grew out of that long struggle. It created a fairer society.

What we need now is another wave of social justice that sweeps aside the inequality. The rich are still getting richer at the expense of working people.

When Britain is no more I hope that those values of fairness, tolerance, compassion, democracy, equality and justice will still be a beacon for the world.

I hope that the values will be enshrined in song, music, poetry and drama. I hope that people will speak out with the same fury at injustice, racism, tyranny and misogyny. You defeat fascism with song and dance, ideas and a smile.

Poetry – To be British

Posted on by Opher

To be British

Within the heart of all of us

There beats a spirit

Of dissention,

A dash of adventure,

A rash of compassion,

And a desire for discovery.

That spirit is real –

To fight for fair play –

The willingness to stand

For tolerance,

Freedom

And the rights of man.

Opher 11.12.2015

To be British

I am not a patriot. I despise nationalism. I do not wish to fight or die for my country.

I am a man. I love my freedom and the philosophy by which I live – the right of all men and women to be free and live in a spirit of harmony, love and equality.

That is a cause worth fighting for.

I am a pacifist and a citizen of the world.

I believe in the rights of all living creatures and their right to live undisturbed by man.

I love nature.

I am never short of a cause.

But last night I was mining a vein of emotion as to what it was to be British and whether I had any pride in that label.

I felt a sense of affinity with the spirit that has typified my countrymen in the past. I believe it is there in my culture. It is not be chance that we have created so many adventurers, explorers and dissenters. We have had our men and women willing to stand in the face of torture and death and proclaim their truth. We have had our citizens who have opposed evil in all its forms, stood against religious tyranny, unjust wars, social injustice, misogyny, racism, intolerance and the rule of the strong and mighty.

They have reached out to those that were different and shown the hand of empathy and compassion. That is Britishness for me.