The credulity of the Sheeple

[Peter Presland]

This is an example of the the sort of mindset that makes me despair of the possibility of worthwhile change in Western 'Democracies' short of some sort of revolution. The sort of credulous childlike banality which dominates both Left and Right - though their 'Heroes' be different - and which fills the airwaves and newsprint of the MSM in a mind-numbing cacophony. It is from the latest blogpost of one Iain Dale of 'Iain Dale's Diary'. His top 20 things to like about the 80's.

Iain is rated as THE most prominent Tory blogger. In terms of traffic he is about third in the UK political blog ranking after Political-betting.com and Guido Fawkes. He runs Politicos Bookshop and has published a number of prominent political biographies/diaries over the past few years. He's on the Tory Party candidates list and is actively looking for a constituency. Believe it or not he's a nice guy too; charming, earnest need to please and be liked - but with a sort of desperate, innocent vacuousness. A bit like a political Dale Winton was how I described him in a comment to one of his posts a few months back. And the tragedy is that, in company with the mass of our populations, he really believes this stuff and considers it important.

1. Margaret Thatcher.
2. Labour couldn't win an election.
3. Putting the Unions back in their box.
4. Enabling millions of people to buy shares for the first time.
5. A-ha & Alphaville.
6. Audi Quattros.
7. Ejecting the Argentinians from the Falklands.
8. Enabling hundreds of thousands of people to buy their own homes.
9. Ronald Reagan & Mikhail Gorbachev.
10. The Mullett.
11. Ian Botham
12. Airplane.
13. Trevor Brooking & Alan Devonshire, Tony Cottee & Frank McAvennie.
14. Winning the Cold War.
15. Trivial Pursuit.
16. Beating Scargill and his band of thugs.
17. J R Ewing.
18. Nena's 99 Luftballons and her hairy armpits.
19. The Conservatives winning three elections in a row.
20. The advent of Sky TV.

• Margaret Thatcher at No 1; *&%-**^*
  
• Rah rah over the Falklands but oblivious to the secretive eviction to penury of a similar number of British citizens from a similarly distant island chain to make way for a US military base on Diego Garcia - they had dark skins and spoke a sort of Patois though - so that would be OK then.
  
• The advent of Sky. Oblivious to Murdoch - he only has eyes for the sport. ??? Second thoughts he probably approves of Murdoch with some soothing caveats about being watchful about monopolies - the usual politician-speak.
  
• And of course the Unions - we're seeing a sort of re-run right now with the courts intervening to make strikes illegal on superficial technicalities. The Tory Grassroots love it - Labour/Lib hate it - all their politicos talk in measured reasonable tones like they believe they actually have something meaningful to say on the matter.
  
• And of course the old Arthur Scargill 'Thugs' thing. He has clearly never been on the receiving end of what has now become routine police thuggery.
  

I know this is becoming something of a refrain from me but it really does depress the hell out of me. Talk about being unable - not to say incapable - of seeing the wood for the trees!

[Peter Lemkin]

He, like most, have drunk the 'cool-aide' provided by the PTB. Only free-thinkers, or those immune to the propaganda and national 'religions' will be able to participate in meaningful and positive change. I don't what percent that is - it varies in different countries, areas, cities, age groups and other factors. I'd guess in the 'West' [cough!] we can count on only 10% for change to get-a-going. Max. Likely much less to light the match and start the fire. All change has always been led by a small group - both change for the good and change for the worst. Humans are mostly sheeple, sadly.

[Paul Rigby]

[quote=Peter Presland]This is an example of the the sort of mindset that makes me despair of the possibility of worthwhile change in Western 'Democracies' short of some sort of revolution. The sort of credulous childlike banality which dominates both Left and Right - though their 'Heroes' be different - and which fills the airwaves and newsprint of the MSM in a mind-numbing cacophony. It is from the latest blogpost of one Iain Dale of 'Iain Dale's Diary'. His top 20 things to like about the 80's.

Iain is rated as THE most prominent Tory blogger. In terms of traffic he is about third in the UK political blog ranking after Political-betting.com and Guido Fawkes.
[Quote]
1. Margaret Thatcher.
2. Labour couldn't win an election.
3. Putting the Unions back in their box.
4. Enabling millions of people to buy shares for the first time.
5. A-ha & Alphaville.
6. Audi Quattros.
7. Ejecting the Argentinians from the Falklands.
8. Enabling hundreds of thousands of people to buy their own homes.
9. Ronald Reagan & Mikhail Gorbachev.
10. The Mullett.
11. Ian Botham
12. Airplane.
13. Trevor Brooking & Alan Devonshire, Tony Cottee & Frank McAvennie.
14. Winning the Cold War.
15. Trivial Pursuit.
16. Beating Scargill and his band of thugs.
17. J R Ewing.
18. Nena's 99 Luftballons and her hairy armpits.
19. The Conservatives winning three elections in a row.
20. The advent of Sky TV.
[/Quote]

We should compile an alternative list to stand against this crap. Some suggestions for a "Why I Loathe the 1980s" list:

[QUOTE]1. The MI6-manufactured war in the Falklands/Malvinas to save Thatcher's treasonous (US-serving) PM-ship; and UK claims to oil and gas in the land of ice below.

2. State-sponsored death squads running riot in N. Ireland, targeting anyone they cared to.

3. The wholesale abandonment of British manufacturing industry and the provinces by the South-East National Party (aka the Tories).

4. Mass unemployment in the aforementioned regions.

5. The rise of an overtly party political police force and judiciary.

6. The end of Britain's mainstream media as anything but a mouthpiece for the City, the spooks and the military.

7. Everton's failure to win the double in 1985-6.[/QUOTE]

[David Guyatt]

I feel sure he will find a constituency in which to sustain his banalities. He is just perfect for Parliament; infantile, closed mind, boorish and possessing a truly inherent idiocy.

Fortunately Peter, there are many others out there who see the real picture - or at least glimpse its lumbering foul mass in the twilight - that the days of this sort of brainless nincompoop are numbered.

[Peter Presland]

I feel sure he will find a constituency in which to sustain his banalities. He is just perfect for Parliament; infantile, closed mind, boorish and possessing a truly inherent idiocy.

Fortunately Peter, there are many others out there who see the real picture - or at least glimpse its lumbering foul mass in the twilight - that the days of this sort of brainless nincompoop are numbered.

Well I certainly hope you are right David, but I won't hold my breath. Thing is, I was not a million miles away from similar boorish attitudes and beliefs myself back in the late 70's/early 80's - to the point of being on the CP candidates list too.

It's the psychology of these things that fascinates me. I don't think I was any more blameworthy than the average thrusting young wannabe - at the time. I found I was quite good at public speaking/haranguing a crowd and assorted other nascent abilities essential to an aspiring politico. I was ambitious; I instinctively 'KNEW' the party line on the so-called major issues and reserved any display of unorthodoxy for the safe margins of policy - all the usual stuff. I even came within a whisker of selection for a safe seat (Cannock and Burntwood 1983 which Gerald Howarth went on to win) but withdrew at the last minute because of a dawning realisation of just what election to Parliament would mean for someone who spent every summer with family in the border area of South Fermanagh through much of 'The Troubles'. So I tried to get rich instead - and still no serious questioning of the bona-fides of our wonderful 'mother of parliaments' democracy.

The journey to my present relatively enlightened state has been a strange one - and I don't claim any particular credit for it either. It was a combination of many things but probably the strongest was up-close witnessing and being on the receiving end, of serious - and I mean serious - out-of-control police brutality during the Hunting Campaign. Strange thing is it doesn't seem to have had a similar effect on many of my colleagues from that period. Most are genuinely nice people but I am slowly becoming persona-non-grata among them because I bloody-well refuse to keep my big mouth shut. The reaction is embarrassed silence and my card is marked accordingly.

[David Guyatt]

An interesting tale Peter. I, too, was once a leaner towards the CP mentality and also had my eyes opened. The sense I have is that most people have the chance to see clearly at least once in their lives, but many knowingly choose not to out of fear - and are then lost forever. But if you are inwardly an honest type of person you cannot avoid your fate.

[Peter Presland]

Here's another one - of those things that make me despair.

Last week, after much ballyhoo and general anticipatory fanfare, a detachment of the Mercian Regiment marched through our sleepy little Derbyshire Dales Town. These are the reports of the event - front page on successive weeks with a big souvenir pull-out in the middle - from our local paper.

Final preparations for the Mercian Regiment
FINAL preparations are being put in place for tomorrowʼs historic march by the 2nd Battalion Mercian Regiment.

Bunting is hanging, flags are flying and organisers — the Ashbourne Branch of the Royal British Legion — are putting the finishing touches to the immaculately prepared welcome the town is expected to give the 220 heroes. Everyone in Ashbourne is once again urged to line the streets, but organisers have asked people to leave areas free for schools — including the pavement by the Methodist’s Church in Church Street and outside St Oswald’s School in Mayfield Road.
The soldiers are due to arrive in the Market Place, which will be closed to traffic, at around 10am on Thursday and are set to begin their march at around 10.20am.
They will march through Church Street to St Oswald’s Church where they will assemble for a short service at around 10.45am — leaving again at around 11.30am.
Candles will be lit in church to represent and honour each of their fallen comrades.
Following the service the soldiers and all their followers will start another march back to the Market Place where they are due to be dismissed at around noon.
While most soldiers will then be invited in to the Green Man in St John Street for a reception, some are expected to spend time walking around the town meeting families and shoppers to talk to them about the regiment.
Union Jack flags are on sale now in at least three Ashbourne stores, Cannon’s Newsagents in the Market Place and Lumbards Toy Shop in Victoria Square have been stocking them for a few weeks, while Hallmark in St John Street always stocks a range of flags.
Organisers say they are immensely grateful for all the donations, which have been flooding in since the march was announced, and they only have a small way to go before their target is reached.
To pledge support, or make a donation call British Legion secretary Tony Millward on 01335 346426.
Donations can also be left at the News Telegraph office, and we will pass them on.

And the big day itself:

Welcome home

By GARETH BUTTERFIELD

Last updated: 24/03/2010 09:50

"BRILLIANT, brilliant, brilliant" is how the organiser of last week's freedom march of the 2nd Battalion Mercian Regiment has described Ashbourne's welcome to the heroes.

Ashbourne was treated to the once in a lifetime spectacle as part of the regiment's celebration of being granted Freedom of the Derbyshire Dales at the start of the year - an honour that allows this sort of event to take place.

Hundreds turned out to line the streets and cheer on the soldiers, many of who had returned from service in Afghanistan in November, and some of them having lost close friends during their tour of duty.

The regiment's second in command, Jim Turner, spoke at the post-march reception in the Green Man of his gratitude for the warm welcome the soldiers received on their visit.

He said: "We've had an absolutely wonderful day here in Ashbourne, and we've been given such a wonderful reception - it's a great setting to march through.

"We've all marched in some big towns and cities but Ashbourne has been as good as anywhere we've been - it was especially nice to see so many school children out.

"As a regiment we rely hugely on local support and this makes a big difference to us all so we're very grateful to everyone here today."

Secretary of the Ashbourne Royal British Legion, which arranged and organised the march, Tony Millward, said: "I can sum the event up in three words; brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

"I want to thank every single man, woman and child that came to cheer to the troops on, especially the school children that lined the route - it really was overwhelming to see them and the people of Ashbourne showing their spirit like that."

The British Legion's president, Major Richard Sampson, added: "It has been a lovely day, we were very lucky with the weather. It was a very moving church service and the whole day has been a great honour for all of us.

"The committee of the Royal British Legion and, in particular, our secretary Tony Millward, have been working very hard every day for the last three weeks to organise so we're delighted with the success."

Three companies from the regiment followed their marching band on the day, and were joined by their willing mascot Private Derby - a Swaledale Ram that turns out with soldiers at many of their marches and events.

Five soldiers from the regiment were killed action in Afghanistan last summer, and their visit offered comrades a chance to pay respects to their friends during a church service at St Oswald's led by Rev Geraldine Pond.

The 2nd Battalion Mercian Regiment, formed from the Worcestershire and the local Sherwood Foresters Regiment, which was made up of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiments and was first sent for service in the Boer War in 1882.

The regiment, which takes soldiers from Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire has roots dating back to 1694 and its motto is "stand firm, strike hard."

Gareth Butterfield of course knows which side his bread is buttered.

This is the sort of stuff we are treated to ad nauseam these days. For me it beggars belief that it is not met with the scorn that it so richly deserves. Everyone it seems has to agree about the splendour of the Emperor's New Clothes - or else.

Don't misunderstand me. The death of every soldier is a personal tragedy for the family - but no more nor less so than the death of a farm/factory-worker say, or anyone else before their time. For the most part they are young men - often from the decimated mining communities of the Thatcher era where there is no other hope of employment and the army appears to offer - well just what those reports offer. So yes, every such death is a tragedy; the problem is that the vastly greater number of totally innocent civilian Afghan and Iraqi deaths and lives broken at their hands is a mere statistic.

The orchestrated blind fury at the suggestion of a Muslim march through Wootton Basset to commemorate Afghan innocent civilian deaths illustrates the point.

I really would like to think that credible opposition to all this crap might one day emerge but, like I said before, I'm not holding my breath.