First Thoughts On Waking, Vol. IV

RELIEF!

 

LIFE GOES ON.  Stokes Croft looks the same as it did yesterday.  Bristol is still cool.
Election Results Day is also Bin Day.
“Bin day for democracy.” – Mark L.

I couldn’t wait for this to be over, but that was tempered by the fear that everything might be Even Worse.

No one needs my thoughts on any of this, do they?  No. And yet, here they are anyway.

Election results are IN: New Labour lost.  Convincingly.

Other election night losers include the Prime Minister (whose party actually won on the narrow technicality that they got the most votes and the most seats – and yet, who, since she demanded a mandate for sticking it to the Europeans and didn’t get anywhere near a majority that might have allowed her to claim it, is a Giant Loser), The Sun and The Mail (who seem the same, and yet also more shrill, ugly and desperate than ever) and the 172 Labour MPs who voted No Confidence in their leader last year – the leader who has now delivered them increased majorities.  (And who, are therefore, also ironically, Winners.  Despite their best efforts.)) 

Yesterday I listened to You Can Have It All by Yo La Tengo.  I really like that song, but it seems a far-fetched, decadent promise…later I will tell people it was the last song I heard before voting, but that was actually I Know Him So Well by Elaine Page and Barbara Dixon, from the musical Chess.

One of the reasons representative democracy is so popular is that it allows us the space to not give a shit about anything that happens politically, because we vote for people we don’t know to represent us in a distant (in every sense) parliament.  That may be changing.

One of the reasons representative democracy is so unpopular is that it is distant from us, in every sense.  That may be changing.

In Stokes Park, overlooking the M32, there is a former psychiatric hospital which has been converted into luxury flats.  (In a neat parable of These Times.)  On the wall at its base, for anyone driving, walking or cycling past, someone has painted, in big letters: “VOTE LABOUR.” (In a neat parable of These Times.)  The graffiti was covered by a blue tarpaulin. (In a neat parable of These Times.)  And the next day, the tarpaulin was off and the painted message was visible again. (In a neat parable of These Times.)  And then, on the morning of Election Day, the blue banner was back in its place, taunting the people of Bristol. (In a neat parable of These Times.)  Following the election, the banner is gone, and the graffiti remains visible to all.  (In a neat parable of These Times.) 

The Centre cannot hold…A terrible beauty is born.

Corbyn lost, and is therefore clearly unelectable and should resign.  #satire

PM: Let me do what I want.
Electorate: Do what you're told.

PM: Give me a mandate
Electorate: No. Fuck off.

PM: Let me interpret the referendum result in the harshest possible way and use it to usher in an era of even greater neoliberal economics (ie, privatisation and spending cuts).
Electorate: No. Fuck off.

PM strongly and stably loses 20 seats to a terrorist-sympathising loony left pacifist. #worstcampaignever

PM strongly and stably begs for help from a bunch of terrorist-sympathising loony right wing Sectarian bigots.

Hang on, which is the one who’s supposed to bezzy mates with Irish terrorists?

‘Dazza Hygiene's match report’ (text message):
“The blues parked the strong and stable bus and relied heavily on counter attacks.
The reds put in a strong performance and are happy to have done better than expected.. But ultimately failed to qualify for the Champions league negotiating table.
The final group spot has therefore been given to relative minnows, DUP, whom neutrals consider to be a thoroughly wholesome bunch.........”

I preferred the David Cameron replicant.  A more convincing human than this new one, and not quite as disgusting-acting/sounding/looking.  How is the PM-bot technology going backwards?  This is technological regression.

This is a massive defeat for the government, on the government’s own terms.  #reasonstobecheerful

They hammer poor people, they cut spending, they privatise everything they possibly can – and it doesn’t even reduce the national debt.  Their only supposed virtue is stability/strong leadership, and they’re also clearly shit at that.  What, then, are the Tories FOR?

Paul Nuttall smirking as he gets his ass handed to him.  UKIP were obliterated, which is obviously great news….although, it might mean Farridge back....again.

Oh GOD WHY IS HE ALWAYS ON THE FUCKING TELLY? WHY IS HE STILL ON THE FUCKING TELLY?! 

WHY AREN’T WE STOMPING HIS GUTS OUT?!

Whoever has been booking guests at BBC News for the last 3 years or so should be roasted alive.  I’d vote for anyone proposing that.

From the off, this was a massive pile of bullshit: the PM lied about the reasons for doing it so brazenly that her grip on reality/hubris will be questioned, even by her own side.  Whoever is advising her on this should be in a queue for severely-cut employment benefits.  [UPDATE: Her two “top”/”closest” advisers have resigned, meaning they will not be getting any JSA…#SATIRE]

When the PM was asked the naughtiest thing she’d done, I’m surprised she didn’t say “contempt of court”, since she was convicted of that in 2012.

Peter Mandelson still absolutely repugnant, say humans.  Andrew Neil baiting Mandelson to admit New Labour is dead…good old Westminster entertainment from two of the smuggest faces ever to darken that cesspit of depravity.

IDS still the “absolute worst cunt ever” according to everyone.

Always a rare and strange experience when Westminster suddenly gives a fuck about Northern Ireland, and we all remember it exists.  #interestingtimes

The Parliamentary Labour Party is waking up to the fact that their leader is waaaaaaaaay more popular than they are.  (Two years too late, but we are all slow to realise these things sometimes.)

A man with a bucket on his head, calling himself a lord, is seen as considerably more sensible, both in policy and presentation terms, than the current prime minister. 
This is mostly regarded as a delightful development.

We are divided, we are confused, we are concerned.  We are SANE. 

Hating The Tories now right on trend.  #80sretro

The end of austerity sounds good, but talk of revolution and turning tides seems premature.  But it’s a start.  A good start.  A ray of light in dark times, if you will.  (You will, won’t you?)

That little ray of light is a chink in the armour of the neoliberal consensus that has dominated us politically for the last forty years.  If history has taught us anything – repeatedly – it’s that power concedes nothing easily….

The Work starts.  NOW.

It might not even be, of itself, a Big Thing.  But lots of little things make a big difference. 

Sometimes, I think We might just be alright.