'The Oldie' is a magazine I have been reading most of the year. It is well laid out, attractive design, with many items, some regular some occasional, they are all accompanied by astounding cartoons, relevant to life today.
However, this morning filling time reading a page or two I was once more aware of how limited many items were. 'Middle Class Angst' replaced with 'Middle Class Hero's.' The 'heroic' stature given to long dead drunks, perverts or scoundrels, becomes a wee bit boring after a while. People who the author would not allow through their front door are raised up as some sort of role model and we are expected to laugh at their doings as if they were worthwhile. Usually these 'doings' just reflect an empty life.
In my mind several things can be said here, the most obvious is that the mostly middle class readership (who can afford the mag) want to identify with such individuals. They desire to live lives that are 'free' from society objection, ignoring the cost, broken marriage, lost and confused children, sickness, death and other minor hindrences.
One cause that often appears is lack of parental care.
Boarding School: Such schools at eight years old is not, in my experience, something that binds a family, even if dad is in the forces or diplomatic service or some form of business. Dumping kids at a distance, with no family contact, especially in the days before mobile phones such as we now possess, is cruel in my mind. I am not surprised to find so many gay folks informing us of their situation often began in such circumstances. How many 'celebs' have similar broken family lives behind them?
Public School: The Public school ethos, whatever that is, where future leaders of power, church, media, government, get together to form friends or enemies for life and encourage 'The Old School Tie.' This is the manner Boris has been making use off to run the country. The attitudes encouraged at such schools do not encourage care for others, they certainly do not encourage 'socialism' in any form, instead it has become 'Look after number one,' us!
Bad Parents: Whether sending kids to far off schools or just having too much money in the end, bad parents are responsible for bad children. Fathers who have no intention of loyalty, mothers who play around, those who use the other for class, money or position reasons and make no effort at a real marriage will not produce contented children. The lack of assurance, the lack of love will always show. 'Love' of course is not a feeling here, it is an action. A daily action, often in difficult circumstances, a costly action, that is why so many fail! When the wealthy fail it is not through lack of cash, it is lack of many other things. Children are thus taught selfishness, lack of concern for others and indeed many spend their lives looking for the missing parental care elsewhere.
Money: Those who can afford Public Schools have no knowledge or understanding of how the people live, whether those of what we call 'working class' or indeed 'middle class.' Their world is far removed from the daily life of most.
It is clear Boris and his kind wish to keep it that way. The moneyed class, and where did that cash come from? The moneyed class care little beyond themselves. It is true that in the past some have taken action to change the world for the better. Well educated Clement Atlee took to looking after those in London's East End, eventually leading the most radical government the UK has known. Harold MacMillan, Eton boy at that, was far to the left of Tony Blair and that guy who is now the Labour leader. He met the lower orders during the Great War, respected them and served them in the 1930's in Stockton to the extent of running soup kitchens for them, and depised Thatcher and all she stood for. Thatcher of course was Lower middle class, the daughter of a shopkeeper.
War: Of course many mentioned in the magazine pages were born before or during the war. This affected the entire nation and while all suffered a reaction the upper section of society had the privelage of being able to move about and spread their problems in a less stressful fashion. Money was available, better jobs also, the rest of us just had to 'get on with it' and make the most of their lives.
Reading about some cad this morning brought Boris to mind as many mentioned in the mag are very Boris like. Indeed one individual rather scathingly mentioned parents of today's cabinet members in passing, and I am left wondering if the failures of school,lack of parents care and having too much cash has led to the Boris we see today? His cheeky personality wins him many fans though udnerneath he is a scheming brat, very schoolboyish. His battle for power with Eton Boy Dave Cameron saw him win, though honesty and integrity played no part. It is difficult to consider what went on behind the scenes! He now has power, without the ability or drive to make it work. Where will it all end?
His latest policies, declared by the queen, who managed not to spit even once, include Bills to cut the number of Labour voters, hinder judges from stopping parliament wrongs, both attempts to oppose anyone who might disagree with his decisions.
This is the actions of a man afraid to debate, a man who needs control, a man who is afraid of the consequences when he loses that control, not the sort of man to be called democratic. Boris has learned a lot from Fascist Steve Bannon, these are actions copied from Adolf during the 30's, although the press was already on Boris's side and only the BBC was to be taken over. The nation has suffered a coup and does not see it. Soon, the 'Red Wall' will realise they have been had, then what?
