My story? I run a small business providing marketing services to emerging B2B tech companies. I graduated in the 1980s with an Engineering degree and have worked without much of a break since then, including 2010-18 living and working in the US. I was employed until 2015 then realised how ageist society is and started my own business.
Firstly, thanks to Simon for fighting the good fight. I would contend, however, that Britain is not free today. Freer than many countries perhaps, but free? For example, the botanist David Bellamy questioned climate change and never worked again. Laurence Fox…will possible never work again. There are many others like them, so do we really have free speech?
What about the hounding of Robin Cook in the run up to the Iraq War? The death of Dr David Kelly? If he really committed suicide why suppress the facts for many decades to come?
What about our individual freedoms? To travel freely, for example. The imposition of enhanced security after the shoe bomb attempt has never been lifted. Instead of the state protecting us, the burden and inconvenience of our security has been squarely left with us. Does anyone really think the coronavirus laws will be removed from the books? I very much doubt it. Protect the NHS? How about they protect us? Breaking their hippocratic oath and condemning many cancer sufferers to death should be viewed as a criminal act and prosecuted.
I lost my faith in the establishment after the Iraq War and no longer trust a thing they say. I don’t trust them to pay me a pension, to look after me in my old age, to do anything but trip me up and erode my liberties for the rest of my days.
Our judiciary found it very easy to dismiss Simon’s challenge to the lockdown, a component of which was the infringement of all our human rights. Yet, they allow Shamima Begum back into the country. They defend her human rights, yet ignore ours.
Our great establishment. The political classes. The liberal elite. The intelligentsia. Mainstream media. All loathe the country they live in. Loathe the people. Loathe me. Loathe you. I think George Orwell was the first to identify this trait in his essays back in the 1930s.
We no longer have a political party worth voting for. It’s one flavour of the same establishment, versus another. Look how the establishment rallied around Brexit with Project Fear, and then see how the silent majority voted. When they make the mistake of giving us a referendum, they lose. But they won’t keep making the same mistake.
We, the silent majority, need a political/party/system that will truly represent us and not constantly chip away at our civil liberties. It doesn’t exist today. Someone, somewhere needs to start it.
As for face masks and the like. How ridiculous it all is. I wrote to my MP (Andrew Griffith, Arundel and South Downs) before the announcement of mandatory face masks to let him know that I would not be doing any non-essential activity where a face mask was mandated (and the negative impact that would have on local shops). Then again, after it was announced, to confirm the damage they were inflicting. Both communications were professional, neither he responded to.
Simon, anything you need, just let me know. Web stuff, comms etc. Happy to provide services gratis.
wow, I agreed with everything you said!
Right with you
amen
If ever there was a time for a new system which truly served us, the people of this country, as well as our beautiful planet, it is NOW! I personally feel that the 'someone' to start it all off needs to be self assertive yet with natural humility, eloquent and passionate, with sound experience and understanding of the land ( environment, agriculture etc ) and ideally with ground level hands on business experience with community based co-operative systems. And of course the crucial quality of free independent thinking. So can anyone think who we should approach for this task???
Martin Durkin
Or Guy Singh-Watson (Riverford Farms)! Don't know him personally but read lots of what he's written and love his business ethos. Intelligent human being who knows his stuff! Think he'd get my vote!