At the age of 19 in 1941 my dad set sail for Singapore to fight the Japanese because he had to. After a pathetic British surrender (the officers not the men) 4 years later he was released alive, beaten but not broken and went on to live a full and I think happy life until he died at 71. He did what he did like millions of others because he was bothered, because he cared, because the freedom of our country mattered enough to put your life on the line. Was he a hero? I think so because he was my dad, but I doubt he thought he was a hero because to him it had to be done, it mattered, he cared.
Can you imagine asking a 19 year old now with no interest in army life, "Your country needs you". The reply might be something like "Yeah later, I'm watching the Eastenders omnibus". What has happened in 66 years, in less than a lifetime, people don't care. "What can I do?" has become the mantra we all just stand back and let shit happen.
This hurts but here goes; the French care, if the French Government want change they have to fight for it, national strikes, borders blocked, rioting whatever it takes to say "Non" they give a shit, they will not be walked all over. How is it they learnt a lesson? Immigration, the French just open up Calais to anyone and over they come in their millions. My old mans generation gave everything to keep Britain British, in under 70 years we've caved in to a multinational army without a leader as cunning and vicious as Hitler. Nobody cares, "theres a Diamonique special on QVC I'll worry about mass, unrestricted immigration later." This isn't a racist rant it's just that we're a little island that's running out of room and mainland Europe is dumping on us and they can't believe they're getting away with it. I feel I have to say that I do not blame one single immigrant, in their shoes I would walk the same path. We need not have a conscience on that score it's just that I wish we cared.
Our politcal system is pointless, no-one really cares who runs the country, no-one really cares what they do as long as the next series of Big Brother is commissioned. There is no right wing, left wing, middle ground it is all one fuzzy mess with no clear outlines and no-one cares. More people voted for Will Young than Tony Blair. The list is endless, The Olympics, congestion charging, fuel tax (don't start me on fuel tax), immigration, crime, the NHS, education, Iraq, Iran (please god someone care about Iran before it's too late).
I'm not asking for revolution but for fucks sake please wake up and start caring. Write to your MP, organise a rally, ask questions, shake the politicians from their lethargy, vote at the next election, question why Gordon Brown can be PM when no-one has ever voted for him. I can't help thinking of that great 70's kids show "Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead". Rattle some cages, no Lauren you're not bovvered but I am. Who wants to join me?
"Apathty, apathy they've all got it apathy!" (with apologies to Kenneth Williams)
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