Revolution!

A happy Independence Day to all our friends from the USA. To celebrate the day the text of the Declaration is set out below - it's always worth reading and reflecting on - because it is founded on so many important ideas - which remain important today.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. 
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. 
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: 
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. 
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. 
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The Paranoid Style

In the 1950s and 60s, an historian called Richard Hofstadter wrote a number of essays, which included "The Paranoid Syle in American Politics". It was a response to the McCarthyite hysteria and the rise of the (then - sadly not by today's standards) extreme conservatism of Barry Goldwater. It's an interesting book for all students of American history and politics.

Sometimes we Brits are amazed by the crazy things that go on in the States. Honestly - Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for the Presidency?????

But this book describes a phenomenon which we are now seeing in the UK. I heard some really weird conspiracy theories aired in the EU Referendum. It's been reported that some voters were taking pens to the polling stations as the pencils were provided so that inconvenient votes could be rubbed out if they weren't what "the authorities" wanted.

And some of the tweets and Facebook postings that I've seen - in the debate about the Labour leadership are unbelievable - this appeared in one comment that appeared on my Facebook feed

"....Especially, the amount of corrupted councillors and MP's who are associated with the Bilderberg group, free mason etc. And the links of this labour party has with Bilderberg group and the back handers it's getting from elite and the filthy rich to manipulate governments to their own advantages."

and lots of other comments have been made suggesting international conspiracies by sinister forces.

I would encourage you to read this excellent book - it is both a history and exposer of the tactics - powerful tactics - that exploit fear. We need to consider how to respond to this rising tide of fear-mongering.

Democracy

Overnight, President Obama made a speech to the two Houses of the Canadian Parliament. It's worth watching and listening to. (Justin Trudeau's words are also worth listening to - so, if you have time, don't skip the first 9 minutes of this video). I would particularly draw your attention to the following words in the President's speech, very relevant in this week of turmoil  -

"I think we can all agree that our democracies are far from perfect. They can be messy, and they can be slow, and they can leave all sides of a debate unsatisfied.  ... But more than any other system of government, democracy allows our most precious rights to find their fullest expression, enabling us, through the hard, painstaking work of citizenship, to continually make our countries better. To solve new challenges. To right past wrongs.

...

Democracy is not easy. It's hard. Living up to our ideals can be difficult even in the best of times. And it can be harder when the future seems uncertain, or when, in response to legitimate fears and frustrations, there are those who offer a politics of "us" versus "them," a politics that scapegoats others — the immigrant, the refugee, someone who seems different than us. We have to call this mentality what it is — a threat to the values that we profess, the values we seek to defend. "

Interesting times?

As I walked around my local estates in the last few days of the referendum campaign, a number of people said that they were looking forward to the end of this long, long debate. I have to say I was joyfully anticipating a few days off - then the Tsunami hit! Thursday was just the start!!!

There is so much to be concerned about. We've seen the uncertainty about the future - our own personal futures, as the value of our pension funds have been hit; as threats to jobs begin to emerge; as opportunities disappear. It's very easy to feel very depressed about what has happened, and fearful of what is to come.

Yet, as progressives, we have to believe that a better future can be built. There are alternatives that we can choose - that can improve the lives of our fellow citizens - and those around the world. The environment may have changed beyond recognition - but, like reformers through the centuries, we have to look at the realities that face us - and think about the policies and actions which are needed to build that better future.

So let's leave off the grieving - and start thinking, and discussing, and planning to build for the future. We need to remember that politics is about citizens negotiating our collective future. The priorities for Britain (or whatever is left as events run their course) must be articulated. We mustn't let a vacuum exist, which will be filled by those who have ideas and objectives very different to ours.

Politics is not about shouting at each other - it's about thought and discussion. It's about generating ideas and getting things done. The front page from today's Metro has one message



...but today MPs & Peers will return. There will be a lot of noise - but also the more thoughtful work at Westminster will recommence. Committees will consider legislation and policies. There will be lots of discussion as to how to move forward. So too in council buildings; within the political parties at national and local level, within civil society generally. We all have our part to play.

Brexit Hangover

By the early morning of Friday, Farage was ecstatic - his vision was turning into reality. He'd convinced people to turn their back on the positive side of our history - to embrace parts of his warped ideology. (A key point here - it's not necessary to get people to buy all the ideology - just a taste - and they are in - just like that first cigarette).

Now the hangover has set in. People have begun to realise the enormity of what has been done - what has been destroyed. I won't go on - I've felt it myself - and read the real anguish of many, particularly young people, about what has happened - and what it means.

But I think we should take a lesson from the regressives.

In 1964 Barry Goldwater stood on a right wing platform that was seen as so extreme that he was defeated in one of the biggest landslides in US history. But he & his associates didn't give up. They analysed their strengths and the weaknesses of the progressives. They planned - and with tenacity worked tirelessly to push their agenda. Much went unnoticed at the time. But the organisation and the low key efforts at persuasion began to show fruits. Reagan was elected - Newt Gingrich set about turning Congress rightward. Now neither Goldwater nor Reagan would be selected as a candidate - their successors have pushed things so far rightward.

Moral of this tale - start thinking, planning, taking action - so that your opponents are pushed back - and the values you hold dear are reestablished.

I personally will be doing a lot more reflecting - looking closer at what worked (and considering what is acceptable; unacceptable; effective; do-able). This will be reflected on this blog - and I hope that we can engage in a productive dialogue.

Do bookmark this page - or subscribe to this blog. But most of all - start now to fight back.

Regressives 1 Progressives 0

The Regressives won a significant victory in Britain yesterday. As the day has unfolded we have started to  to see the damage that has been done. It's been painful to read the anguish, particularly amongst young people, on Facebook and Twitter, as they face up to what has been done to their hopes for the future. Britain has started on its path to disengagement from the EU, and the prospect of the UK itself breaking apart is already being discussed.

But we ought to keep in mind one important fact

16,141,241 people voted to "Remain".

Now we have a choice - we can follow the approach taken by those who campaigned for withdrawal, and isolate ourselves from the rest of the world - and look only inwards. Not just as a nation, but as individuals. We can disengage from politics - and leave the field to the regressives.

or we can rise to the challenge.

We won't be the first generation to have to do that. And there are no easy answers. As individuals, and political and social groups - we will need to examine how we better engage with our fellow citizens. We must consider how we can better articulate our values - and how they offer a better future.

Perhaps we need a short rest, a few hours or a day or two, to tend to our sore feet, and our bruised hopes - but then WE must face the key question for any human - how can we leave this world a better place than we found it?

The Critical Day Arrives....

Polls are open from 7.00am to 10pm in today's Referendum.

Whatever position you have come to, I would urge you to vote. Democracy can only continue as long as people participate.

With uncertainty as to the result - and its immediate consequences - I won't be blogging again today - but I'm sure that there will be a lot to discuss tomorrow and subsequently.

David



If you have any problems -  The officials at the polling station (who are independent of either campaign) can advise you.

Where is my designated polling station? 

You can find the address of your polling station on your polling card. You can only vote at your designated polling station.  If you can not find your polling card you can contact us and we will be able to provide that information. You do not need your polling card with you to vote because your name will be on the register at the polling station.

How do I vote at the polling station? 

If you are on the register of electors you should have received a poll card a few weeks ago. This will tell you how, where and when to vote.

This card is for information only so don't worry if you lose it or forget it. (You can still vote without the poll card but it is easier if you have it with you).

You will be assigned to a polling station in your area, for example, at a school or village hall. On election day you should go to the polling station during the times it is open - this will be stated on your polling card.

At the polling station you will be given a ballot paper which is stamped with an official mark.

Take the ballot paper to one of the polling booths and put a cross in the box next to the option you are voting for. Do not write anything else on the ballot paper, otherwise your vote might not count. Once you have voted you must fold the ballot paper and show it to the clerk before you put it in the locked ballot box. You don't have to tell anyone what you voted for.

Do I need to take my polling card to the polling station to vote? 

No, you do not need your polling card to vote. This card is for information only so don't worry if you lose it or forget it. (You can still vote without the poll card but it is easier if you have it with you).

How long will polling stations be open on 23 June 

Polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm, if you are still queuing at the polling station at 10pm you will still have the opportunity vote, you will be invited into the polling station or given a ticket that will identify you as being eligible to cast your vote. Find out more information about polling stations on the gov.uk website

Can I still register to vote for the EU Referendum?

No, it is now too late to register for the EU Referendum. If you have registered to vote for any other election at your current address then you will automatically be registered to vote for this referendum. You cannot check if you are registered to vote online. If you have a polling card in your name at your address then you are registered to vote.