Long Report

  • Long Report: The beliefs of Fascist Estate

    Ken Gott, the assumed name of Fascist Estate’s leader, is believed to have written many letters. These were to secret friends – confidants he had made as a child and in his teenage years. It’s thought he grew up in a frantically radical environment. He and his peers saw the same kind of political activity. This meant their sentiments were similar and the letters didn’t draw attention. However, in light of his later efforts they’re important insights into his intellectual life.

    The persona of a leader is mainly seen now than discerned in the person themselves. The individual is still more important in extreme circles. They power the effort. The movement thrives off the activity of the soul. The letters of Ken Gott are part of learning about this. Those that have been seen show a stern outlook, unrelenting attitude, and unforgiving human nature. He isn’t kind or sympathetic to any suffering. He noted being unfeeling about healthcare or hospitals.

    The beliefs of Gott are more complex to understand. He had private pagan superstitions that ripped through is head from time to time, he once said to a close activist. This may be a sign of mental illness. The motifs may be personal but the intense feeling of them is probably a psychological dysfunction. The environs of Gott were described to be dark and foreboding. His meetings often had a momentous feeling that jarred for those investigating him.

    A poem Ken Gott wrote to a secret friend to illustrate his outlook.

    In one letter, he quoted a poem he wrote for himself. He said he used it for restraint. He also said he kept lists of sayings and maxims that made him feel less urgent. This gave him the peculiar quality of humility amongst others. He was admired for having a lighter bearing than others in their networks. He used this to his own advantage. He met many more people than most. He gained in authority in neo-fascism. He was able to buy in more security apparatus to keep himself safe.

    The beliefs of Fascist Estate aligned more closely to its interests than statements of dogma. For Gott, Hitler had said most things already. He felt ownership would be more significant than stating facts. He despised truth and hated church religion, as he put it. He was repulsed by “big Catholicism” and stayed away from intimate devoted settings. He didn’t like adherence. He felt it lacked substance. He admired home ownership but it soured as he craved for more. He wanted his group to amass holdings that would force people into surrender.

  • Long Report: The man of Fascist Estate

    Ken Gott isn’t a name I hear everyday now, but I heard it most days over the course of three months as a teenager. It was an assumed name of someone making waves in many different parts of the country.

    I heard it because I was looking into a new style of fascism. It began as a Summer project. I had been asked to research local politics for a Council member. It was to help build a picture of local civic engagement.

    It was a unique turn of events in a small effort to look into the activities of political parties. It happened because it worried most people, and I thought it was more pressing than any other matters.

    A timely meeting

    As I learned about the actual man behind the name itself, I grew convinced that there are better things to do in life than to be busy hating on others.

    At the other end of my research project, I found out about a meeting he was holding in the same town I lived in. It was a chance to encounter the person that I had heard about only through second-hand information.

    A quote (#1) by Ken Gott in a speech in Witney, Oxfordshire.

    I wondered if it would confirm my worst fears, or put to bed those of others. In the event, it made me feel worse about it. His speech was relative to himself only.

    A quote (#2) by Ken Gott in a speech in Witney, Oxfordshire.

    He felt “on fire” in his soul, he said to someone else before the meeting started. He soon pulled off to take his stand. It was indicative of his emotions at the time, as well as his outlook on life.

    A quote (#3) by Ken Gott in a speech in Witney, Oxfordshire.

    He was more radical than an MP, and more forceful than a Police Officer. I listened to his part of the proceedings, partly because he spoke first but also because it became extremely rowdy in the crowd soon after.

    He was impassioned about his supposed “purpose” in life and made it a point of his speech. He was actually in the early years of his sort of radical political activity.

    An evil way

    Later, the group – now called “Fascist Estate” because it settled on this name only – turned into an asset-taking business as its way of “rebuke” to the English people for allowing a form of politics they couldn’t agree with.

    Ironically, the interchange between the Conservatives and the Labour party actually put off the more radical sets among us. They knew it was fair, and open to everyone.

    He was very simple in his way and manner of speaking to people. He didn’t care about violence, then, and began to use it later on to insist on his own points.

    The group Ken Gott styled around himself became a monolith in the eyes of some, but an enemy in those of others.

    It isn’t a feature of everyone’s experience of life here, but old style fascism in its new form has tried to start a storm of controversy in parts here, and may do at some point again.

  • Long Report: Notes in murder town

    It’s not easy to keep a record of events. I’ve met local historians that find it tough. If staff of media companies are one problem, crime groups that target it specifically are another. It entails more work than is usually understood.

    In Reading, many were trying their hardest to keep track of its unfolding events. There were serious crimes underway. Although the people tried hard, bad folk were trying harder. Those making local records felt the stress.

    Denial

    Aside the terror networks that had a presence in the town, there were others making headway in ruining local life. A large number of murderers were found in its many sprawling neighbourhoods.

    They were active due to the presence of terrorists. They hid in houses to spy victims. It was a “coarse” time to be there, a resident told me. He lived in fear for his life having already lost his son.

    It was kept off record by a local Police force in chaos. A few Officers spoke to me before moving on. They said matters were out of hand and murder wasn’t a priority. It was a bad state of affairs.

    Obfuscation

    I spotted two Officers making strenuous efforts to stop any investigation into murder. They kept close contacts in America who advised on how to do it. A number of European Journalists got around their advice. The news of it began to be passed out.

    The locals threatened by it had few choices. They could let a relative know or a close friend. They didn’t get a hearing otherwise. “It was dark at times”, one resident said. I could feel it. I made efforts to track assailants. It was easy to tell their mental illness.

    Heartache

    It’s in a therapy diary after a daughter’s death. It’s a man still looking for the body of a lost son. It’s a young figure retracing steps after an abduction one night. Their streets are marked with sadnesses of many kinds.

    The families I met had stories too troubling to say fully. They had house raids. They just saw blood left on a floor. They suffered together. They suffered in silence. No one helped. They were left to heal alone.

    Reprieve

    I spoke to a man who lost his only daughter. Initially he couldn’t tell anyone. He was able to recover contact with a friend. It was finally safe enough. The last time I spoke to him he still had mixed feelings about living in the town.

    I made notes. These were taken. A suspect snatched a notebook out of my hand. She ran off with it. It indicated a strange mood in a place of social unrest in a time of so many difficulties – and in which murder was only one.

  • Long Report: An enemy within

    These days are kind, but history is different. There are those frowned on now because they look materially different. The intelligence services are no exception. As knowledge of the rank and file is redacted, the truth is released to us.

    Troubling issues

    In our time facts are apparent beforehand. It’s true many recent MI5 staff are infamous. They drive people insane. I spoke to an Agent years ago. He claimed conduct he saw was “vile” to witness. It’s a strong word but it’s how he saw it.

    He said in his time Parliament was also “full” of it. He reported MP’s were often sexual harassers. “If they wanted, they’d tried to touch me”, he said. The “iPod Generation” has made the nation creak under its demands. Their minds are full of criticisms.

    It’s not social media. It’s cynical. It’s abrasive. Their laziness is a prime time accusation. Their aloofness is taken as confession in and of itself. It’s not secrecy at all. It’s a secretiveness due to a need to hide. It’s a survival instinct.

    Its main problem is deviancy. Many MI5 staff suffer the side effects of being near to those using sex to improve their IQ. It’s a malaise other people have to suffer with. It results out of inactivity and revenge States also take against malpractice.

    Troubling times

    MI5 is accused of having a negative effect. It’s malpractice. There are public meetings for it. An Army captain said to me, “It doesn’t end!” He’d been harassed. It was also part of his job to investigate. He hadn’t left his area of study in thirty years.

    There are places unsafe for public meetings. It’s hasn’t made it into Parliament for a debate. This excludes little critiques. Although there’s a culture of harassment in the UK, its deteriorating effects don’t seem that important.

    It’s not solved. There’s a sense of abandonment. It’s at the heart of many people’s complaints. It pervades the UK. It’s a fact much of the population is pushed under by it. It’s a rampant criminal activity by the trusted few.

    Falling out

    It needs to be corrected – before it’s too late. It may result in more trouble. MI5 desk staff are said to be “diabolical” at times. They are the enemy MI5 hate. Other staff take the opportunity to accuse their colleagues of misconduct. It follows media staff try it too.

    The Human Resources aspect fails to appear. No one is sacked and people quit their roles. According to another Agent, “Thames House is not all plain sailing. Someone is usually out to get you.” I found a staff member attacking hundreds of other staff, and a small group trying to steal their salaries.

    Below standards

    It’s proved senior leadership are incapable of leading. Many staff quit because of it. It’s cover blown by false sympathy. It’s reports of sensitive information being sent. It’s even said on-premises security guards try to harass and intimidate.

    The Director General’s role is to safeguarded normal activity. This is interpreted at times to mean keeping the rest safe. It leaves others to suffer. “It’s never solved by just one single leader” a female Analyst said, “and the rest just talk about it.”

    They had a Director that had been posted to surveil cults but he gave time look at MI5’s issues also. It’s believed staff had the same symptoms as abuse survivors of some of the UK’s worst cults. He said it made him feel upset.

    Security measures

    It’s due to a weak approach to life. It was shown by trained but inexperienced staff. A former security advisor to staff at Thames House said “in our terms, they’re weak people.” A senior figure predicted a war of attrition in its office network.

    A result is an effect in society. It creates a societal “ill” if people misuse their jobs. In fact, a security group said over half MI5’s core staff targeted other staff. Meanwhile, they didn’t deal with real threats anywhere.

    I researched it in London. The last Agent I spoke to said, “It’s indicative of all professional activity here.” She walked off to buy lunch after our conversation. It confirmed to me London is a tricky place to work at the best of times.

  • Long Report: Educating criminals

    The longest story in the English drama is education. This is what many feel passionate about. The subject raises tensions and takes up a large part of some people’s lives. This is because it’s believed to be the future of the country itself.

    In the UK the type of material studied is a large controversy. It matters that Shakespeare is studied and the poets that make it into the curriculum too today is hotly contested. The issue is that not all can agree and even the final answer is disputed.

    Finding ways

    The method used to decide these types of decisions is usually formulaic. It matters that most of the class work is objectively what it needs to be. This means some figures are studied and others are left out.

    It means more recent developments trump historical advances of knowledge. This makes learning relevant but it also means it’s divisive.

    There are stories of parents fighting teachers and Police having to break up scuffles. There are rumours of plots to sabotage planning meetings to prefer some historical periods over others, for example.

    Private misgivings

    Senior teachers have their own private misgivings. There are tales of meetings to discuss the future of education itself. These are held to ensure there is one. I’ve been told schooling is a high-security operation in many ways.

    It’s not just about the physical harm of a child. It involves the investment in any child’s future made by the country. This sort of activity attracts some of the world’s worst criminals here.

    The senior staff that keep working on it have periodical troubles that look to threaten it. Their choices cannot be demanded by circumstance. However their concerns make it difficult to action changes.

    The strategy involved in mitigating disasters around schooling makes life difficult for people. Their job is made harder by major changes. It may be a Minister says something that creates new challenges.

    Positive signs

    The increase of enthusiasm in general for education has helped reduce the burden. There are heroes of the system that have been remembered for their extreme dedication and hard work.

    Their legacy lives on today and institutions thrive because of their persistence. It’s also quality work that makes things last. The incursion of crime gangs has showed us superficiality doesn’t support the future.

    The eventual winners of our democracy are those who choose to invest. These are the people that will thrive because they use our staples and not another’s. It’s because they use a path laid out by better people before us.

  • Long Report: The “rape” of Thames Water

    The story of Thames Water is a tale of mismanagement. Any antics of a staff member aside, the real concern is essentially over the performance of business-orientated people.

    The way companies are run is very different. The times are ahead of many people. The decisions are made collaboratively. There isn’t a sole source of authority for anyone.

    Hidden misgivings

    “There’s no potential for veto”, one executive told me. This senior member of staff left long before its troubles really kicked in. He believed the company – headed “to the rocks” – would be suggested for nationalisation.

    The worries were over more than just the decisions that were likely to be made. It was said troubles were starting in supply chains and some firms would suffer if they didn’t pay attention.

    The worsening

    He said Thames Water refused to mind warnings. The meetings were fractious. There were warnings of insults made. There were suggestions of rudeness. These were a precursor to many of his concerns.

    He resigned to safeguard his own career. His last comment to me was out of the blue. He called it a “rape” of a company. I think he meant it felt like an attack on his senses. He couldn’t make ends meet.

    The meetings didn’t take the turns he expected. He was expected to follow regardless. His business mindset suffered. The tidings of Thames Water show he was correct.

    The firm has got into huge debt and has struggled to find its way out. The collapse of offers show its troubles run deeper than previously believed.

    Sad times

    I met another former staff member in a hospital. He’d been admitted after a fight at work. He used to be employed by Thames Water. It was beset by poor employees in some of its locations.

    He operated a security system for the company. He fell victim to workplace abuse. He said other staff “volleyed” insults at him. They picked fault with his appearance. They made false accusations.

    His role meant it became serious. Eventually they turned on him. He was injured. They were later discovered to be Russian infiltrators. They were sent to sabotage systems in Thames Water. He was caught up in state warfare.

    Run of things

    It’s not just about water if it’s a prize commodity. It’s worst if suggestions of takeover are made. It draws interest that many companies struggle to handle.

    They can’t anticipate all the types of approach – or enquiry. A mystery is how Thames Water was beset so heavily by this sort of activity. It isn’t a normal situation.

    The staff may be errant but they haven’t got a potential to incite so much trouble. There must be more to it than that. It needs a curious eye to work out the miserable trouble it’s now in.

  • Long Report: Emma Richmond, the Nazi

    Emma Richmond, now a notorious housing criminal, is as bad as any get. It could be worse if it were not for the efforts of many to stop her getting the chance.

    This a story of her battle for supremacy, and many other people’s struggle for justice, amid a cry for clemency in a tough and lengthy political era.

    Her beginnings

    Richmond began her political life as a “Nazi dissident”, something she shared as I spoke to her. It was an odd phrase to use. It didn’t fit with our political times.

    I later found it was true. She had read “Mein Kampf” and thought it was a strong political tract. It was probably naivety that led her to believe this to be an acceptable belief.

    Later, in her young adulthood, she was known to be antisocial. Her antics became criminal and yet she wasn’t challenged about it.

    A private investigation found she was guided by Nazi ideology more than people knew. It helped her to challenge accepted norms, to break English conventions.

    The worsening

    Her obsession grew out of seeing a small emergence of fascism in England. “She grew confused”, said a healthcare professional I managed to speak to, on record.

    During one encounter, I heard her say “Life, or faith, is immoral – there’s nothing to believe in it”. This was an off the cuff comment, but it stung with bitter truth.

    At this time, she attracted help. A number of misguided Labour activists joined her. They moved in to protect her. Then, union representatives took over, having an “interest” in her work.

    An unfolding

    Her target had been housing for a long time, but rumours emerged of people being taken from their homes under forced eviction.

    She publicly attacked a perceived “Conservative built council home life” lived by those benefiting out of Conservative reforms, but also Labour policies.

    Many Police officers tried to refer her for mental health care, but were pushed away. These were known to be “fierce” encounters with a bloated health sector.

    However, other pressure brought a stop to her efforts. She was incapable of seizing large numbers of homes, and many grew unimpressed. She was left isolated.

  • Long Report: The strivings of Berkshire

    An attempt to re-surge fascism took place. It nestled deep inside Berkshire, until late the UK’s dark heart. The idea was to lift up menial jobs. It resulted in huge suffering.

    The ‘architects’ of it were misguided. They weren’t influenced by socialism, or capitalism, but a misguided sense of self. It was drawn from the personal diaries of Hitler, and others.

    A wrong way

    The genesis of it is clouded, but is said to be inside breakaway groupings of self-taught students of the past. They didn’t know what they were leading to as they started out.

    This coincided with a resumption of a belief in nationalism following the Second World War. It combined to result in a serious effort to raise up “Neo-Fascism”, a new idea here.

    However, it engendered suffering. It meant neighbourhoods were drawn into turf wars, and communities disappeared. It fractured social life, and led to broken living.

    Sounds of cries

    The beginning of its end happened after complaints. The collapse of life, particularly in Berkshire, led to action being taken to restore order, and take control.

    A reckoning dealt with its sins, the actions of ‘leaders’ – including of “Fascist Estate” – who made such errors. They’d harmed others, and reconciliation was sought for it.

    It could not be ignored that ordinary people found it difficult to survive, if not find a way out. There was misunderstanding, closed doors, and deaf ears at the top.

    A rebellion

    It wasn’t easy to do. There were many factors that meant its end was delayed. The infighting over taking credit was the worst. Too many individuals sought glory.

    However, principles prevailed. Those involved stuck with it, and the unsung heroes won out. They cared for, treated with respect, and restored many people’s lives.

  • Long Report: The sex invaders

    The Dover Crossings isn’t a reality forged by news or paved by politics. No one is really to blame for it. It isn’t the result of fallout in the Treasury. It doesn’t happen because of a Home Office. No person or institution is to blame here.

    However, in the aftermath there’s a minefield of criticism. The named persons in the Civil Service, MP’s in office, and those in higher realms are all in the firing line.

    The response is critical. A criminal does what a criminally minded person decides. It isn’t ‘allowed’ or ‘decided’ by others, as if it forms a part of negotiations. The format isn’t set out beforehand. It’s simply pulled out of a person’s mind.

    Reality

    The intent to disrupt and dismantle it is critical. If nothing is done, no one is safe. The warpath of a criminal is laid out in the populace. Those most at risk are the vulnerable. This includes the elderly, the disabled, and the young.

    These are obvious facts, but the truth is we are all at risk if it’s forceful and decisive enough. The planning involved may trounce an Army if done well. The Dover Crossings are a case in point, and proven by reams of evidence.

    Inside the plot are clues wrapped in secrecy. These are held in the consciousness but decided in a split second. The violence is palpable. The pain is intense. The perversion is splitting. It’s the point of criminal wars on states.

    Sex pests

    A disturbing aspect of modern crime is a state of being sexually malevolent. It’s not about rape. It isn’t child abuse. It’s the disabling of an enemy by sexual matters. It often replaces a need for weapons. It’s an illegal measure.

    The “Trainers” in these circles are dirty. They’ve usually only used this sort of attack themselves. They don’t use a gun. They don’t have knives. They just rile. They pull virginity out of a person like a grape off a vine. They’re very persuasive.

    The Dover Crossings are in part influenced by it. The evidence on file shows it originated in Turkey. It was put into various actors in an effort to scare people away. It worked, to an extent, but many have still worked to undermine it here.

  • Long Report: Going to a protest

    The journey to a protest is arduous for some. I knew of a girl who travelled from Edinburgh every time she attended a rally in London. It’s because she lived there. She did it by train. It was gruelling because of ill health, but she got used to it, she said.

    The end of her life is sad. A Journalist from France murdered her. The girl was found lying on a side of a road in the capital. The assailant claimed it was ‘diplomatic’, to protect Journalism from protest influence. She ran off after she said it.

    Running away

    At the time, Journalist’s were accused of running from issues. They didn’t turn up to sites. Their emails returned out of office notices. They ignored phone calls. This is the sort of practice that isn’t heard of in such circles, but it was commonplace.

    The quality was criticised. Albeit a relative exercise to some, discontent sounded out from all corners. There were professors missing out on lectures because of it. There were experts ruined. The University student pool had quickly thinned out.

    It wasn’t a surprise a Journalist would show such disregard for human life, but not for their job. She was accredited, but had somehow fallen away in the meantime. The credentials weren’t rescinded. Her employer had failed to recall her.

    Wasting time

    Her life was aimless. She lived along the French coast for some time, before moving to Paris. She mooched about, being watched by some colleagues – and followed by French intelligence. Her activity was random, and her killings didn’t stop.

    The girl in London was just another victim in a long line. She didn’t deserve it. Her parents felt underserved by her employer. The police in France helped, but to no end. The mystery was why her, not why it took place. The Journalist was crazy.

    Taking it back

    A protest is fraught with trouble because it stands alone. The Journalist was tracked down later, again, and found isolated. It was clear she suffered mentally. The illness now showed. There was no way to hide it. The guilt was in there too.

    The events were in the past, but people know their loss. This is what Journalists also study. They look into offences, altercations, and disagreements. There’s eventually a resolution. The personal lives of those who do are not always as clear.

  • Long Report: A cable of thieves

    The warnings came through. He was sure they were accurate. A duo of criminals were making their way to the UK. They’d stopped off at their usual hotspots. These were friends houses, eateries, and even churches. It was likely they were setting up a run.

    The habits were part of a pattern. They did it to set themselves up for a few weeks of lawbreaking in another country. It didn’t make sense to investigators at first. They thought it was part of holiday-making. What it turned out to be was very sinister.

    Incoming

    Their arrival into Heathrow raised a few eyebrows. They were also known for a few financial crimes. They were mediocre misdemeanours but it meant something nonetheless. It also suspiciously coincided with a convention on financial products.

    He felt scared. He was worried. He’d heard they stole documents, studied the victims, and extorted them remotely. It was actually a horrifying sort of crime. It ruined people without friends around them knowing why. It was a feared scenario by many people.

    He needn’t of. They were scoping out a prepared list of targets. The people they visited before were contacts who made it. They would help if a difficulty arose. He wasn’t on the list. He just needed to do something to keep himself off it. He thought it odd advice.

    Breaking ground

    He discovered the reason in the course of the short visit. They were scoping out volunteers, social workers, and other ‘helpers’ in communities. The idea was to remove from “Play” the people they didn’t want to be seen doing it. It’s social cleansing of a kind.

    He was a student of policing. He didn’t know what career he wanted in future. He didn’t know if he’d keep to it. However, he found the learning experience to be helpful. It taught him to target the criminal, and not make a scene himself. The issue was settled.

    Outcomes

    The simplicity of policing surprised him. It wasn’t a threat to think of crime anymore. He could see violent, disturbing people were dealt with all the time. It made sense how a large number of people are affected by criminals. It just involved a lot of hard work.

    It also fell into view how it’s all accounted for if the outcomes are separated from the perpetrator’s actions. It made a need for police forces ever more apparent. It also brought home the nature of its work. He didn’t go into policing, but it got into him anyway.

  • Long Report: Fascist Estate’s field of play

    The “beginnings”, “rise”, and “emergence” of all things black and blue are chronicled in recent English history, and yet such things have passed off into irrelevancy.

    The ‘surprises’ of politics are fake news because in the background are the real indicators and votives of change. It’s the sort of stuff predictions are supposed to be built on.

    The lack of focus is due to fault lines and not social failing. We’ve been denied a report of real threats, and lifted to false realms of consciousness, by less scrupulous people.

    A real threat

    It’s not a state of play that was needed, but insight on the many fields of play over the playing fields of England. In particular Fascist Estate had a large part in this state of affairs.

    They began on the South coast, in no particular location. I heard this from its leader, who’s since died. He said it was built on an idea fascists shouldn’t preach their cause, but own it.

    He noted the increase of American fundamentalism as being both a warning and a reason for his vision. He saw ownership over speaking as a more fundamental cause for the UK.

    It wasn’t a fake threat. The holdings of Fascist Estate already comprised much of Bath, an historic World Heritage site that is both famed and loved for its historic charm.

    The founder I spoke to was clearly an extraordinarily powerful and inspiring man. The only problem is he was virtually unknown. It was as if it wasn’t big enough if it had simple terms.

    A headwind

    Also, much of what they strived to achieve ran in parallel lines to most of what English life is. The movements, and changes, in society generally reflected its core aims.

    Its aspirations had a few key differences. In one way it was more important to talk about money than what it’s useful for. Its members were active in this aspect.

    It took insight into particular calendar meetings, and quick conversations, to piece together a who’s who that was at the centre of it, but it was felt in different ways.

    Yet a problem emerged as changes in politics meant shifts were happening in key areas. Such an uplift in activity strove against the safety of such a clandestine entity.

    An ending

    The demise of Fascist Estate is difficult to track because of its constitution as a paper-based empire. This follows in normal fascism as a traditional form of resistance.

    The leaders, or “Inheritors”, of the enterprise were spotted shopping nonchalantly earlier this month. Their part to play had been feted by its founder because of a strong ideology.

    However, their belief in “Decorum” saw rapid decline starting in 2010, and chaos in its administration led to defections. It shrunk in its influence in the UK, and now barely exists.

  • Long Report: The embers of service

    It takes time to set anything up. I was told this by a Tory grandee, whose marquee role in the party set him up to know practically anything about it.

    He’d seen more people try to make a quick buck out of it than those who didn’t. The few who tried it found it took a lot of work to do something great just within its own walls.

    It would be the only work they could do because of the effort it involved. The rest of the story is a bleak outlook.

    The way things go in Whitehall today, it’s not a case of asking who our greats are. They aren’t great. They don’t work hard, and often their plans don’t get turned into projects.

    At least, it’s what I caught sight of as I had a look. The ‘insight’ was brief, but lasting. It showed me that for all that’s said, little is proactively done as a result.

    Workplace fevers

    As it seemed any colleague would quit their job at a second’s notice to join a protest, a cheapening of the state began in earnest that shaped its future course.

    It was said higher up that a “quick win” would solve any issue. All it took is a “bright idea” and a lot of “science”, they said.

    The problem is there were already problems in the delivery of services that explained many of the issues, and these were due to such “fads”, or ideas.

    In the next stage, they believed in it. However, it was only a fervour in “doing government the right way”, and plans folded out that weren’t going to work.

    A new low

    It seemed to be this way in politics, and government. The new appointees saw work would take a shorter time than play, and it kicked off a culture war.

    The increase in striving for leisure activity led to bitter fights for control in all realms of state, and it led to huge upset.

    A moment in Whitehall sums it up. A person said swingers in a nightclub had been replaced with “Staples” and “Screwdrivers” who worked hard and didn’t play.

    It spread upset in Westminster. The Tory grandee was right, this one time. There were chancers everywhere trying to draw on past scandals to make their way.

    Change ahead

    In a surprising twist, an answer came from Whitehall. There was a move to recruit properly. There were ideas for new computer systems to drive efficiency.

    There was a call for simplification in politics to make it more clear what was being asked for. A pattern emerged of stating things straightforwardly.

    This made it obvious who was working, and who wasn’t. It helped reward progress, and discipline failure. It meant work was done, and results may come out.

  • Long Report: Driving home a point

    The New York Times likes to say its has a ‘great’ reputation, but the reality is farther from the truth than the Mexico border. It doesn’t have a great reputation in many parts of America.

    This is the fact I found as I spoke to people in America. I was visiting as part of a research trip and managed to encounter those who had things they wanted to say about their own culture.

    I find Americans are adept at making complaints. They have a reasonable attitude and like to settle matters into the issue. Any dispute is not with God, guns, or gold in the slightest.

    Seeing the truth

    The matter of religion is not settled there. It’s an ongoing narrative that’s the mainstay of popular debate. In fact, more than politics, it remains an unresolved mystery for the new republic.

    I found that everyone I spoke to wanted to move the topic of conversation to churchgoing and what it means to be religious. It’s the type of interest that exceeds Trump or even abortion.

    The insights I gathered centred on what religion can do fundamentally for people, underneath initiatives like a New Deal. There’s a question over the strength it provides for society.

    Hardline attitude

    The contrast is in a popular press. It’s in frequent headlines that belittle a state and its people. It’s in columns that often decry organised religion as a disease for everyone else.

    The conclusions are stark. They state that at least in a popular sense church going isn’t welcome. It implies having a private practice is a problem. It says worship is anathema.

    The sentiments are poisonous. They read like comments made over a drink, not in academia. The sort of beliefs that come about by bitterness, and not by a sense of enlightenment.

    Freedom of press

    As I read The Times over there, I found a distaste for what it meant. I knew others were less sure about it. It was obvious they wanted to know more. It was clear finding out was tricky.

    The freedom felt by a team of writers to collaborate over a damning story about a Pastor’s iniquity was not shared. It contrasted with a lack of it felt by those taking in all its points.

    My conclusion is America finds religion to be a private matter because it’s still an open controversy. Yet the discussions are seen as lively rather than as a bleak outlook for society.

  • Long Report: Fighting for sovereignty

    Our nation’s security has become an overriding priority in our times. It’s distinct from the Second World War, the last time we were threatened in a fundamental way.

    Such fatal threats as these don’t come along that often, and even though it again shocked the nation into full scale military mobilisation, it’s not believed it’s on the horizon.

    The reality is there’s life after death. The insecurity of the world order is constituted by insidious efforts on all fronts. The necessity to work by partnership is undermined by it.

    Fighting hard

    The old war militias of our past, that peppered the landscape and brought about some safety but a lot of animosity, are something now out of date. They are beyond use.

    The necessity to account for the movements of people is beyond a shadow of a doubt the main concern right now. The illegal activity at Dover is just one example of it.

    It’s also vital we confront the insidious threats posed by groups that continue their activity apart from signature acts of terror and violence that aren’t the point of it.

    Terror at home

    Most of terrorism takes place against people at home. The incursions into Israel, and its bombardment, is not the aim. The point is to attack people in their living space.

    The training videos, the threats, and the statements are all designed to make us feel afraid. The nature of lone actors is to make us fear for our lives. The rest is history.

    Future fights

    All the groups pushed to prominence are the issue. The gangs of South America, as well as American Mafia’s, and crime Barons in Russia, are all a threat. They are our enemies now.

    The successful will win our sovereignty. It’s possible today to leverage such political realities for further gain. The defence of our shores, and of our communities, is a way of life.

    The historic attempts at our shores – some successful, and some not – are a model for us. It helps to know what it takes, but our learnings make us see what follows after it’s tried.