Long Report

  • Long Report: The EU’s madness

    The long trajectory of the EU is a marvel in some parts of the world. It’s like a monument rising up into the sky, but it’s not about someone that’s dead but about something that’s living. The European project isn’t a score to settle or a futuristic idea but a new way to deal with realities as they present themselves. It seeks to avoid the breakdown of the past and forge common understanding today.

    The effort has not been without its problems. The recent past of the sixth largest continent in the world is fraught with history. The intricacies of its inhabited land area – as well as its definition as a political bloc -are personal and private to its people. However it draws attention due to the interest in histories that many have in other more exotic parts of the world.

    The way Europeans interact with each other has been a source of interest for a long time too. This is why the EU is a project in madness because it’s such a difficult task to assume to take. The World Wars are no more suggestive of problems in Europe than others before. They each colour the act of the characters in each definitive age. Yet today is no exception to this problem of cohabitation that Europeans find themselves in.

    The European mindset

    In the mindset of Europeans is an indelible sense of self. It doesn’t shape, shift, or change according to passing whims at all. It’s set in place like a stone. The way of most Europeans is local and only informed by their national life if there’s something going wrong. It isn’t true to say that policy shapes the everyday conduct of each and every citizen. It’s more true to see it as a drama that plays out and moves people as they feel it in their place.

    There is a strong sense of social order but it’s rarely defined so that it can be definitively seen. There’s no point in trying to tear it down because most of it isn’t really there in any real sense. It’s assumed in meetings and has its place at particular times. In most instance life just goes on as it should and people make their decisions accordingly. It erupts in anger because this isn’t liked by some, but the majority of Europeans hate revolution.

    They prefer peace in the higher echelons of the EU because war has had such a terrible effect. Its citizenry is depleted and its institutions take a long time to recover beyond it. The point is life comes back into its own but the scars are held deep in the soil of the European soul. The hurt, or the damage, never really goes away and even minute actions are taken to put things right.

    Its economic way

    The way of economics in Europe is a hot potato. Much of the reason for Adolf Hitler leading his Nazi’s into Europe beyond Germany is because of his economic ideology. His strong views on economy that shaped his plan to restructure Europe – and the world – included hatred of Jews, other Germans, and minorities. He wanted his super pact to be at the prosperous centre of a new world order. In the end he failed.

    This impedes the progress of Europe. In economics a lot of arguments are had and it’s difficult to shake the past. The way ahead is for Europe to get out of this rut. It has to build a new future based on a shared vision and a better outlook for its people. This isn’t easy to do. It takes a lot of planning, agreement, and inter-regional diplomacy to make sure it can be put right. If it isn’t there is more at stake than just one people group.

    It can threaten everyone if Europe gets it wrong. The way of the world order is to work out all its differences. The contradiction is each seeks its own. The reality is it’s only achieved as we recognise each other. The problems come up as we do it. This is where a strong leadership model is needed as well as a significant support base. The joining together of Europe is such a move in this direction. It sets it up for a fall or a prosperous future.

  • Long Report: Labour of love

    The nature of local living in the UK is centred on smallness. It’s a much more intimate, and volatile, setting than in London, let’s say. The pace of life is always a lot slower but it feels sped up by local happenings. However, we’re mistaken if we believe that things change so quickly.

    In my experience, a local community stays as a local community. It isn’t moved on so easily, and it constantly exerts its influence. The problems are those who seek to get in-between. These are the trouble makers who cause havoc in any local service or facility that’s available.

    The reasons

    The targets vary. In times past I’ve seen leisure centres, roadworks companies, and local authority’s targeted. They incite confusion and try to whip up a protest. It’s disruptive and actually anti-democratic, but their ways are so nefarious they’re tricky to track down.

    Until I reached moving my research to Reading, in Berkshire, I wasn’t able to make any progress. I still saw – and heard of – the same effects of their covert and perverse activities. It’s not the same as antisocial behaviour. It’s meant to distort and disrupt the local area.

    It was in this large town that I began to be able to track the actors that make efforts to interfere all over the place. They’re the sort that paint the town red, if you like, and make it a difficult place to live. They don’t back down and they’re difficult to keep in check.

    New builds

    A new construction project in a locality brings out these sorts of people. They have beliefs about “new” things and seek to take a fresh perspective on what it means for the area. This is what I was told, and I was informed because it presents an issue for developers.

    There’s a theory that such actors also have tactics. I’ve tried to track an issue with rodent infestations. There are indications that rats – alive or dead – are used in their activities. It isn’t clear why, albeit one theory is they play a role in a “Group Chat” style of play.

    The long game is working out what the target is. In some localities it will only be journalism that’s of interest since these people tag onto existing professions to find new material to work with. It may be the Channel crossings that loom large, or a new political figure.

    Finding them

    The idea is they use the local area to harass the local area. There’s a belief residue of antisocial behaviour is able to be utilised for this sort of activity. It’s not fully understood because they can also present an aggressive sort of behaviour. It’s said they take off gypsy tropes, too.

    There’s an obvious fact they have to live somewhere in a town or small city, but it’s not as obvious where. I’ve located a few residences before that might of been used as “Dwellings” for these individuals, but because of their transient lifestyle it’s hard to be definitive.

    There’s also research which indicates they have symbols or significant interests that represent who they are. Usually it comes across as an obsession and it also involves hoarding. It makes for a difficult life to come across, and a difficult case to have to piece together.

  • Exclusive: A barmy Army

    It was a difficult time, but it didn’t need to be impossible. The main ‘mission’ ahead of me, as part of my research, was to look at and sort out what had begun to happen at our South coast. It meant going to particular places and looking at particular things.

    This took into account people, places, and other people’s activities. It meant working around people, not in their way, and making sure everything I did was safe. I made sure that I plotted and planned my activities perfectly, and ensured it was safe.

    What I didn’t anticipate was the intervention of the British Army. It wasn’t requested, or called for by any superior to they, which would be Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 2. They turned up, anyhow, arriving in their jeeps and vehicles, and quickly spread out.

    It ruined their reputation, because they sought to intervene and in fact messed up the safety of our own coastline. It’s theirs to police, to keep peace over, and to make sure it’s secure. They have to work together with Border Force, who work inland too.

    It soon became problematic because of their reckless behaviour, which was due to a distraction called “Alternative Training”, which they also rolled out to UK-based media personnel, to improve their output quality. It didn’t work, but in the meantime it caused havoc.

  • Long Report: Following a trail

    I knew that I should follow the trail. It wasn’t going to be easy to do it. I was warned it could be dangerous. The targets were active in business disruption. They traveled independently across the UK. They had sabotaged people’s plans, partnerships, and products.

    They felt it was their “God-given duty”, and it was uttered as a sort of mantra. They’re the types that don’t want to be ruffled, or have their cover blown. However they offend other people, and cause huge reprisals against us, and themselves. It’s a dirty, dangerous activity.

    They aren’t agents

    I found out they were in Swindon. It wasn’t easy to do, and no one else knew this who was able to intervene. I travelled there a few times to scope out the place. I didn’t have any equipment with me because I felt it was important to the success of the endeavour.

    They weren’t agents, and I spoke to a young person who was surprised to hear this. “They move with such power,” she said, bewildered. She’d known their behaviour and I could tell she had seen some things she found difficult to forget. It was an impetus to carry on.

    Outwards, and onwards

    It wasn’t until years later that I was able to see them out. I had found traces of their whereabouts. I picked up on a detail or two. I discovered they worked remotely for a large corporation. It wasn’t their usual line of work but did it to “build a budget”, as they put it.

    It was an arduous task for them, because they were corrupt. They attacked fellow employees, disrupted supply lines, and suggested changes to logistics. They were totally disruptive. Their antics hurt those who didn’t understand what they were doing.

    Their exit was dignified, but only because it needed silence. They were walked off and weren’t allowed to return. It wouldn’t be their “base of operations” anymore. It was such a high-level crime that a lot of legal work was put in over time to put things right.

    A task in hand

    I met a lot of individuals during one visit to the town. I wasn’t able to make it into the centre of the town because of security risks. They were nice, amiable, local folk. They had concerns of their own, but were frightened for other people in their community.

    It was felt I should carry on, even though the risks were immense. I saw that a lot of unsavoury characters had moved into the town. It was a tight situation. It was possible, but it would take a lot of work. I planned to research it properly, and kept it to the point.

  • Long Report: A matter of housing

    The long-running saga of housing is as yet an untold and therefore unrealised narrative strand in our recent history. It’s not the whole story, but it’s certainly a central focus for those who consider their own place in this country. If it’s somehow made hard to live here, it’s any wonder if pride in the red, white, and blue is anything more than a question.

    There’s no eagerness to answer it in Hull, where a significant amount of antisocial behaviour took place among its estates. It’s already a hard up city with a legacy of war-torn local industry, and an unsettled local population, that lingers in the hideous mess created by a Thatcherite revolution. It’s not a nice feeling to also be harassed.

    Neither is it on the agenda in many other cities in the North, still reeling from the trauma of hearing about another unfair attack against a home-dweller, or the latest cancellation of a tenancy without notice. The details come out, and yet again it’s another single mother, worker, or migrant that has been targeted unfairly in their own home.

    Further afield

    In a rare moment of parity, the South of the country also met its match in housing officers, or managers, as it were. It’s a sad state of affairs when hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people are being harassed, assailed, and hassled in their own homes. It’s a state of feeling strung out, belittled, and embattled by powerful people.

    The main culprit, Southern Housing, crept up again and again in official records, rough witness statements, and diary entries written by tenants with little more to go on than what they knew and experienced themselves. Such was the spread and flood of activity, it seemed pointless to make a noise about it, as if it was clear what help meant.

    In a few instances, the attacks against property and person were so fierce that neighbourhoods went “down” for weeks. There was silence in places unfamiliar with attacks of this nature. The police forces involved were unsure how to handle the fallout of such a brutish and sudden outburst of what appeared to be a self-righteous rage.

    Making sense

    The difficulty lay in working out who it was that guided such efforts. It was clear that all paths led back to a housing company’s HQ, but it wasn’t obvious why it looked overcome with criminals. The surprise was evident in the few that got near to the office building, to see faces and odd characters which shouldn’t be involved in it.

    The notion the Army was backing such a manipulative power-grab on ordinary citizens was dismissed, but not entirely. It was found that some of the speed of activity was due to personnel working by their wits and intuition learned during their service. Yet others were there to offer brains and brawn toward the job in hand.

    The network of office workers, satellite operatives, and casual officers involved in the affair was a shock. It extended here, there, and everywhere and took in those involved in other employment. The work to unpick it and start to consolidate it so that it ended was immense. It involved law enforcement and ordinary people giving spare time.

  • Long Report: Ex-police does crime

    It’s a sunny, London afternoon. A quick breeze blows through Westminster, just outside the Palace of Westminster, and a man in his 20’s stands erect staring up at Elizabeth Tower. He’s starting his police job.

    It’s a role he coveted since leaving school. He hadn’t made it in other types of work, and wanted to try policing. He felt construction wasn’t for him, unlike his father, who’d said it would “knock sense” into him.

    He was a person of his own mind, and felt capable of doing the work of a police officer. He even said as much – often – to the people that trained him. In fact, it was a sentiment he repeated throughout.

    Drawing attention

    His first weeks on the job were uneventful. He’d watch police programs at home about American crime fighting and became disturbed that more didn’t get done here. It did, but he didn’t think so. He felt upset.

    He resolved to do it by himself. He felt he was able to free himself from the “shackles” of the force, and make a go of it by himself. He figured it’s justifiable as the work of a vigilante, or Robin Hood-type motif.

    He drew the attention of a few in the force – and me. I went on a chase after him, and learned a lot in the process. I also discovered him before he found me, which was his trick. He used it often on people.

    Hideous work

    His adventures took him, by car, into the woods of Wales, the hills of the South, and even to the port of Dover a few times. He was a sort of person who visited due to nostalgia, and not a love for the place.

    As I traced his movements, I concluded he acted out of a false sympathy for himself. He didn’t care for people, but only looked out for those who were reminiscent of his past. It wasn’t about love.

    His crimes were hideous. He left dead bodies behind, and cars were left with their drivers deceased inside. He was a cruel, insidious man. He posed a danger to the public, wanted by many police forces.

    Ruinous end

    My last encounter with him was odd. He was in a car, luminescent with blue neon lights, and he – washed out on drugs – didn’t make any sense. It was as if he’d lost the will even to do his criminal acts.

    Later, a police officer said he began to slow down, and wind down his actions, as I began my pursuit. It was the result of serious, dedicated work to track and trace him that bought an end to it.

    He was a startling character, but his struggles with fantasist tendencies meant he carried on. He ignored warnings, signs of mental health, and addiction, and slipped into crime over and over.

  • Long Report: A juvenile view of Gaza

    A predominant force in the Middle East crisis with Israel and Gaza is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), but it’s a difficult matter in actuality.

    It’s fashioned as a dedicated arm of the UN that aids the plight and relieves the distress of ordinary Arab populations and communities in the unique and contested territories.

    These are situated in and around the contemporary, modern state of Israel which itself says it’s at war with terror groups operating in designated zones such as Gaza and West Bank.

    Under attack

    It’s an interesting body, in that its existence predates much of the recent controversy. It’s worked in the region since 1949, providing assistance in a variety of ways to generations.

    The problem is that aid is weaponised in a war of words between unregistered groups, and unlicensed providers of education and support for Palestinians, and Israel.

    It’s also subject to its own rivalries, and internal problems. A significant juncture in its more recent history is an interruption of its activities by overzealous activists.

    They are the subject of tumult, discord, and confusion in the charity itself and it’s clouded the actual work of humanitarianism in the Middle East, and in other places.

    Making an effort

    It’s not easy tracking these people down, because they also have real jobs in real companies. These offices are difficult to locate, and access, in order to question people.

    The story goes, that on leaving college they make their way into a reasonable job and start work on diverting resources, disturbing logistics, and typing out claims.

    It’s not easy facing suffering head-on, but it’s so much harder if your work is wiped, corrupted, or replaced wholly by an actor whose intent is to disrupt your job.

    It’s the sort of technical adaptation people make in their pursuit of greater glory, acclaim, or stature. It’s written into modern day academic culture, and workplaces.

    Getting back

    The investigative work involved in the discovery of an operative who works like this is a long, arduous, and winding path. It was possible, however, if I kept trying.

    At long last, I found an individual I was looking for on a train ride back. It was the person I had been searching after since first seeing her loitering in London.

    Allegedly guilty of charity espionage

    It’s not everyday the exact subject of your research just appears. It’s also unlikely I’d see again a high-flying journalist headed for her own top job in New York.

    However, I knew it’s where she worked, so I waited on it, and it paid off. I finally reached the end of a trail of mischief, and the mystery was revealed in the culprit.

  • Long Report: A state’s long decline

    The way of finding out what the real problem is can be long and winding. It also takes many twists and turns in its plot line to tell the story. The situation one agent found himself in was just such a situation. However, it had to do with a more difficult task than usual.

    The target of investigation was the UK government, a behemoth of an institution that has grown and grown in recent times. Its many millions of staff, interested parties, and stakeholders rightly stretch across the country, yet its problems also tend to do so, too.

    Credibility decline

    Due to crisis after crisis amongst inexperienced MP’s, civil servants hidden away from public view, and a lot of other strange and unknown characters moving in and out of government circles, a more intrusive form of research was needed to establish what was going on.

    An intelligence officer was sent to look into the matter. In the years that followed he was thrown into a trial of perseverance and hard work that led to disillusionment with corrupt, liberal business figures who also intervened and created a huge deal of confusion.

    These aforementioned characters used their friends and allies as armour bearers. In the sense of using them to rough people up and intimidate people to make sure they got what they wanted. The reason they did this is that their goals were unrelated to their work.

    Cold sets in

    The officer was unpaid for 20 years, even though he was a key intelligence worker. There were departments of state that refused to pay, and dishonest employees tried to draw it. There were payments stopped, ended, and prosecutions attempted to take more.

    He was harassed by state-backed media, government employees, and scrounging royalty who embarrassed us in front of overseas dignitaries in their open attempt to denigrate him. It became clear they have a policy of denying dignity, human rights, and integrity.

    It wasn’t helped by a feeling of misguided political bearing by senior royal figures, whose untimely interventions meant that important work was put aside to deal with later on. It meant that some missions were nearly missed, and facts were nearly overlooked.

    Headless chickens

    There were also complications due to bankrupt policies of the nations only formalised religious group, the Church of England. Their worded attempts at changing the direction and form of government also meant people were distracted from key work.

    In this situation, too much emphasis is put on personal position. It means overreach is a more frequent problem than people imagine. It means personalities gain importance and contributions to discussions are diminished as a result. It distorts ethics overall.

    The officer witnessed a decline into irrelevance. There were erroneous acts carried out by senior government staff, and a lack of preparedness became clear across all government functions. In some, a legacy of unpaid bills built up in staffed government buildings.

    Turning soil

    A tendency in newer governments is to overshoot an actual position, to make assertions that are unscientific in the sense of political science, and to run very muddled payroll departments. It’s the outcome of a misguided, can-do mentality which neglects reality.

    The intelligence officer reported a core problem was a belief in unlimited potential. He was also targeted as a way to do and get more. He heard people reasoning they just needed to have the power to do more even though they already had work to do.

    Maybe it was just boring for them to begin with, but the agent was struggling hugely and didn’t have the power to improve their productivity anyway. It was also apparent that volunteers brought in to help began to make the same mistakes as they did, too.

    Ending well

    The agent looked for help, but members of the public close to the action also failed in their basic civic duties. He found they didn’t want to handle other people’s problems, and they attempted to tame, reason with, or put off those that asked for help.

    In his attempt to keep morale, and to achieve the mission, the agent carried on and followed through with every duty he got. He also ignored not getting paid. The situation was brought under control, and order was restored into the state of things.

  • Long Report: Journalism in dark places

    I spent nearly 10 years fighting to understand a town in the heart of Berkshire, but it’s not easy to say. I arrived without fanfare, having done it before.

    I had no help. I didn’t work with anyone. The people already here, ironically, left. They didn’t find much interest in a large town. They didn’t seem the types, anyway.

    They went on to find “gold, and glory” elsewhere. It felt odd they did it, and bitter. I saw the back of them and didn’t want to know any further. They also looked the wrong sort.

    I explored the town in work, leisure, and social time at a few churches. It wasn’t easy because I wasn’t supposed to fit in. I didn’t try, and so I didn’t fail, either, in what I tried.

    Justifying the dark

    It begins without light, and slowly grows. It’s my experience in working in hardship and in the lives of others. They feel pain I don’t get, and I feel anguish I can’t share.

    It’s tough, but I love the results. I can’t see it at times, and it’s laborious work to make things happen. To begin with it takes a week, and at once it took a whole month.

    In the process, other people don’t understand. They have an air of arrogance, and think a different method is better. I almost have to justify the dark, to get on.

    The horror that accompanies a deep work is difficult to shake. I still have to get over the things I saw. I found people in a bad condition. I witnessed awful things.

    Believing incredibly

    The biggest task I had to tackle is the issue of obsession. I encountered people with too many hangups about life. Mostly it was about democracy, which is sad.

    In England, politics is a slow but winnable game. It takes time, but over time people get the gist and make it work for themselves. In Reading, no such belief existed.

    It was like that for various reasons, and on one hand were those who believed it so because of previous offenses. They felt this party was bad, or that party shit.

    I later met the two men who were behind it. They were Labour and Conservative supporters respectively, and made things turn on their enjoyment of it.

    It wasn’t pleasant, or pretty, as it went on. They were too insistent for more impressionable residents. As luck would have it, they found broad support as well.

    Ending madness

    It was a maddening experience, over nine years of hell. I had to deal with endless criminal types, awful manipulation, and interference from far off actors.

    In my experience, people tend to cause trouble because on a personal level it’s what makes sense. It’s not my work that’s going to be relevant, but their needs.

    The job was to investigate, and to produce research. What it took was time, and a lot of angst. I don’t like difficult situations, and I don’t fare well in it, either.

  • Long Report: Terror in our times

    The death of a major leader in terrorist circles is a plus, but the negative in our calculations is there are more. It isn’t difficult, we imagine, to ‘lead’ a group that essentially causes chaos. There aren’t rules, and regulations don’t apply either. The nature of these groups is they cause harm, and plot and fantasize our demise.

    According to popular reports, there are plenty of candidates for this. The promulgation of bad media online also makes it possible for just about anyone to present the potential to be a terrorist leader in waiting. In some circumstances, all it takes is a small advantage over others. It’s enough to set up and takeover the group.

    The true nature of terrorism is difficult to understand, but it’s easier to explain if we equate it with another thing. In our past, anarchism is a way of putting it all in perspective. The anarchists of recent and distant history present us with similar, if not the same, issues. They tried to do great harm while also inciting hatred.

    What it’s all about

    A sort of agitation like this is against an organized state than people at large. It doesn’t make sense to weaken people groups or communities if it isn’t clear who supports the state or not. It’s fair to say the UK has a thriving Muslim community. It’s also not a secret that Islamic ways of thought and lifestyle do well here.

    The main point a terrorist is seeking to make is to critique the fashion or organization that a state makes its priority. In some respects, there are differences between state’s a terrorist can highlight, albeit the task involved is divergent. However, the aim of the terrorist is to disrupt to state a case, and not just destroy.

    This makes is a threat to all of us, because a way to go about it is to target high profile, important places or areas. It may catch people out that are in agreement with their religious beliefs, but if the moment fits the occasion they’ll pursue it regardless. In their ideology, a sacrifice is worth making if it proves a point in the end.

  • Long Report: Keeping society civil

    The idea behind rulership of any kind is a noble one, it’s just in practice it doesn’t always meet expectations. This is true in the UK, where discontent is found everywhere. The sources of it are both expected and unanticipated. There are people who, surprisingly, don’t care at all.

    It’s a sad situation, especially if your country is built around making sage decisions and believing in wisdom. The culture of England is such, and its history is ready fodder for debates in this way. However, there is a time for agreeing with one another, if not just to prosper ourselves.

    The reality of late is not as clear as this, either. It’s a truth be told that despite a belief rule doesn’t matter, or the day of Kings has passed to give way to democracy, it still matters who we are. The press release hasn’t gone out overseas, and it proves in repeated calls for independence.

    What we do wrong

    The activities of Parliament for instance are no barometer for us to measure the truth by, since sentiment – public or otherwise – is simply not as consequential as historical moments in themselves. It doesn’t matter if we write a perfect sermon, speech, or slogan, as it counts for so little.

    The genuine change is not coming because people said it so, but because we want it so. In some sense constitutions give a false impression of progress, because the past can be used to nudge things along in the present. The issue is the previous lot were not meant for this at all.

    The false logic is that people today know what they want, and so it’s best to give it to them. The reality is politics is a science and getting to a compromise takes more than an act of protest. The result has to be in line with our human interest, based on rights, and so it’s not as slapdash.

    The worry is we’ll make the same mistake we allege of others, with decisions too quick and harm created for others. The same can be said of legislatures today, because of a temptation to make snap judgements that lead to a repeat of historic offenses, wrongs, and controversies.

  • Long Report: Failures in No. 10 security

    The existence of a Prime Minister shouldn’t incite hatred in the same way it excites opposition. It doesn’t follow a newly elected politician is necessarily unpopular. They have to be tested first.

    It takes time for an MP to settle in, for instance, before they’re considered to have made a mistake. A few here, or a few there, and it’s time to reconsider their position, perhaps.

    The types of people we see in Number 10 aren’t bad people. They haven’t been accused of serious crime – seriously, that is – and all have exited with a clean record on that front.

    However, in recent times there’s a heightened sense of fear for the safety of our foremost political leader. As a world leader, they also have speeches to make, and may invite trouble by it.

    The trouble is, it isn’t the only threat that circles Number 10. There are others, such as staff hired to keep a Prime Minister safe. They enter and exit Number 10 too, but may cause trouble.

    Truths be told

    In recent years the situation has deteriorated. It’s because of special armed officers who try to protect the Prime Minister but have put lives at risk as a result.

    I’ve witnessed it myself – and been a target – and it’s relentless. They carry guns but have no sense of self-control at times. They marshal eyewitnesses but don’t know what to challenge.

    I’ve had guards run at me, and I’ve seen them looked confused at others. They don’t know what a threat is at times, and police officers have stepped in to fill a gap in knowledge.

    Furthermore, agents allegedly working for the Prime Minister’s office have been particularly guilty of mismanagement. I’ve witnessed close shaves where lives are put at risk.

    It’s not acceptable

    There’s clearly no tolerance for it, but the public have encouraged it at times. I’ve seen insanity in people’s eyes. It isn’t pleasant and a lot of discontent has bred over it.

    The trouble is getting it across to people who don’t seem to understand, or want to hear concerns. It’s also difficult to get in contact with a key figure if needs be.

    The safety and survival of a Prime Minister is paramount, but too many incidents like it and questions have to be asked. It’s high time a review is conducted into all of it.

    The matter is crucial. As more funding, better public services, and increased participation takes place, we must consider our basic duties toward each other.

  • Long Report: What is journalism?

    Citizen journalism is a relatively new term but it’s already died a death in the UK. It just doesn’t ring true we know how to do it without training or a proper education. It doesn’t follow in the line of casual arts. The truth is hard to grasp, and even harder to get out there.

    It’s a lifestyle experienced by the religious, and increasingly politicians. The point is also proved in journalism itself where facts go nowhere. The practice of typing out a response or tapping out an ‘original’ story is the privilege of those released to do it.

    It’s a practice that’s got to be professional. In the UK we don’t value this often enough. In fact, festering WhatsApp groups and pulp-ridden Facebook pages pollute our screens as we search or scroll for something better. We don’t need the junk anymore.

    A newer way

    The innovations are happening at a pace but it’s rarely noticed. The changes in our landscape are huge and have not caused an earthquake in public opinion. They should because we’ve moved on hugely since the past, when news was fact and not a truth.

    There are able pundits attempting to navigate the broken courses of Parliament or break the solid ice of Whitehall. They do a good job and people know more. Yet more know less because they opt for unofficial views of rumour mongers and amateur jingoists.

    The general feeling is we haven’t turned a corner in the 21st century because we’ve failed to take our eyes off the past. It’s bleak back there, and irrelevant. There’s so much that’s new – and exciting – today there’s no point in re-reading old lines and repeating old statements.

    Realities

    The MP’s making waves are different people. They have different backgrounds, and stories. They come from the same places but a lot’s happened since. They’re as familiar as you and I, but a changing landscape demands moving on.

    The news journalism culture we’ve got hasn’t necessarily all moved at the same pace. The newer outlets are juggernauts. They appeal distinctively and repeat stories that matter. Their views don’t always hold water but they make amends where told to.

    It’s a new media for a new generation. It anchors what we say to each other in private with a dose of reality. It’s not all there is to say but it’s a start and, of course, we’re able to finish off the conversation. There’s no shortage of opinions at home, or elsewhere.

  • Long Report: Journalism in a spyglass

    The so-called downfall of a top journalist is hardly good news. It doesn’t bode well that people fail at all. It certainly isn’t positive if a person of prominence does so too.

    It doesn’t mean we’re at fault as a society. It means things went wrong because of actions that were taken by individuals acting on their own beliefs and by their own design. This is the way bad choices are made and how scandals unfold.

    It can be difficult to track these things. There are journalists who spend heaps of time looking at those who are heading down a wrong path. It’s a twisting and winding journey they make and it has so many avenues at times it can go cold.

    All investigation is hard

    The way to go about tracking a person’s downward spiral is to begin with who they are to start with. It builds an appreciation of the height they are falling from. It also lays a groundwork for contemplation of what they are trying to do and why.

    It’s not as if life is tough up there. There are perks to all jobs and jobs in media have more than others. It’s a fine life so to speak for those who want to work at it and do it well. The hard graft is seen by the public and there’s time for enjoying the fruits of labour later.

    I’ve known of journalists who pull over thirty hours of work without a break and they barely scratch the surface of their story. It takes many more sessions than a first breaking in effort to bring out the real story behind a crass scandal breaking in a public person’s life.

    Due to the nature of the high life it takes a journalist into corridors of power they’ve never seen – and likely won’t see again. They’ll meet people they’ve never heard of and encounter crimes they can’t report because it’s not their story or it’s too difficult to extricate.

    The job never ends

    The life of a journalist like this is not easy to pin down. There are few examples of competent individuals because of the hours, the messes that encounters create, and the travelling involved too.

    It’s not psychologically burdensome but physically demanding. It puts enormous pressure on physicality. It’s an encounter a few have likened to their experiences in military combat. It can reach a level of tension that’s difficult to experience elsewhere.

    The truth is the job is never over. There’s always another scandal breaking or another person making their worst decision yet. It’s a career that builds on itself too because successes bring more skills and techniques to employ to catch and pin down harder-to-get targets.

    A culture it creates

    The good aspect of investigative work is it inspires others. There are chances to stop a scandal in its tracks. It may be possible to use a technicality in an employee’s contract to terminate it. It’s also possible to phone in the police to discuss a person’s behaviour.

    It creates a culture of dependence on good work. It also inculcates a way of seeing life through the lens of a work ethic. The social dynamic is hardly rewarding to those who want real information. The practical results are gained by curiosity in a diligent targeting at truth.

    The progress journalists make is felt in the rewards of having a story published or findings printed. It builds a more complete picture that brings interest. We feel we learn more about place, and ourselves, because we’re looking closer with a more analytical eye.

    The putt-offs on television with lighthearted jokes is beside the point of what it’s like to stare into darkness. A person intent on crime creates harm and causes pain. They make sure others suffer. There’s rarely a scandal that doesn’t involve a victim and it’s not always easy to get over.

  • Long Report: What’s left of the far right?

    The Nazi pogrom didn’t go to plan. The Second World War was a messy, costly, and embarrassing affair. To advocates of right-wing politics it’s clear it didn’t work. They also feel bad about it.

    Today it’s an embarrassment. The new kind of Nazi’s don’t like to talk about it. They don’t act on the same terms as Hitlerian’s, and while they take Hitler as being an inspiration, he isn’t their only one.

    The dark world of radical esoteric thought is dark, dangerous, and daring for any who choose to take it. It isn’t a simple meet or a matter of knowing someone or a book title. It takes commitment for it to be real.

    The acceptance procedure a person has to go through is also dangerous and it’s also dark. It doesn’t lead to paths that are the ones we take as a society. It isn’t democratic and it isn’t fair. It also isn’t moral.

    The far right is a concept that shouldn’t exist in most people’s minds because it’s so niche and less active than people imagine. It’s a poison that exerts power in people’s minds. It starts small but it takes flight in our heads.

    The danger of the far right

    The point is a small group of agitator’s like this cause huge trouble by taking advantage of us. All they need to do is implant their ideas in our heads. They then use the system they want to make a bed for themselves and they’re able to make a start.

    If they have control, the power will also follow. It’s a given because the institutions we have are expected to be operated by those who are in control. The winning of those who lead is the start to an authoritarian rule so that the rest of us follow.

    It’s the plan anyway. It isn’t going to work because there are rigorous processes to weed out people who are like it. It takes time to get to the root of it to make sure it doesn’t happen, since there are complicated policing exercises for it to succeed.

    It isn’t the only problem

    The far right aren’t the only problem Europe has. The far left are also a concern because of their way of protest. They are disruptive and undermine our way of life.

    They decry our economic system, our democracy, and even our capacity for moral sense. They advocate against everything we are. It doesn’t matter if we want to progress, have rights-based discussions between ourselves, or even celebrate life.

    They seek to disagree with us because it’s who they are. They are not reading the same books as us. They don’t like to vote to achieve comprise as we do. They also don’t appreciate our heroes.

    The emergence of this type of activity has been unnerving and although it hasn’t meant the end of anything, it’s certainly made us feel like it. I’ve known at times people fearing for democracy itself.

    The reality is Europe is trying its hardest too and the far left and far right find it easier to work its way in if we are trying to work it out for ourselves. The periods of questioning we have are on the contrary windows of opportunity for them to take advantage.

    The brutal reality

    In the grand scheme of things there are threats large and small that we need to be protected from. This is done by people who are tasked at thinking about things. They have a place to advise the powerful on what to avoid because of fault, not favour.

    The place of academia is misunderstood in our times because of unacademic noises being made and false conflations brought about by those not adept at reading history.

    The progress we make takes time and can only happen on time. The push for reforms out of schedule or the need for transformation out of season is the insurgent falsehood we’ve battled with for too long.

    The bare necessity of the far right is to make its voice heard imminently and it does so with vigour and occasionally with force. There’s reason to believe we are stronger but complacency is our weakness. The only way to avoid a collision is to make sure we do the right thing.