Public Activity

  • Activism shines a light on social disorder

    “The blight of activism is on all our shoulders,” so said a veteran to me who’d seen it all since his term of service during the Second World War. Once it ended he wanted to return to the England he knew – “warts, and all,” he quipped. It was a brief appreciation that while all is not well, it could be better if we just tried it together.

    The stunning surge of anti-State activism that is now alleged to be replete in all legal realms as well as in political quarters is a noisome and forlorn attempt at something that hasn’t caught on. The ever spiralling, closing circles of marches and demonstrations that have polluted London’s streets have not reminded us of anything.

    A coffee shop
    A coffee shop attack seen in Reading, a place of vibrant local life and deleterious social activism.

    Though we still think about justice, it’s mostly in our own terms – as defenders of it. It’s a reflection of our obligation, of our duty, and not a temporary look in a mirror driven by dire media narrative. The basis of our law continues to be everyday decency, and yet this is not it. The aloof politician and the absent Peer is just the start of it. The monstrous claims of disaffected anonymous crowds is the end of it.

    The diatribe of pro-Gaza people is now our punishment for not ‘liking’ their version of events. The lousy professional class is all too willing to stand by as their carefully built country is torn to pieces internally by strife, and animosity. They too are sad characters, mind-sick by punk politics and rock-pelting accusations by the lost and pissy. This isn’t what he fought for, but it’s what the veteran knew as a worthy fight.

  • Great British Railways will improve our lives

    The coming improvements to the UK’s railways will help us all out. It means greater enfranchisement of the population in an exemplary form of getting around. It’ll mean cheap tickets, more efficient journey times, and an improved customer service to handle complaints.

    A front shot of Reading Station, a popular transport hub in the centre of the Royal County of Berkshire.

    The realisation of these dreams is something now in the hands of Department for Transport staff, and those directly involved in its implicit day to day running. The nationalisation model is the right approach, too, because it makes some improvements easier.

  • Just getting around is useful

    The free country idea is worn out due to its overuse. We forget what it’s really for. We also forget the differences. It’s not a matter of just saying it for effect, it’s a matter of making sure it makes sense.

    The point is to illustrate the choices that people have versus the conditions of consequences. This has intrigued philosophers but it also relates to our daily lives.

    A shot of a lead street to China Town, a central cultural district in London, UK.

    The freedom to move around isn’t something a criminal can take for granted. It’s a practice used by many to get businesses going, meet someone they know, or to find out something new to do.

    This is commonly how most of us have to live. It helps us find new properties, gives us new employment opportunities, and introduces us to totally new, friendly people.

    However, it also makes for an interesting exercise in self. It opens up new interests, brings into view further resources, and makes for a more satisfying experience of things that have everyday value.