Banning Anti-Capitalist books in schools

 

The government aims to ban "anti-capitalist" books from schools. Is this different in principle to burning books which they disagree with?

Can we expect to see "Animal Farm", "Hard Times" and "Grapes of Wrath" thrown on the bonfire?

Will the Tories dress up for the occasion?

 

 

Sonnet 91 is blatantly anti-capitalist:

SONNET 91

Some glory in their birth, some in their skill,
Some in their wealth, some in their body's force,
Some in their garments, though new-fangled ill;
Some in their hawks and hounds, some in their horse;
And every humour hath his adjunct pleasure,
Wherein it finds a joy above the rest:
But these particulars are not my measure;
All these I better in one general best.
Thy love is better than high birth to me,
Richer than wealth, prouder than garments' cost,
Of more delight than hawks or horses be;
And having thee, of all men's pride I boast:
   Wretched in this alone, that thou may'st take
   All this away, and me most wretched make. 

 

So Shakespeare could find himself upon the bonfire if Dominic Cummings gets his way. 

 

Brevity

 

Trump Tax and the Monarchy

 

The New York Times leads on the story of a president whose businesses show continual losses which justify the non-payment of tax.

It is a little odd that Trump claimed when debating Hilary Clinton that his tax dodging just showed that he was "smarter".

"Smarter" than the millions of tax-paying Americans? Much the same claim could be made by a car thief. "I steal cars because I'm smarter than the people who don't. They only criticise me because they are jealous."

Many Trump supporters applauded. They pay tax (many of them) but they are quite happy with a president who thinks they are dumb to do so.

I hope nobody in the UK feels smug about this. The Queen paid no tax for 40 years (1952 to 1992) and then gracefully agreed to do so. As if she were doing us a favour.

No wonder she's smiling. Does she take us for fools too?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-McMillan/e/B009FUXHWY

Worthing Flash and Copyright

 

I don't often get "snowed under" at Worthing Flash but I am delighted to say I have been. Thanks to everyone. 

 

Andrew Ballard asked me a question about copyright. I can assure writers that I do not acquire the copyright of any stories by publishing them on #worthingflash but there are some editors who are picky about stories which have been published elsewhere. 

 

My advice to Andrew and to all of the writers is to try other publishers (especially the paying ones!) first. 

 

I am not picky about stories which have been published elsewhere. On the contrary, I like to think there are other editors who agree with me.

 

 

Overpromising and Underperforming

Lord O'Donnell has labelled the government's many failures to cope with Covid as "overpromising and underperforming". A fair definition of politics which might have been invented by Cicero.

Remember the "world beating" track test and trace system?

And the people who could not get a test or results from the test.

Remember the end of lockdown?

And the panic response to the second hump on the dromedary to use Boris's nursery simile.

 This Eton mess is way past its sell-by.

 

Testing Testing

 

I don't read the Star but this front cover seemed apt.

The testing fiasco has had people in London claiming to have Aberdeen postcodes to get a Covid-19 test closer to home. Presumably people in Aberdeen have to do the same.

Matt Hancock "hopes" to have a robust testing regime in place in a few weeks. Well I am hoping for a white Christmas, we don't always get what we hope for. 

There is a 38 degrees petition to "Make our coronavirus testing system fit for purpose"

The link is here

The testing regime leaves teachers and parents with no chance of getting a test. The "back to school" instruction is particularly ridiculous given that a gathering of more than six is illegal but having thirty stroppy teenagers sneezing all over you is fine.

The attempt to get sporting events going recalls the policy of "bread and circuses" of the Roman Emporers. Boris can tell you all about it in Latin if you like.  

This Eton mess of a government has long outlived its usefulness (if any).

Racism is founded on ignorance and fear

 Racism is founded on ignorance and fear. 

Education is the mortal enemy of racism.

Here are the details of an initiative supported by the National Education Union

Click here

 

 

 

Solidarity Forever

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p3-R2wAwECisvb6ioRDldIHIN8RFs06T/view?usp=sharing 

 

I hope you enjoy this story. It is from "Brevity" which is an audiobook.

Click here

 

 

You can get "Brevity" here

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164312947817

Government can break the law

How significant is it that the government proposes to break the law? Does it mean that housebreakers and arsonists can do the same if they find the law inconvenient?

 

Perhaps the greatest significance is that MPs, Tory MPs, are insisting that Parliament should have a say over this reckless policy. Can Boris Badenough prorogue his way out of this one? 

 

One tactic of Donald Trump is that when he is making a complete hash of something, such as his handling of the pandemic, he will do or say something so outrageous that people are distracted from the disaster.

Has Boris been taking lessons from him? Has Dom encouraged him to imitate the Great Pretender?

 

 

 

BBC cowardice

 You will have noticed that Boris Badenough has nothing better to do than have a rant about Rule Britannia being on the BBC last night of the proms. Covid-19 deaths have reached 41, 514 and of course some ancient piece of jingoistic claptrap is more important ... but not in this century.

The rant was on the lines of ""I think it's time we stopped our cringing embarrassment about our history, about our traditions, and about our culture, and we stopped this general bout of self-recrimination and wetness." Apart from the fact that Adolf Hitler used similar words, this is completely irrelevant for a country facing a major health emergency.

Boris has the support of the gutter press of course and they think this tripe will divert the public from the real issues.

There will be a reckoning with this Eton Mess of a government and no amount of sentimental flannel will preserve them.

https://www.facebook.com/socialistreviews

Speedy Tories

Isn’t it nice that the Tories are expressing concern for disadvantaged children? And it has only taken them 350 years. In another 350 they might (I said might) actually do something. 

"Dreadful oik" is the usual term applied by Tories to disadvantaged children and old habits die hard.

 

Classroom Teacher Manual: Advice for Teachers from Teachers