The awaiting Brexit ”over the cliff” bus crash has taken me back to the Saturday morning matinées of my childhood. The hero in the film be he (always he) riding a horse, a train or driving a car or a boat would find himself in some irretrievable situation at death´s door and all hope gone. At precisely that moment with the young audience already mourning his apparent demise the screen would be as if swiped away and an agitated voice would admonish everyone to ”not miss next week´s exciting episode.” Next week´s episode almost inevitably began a few frames short at the end of the previous episode revealing a slightly less definite situation. The hero survives and the show goes on.
That´s entertainment for you and the realm of fantasy and fiction which at varying levels of sophistication enriches most people´s lives.
Not quite so enriching and not always humourous is when things around you begin to lend credence to the saying, ”truth is stranger than fiction.” Mad dogs and Englishmen and all that but there appears to be something of an epidemic in England´s green and pleasant lands. One might be tempted to say ”things were better before” with ”before” best left undefined.
The world has changed and paradoxically enough one of these changes, the digital impact on our lives drawing the curtain on the world´s stage, is giving us the impression that what we see now did not exist before. We look on incredulously as dramatic and or unbelievable events unfold before our very eyes. This did not happen in times when telephones were affixed to the wall with a cord and whose usefulnes was restricted to verbal communication between two individuals.
Of course not, the world may have changed but it is as mad as it ever was albeit in a different costume.
USA – The US has a president who boasts of grabbing women by the genitals. Probably just boasting but if true might be the only thing he has been successful with.
UK – BBC presenter John Humphrys suggests that Ireland should again become a part of the UK, i.e. colony status.
Russia – Putin says not respecting the Brexit referendum is undemocratic.
Sweden – The Liberal party and the Centre party in Sweden enable a Social Democrat and Green party coalition government on the condition that they implement a list of political reforms that the Social Democrats and Greens went to the polls opposing. The Social Democrats and Greens accept the condition and the Liberal and Centre parties then claim they are still in opposition. (No, I´m not drunk)
UK – Theresa May stands by Brexit means Brexit. Everybody else holding their breath.
Venezuala – Socialist run Venezuala, the oil richest country on earth making a mess/success of distributing wealth. Everybody´s poor.
Germany – Neo Nazis on the rise in Germany.
The World – Man made climate change is still being denied by some and ignored by many more.
UK – UK sends out Royal Navy warships to stop refugee dinghies crossing the channel.
UK – Uk minister says Royal Navy should paintball Spanish naval ships encroaching Gibraltar waters. Mad maybe but at least it´s funny.
UK – Important reason given for leaving the EU is getting a blue passports back. 1. The new light blue is a long way off the old near black colour. 2. Colour choice no problem even as a member.
UK – Brexit is at road´s end. Parliament majority for what is not wanted (May´s deal and no deal crash out) no other options on the table other than remain (revoke article 50). 2nd referendum considered undemocratic by some.
Sweden – Commercially organized cheating for university entrance exams has led to an identified number of law and medicine students still reading for their degrees in Lund.
UK – Electoral commission exposes referendum as fraudulent due to overspending by Vote Leave. Nobody seems to care.
UK – EMA leaves the Uk and many companies re-locating to the Continent. Leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn talks about a ”Brexit for the many not the few” adding ”not a job lost”
UK – On the outside looking in, the comedy of Monty Python has been replaced by the comedy of Brexit.
UK – Uk minister Dominic Raab admits to not realizing the importance of Dover being so close to Calais.
UK – Tory MP says companies relocating to the Continent is positive because it confirms there is no anxiety about post Brexit supply lines.
UK – ”We liberated Europe.” Baby boomers in the UK re-living World War 2 without actually having lived in it.
UK – Brexit backing Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski asks Polish government to be instrumental in over-ruling the House of Commons if they vote to delay Brexit.
UK – Little England sailing up to be the bad boy of the United Kingdom of Gt. Britain and Northern Ireland with a re-united Ireland and an idependent Scotland on the horizon.
UK – Vocal advocate of no deal Brexit suggests parliament should be suspended until it´s all over.
UK – National newspaper Daily Mail calls judges ”enemies of the people” after High Court ruling on Brexit.
UK – Gov making preparations for martial law in event of disturbances post Brexit
UK – The Uk´s nervous breakdown continues with an incredulous world looking on.
An Irishman might say, ”whale oil beef oct.”