2016

It's been quite a long time since I've written anything for the blog. This has mainly been due to being busy with school and other commitments, but there's something else that has held me back from writing. Since I last posted, global politics and affairs has taken a sharp and somewhat shocking turn for the worst. Partly out of sheer amazement and despair, I felt unable to make any comments or evaluations on the things being presented on the news. Now as we enter 2016, I feel it is right to reflect on that troublesome end to the year and outline what I wish to see happen in 2016

At the forefront of the last year's events, we have the Paris attacks and the subsequent decision to carry out drone strikes on key targets in an attempt to thwart so-called IS. This was an extremely troubling news story for me to handle. The sheer scale of the attacks in Paris, was obscene and quite frankly frightening for me. What shocked me even more however, was how the aftermath of these events saw society lapse into vitriolic Islamophobia and refugee blaming. I was appalled to see people react in the way they did, blaming migration policy and admonishing Muslims and refugees. Events like these are not at all an excuse to express any form of partisan sympathies, and I find it disgraceful how readily people began to do so. Events like these are a time for solidarity and clear-headed thinking in the face of an extremely relevant threat. Which brings me neatly to the subject of the air strikes. Naturally, I am completely opposed to the barbaric air strikes, and the somewhat Orwellian feeling of a constant war is a real boot to the face. The strikes seemed to me the result of bellicose MPs seeking the apparently easiest way to deal with a situation, not bearing in mind the full consequences of their actions. However, it is with some regret that I say that I also can not condone or attack the decision to go ahead with air strikes. Primarily, I'm not in any relevant position of authority for my voice to matter, but the air strike vote was a wake up call for me, highlighting the genuinely difficult decisions MPs have to make in times of crises, and it would be completely unfair for me to accuse them. So-called IS are a barbaric, fascistic force, that must be stopped, and I only hope, that the air strikes that have been so ardently defended by so many people, are successful in putting an end to the threat they pose. I also ask, plea even, to those who defend them that they acknowledge the consequences of such strikes, such as the threat to civilian life, and the displacement of thousands from their homes, that they do not turn their noses up at refugees when it is the instability accentuated by these strikes that have led them to seek refuge here, and that they accept their fault if the strikes do not succeed.

Onto the somewhat lighter matter of how completely deceiving and disingenuous our government is, an almost haven of subject matter for me. The tax credits cuts debacle truly displays how the next 4 years of Tory rule will play out, deceiving lies seeking to punish the poor under the pretence of bringing them salvation. I find it so utterly despicable that a government can so arrogantly go against a campaign promise, a promise made to a citizen on a public debate, although, quite frankly, I am not at all surprised. What I am surprised about is how people did not see an event like this coming. The only positive to take from this is that the House of Lords finally got it's act together and acted in preventing these cuts for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, however, it seems that the shortfalls of the Conservatives have been short lived in the eyes of the media and public, and attention has been shifted back towards Mr. Marmite: Jeremy Corbyn. It seems that every since he's been elected there has been a reason for his position to be in dispute, week by week they are becoming more and more tiresome and boring to talk about. Fortunately, in the past week we have seen the arrival of some real news. The scrutiny of the cabinet reshuffle has actually been fairly interesting, giving an insight into how Corbyn plans to react to his unruly party and furthermore to see where the Labour party may be headed. For some, the signs are not looking good, and I can perfectly understand any current pessimism, but personally I am not too down hearted about it all. I think that 2016 will be an exciting, if not challenging, year for the Labour party, and it will be very interesting to see if many more people resign, quit, reject position offers, and if so how many. Personally, I think, and hope it won't be that many. I feel (and hope again!) that, once the media gossip humdrum dies down, and Corbyn begins directing more initiatives, such as the new focus on rail fares, there will be a  greater acceptance of JC as a leader, putting the fuddy-duddy Trot caricature behind them. With coherent and appealing initiatives there will hopefully come a realisation that the Labour party needs to consistently oppose and scrutinise the Conservatives on the real issues that need to be faced, gaining more unity and understanding within the party, and leaving behind the childish squabbling that has been distracting from the focus of the opposition party.

I hope that throughout this new year I will be able to write about a lot more than just political affairs that take my interest, which seemed to be the main focus for last year. During last summer I began to read a whole lot more than I had been. I read quite a few brilliant books and have revitalised my love for an enjoyable page-turner. In the following year I will be recording the books that I've read on a page on the blog, forming a sort of personal book shelf , as well as introducing the 'currently reading' section. This will be in order to construct an end of year review for 2016, commenting on the best things about that year for myself, and hopefully to recommend - rather than gloomily focusing on how angry the news makes me.