A New World Order.

[MANICHAEAN]

New World Order.

He sat in the high backed armchair; whilst in the dark outside, the infant son of "The Beast From The East," trailed flurries of powdered snow across parts of Southern England and the Midlands. Perhaps yet another attack from Putin's arsenal of non-conventional weapons?

"Russian State directs Siberian cold blast to U.K. in attempt to subvert British democracy." Teresa May holds Russia culpable for current cold snap. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says snow in Kent is indisputably from Red Square in Moscow. Defence Secretary tells Russians to shut up, go away and put their snow where the sun don't shine. The Brits have always had a way with words.

Meanwhile world leaders, display the usual nonconformity, commensurate with an international crisis. The Germans get broody that they are being prodded into following instead of attacking, the French posture and equivocate, the Trump expands his thought processes on the matter in an incomprehensible manner, whilst the Italians are too busy to respond, busy as they are forming their 6,456,854th government since the end of the Second World War. Russia meanwhile concentrates on its knife edge presidential election, muddies the waters and denies everything.

It's confusing these days for men of a certain age trying to; both accept and adapt to current norms. Post embryonic experiences still form the basis of their outlook. Cavemen memories of childhoods with no; fridges, TV's, indoor loo's, central heating, duvets, microwaves, avocado vinaigrette, viagra, tweets, mobile phones, I-pads, parking meters, or radicalised Gallic onion sellers

In "the good old days," Churchill openly enjoyed a whiskey and soda after breakfast, and had, along with accompanying members of the cabinet urinated in the Rhine, whilst informing the world media that he had been meaning to do that for a long time. Eisenhower played golf, French politicians were expected to have mistresses, "gay" was a word meaning light-hearted and cheerful, English veg was boiled to extinction and rock n roll was king.

How to now make sense of: fake news, Stormy Daniels, the migration of millions in search of an improved life, Islamic State, political correctness, and the demise of British pubs.

Perhaps it was time to put the cat out, bring the dog in, turn off the box and read an enjoyable classic.

[Hawkman]

Greetings, comrade Manichean. How well I remember ice on the inside of the single glazed sash window. Outside loos, Round the Horn, only two, black and white TV channels that stopped broadcasting around midnight, fire places and gaslight.

Of course, there has always been fake news, but there was a time when when it was mostly only available to those who could read. There is of course the lowbrow fake news distributed by the bloke down the pub, for the benifit of the illiterate - of the "dogs can't look up" variety. Generally, though, fake news has been the perogative of the ruling class. Never suppose that you are ruled by politicians. Populations have always been governed by those who own politicians. Even the crown is bribed into endorsing policies that are contrived by, and for, corporations.

We all remember that Churchill saved us from the Hun, and conveniently forget that he was the architect of a policy leading to the death from starvation of some five million Indians. Gotta love a Tory, what? And now, we have the Maybot.

Have you read The Fuhrer's Brain, by any chance? Adolf was saved at the end of WWII by having his brain transplanted into a woman. At first, he wasn't keen on the idea, but he got used to it and started to enjoy it. Now let's see. What excellent female politicians have we had since WWII. Oh yes, Maggie and Maybot. Like Dr Who, the Fuhrer has cheated death and preserved his personality in a way that wrecks the nation that thwarted him, whilst subverting it, through the precepts of Mein Kampf, into an impotent Fourth Reich. Bravo! Life imitating art or a contemporary political narrative derived from operation paperclip? Who knows?

What a time to be alive! Rejoice!

[MANICHAEAN]

Hi Hawk

Yes, bliss it was that very dawn to be alive. I give thanks to the Almighty that at least some of us have recollections of: The 6 / 5 special, Quatermass, Jerry Morton & the Red Hot Peppers, "I'd give it five," "Oh bono Mr Horne," mangles, florins, arf a crown, savaloy sausages and VP wine of a decent year.

My own recollection of working class fake news just after the war was a sinister tall Irish uncle who turned up in a long gaberdene raincoat one day, handed me a parcel of cod wrapped in a newspaper, and said " This is for yer father. Tell him it fell off the back of a lorry!"

As for Churchill, (for all his faults, mistakes and lack of political correctness) he was appreciated for that final defining period in our history. Have you read of his time with the Welsh Wizard?

I initially had doubts about Maybot, but bit by bit admire her resilience in dealing with; Brexit, Boris, backstabbing & now cheap Russian thugs devoid of classical educations.

The Fuhrer's Brain sounds highly interesting and tangentially gets the juices going on other possibilities. But I must hold my fire for once and desist from incurring a reprimand from the moderators.

Take care and feel free to tweet.
M.

[Steven Hunley]

It's always a stretch trying to reconcile my old memories with the modern scene and accept the current norms. As a man once said, "Things were simpler then." And now, in front of the entire world, we've elected an out and out idiot for our president. The worst one we've ever had. I decide to vote for the first time in years and this is what I end up with. I get a little discouraged.

It's not just that I can't see any heroes anymore, because I can, but the thing is,... they're only in movies. Out in our world they're getting rare. Love the bit about your uncle and the cod.

Have a story about Churchill. My dad owned a Shell gas station and I worked there while in school.

One day he told me, "See that guy? He used to be a British Counsel or something. You should talk to him sometime.

The only thing I remember about him is that he was balding and had a big nose.

We talked about WW1. He'd been gassed at Ypres and was in a field hospital. Churchill came by on a visit and sat on his bed and talked to the soldier in the next bed. It was raining.

The man Churchill was talking to had his eyes bandaged having been blinded by the chlorine. Churchill had recently suffered a major loss in the Dardanelles while being 1st Lord of the Admiralty.

They talked for some time and Churchill found out the soldier had served in the Dardanelles campaign too.

Churchill and the soldier started crying, and before he left he told the soldier he was getting out of politics .

That's all I remember but he must have changed his mind. I often ask myself why.

[MANICHAEAN]

Thanks Steve.
What a moving story about the hospital visit. Yes, the old bulldog was reported to be a bit of a weepie, even during films.
Keep knocking them out, get the juices flowing, and never, never cease to observe the humanity around you.
Best regards
M.

[fudgetusk]

Good stuff. Well written. Intelligent. Can't fault it.