politics – Page 9 – The Daily Opinion

PTSD – the long road home

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

…So said Mahatma Gandhi, but there are other means of discerning a country’s moral compass. Some would offer a more human example and point to the way a nation treats the armed forces personnel who make it back home.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan simultaneously polarised society and reacquainted it with the concept of ambiguity. Ed Milliband, the leader of the Labour Party – the opposition to the Coalition Government for the next few years – has called the Iraq invasion a mistake.

At a time when fewer British people than ever seem to support the continued military presence in Afghanistan (and Iraq before it), conversely, support for the UK armed forces personnel has never been higher.

At Wootten Bassett in Wiltshire, UK, crowds regularly lined the street, respectfully silent as the fallen were conveyed through from the local RAF base. The media has also played its part, keeping the spotlight on those who have suffered horrific injuries, in the course of their duties, and who now strive to rebuild their lives.

There is another category of injured personnel, which harkens back to the First World War – those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. PTSD is not exclusive to those who have been in combat situations. It can affect anyone – military or civilian – who is or perceives themselves to be in a traumatic incident: accident, attack or abuse.

In WW1 it was called ‘Shell Shock’ and in WW2 personnel were sometimes branded as having a ‘Lack of Moral Fibre’. The realities are far more complicated. A range of symptoms includes: hyper-vigilance, mood swings, depression, aggression, anxiety, phobias, an inability to handle changes to routine and flashbacks. PTSD affects not only the service personnel, but also their family, friends and their day-to-day relationships.

In the UK, a charity called Combat Stress, founded in 1919, offers short-stay clinical treatment and community outreach services. They also offer help and advice to the families of Veterans. In the US, there is a National Center for PTSD.

But the very nature of PTSD means that sufferers can often have difficulty recognising their condition and taking the steps to get the help they and their families need.

One person who found his own way forward is a friend of mine, former serviceman Villayat SnowMoon Wolf Sunkmanitu. He was stationed in Northern Ireland and his PTSD went undiagnosed for years. While being supported by Combat Stress, he has also explored his condition through photography and poetry in Words of a Wolf: Poetry of a Veteran, in which he aims to raise awareness of PTSD and encourage other PTSD sufferers and their families to seek help and support.

Some of the funds raised from the sale of the book will go towards financing a national exhibition of poetry and photography with the same aims.

For information about PTSD:

http://www.combatstress.org.uk

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/

http://www.ptsdresolution.org/

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmdfence/424/424we13.htm

Words of a Wolf is available in bookshops and online. Villayat’s blog also features regular pieces about his ongoing journey.

News in Briefs 06/05/12

It was an eventful week in politics as the people of Britain took to the polls once again, even though it was a rather pathetic 32% turnout in the large majority of places. The football season in sport is coming to an end, and we have more idiocy and stupidity from America.

Oh and I enjoyed my trip in Brighton, if anyone was wondering.

Political Oops of the Week

I could go for the easy option and just rip into the fact that the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives were soundly beaten in these local elections, but I’m not going to do that. I’m going to rip into the fact that the Liberal Democrats were beaten in the Edinburgh local elections by a penguin standing six feet tall from Planet Pipe.

His name was Professor Pongoo and he entered the local elections as an independent candidate. But the Liberal Democrats were humiliated when the penguin polled more votes than their party. In fact, Professor Pongoo polled 444 votes, the Lib Dems polled 370, and the Green Party polled 322. Nick Clegg and friends have really fallen from a great height since they entered power in Westminster.

In other news, something utterly hilarious happened as whilst Labour leader Ed Miliband was walking around Southampton, in order to brag how well he has been doing, he was hit on the shoulder by an egg that splattered over his nice new suit. Clearly the message is that you just can’t win when it comes to politics.

The Painful…

This section is brought to us by Italian football this week. Fiorentina manager Delio Rossi was sacked after he beat the living hell out of one of his players.

The incident occurred when he took the Serbian player Adem Ljajic off after 22 minutes. But Adem wasn’t too happy about the Fiorentina manager bringing him off so early so as he walked off he performed an ironic round of applause for his boss’s tactical mastery.

Not going to take this from some scumbag from the former Yugoslavian nation, the Fiorentina manager fell into the bench area and decided to teach him a lesson in pain. Adem was lucky because when his boss was pulled away it looked like he was lining up a punch, and it didn’t look like it was going to be a weak one. But he gained the final victory as the manager was sacked and the Italian press turned in his favour.

…And the Pointless

Have you ever loved a car or motorbike so much that you wanted to have sex with something right after driving it? On a personal note, the answer is never, but for other people I’m not too sure anymore because American Henry Wolf is attempting to sue BMW over this sort of problem.

BMW Bike — Is this the cure for erectile dysfunction?

He’s claiming that a permanent erection has been caused by a motorbike ride through San Francisco, California, which lasted four hours. His main ‘consequence’ according to him is that he is now unable to engage in sexual activity. Now this is quite strange because I would have thought that if you had a permanent erection you would be the perfect person to have regular sexual activity.

For once, the man would be able to outlast the woman!

The so Outrageous that it’s Borderline Hilarious

My first question has to be: “Why is it always the Americans?”

And it really is always the Americans when it comes to crazy, religious, anti-gay nut jobs. The latest anti-gay nut job is a pastor from North Carolina, who preaches at the Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville. Sean Harris recently made headlines when he suggested in a sermon that parents should beat their children for “looking gay”

This anti-gay nut job then went even further by claiming that he was similar to Jesus. Last time I checked, Jesus wasn’t a nice person all the time, but he didn’t preach hatred towards gay people. And I don’t even recall him preaching hatred towards anyone really. He turned a few tables in the temples, but he didn’t really hate them. He was the preacher of love, good, and all of that other wonderful stuff.

Yahweh (God), on the other hand, was the vengeful one. However, I suppose that this is just something that will blow over after a while. This sort of thing never stands up for long. Sean Harris seems like a Westboro Baptist Church wannabe really.

A Positive Outlook for the Week

Do you remember when current French president Nicolas Sarkozy acted like a total douche bag to David Cameron when it came to Europe? And do you also remember the rule of what goes around comes around? I do, and it seems to be true as this time next week he could be out of office. It’s quite funny how arrogant he was with his supermodel girl and his power over all of France, and now the world is watching him squirm.

In other news, the Iranian president Ahmadinejad is apparently falling out of favour in his own country. So could we be looking at the end of another tyrant? Although, you shouldn’t get your hopes up as his replacement will probably be one of those cases where everything gets much worse and we all end up craving for his return.

So maybe next week won’t be so bleak and irritating after all…

Why I’m still Labour

Thirteen years in Government, Blair then Brown, the invasion of two countries (one of which continues to this day), a poor long-term economic policy, two prime ministers bathed in yes-men and an immigration policy that’s allowed 90% of new jobs in 2010 to go to foreign nationals. Yes, there’s certainly a poignant case for never letting Labour look at No. 10 again, let alone ever having the privilege to stroll in. The Labour Government didn’t preside over an era of political perfection, nor did they function like they meant to achieve it – but beyond the atrocities of the era, I find myself a Labour man, through and through more than I ever have.

Since the party’s inception in 1900, Labour have always been the most progressive force in our politics, from creating the National Health Service in a sick post-war Britain to the birth of the welfare state, they’ve provided the most groundbreaking legislation this country has ever had. At worst, Labour has been a principled gang of thieves, at best, a revolutionary mass for social betterment.

I vote Labour because I believe I have an obligation to provide for those who otherwise could not provide for themselves, I believe that the ‘Social Darwinism’ of ‘survival of the fittest’ is not only idiotic but inhumane. I believe a collective society should be compassionate, empathetic and aware of the erratic blows that life can deal, and as a taxpayer, be prepared to pay for those who are hit – knowing I could experience the very same.

I vote Labour because higher taxes don’t particularly bother me. I’m a low earner and a student, but yet I don’t mind paying a bit more knowing that on any whim I can enter my doctor’s and mutter any old random shit, because he’ll listen to me and help, free of charge. I don’t believe that reverting our National Health Service to ‘capitalist values’ of competition between areas will work, because in a competition there’s always a loser. Nobody deserves to be a loser when it comes to their health. Unlike the US, my health ‘insurance’ isn’t risk-assessed, privately owned or adherent to the laws of supply and demand. My well-being is directly supported by my fellow Brits, and I pay to support them in return. Nobody makes a profit or receives a tidy bonus off my desire to be rid of my ailments, and I know Labour is my best bet in keeping it this way.

It’s their priorities too; unlike a sizable section of the Conservative party, Labour doesn’t seem to capitalise as much on emotive subjects like crime and immigration – but rather focus on social mobility and raising standards of living. Yes, I want crime reduced, a safer place to live and a pragmatic immigration policy – but the reality is that prison will never be enough of a deterrent for some people. Despite what some would argue, rehabilitation is key to being proactive in tackling crime; otherwise you continuously rehash angry, hardened criminals without even the effort to address why they don’t become contributing members of society. Labour more often than not mimic my ideas on these issues.

Call it insignificant, but Labour have the largest variety of socio-economic backgrounds in a major political party. Gordon Brown once called the Conservative Party policy something “dreamt up on the playing fields of Eton” – and he wasn’t too far from the truth. 53% of the coalition cabinet were privately educated, something like only 7% of the population have had the privilege to do so, it’s true, the former prime minister didn’t take too much creative license with this one. Pasty-gate and the allegations of cash-for-access on government policies only go to further my disdain for the Tories.

They’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, the previous Government favoured ID Cards and an excess of security cameras that would make ‘1984’ look like a Sunday Lunch, but to support policy areas where I’ll receive the most benefit – I’m sure willing to make concessions.

Do you need a Twitter-sitter?

It appears that some users on social networking site Twitter really do need somebody to watch over them whilst they tweet away. Recent stories in the media have shown at best a lack of common sense from users and at worst a basic lack of human respect for individuals; it’s probably more a mix of both.

With the recent revelations that users on Twitter revealed the name of a rape victim and then proceeded to abuse her over the social network, it means that either people aren’t thinking before they write online, or Twitter and other social networks have become a platform for the most vile people across the world. The victim had already obtained a court order that prevented her from being named, but that didn’t seem to matter to Twitter users. According to reports, the victim’s name was retweeted and tweeted so many times that it was trending over the weekend, meaning it was one of the most talked about things on Twitter at that time. It’s pretty sickening to be honest. I have never once thought of naming somebody on a social network like that, especially somebody who is a victim of such a heinous crime.

Not content with naming the victim, users then went on to abuse her and degrade her further. In my recent article about cyberbullying, this is exactly the type of example I referred to. These users hide behind their keyboard; they write these vile things and then watch when the media hype around the social network increases tenfold. These bullies aren’t school children. A lot of them are grown adults. Grown adults, who you’d think would know better. Clearly not. It’s obvious that instead of employing babysitters for their own children, they need to employ Twitter-sitters so they don’t overstep the mark when taking to the site to tweet their thoughts. Most of these thoughts aren’t even needed anyway.

What needs to be done? Well, obviously this problem won’t be resolved overnight, no problem can be. It’s important that the correct safeguards are put in place, because prosecuting every user who retweets or tweets something that is offensive and illegal would be a logistical nightmare. Ordinary people need to understand that just because they are writing online, they still have to stick to the same laws as in everyday life. The same rules and laws apply, even though it may be through a social network. It is all about basic human understanding, and the vast majority of us respect and abide by the law so why do some of the same users think they don’t have to when they are tweeting?

It’s not clear why these people tweeted or retweeted what they did over the weekend, but it is clear that the authorities and the government are determined to make examples out of them, and that’s a good thing. Whilst legislation is being drawn up and discussed by the government, I think it is important to shine a light on such cases of illegality on social networks, and to make examples of those users who commit offences so that other users can see real life consequences of what happens when something illegal is published on a social network.

The French do politics the ‘British way’, they’re just better at it.

Following the first round of Presidential Elections in France, the world has been bowled over by the once called ‘cowardly’ and ‘inefficent’ people that apparently live there. But stereotypers and column cartoonists might have to put their pencils on hold for what looks like a seismic shift in the way the Frenchies do things: they’re doing it British style.

By far the most extraordinary thing for most in this election is the rise of the third place far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, a curvaceous blonde bombshell who, considering her National Front’s previous fascist personality, has done well in crafting a modern identity for a political movement that epitomises the growing angst amongst the French electorate. Walking clear from a crossfire that’s already claimed the economic lives of Greece, Italy, Spain and Ireland, the French emerge only to see their next door neighbour, Germany, a dustpan and brush in one hand, and a cheque in the other, clearing up a slaughter that at one time threatened to engulf the entire continent. Surprisingly enough, they don’t feel too strongly about following suit, on either side.

Marine Le Pen embodies this Euro-backlash, and a way of thinking that once championed French leadership on the continent is now waiting for the first bus out of town. It’s an alien concept to most Britons, who were never bowled away by the idea of a partnership with European Nations – but who ironically have relished its benefits the most enthusiastically, namely the holidays. “The European countries which did not enter the euro display higher performances than countries in the eurozone for ten years” she says, quoting Eurostat data, “The United Kingdom is not in the eurozone and does not have the least desire to be in it. UK does not tolerate this kind of taking away of its freedom.” Le Pen envisages a France where they can set their own interest rates, have their own currency, control immigration (as opposed to the free movement Schengen-Area) and limit its imports – it’s Nationalism, the kind that tells you it’s ‘for France’ followed by a murmured ‘…just only the white ones’.

Because the fact is, Le Pen’s national front is a lot like the BNP (coincidentally also once called The National Front). It screams national sovereignty as its pillar, despises immigration, supranational organisations, interventionism and is a tad nostalgic – not to mention the small problem of a membership that pans the width of a prison cell. Anyone from closet racists, islamophobics to outright fascists have set their sights on Le Pen as the future of France, and although the party’s mantra isn’t evil in its entirety, France risks political radicalism if incumbent centre-right Sarkozy can’t emulate similar policies to quell his people’s dissatisfaction. Sarkozy and socialist Hollande know the political prize is the votes of the far-right, something that could easily deal the deadly blow to their presidential rival. The question is, who’s willing to appease the most?

UK political extremism is pathetic in comparison. The BNP has more or less flatlined since it first took the national stage, commanding only 1.9% of the 2010 general election ballot, whereas Le Pen has managed a seismic 18.1% – just 9% below the President’s UPM Party. It’s not particularly a good thing by any measure when the far-right emerges so triumphantly as it has in France, but at least we showed them just how bigoted you really can be.

The Wire: Season One Review

To say The Wire beats every other ‘cop show’ in the public domain would be an understatement. It eclipses them in every aspect.

Firstly, we shall state, it is not a ‘cop show’ at all. It is more comparable to a series of books that illustrate exquisitely and in such detail ‘the condition of man in the 21^st century’, through the issues faced by largely poverty-stricken, inner-city Americans.

Each episode opens with an epigraph denoting the crux of that ‘chapter’s’ particular issue.

The producers, HBO, have a penchant for fantastic programming and although the medium of television is saturated with meaningless, shallow offal, HBO often deliver quality. Their flagship shows like The Sopranos and Six Feet Under display this and The Wire in some aspects outclasses even them.

The term Greek Tragedy is applicable to the show. It deviates from what America and the UK regularly seek for amusement. This is due to the belief of the writers (in particular David Simon) that life is a tragedy and viewing it as such holds power; the power to grant perspective and inspire honesty.

Largely down to the commitment of the writing, directing and casting teams, this show erupts beyond the confinements of contemporary entertainment.

To exemplify this we need look no further than the show’s head writer David Simon. A former reporter for the Baltimore Sun, he knows the city in which the series is set. The importance of honesty and realism are clear from the dialectal nuances in the script writing, imperfect characters, inclusion of real ‘ex-players’ from Baltimore in the cast, flawless cinematography and phenomenal soundtrack.

A quote from Simon himself illuminates us as to the core themes of the show:

‘The point of view is middle-management, and labour is diminished and the institution is paramount.’

Now we have context, we can move onto the specifics of season one. The preliminary response to the first episode may well be, ‘too many characters’ or ‘Christ that was dry’. If you have never watched it before and have those feelings after the first episode, DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM.

A large part of the show’s appeal is the plethora of characters presented to you. Being spoon-fed stereotypes happens far too often so when a show credits the viewer with being intelligent enough to invest and infer things about characters it is not only refreshing but rewarding.

In short, season one introduces us to the Baltimore Police department and a successful drug dealing racket. The focus within the police department in this series is directed towards a detail, headed by Lieutenant Cedric Daniels, with the primary investigators being Detective Jimmy McNulty and Detective Kima Greggs. The unit was set up after said drug racket beat a murder trial for one of its mid-level workers. This character’s name is D’Angelo Barksdale, he is nephew to the boss, Avon Barksdale who works alongside lifelong friend Russell ‘Stringer’ Bell.

We follow closely the two characters of D’angelo Barksdale and Lt. Daniels as the show cleverly draws parallels between them. The similarity is striking and thought provoking in that it rubbishes typical good guy, bad guy standpoints via the twinned pressures Barksdale and Daniels face.

Throughout the season Daniels is subject to the morally conflicting demands of his investigators, especially McNulty who represents the disillusioned, unstable labourer, and his politically driven superiors, Major Rawles and Deputy Ops Burrel.

Similarly, Barksdale is faced with opposing stresses. He must school and do right by his younger dealers such as Wallace, Bodie and Poot to ensure smooth business. However the hierarchy sends down confusing orders which compromise the already wavering morality of D’Angelo.

As a result, D’Angelo’s story is the most intriguing. Departing pearls of wisdom to his underlings such as an explanation of labour in America using a McNugget analogy and outlining how trapped all players in ‘the game’ are utilising a chessboard; he captivates you as a viewer.

Chess:

Mr. McNugget:

We are given multiple other fascinating characters to follow including an addict and police informant named Bubbles. His daily strife on the streets adds to the already incredible sense of place and supplies a terrifically tangible perspective of the game.

Bubbles fishing:

Other ancillary characters such as Freamon, Herc, Carver, Pryzbylewski, Bunk for the police further the feel of the politically motivated department in their own exciting ways. One character who could not go without a mention though is homosexual stick-up boy Omar Little.

Omar’s profession of robbing drug dealers means he is not only dangerous but incredibly likeable. His morality and ‘code’ of living are dubious but respectable, as is his intellectual prowess in planning robberies and setting up those he dislikes. He is affected markedly by the actions of others, in particular Barksdale’s organisation; his story is another of great profoundness.

Omar comin’!:

All of the characters not elaborated upon are spectacular in their own right and only by watching will the message truly embed itself in your mind.

‘The Wire’ season one is compelling and leaves one with an insatiable appetite for more. It is simply a beautiful work of art and one with a vital message.

No wonder it is studied at Harvard.

http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/spotlight/civil-rights/ogletree-race-and-justice-the-wire.html