I believe we are at a crucial point in history and my conscience tells me it is my duty to alert people to the various things I refer to in my blog. It’s not easy finding the right path to tread between being agreeable and potentially causing offence by calling a spade a spade. What is most effective and what does my conscience permit? I am sorry if I appear arrogant but I think the UK-US military industrial complex has killed millions for the sake of profit and we, as a society duped and drugged by the mainstream media, are sleepwalking into further horror, including global environmental catastrophe.

On this subject, I have just watched this powerful DVD: http://www.johnpilger.com/videos/the-war-you-dont-see-trailer

Any neighbour reading this who wants to borrow it is welcome to do so. I think most intelligent and open-minded people with a humanitarian outlook who support the actions of the UK and US military and who believe we have an effective free press will revise their opinions after having seen it.

Eric – Off course I know about all your good works and postive contributions to society. Also as a former director of the Community Woodland Association I am also well aware of the injustices over the distribution of land holdings in Scotland and the commentators you mention. My main point is about learning to accept the views of others and to work constructively with people even when you don’t necessarily agree with them on certain issues (e.g. look what several decades of conflict and entrenched views did for Northern Ireland with neither side able to understand or empathise with the other – then look at what happened when they started to work constructively together).

Why not get involved in a project with your neighbours though Eric ? That’s how real local resiliance can be nutured at a community level (not through emphasising divisions but through focusing on areas of common interest). You must accept that you won’t change the views of certain people (the debate on the monarchy has been going on for the last 1000 years or so with ni clear conclusion !) Why not find the common ground in the community and channel it into something positive (e.g. transition town model) where everyone can contribute according to their skills – middle class,educated (like yourself) professionals or not.

Regretably perhaps it’s usually the middle class communities who have the skills, contacts and confidence to get things done – though you’ll be quick to point out that this isn’t necessarily always the case (I know this through 2 decades of facilitating community projects – in all types of communities).

Enough; I won’t change your views either most likely and should accept the differences !

Of course I understand your point of view, and I used to share it. However, there is no evidence that economic growth (contributed to, you argue, by the royal family) has benefited the poorest in society and there is a huge body of opinion that maintains that unequal distribution of land is a major source of inequality. Much of this land is owned by those who have inherited it and/or wealth in other forms, and much of the land was originally taken from the people who lived there in the course of the clearances (Scotland) and enclosures (England). (I suggest you look at the writing of Lesley Riddoch, Andy Wightman or Antonia Swinson in this regard.) The extended royal family still own much of this land.

As to getting involved in community projects, I am a mite offended that you assume I am not involved in such things! (We have known each other long enough!) Of course, the question is, ‘What do you class as a community?’ If you are restricting me to my immediate neighbours (a relatively well-to-do middle-class area) then I am probably not involved, but that does not mean I am unwilling or unfriendly. If you widen it a bit, then, yes, I am involved in several projects. Two of these are overlapping (Community Crops in Pots and another nascent food-growing/food co-operative group based a few minutes’ cycle away).

If you spent any time looking at items on my blog you would also see that I put huge time and energy into campaigning for a better society and against the very powerful community-destroying forces of the banks etc. (One of my projects is the Scottish Synergy Salon, designed to bring together creative thinkers from various backgrounds.) You cannot be unaware of my books? My novel is an attempt to tackle the issues at the root of societal problems, and Disruptive led to me joining the Cross-Party Group on Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. The sexual abuse of children is a huge destroyer of lives and communities (indeed, many prisoners are survivors of childhood sexual abuse) and, through supporting Angela and others, I would like to think that I am contributing to combating it. Disruptive formed the basis for a civil case against Nottinghamshire County Council and we shall soon be announcing the amount Angela Bayley is suing them for. (They have already made an offer to settle.) We are hoping that the ensuing publicity will bring the book to the attention of many people touched by the issue and that it will be of considerable help to them. (It has been praised by various experts.)

In summary, I feel I am doing what I can to defend, build and promote community. I don’t think a ‘Republican territory’ sign in my garden caused significant damage to the local community and I hope that this blog may actually open some eyes to the underlying societal problems that we ignore at our peril (and certainly the next generation’s). I am dismayed by your apparent implication that I am wrong to try to raise awareness of underlying problems. I can only assume that this is not what you meant. We shall have to agree to differ on the overall impact of the royal family on UK society. I think it is stultifying at best and certainly cruel to the individuals involved.

Finally, yes of course I applaud the community-building intentions and efforts of the organisers. I thought I had made this clear elsewhere, but if not let me make it clear now. I have also stated that it wasn’t apparent to me that it wasn’t an explicitly royalist event. (Actually I am rather pleased that I did not know this because the outcome of my sign has been, I hope, an opportunity to raise and debate important issues.)

I think it is great that people take the effort ot organise community events which can build social cohension and break down barriers in a fragmented society. These people should be applauded; it can often be a thankless task and usually the people who do complain are the ones who are not prepared to actively participate within their own local community (bah..humbug !). Should it not then be entirely appropriate that you get actively involved in the organisation of the next local event (presumably with a less controversial political theme) and work with some of the good spirited local residents (even though they might not share your political views) ? e.g a local clean up day or environmental improvement project followed by a BBQ and street ceildh to boost social cohension.

Playing the Devil’s advocate again I would suggest that (as a Scot now living in another EU country) that there is a huge (largely positive) interest in the British monarchy internationally as part of the make up of and identity of the UK. If nothing else (and being quite hard nosed about it) this must generate a huge amount of revenue in terms of tourism which would no doubt go a substantial way to balancing the costs to UK taxpayers of supporting the institution (though admittedly this money might not go to some of the people who might benefit most from it). How many tourists for example come to Berlin to see former President Wolfs residence ? (not many I supsect). Perhaps it would be interesting to see some actually and accurate figures highlighting economic and social beneifts of the Monarchy to the UK (and Scotland) verses support costs.

Without wanting to sound too critical we do need to be careful to avoid the “holier than thou” mentality which suggests that some people might know better than others (or are more equal than others in the case of Napoleon from George Orwell’s Animal Farm). One of the crucial indicators of a democratic and mature society is that it can accept differences in oppinion – this needs to be the case on both sides of the argument.

Finally and being somewhat flippant – picking up on the theme of manipulation by vested interests – on your blog (half way down) I find an interative add for “Sizzling Hot Gametwist” which appears to be promoting and endorsing online gambling (presumably others may see some different advertising depending on location). Inevitably anybody using digital media will, most likely and unintentionally, end up promoting commercial services which they don’t fully endorse; especially in the day’s when social networking sites are floated on the stockmarket.

We live in a grossly unequal society with a political and economic system that is widening this inequality, bringing environmental catastrophe and breaking down communities the world over (ref. the concept of psychosocial dislocation as referred to by Bruce K. Alexander). Street parties on the day in question were portrayed by the mainstream media as evidence of support for the status quo. Rightly or wrongly, I also saw them that way and, aware of the way that the royal family are integral to the establishment and its hugely destructive effect on people and the environment, felt compelled to raise my head about the parapet slightly and show that not everyone was a loyal subject. Yes, I understand now that that was not how you saw the party and, yes, it may seem a bit strange to be supportive of communities but choose not to participate in a community event, but I was looking at it from a different point of view.

I see this blog as potentially making some people aware of things they were possibly not aware of before, and in that hope I shall not remove this blog entry. If it attracts some readers who discover some aspect of the injustices perpetrated by our present socio-economic order, and take some action to make things better then it will have been worthwhile! (…And, you, by organising the party and therefore giving me a platform for raising a small voice of dissent, will have helped!)

It would be terrific if people found at least something on one of these pages interesting or inspiring:

BBC must allow the truth a voice: social mobility can only come from greater equality

occupy free radicals
Empowering people in fun ways to make the world better!

Of love, litter, ordure and Occupy (oh, and Bob Dylan’s alleged plagiarism) – Valentine’s Day musing

I am a citizen, not a consumer.

http://tiny.cc/scotmidbank

http://tiny.cc/moneynonsense

“Patriotism” is exploited by the super-rich for their own ends (and this blog entry of mine might interest you – please follow-up on the links). My conscience compels me to raise awareness of such issues. I do hope you will at least have an open-minded look at John Pilger’s site and/or Medialens.

I care deeply about the state of the world, and I refuse to turn a blind eye to injustice.