And What is Being Given Up…

Posted by Alex on January 27, 2010, 03:09 PM | #

It is not at all coincidental that it is amongst the former major centers of the British Empire that the ideology of cheap labor and institutionalized division (aka Multi-Culturalism) is centered upon and emenating from.    Having taken the position from the Portuguese, Spanish, and French before them, the British Empire in the late 18th and early 19th centuries dominated the global trade in slaves.  It was from the relative few, though powerful elites, of those centers of the Empire that came up with the new more virulent and incredibly destructive form of slavery, called cheap labor.

Posted by Alex on January 27, 2010, 03:14 PM | #

I should add that those extremely self centered few doing this by diktat should have been overthrown long ago.

Posted by Guessedworker on January 27, 2010, 03:55 PM | #

It’s the ineffable lightness of (small b) being in the postmodern age I’m afraid, Alex.  If we make materialism and consumerism our gods we receive licence, anomie and superciliousness in return - accompanied on occasion, it must be said, by the flight into insignificant faithisms like anti-racism and born-again Christianity for those who want to experience not the pleasures of materialism and consumerism but the pleasure of castigating them.  Or castigating something.  Or someone.  Anyway.

Seriously, these are the fruits of anomie, and the source is to be found far back in our social history, when the switch from agrarianism to industialisation and urbanisation occurred.  Add to that the violent social rupture of two world wars, a long and embittering class-war and, latterly, culture war and the cultural shock of race-replacement immigration and one grasps the enormity of the psychological dissonance we all carry in our selves.

There is no quick fix.  There is only the sensing of the direction to look for a better seedbed in which future Europeans might grow.

Posted by Englander on January 27, 2010, 04:29 PM | #

I’m puzzled by why this particular video was chosen.

Posted by Desmond Jones on January 27, 2010, 06:21 PM | #

Man accumulates property and bequeaths it to his children, so that
the children of the rich have an advantage over the poor in the race
for success, independently of bodily or mental superiority. On the
other hand, the children of parents who are short-lived, and are
therefore on an average deficient in health and vigour, come into
their property sooner than other children, and will be likely to marry
earlier, and leave a larger number of offspring to inherit their
inferior constitutions. But the inheritance of property by itself is
very far from an evil; for without the accumulation of capital the
arts could not progress; and it is chiefly through their power that
the civilised races have extended, and are now everywhere extending
their range, so as to take the place of the lower races. Nor does
the moderate accumulation of wealth interfere with the process of
selection. When a poor man becomes moderately rich, his children enter
trades or professions in which there is struggle enough, so that the
able in body and mind succeed best. The presence of a body of
well-instructed men, who have not to labour for their daily bread,
is important to a degree which cannot be over-estimated; as all high
intellectual work is carried on by them, and on such work, material
progress of all kinds mainly depends, not to mention other and
higher advantages. No doubt wealth when very great tends to convert
men into useless drones, but their number is never large; and some
degree of elimination here occurs, for we daily see rich men, who
happen to be fools or profligate, squandering away their wealth.

Descent of Man [ 1871 ]
Charles Darwin
Chapter V - On the Development of the Intellectual and Moral Faculties

Posted by Alex on January 28, 2010, 04:47 PM | #

No particular reason, Englander, other than that the two persons in the clip struck me as quite a handsome couple, the woman being of an exceptional beauty.  The bright, crisp, Kodachrome film stock helped too, in the picking of that video.

Posted by Alex on January 28, 2010, 04:56 PM | #

Great point GW about psychological dissonance.    There is certainly a great deal of that around.

Posted by Bill on January 28, 2010, 05:33 PM | #

Alex on January 28, 2010, 08:47 PM

No particular reason, Englander, other than that the two persons in the clip struck me as quite a handsome couple

Do you mind me asking what were you searching for?  IOW’s what were you doing there?

I’ve run this film sequence through several times trying to gauge what era it is.  (I thought it might be the sixties)  It was only then I noticed that the dwell time on any one scene (sometimes repeated) is barely a second.  I had to stop, it was disorientating me.

1970’s?

Posted by Alex on January 28, 2010, 06:03 PM | #

Bill, just listening to music videos on you-tube, and I happened to come across it.  It is most likely of the mid to latter 1980’s.

Posted by DRS on January 28, 2010, 06:15 PM | #

Swing Out Sister… that was the name of a group?

I was under the impression that was the name of one of those “natural look” bras.

Posted by Englander on January 28, 2010, 06:42 PM | #

It’s definitely from the late 80s. It has that slick look and sound unique to the period. Very Thatcher-era London.

Posted by Bill on January 29, 2010, 12:41 PM | #

Alex on January 28, 2010, 10:03 PM

just listening to music videos on you-tube, and I happened to come across it.  It is most likely of the mid to latter 1980’s.

Thanks for that - just wondered.

Going on from there, what route got you from there to here?

BTW, this clip attracted over 200 comments, one of which seems to say the date as 1987.

Is this what they call cosmopolitan?  I’m from the sticks.

Posted by Fred Scrooby on January 29, 2010, 01:27 PM | #

”BTW, this clip attracted over 200 comments, one of which seems to say the date as 1987.  Is this what they call cosmopolitan?  I’m from the sticks.”  (—Bill)

Bill, their group has an entry at Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Out_Sister .

I well remember their hit “Breakout” on MTV here in the ‘80s, an unusual number for MTV at that time, because of its “jazzy” sort of sound, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrDV9DCEcpI .

Posted by Alex on January 29, 2010, 02:52 PM | #

Bill, presumably you mean how did I end up visiting Majority Rights?    Well, some time back I’d stopped believing the lies and while doing reading on the internet I came across this site.  It has always struck me as being quite well run and I was impressed with much of the content.

Posted by Lurker on January 29, 2010, 03:06 PM | #

Yep, Swing Out Sister, thats them, mid to late ‘80s.

The girl was Polish - great haircut, the guys in the band were English.

Posted by Lurker on January 29, 2010, 03:14 PM | #

They were aiming for a ‘60s look but the vehciles in the vid are a giveaway. Of course the Austin/Fairway FX4 cab is an old design but the other stuff…

Another clue - also the Houses of Parliament were jetwashed in the early ‘80s. I was quite shocked the first time I saw the work in progress. Those buildings had been virtually black since the industrial revolution and I grew up withm being filthy. Look at any pre ‘80s film/TV/picture.

Posted by Bill on January 29, 2010, 03:39 PM | #

Alex on January 29, 2010, 06:52 PM

Bill, presumably you mean how did I end up visiting Majority Rights?

Not quite.  Reading and re-reading your post, I’m intrigued as to how you got from tapping your feet viewing this video clip to tapping your keyboard to compose a post here, what filter process were you using?  What prompted you to enquire their politics?

In fact what gave you the idea to post about them?

Am I missing something here? 

Engage in conversation with this vibrant (very in term) young couple, (perhaps not so young now) would they know what you are talking about?  (MR-wise)

I think you would get a very puzzled look.  OTOH, they might just scream racist.

The London sky-line looks very different today.

Perhaps food for thought on a future post, what about the role Margaret Thatcher and her keyboard player Big Ron - contributed in kicking it all off?  Or at least giving it a big shove.

1980’s?  Suggests maybe your nearer 50 than 40.

Our civilisation has taken such a hammering since WWII, it is not surprising the fruits of anomie have been harvested within the span of a single lifetime.

Posted by Fred Scrooby on January 29, 2010, 07:27 PM | #

“The girl was Polish”  (—Lurker)

Her Wikipedia bio doesn’t mention that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinne_Drewery .

Posted by Lurker on January 29, 2010, 09:49 PM | #

Fred, you’re right!

Thats what comes of dredging up 20+ year old memories without thinking. Had to ponder for a moment…on reflection I was thinking of this group. They looked, dressed and sounded very similar to SOS. Here’s a pic, there’s the Polish bird, Basia in the middle. I note wiki doesnt lump them together but, back in the day, the music press/listeners often put them in the same niche.

Posted by Fr. John on January 31, 2010, 10:25 PM | #

I dunno. I really, really LIKED the sound of this group back in the day. As well as Basia, though her sound was much more ‘reedy’ and ‘nasal.’ But the first album? Now I hear it as Muzak…. how time flies.

I actually thought the ‘80’s were a breath of fresh air, after the disco era, and the hippies. THen out came grunge, punk,Cobain et al. and Reagan and Thatcher were no more, and we were back in a morass of guilt tripping over AIDS deaths, and Rock Hudson dying, etc.

I liked the fluff and ‘pop music’ actually.

Posted by Irish Anti-Commie on February 03, 2010, 02:01 PM | #

This is from Elvis Costello’s Oliver’s Army.

Hong Kong is up for grabs
London is full of Arabs
We could be in Palestine
Overrun by a Chinese line
With the boys from the Mersey and the Thames and the Tyne

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Oliver’s-Army-lyrics-Elvis-Costello/10B0BB2F9597FDE9482568AF00206026

The lyric below is from the Smiths in the 80’s.

A rush and a push and the land that
We stand on is ours
It has been before
So it shall be again
And people who are uglier than you and I
They take what they need, and just leave

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/the-smiths/a-rush-and-a-push-and-the-land-is-ours.html

Posted by Alex on February 03, 2010, 02:43 PM | #

Err, Bill, generally you write great stuff but I think you’re reading a bit too much into the post.  I posted that to accompany the post just prior about beauty alone justifying conservation, and as can be readily seen, the singer Drewery is quite a beautiful woman with a wonderful voice, and probably a beautiful soul to accompany all that…though like a good many most likely a bit misguided at this time.  And yes, amongst quite a few other bands I enjoy, I do happen to like the music of SOS…as do plenty of other personages.

In life as we all do, sometimes I see or come across things of wonderment, and seeing these things destroyed or given up for what (in reality) is the worst of reasons (as I described) can be rather disturbing to say the least.  I’d just written and placed the ‘beauty alone justifies conservation’ post, and saw that almost ethreal video of the lead singer of SOS and her fellow band member, and I thought it would make for an appropriate accompanying piece.

As for particular choices of what to not post, or what to post…well, ultimately, why post about anything?

I’m not Alex Linder if that has anything to do with your concerns.

Posted by Bill on February 03, 2010, 05:24 PM | #

Alex on February 03, 2010, 06:43 PM

I think you’re reading a bit too much into the post.

I’m regret my curiosity leads you to say that, as it was far from my intention, I clicked on the video and couldn’t figure the thrust of it.

A vibrant couple, seemingly very much a part of each other (but we don’t know that) carefree, oblivious to all around them, all the time accompanied by the voiceover of the female singing to a modern (to me) jazz tune.

I must confess to not having seen or heard of the couple nor-really understood what it was all about.

I suppose it is what is known today as a video promotion.

I now see, due to your replies to me, what it was all about.  Thank you.

I’m of a generation that is lost in the confusion of modernism, my SOS was Elvis and steam railways, all a long time ago.

My life-time visits to London can be counted on one hand, the first being a rail journey from the West of England on a renowned steam hauled express.  I was en route to keeping an appointment with HM forces to commence my two year stint of National Service.  Mid 1950’s.

I can remember marvelling at the complexities of the underground and the caricatured bowler hatted gentlemen - carrying brief case and brolly.

Another occasion we travelled down in a 1950 Ford Anglia, my work colleague and his wife, I had won two cup final tickets, Manchester United v Leicester City 1963.

We lads went to the match, the wives visited the sights.  My colleague was a Leicester City supporter, Leicester lost 3-1.  Players remembered Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law, and a youthful Gordan Banks.

My colleague’s wife was peed on by a lion at London zoo.

The Swinging Sixties past me by, life had other priorities like a mortgage and two kids.

So you see why I had difficulties connecting the dots of your post.

All of my life’s interests has been the countryside and its marvels.  Beauty abounds in the same way as you talk about, beauty of countryside, birds, animals, clouds, green patchwork quilts, new mown hay and peeling bells - lots more, all in danger.

I do not know the answers.

So Alex, don’t be too defensive, trust me, my curiosity was genuine.

Some think this chap’s mad.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/7147870/Prince-of-Wales-I-was-accused-of-being-enemy-of-the-Enlightenment.html

Posted by Alex on February 25, 2010, 05:12 PM | #

As just about always you post something quite insightful with your posts, Bill…and I can only hope my entries at this site are as half as interesting at yours.    So yes, I am not one of those that has ‘an angst’ towards the English, nor the people of the US, nor I’d certainly like to think with anyone else, and no one has a reason to be concerned with my posts…well, except I suppose for those that push the cult/ideology of Multi-Culturalism   The video was picked, if for any reason, as a positive tribute to the English people.    As with a great many in the US England counts for a fair proportion of my heritage, my people coming to North America certainly during the mid 17th century and very possibly (having a somewhat unusual surname that is seen in England) as early as the Second Supply at Jamestown in about 1610, as someone with that name was there.  Thanks for your understanding and please keep your entries at this site coming, Bill.    I think I can speak for a great many that we certainly do get a great deal from them.