Divided We Fall (1/2) By Lee Cassanell

(1/2), (2/2).

"The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them" Karl Marx

So Tony Blair's pledge to end poverty has taken a kick in the teeth after the news that 300,000 (or 200,000 or 100,000 depending on which paper or website you read) more children have slipped below the line. The Church is up in arms, The Daily Mail is calling for an immediate change to a Conservative government and rumour has it the ghost of Karl Marx has been seen haunting the House of Commons toilets.

Now you all know my views already, the British nation as a whole is a ridiculous facade built on the bones of the peasant classes and ruled by a select network of landed gentry, arms dealers, oil barons, media tycoons and private club members and the system is so old and rigid that only a revolution of epic proportions can dismantle the hierarchy and instigate long over due change in our society.

Of course, that's probably never going to happen. These days if there are four people in the room plotting anything against the powers that be chances are one of them is working for the government, the room has been bugged and the other three will be charged on some obscure 17th century law that forbids more then two men sporting a moustache from discussing any kind of activism unless they are all wearing hats. Then again, I'm sure that's nothing more than weed-fuelled paranoia on my part, I mean, being a drug addled, social misfit and all, it stands to reason that I would say that and therefore my opinion is worthless and invalid.

I'd have to have a degree in Law, Politics or Economics from one of the better universities in order for my theories to be taken seriously ... maybe become an MP who, as we all know, are characters of outstanding moral fibre and wise judgement who govern and make decisions on behalf of the people as a whole, not just for the wealthy and powerful who funded their rise to the top and were, quite deservedly, rewarded with a life time peerage in the House of Lords.

This whole fucking charade of democracy and equality is obvious to anyone with a grain of intelligence but people don't want to see it, they push it into the blind spot between their eyes and even those in the art community, the traditional flag bearers of defiance, no longer have the balls or inclination to strike a blow in the name of common sense. Bands and Singers piss me off the most as it seems the idea of writing a protest song is all too quaint and below their talent.

Neil Young said he wrote his last anti-war album because he was shocked and disgusted that the younger generation of musicians were so disinterested and unwilling to choose a side and fight a cause. He's right. These days it seems that serious issues have to have a comical twist and everyone is happy to play the middle ground.

Continued... Next page (2/2).

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