In the The Jam’s 1980 track Going Underground, song writer Paul Weller wrote:-
You’ve made your bed, you’d better lie in it
You choose your leaders and place your trust
As their lies wash you down and their promises rust
You’ll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns
And the public wants what the public gets
But I don’t get what this society wants
I’ve thought of these words often since Friday’s inauguration of the new US President. The lyrics, that were penned over 36 years ago, are clearly not referring to the new Commander in Chief of America. However, in some ways they mirror my confusion about the goings on in America since that historic day.
As I’ve written previously, I personally don’t support either of the main political parties here in the UK, or indeed the US. Even if I did have a US preference, it would be pointless as I couldn’t vote in the land of milk and honey anyway.
For what my opinion is worth, I reckon it doesn’t bode well how Trump, in the red corner, has started the bout against his opponents. He has started the fight tenaciously, as expected, regularly landing (or should that be removing?) a few rights.
His opponents are by no means up against the ropes, having landed a couple of uppercuts themselves with the help of good footwork. However, like Foggy Dewhurst in the BBC comedy Last of the Summer Wine, the septuagenarian is a stubborn guy who refuses to be side tracked from his hair-brained schemes.
That being said, Foggy Dewhurst’s ideas tended to revolve around eccentric geriatric escapades with his friends in tin baths. Donald J Trump’s schemes aren’t quite as tame as putting Compo and Clegg at risk with adventures of bathroom furniture tomfoolery.
He’s the unpredictable man with the nuclear codes and a dislike of anyone questioning his opinion. Coming to think of it, he has more in common with me than I thought…… Well, apart from the nuclear code possession!
Trump’s spokesman has already been in trouble with allegedly misleading his audience earlier in the week. Apparently, he misled his wife that it wasn’t him that had scratched her Hillary Clinton Fitness & Self-Righteousness Workout DVD.
Is his spokesman a liar? To be honest I’ve no idea, I don’t even know what the real ‘porky’ is that he allegedly told……. Yes, surprisingly, it was a lie by me about him lying to his wife about scratching his wife’s workout DVD…… This passing of non-truths appears to be catching!
Less than a week into the new presidency, I’m already tired of the sideshows surrounding Trump and his opponents. Of course, I should be interested in what’s going on in the US politically, after all, it has a knock on effect to us all globally.
When Paul Weller wrote the line “But I don’t get what this society wants.” in 1980, he spoke for how disillusioned I currently feel witnessing the US political situation.
I’m by no means advocating Trump as the answer to the US’s problems. However, as far as I know this wasn’t a coup d’etat, it was a democratic election won within the rules of the current US election system.
My confusion lays with not understanding what the voting public in the US, along with the UK (who similarly protested after the Brexit vote) are seeking.
It seems to me, nowadays there is a growing number of people for whom democracy is only an acceptable system if their side wins; making a mockery of the whole electoral system.
There are without doubt some very contentious issues that need resolving, but is it not the case these protests are too little too late? Are they actions akin to ‘closing the stable door after the horse has bolted’? Or the sabre rattling actions that will lead to the resolution of their grievances?
I don’t have the answers, they aren’t rhetorical questions. I’ll leave the debating of those conundrums to the academics and old Ted from Ainsley Scragg Working Mens Club.
Right, I’m off to slalom down Temple Newsam bank in a shower tray with Foggy Dewhurst!
