Y’all paying attention?

There’s a lot one can fault with the USA’s political and governmental processes, the most glaring being the so called ‘fillibuster’. It grants far far too much power and influence to small groups of legislatures in Federal and State Congresses in their ability to effectively ‘talk down’ proposed legislation. On the other hand, who doesn’t love being an opportunistic hypocrite from time to time with recent events in Texas in mind?

Would you trust a man who brings a gun out in public?

Seems everyone’s ‘favourite’ sitting Republican Governor (Texas), Rick Perry (above), has been attempting to once again curtail reproductive and women’s rights. A bill proposed in the Texas state congress sought to do such a feat:

1. Ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy

– This is simply an attempt to gradually curtail the abortion timescale as far as possible for the sake of curtailing it. 9 in 10 abortions occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in the USA. Most of those late-term abortions are due to complications and mothers becoming aware of disabilities of the child.

2. Require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospital.

– You may think this is reasonable enough, but not many hospitals in the state of Texas would allow admitting privileges for doctors on these grounds given how often the religious-right would set out to disrupt and harass hospital officials.

3. Limit abortions to surgical centers.

– This would effectively reduce abortion centres in Texas from around 67 (in 2008) to a mere handful. In the second most populous and second largest geographical state in the union this would be an unmitigated disaster.

A brilliant video addressing abortion in the USA (above)

Thankfully though, help was at hand. Wendy Davis, Democratic Texas state Senator from the 10th district embarked upon a heroic 11 hour filibuster. See I can be an opportunistic hypocrite at times. Ms Davis, you’re a hero to the ‘folks’ in Things Can Only Get Better!

Davis, triumphant!

Sadly, ‘pro-life’ Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, a man who recently oversaw Texas’ 500th (and I think his own 250th) execution, has called for a special sitting of the Senate just so the bill can be passed. My feelings to this particular instance can be eloquently explained here.

Not one of Perry’s finest moments (above).

But this constant attack on reproductive and women’s rights goes beyond mere Texas. The fight between pro-choice and ‘pro-life’/anti-choice is seen by those on the latter side of the argument to be a fight between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ and an affront to their god. The thing is, abortion rates are at their lowest rate since Roe vs. Wade in 1973 (from a high of 29.1 abortions per 1000 women aged 15-44 in 1981 to 19.4 abortions per 1000 women aged 15-44 in 2007). And this is primarily because medicine and contraception have progressed and have greater availability. It’s non-profit organisations such as Planned Parenthood have led this charge for sexual health and awareness. This is an organisation which receives much ridicule and criticism from supposedly ‘pro-life’ advocates, despite the actions and campaigns to reduce unwanted pregnancies in the first place.

Here’s the thing ‘pro-life’ supporters. If you oppose abortion and at the same time oppose contraceptives and comprehense sex education then you’re supporting a world where women die at the hands of unprepared and ill-equipped back alley abortion clinics.

MAX

Weekly Update #010

We’d like to wish a Happy 72nd Birthday to Ken Clarke, current Minister without Portfollio. Clarke has held a vast number of Cabinet Positions throughout his long career. He was Health Secretary under Thatcher, Education and Home Secretary and then Chancellor under Major and Justice Secretary under Cameron. Clarke has run for the Conservative party leadership on three occasions; 1997, 2001 and 2005. He is well known for his enjoyment of cigars, Jazz and motor racing and Clarke is one of the longest consecutive serving MPs of all time, first becoming an MP in 1970.

Today also marks the 49th anniversary of Lyndon B. Johnson (Nash’s favourite US President) signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The bill was originally called for by John F. Kennedy back in June 1963. It was only after Kennedy’s assassination did the proposal gain any traction. Once enacted the legislation outlawed major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and women. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public. Less than 45 years later America was able to celebrate having its very first African-American President, in part thanks to Johnson’s work.

Johnson signing the historic legislation.

Links to the Multiverse

Stuff my Guinea Pig does – Fangirliness and squeeing.

The spirit of ’45: a flawed but powerful message for contemporary politics – Notes from a Broken Society.

‘This Misterie of Fucking’: A sex manual from 1680 – Benjamen Breen, Jezebel.

Revealed: The Tory Taliban’s Toxic Timetable – Labour List.

10 Signs You’re Having Your Quarter Life Crisis – Jessica Misener, Buzzfeed.

Labour history uncut: Labour wins the one to lose in 1929 – Pete Goddard and Atul Hatwal, Labour Uncut.

Why Tenant Blacklisting Is A Recipe For Abuse – Johnny Void, the void.

Nash hasn’t written anything this week. He’s been moving house.

The Last Post: Chapter Five

AN ALTERNATE HISTORY by NASH

“The Last Post” is a counter-factual, or “alternate history” scenario. It is published in weekly instalments here on Things Can Only Get Better. It is a work of fiction, of speculation, and of a certain amount of wish fulfilment. All quotes and references are “in-universe”.

Previous chapters are indexed here.

Chapter Five: Negotiation

8^th May 2010

It’s gone off the bullsh*t density detector!

I haven’t had the best weekend already. First the realisation that if I hadn’t cocked up my course I would’ve finished my final school placement on Friday. Then we have Ed Miliband pushing me the closest I have ever come to burning my Labour party membership card. But something topped all of that yesterday.

Now I recognise that there’s little chance of this coming to fruition, but it’s times like this that makes me realise that Cameron still does represent the ‘moderate’ wing of the Conservative party. Turns out that backbench Conservative MPs have drawn up an “Alternative Queen’s Speech“. There are a fair few aspects to this “Alternative Queen’s Speech” which I’ll trawl through:

1. Gay Marriage referendum.

This is a proposal popular with many Conservative backbenchers and is so stupid on so many levels. Simply because the proposal didn’t appear in any major party manifesto many MPs have been clambering for a referendum. I’m just curious where their similar requests are for a referendum on the NHS top-down reorganisation? Must’ve fallen off the cliff with their recent shift to the right.

2. Bring back capital punishment

To a degree, I have already covered this, but I’ll have another crack. First, there’s absolutely no evidence to show that it’d act as a deterrent with many capital punishment states in the USA having higher homicide rates than non-capital punishment states. On a far more philosophical note, I don’t believe in having a judicial system that’s based on revenge. If you deem it appropriate to kill someone simply because they killed someone else, that ain’t “justice” (a term I have my own problems with, though I wont open that kettle of fish now) that’d be revenge.

3. Abolishing the department of Energy and Climate Change

Again, this is stupid on so many levels. Just read this and go sit in a corner with a Dunce hat on.

Dunce hat! NOW!

4. Changing the August bank-holiday to ‘Margaret Thatcher day’

If we haven’t set up a bank holiday for Churchill, with the long list of favourable historical revisionism and cherry-picking by modern “historians”on his premiership, then why should Thatcher get get a look-in? And then why not Attlee, my own personal favourite post-war Prime Minister?

Yes, the proposed measures will probably not pass, but it doesn’t mean I’m not worried. And yes, I have taken a rather broad stroke at this news story. But, the new 2010 intake of Conservative MPs have established a reputation for independence from the frontbench and being a tad more right-wing than the Cabinet. My worry is the possible chance of a Conservative majority come 2015 with the recent shift to the right.

Sometimes I despair for humanity.

MAX

But clearly, it’s just plain common sense…

In the past two years, two words have done nothing more to rile me up into an eye-twitchingly state of annoyance. Yes, you’ve probably guessed it, the eye-wateringly painfully vague “common sense”.

“But Max, if it’s ok for Nigel Farage (below) it’s ok for me?” Well, I think Nash has sufficiently dealt with that.

The problem is that the term “common sense” is…well…meaningless. Or at most it means whatever the user wants it to mean. You’ve already seen Farage’s (above) extraordinarily vague definition of “common sense” (again, as brilliantly dissected by Nash). Other advocates for “common sense” include the oh so impartial Fox ‘News’ with former host Glenn Beck posting a letter online from a viewer on the phrase’s apparent ‘death’.

The face of the American right?

For the sh*ts and giggles, let’s have a trudge through this ‘memorial’ piece.

“No one knows for sure how old he [“common sense”] was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.“

Woah! First paragraph and we’ve already ramped up the ‘stupid level’. It doesn’t even deserve a response.

“Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn)“

Ah, now we see the agenda. This is what I was referring to when the term can mean whatever the user wants it to mean. At one level “(don’t spend more than you can earn)” gives little lee-way for those who live below bread-line and in abstract poverty. Anyway, there’s a lot to get through, so moving on.

“Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.“

Good to know that anecdotes can make an appearance.

“Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses“

Again, woah!! I wouldn’t have quite developed this angry reputation against organised religion if “churches became businesses“…and paid taxes! Oh, hang on…

This is the problem, this is why I’ve been keen to tear hair out and repeatedly bang my head against a wall. I recognise that I’ve taken a rather broad stroke at “common sense” with only a few examples, but I’m sure our ‘large fan-base’ wouldn’t appreciate me rambling on (far more than I already have). This is the level of bullsh*t we completely fail to appreciate at Things Can Only Get Better.

If you’re able to justify much of what Farage and Beck advocate under the guise of a meaningless term, it’s not a recipe for success.

MAX

Who you know

2011-12 may well have been my formative year. A year spent chasing the elusive promise of a graduate job in science, then any graduate job, then any job at all. A year filled with frustrations, broken promises, betrayal, fear, persecution, and insecurity. This was the year when many of my political views crystallised; when the “real world” in all its ugliness impinged on my previously centrist naiveté, persuading me left-wards.

Weekly Update #009

Today we’d first like to wish a Happy 101st Birthday to Alan Turing, if he was still alive. During the Second World War Turing played a key role in Bletchley Park breaking German codes. Due to his homosexuality he received a criminal prosecution in 1952 with homosexual acts still being illegal in the UK. Turing was then given the option of either going to jail where he’d be subject to widespread abuse and possible assault or to take female hormone pills which was effective chemical castration. He chose the latter. Two years later Turing was found dead after taking cyanide. Thankfully, society has moved on a lot since Turing’s days of persecution. In 2009 then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, made an official public apology on behalf of the British Government for the way Turing was treated. As of May 2012 a private member’s bill was put before the House of Lords which would grant him a statuary pardon if enacted.

We’d also like to wish a Happy Victory Day in Estonia on the 94th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Vonnu in 1919 during the Estonian War of Independence. The battle was fought between the Estonian military forces and their allies against the German forces in the region who sought to regain control over the Baltic states. Victory Day itself has been celebrated every year since 1934. The war was an interesting three way between the Soviet Union on one side, the remnants of the German army on a second side and the Estonians, British and Finnish on a third side.

Links to the Multiverse

Why I’m Leaving Labour – Oliver James, The Backbencher. (We’ve added this author to our blogroll).

Watch: Russel Brand reduces US news anchors to nervoue wrecks on live TV – Entertainment.ie

Will the real Ed Miliband please stand up? – Rafael Behr, New Statesman

What happened when I started a feminist society at school – Jinan Younis, Guardian.

Hand Made Guinea Pig Scale-Mail and Helmet (Armor) – ebay

The dullest blog in the world – by Dave Walker

Russian Tampon Commercial – Liveleak.com

… and finally, as a special treat, the leaving speech of a former Things Can Only Get Better radio guest. Ollie Cosentino is approaching the end of his term of office as a student union sabbatical officer. As is tradition he gave this cracking leaving speech. He was surprisingly human as the mask of a bureaucratic management mouthpiece slipped away. Here was the real Ollie; overflowing with charm, wit and generosity. He exudes a geeky charisma and is always at his best when talking about the things and people he loves most. We love him, and not just for the much appreciated personal ‘shout out’.

From Russia with Hate

Ever read news stories that just make you feel utter despair? Not anger, not calm collected reason, just despair. Well for me this week, this one did:

I suppose I can’t not talk about this…

As a probably soon to-be Primary trainee teacher come this September and as Things Can Only Get Better’s resident Education ‘expert’, I suppose it’s almost unavoidable that I write a post on Mr Gove’s new proposals to GCSEs (le sigh).

“Max write a post on moi and my reforms? Unheard of.”

I suppose I’d best analyse each of the four major changes in turn:

The Last Post: Chapter Four

AN ALTERNATE HISTORY by NASH

“The Last Post” is a counter-factual, or “alternate history” scenario. It is published in  weekly instalments here on Things Can Only Get Better. It is a work of fiction, of speculation, and of a certain amount of wish fulfilment. All quotes and references are “in-universe”.

Previous chapters are indexed here.

Chapter Four: The Shabby Deals

07/05/2010

09:45