I recall Attlee's Government of 1945-1951, the birth of the NHS and the UN, and I foolishly thought that after WW2, everything would improve and people would have learned their lessons. But here we are in 2026, and everything seems to be going down the plughole- the rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer. The World is in turmoil, with wars, global warming, the NHS being privatised, bullies and liars in power. Those in power ignore the truth and reward sycophants and liars. It seems now there are too many politicians in it for their own benefit, looking after their own interests and not the interests of the people they represent.
Yes, it is this upsetting notion that the same lessons have to be learned by each new generation - how many people will suffer because we can't learn from past mistakes, but have to make them all over again?
Very good appraisal of the situation. Powerful and wealthy men will escape relatively untarnished, their 'brushes' with the scandal glossed over and forgotten in months. The women who were their victims - whether victims of actual sexual molestation and rape, or victims of men who preferred to ignore what was going on - will continue to have their lives ruined by their experiences. More will likely take their own lives.
This is not just about Epstein, hundreds of women continue to be sexually harassed every day by men who are more powerful than they are, men who control their career progress or their academic success. For as long as powerful men are believed and their victims dismissed, this will continue.
An excellent appraisal. The root cause being the spread and acceptance of knowing blatant lies, lying that goes unpunished unlike perjury. Until lying aided and abetted by the growth of AI is made a criminal offence with severe penalties, like 50% of the criminals net worth plus prison, the problem will continue. A lie can be quickly proved and not take decades like the obscene Epstein crimes.
I agree with you, it is frightening how the Epstein affair has brought it home to us that there is a layer of society that regards society"s rules as optional, that cares only for only adding to their obscene wealth, and has no care or compassion for the rest of us as we struggle with what's left after they've had their grubby little trotters in the trough. I have never envied the wealthy their money, but it tears at me to see them, with more money than they could spend in their lifetime, dodging paying taxes, which would still leave them with more money etc....Their greed makes me sick!
Completely agree. They make and increase their wealth by exploiting the poor. There is a law, Green's Law, that the more you acquire the greedier you become, richer and richer greedier and greedier.
Just think how much money has been spent from the public purse (that is funded by you and me) over the decades, paying to give personal protection, to these criminals who have behaved with impunity and exploited their positions to benefit themselves as individuals and their allies and supporters as a cohort.
Starmer's defence today that he believed Mandelson's lies is a desperate attempt at a cover up. He had the briefing from the security services about the long association (more than 20 years) between Epstein and Mandelson.
Or is he telling us that the security services were not doing their job - and that was something that he oversaw as PM?
The BBC has said that there are emails which suggest that Mandelson stayed in Epstein's flat in New York in 2009 whilst Epstein was in jail for sex offences.
So there had been a relationship between them for more than 15 years, now proven.
The problem is that there is no one strong enough to force the matter to its necessary conclusion, so most of 'the Guilty' will wriggle away, escaping the justice they have hitherto circumvented. The Epstein Rot is a vivid example of how civilisation is doomed. Despair and anarchy (or totalitarianism to throttle freedom of thought) will prevail, and what can we do to prevent that, when even the honourable are hobbled by the system?
You've certainly shown how to powerfully use the 'art of words' in this piece, Matt. And YES to the use of art generally in protest - from glorious banners and placards, Red Rebels and drummers - to a very arrestable jumping kangaroo 🦘.
I'm a big proponent of anarchy, which isn't a product of despair, but of hope.
Anarchy allows the honorable to reject the system that hobbles them and build something better.
'V for Vendetta', whose prescience becomes more obvious with every year that passes, points out that 'Anarchy means "without leaders", not "without order"'. It is essential reading, a story of hope in the face of oppression, but also a warning that things may get much worse before they get better, if we don't heed its lessons.
An absolutely spot on appraisal of the sorry state of both UK / US politics.
Unless and until those responsible are truly punished for their corrupt and decadent crimes - and are really made an example of - it's going to be extremely difficult for genuine and decent politicians to make a breakthrough and restore peoples faith in democracy and politics.
I have been posting on just this. There is a nexus of political power, and financial wealth, to which we can add the techbros and much of the media, social and traditional. They are never held accountable despite the colossal damage they have done to economies and societies, whilst massively rewarding themselves. Regulation does not work as it does not have the teeth or resources, the wealth is used to deploy hefty legal resources, and any fines are just the cost of doing business.
The businesses need to be broken up and cut down to size. Directors of these businesses need to be made fully accountable with crippling personal fines. The money and lobbying needs to be surgically removed from politics.
The reporting in the national media over the Epstein files is justified, but it begs the question: Why aren't the horrors that are taking place in Gaza and the West Bank not given the same amount of time, space and condemnation?
Witnessing a live streamed genocide of the Palestinians over the last 2 years has already lowered the bar of the evil and that laws and justice don't apply all the epstein stuff, absolutely no surprise no shock, no further horror to have
Your assumption is incorrect. I was going to be much more pithy.
There is no doubt Labour have been inept and made wrong decisions but they are not in the lying league of the Tories. Starmer is basically honest and has integrity but he lacks oomph and charisma.
Leaving only Reform is a disaster. Deceit and lying over 15 years created the mess we are in, Reform are only beaten for deceit and lying by Trump. Brexit lies have caused a £250bn drop in our GDP. Lies will always cause harm.
You definitely cannot predict what *will* happen, but you can look at what Reform and its MPs have done in the past to predict what is *likely* to happen.
Reform, under another name, were instrumental in the most detrimental policy in living memory: Brexit. That gives you an indication of what is likely to happen if they win the GE.
Reform led councils already exist and they have not delivered the things they promised. That gives you an indication of what is likely to happen if they win in May.
I find it hard to trust Reform given its past form.
I recall Attlee's Government of 1945-1951, the birth of the NHS and the UN, and I foolishly thought that after WW2, everything would improve and people would have learned their lessons. But here we are in 2026, and everything seems to be going down the plughole- the rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer. The World is in turmoil, with wars, global warming, the NHS being privatised, bullies and liars in power. Those in power ignore the truth and reward sycophants and liars. It seems now there are too many politicians in it for their own benefit, looking after their own interests and not the interests of the people they represent.
Yes, it is this upsetting notion that the same lessons have to be learned by each new generation - how many people will suffer because we can't learn from past mistakes, but have to make them all over again?
We the UK and the USA need Proportional Representation NOW¡!
Proven the world over to keep extremists out of power... And an end to privilege in the UK..
Very good appraisal of the situation. Powerful and wealthy men will escape relatively untarnished, their 'brushes' with the scandal glossed over and forgotten in months. The women who were their victims - whether victims of actual sexual molestation and rape, or victims of men who preferred to ignore what was going on - will continue to have their lives ruined by their experiences. More will likely take their own lives.
This is not just about Epstein, hundreds of women continue to be sexually harassed every day by men who are more powerful than they are, men who control their career progress or their academic success. For as long as powerful men are believed and their victims dismissed, this will continue.
An excellent appraisal. The root cause being the spread and acceptance of knowing blatant lies, lying that goes unpunished unlike perjury. Until lying aided and abetted by the growth of AI is made a criminal offence with severe penalties, like 50% of the criminals net worth plus prison, the problem will continue. A lie can be quickly proved and not take decades like the obscene Epstein crimes.
I agree with you, it is frightening how the Epstein affair has brought it home to us that there is a layer of society that regards society"s rules as optional, that cares only for only adding to their obscene wealth, and has no care or compassion for the rest of us as we struggle with what's left after they've had their grubby little trotters in the trough. I have never envied the wealthy their money, but it tears at me to see them, with more money than they could spend in their lifetime, dodging paying taxes, which would still leave them with more money etc....Their greed makes me sick!
Completely agree. They make and increase their wealth by exploiting the poor. There is a law, Green's Law, that the more you acquire the greedier you become, richer and richer greedier and greedier.
My cynicism has been wasted and so has yours.
Just think how much money has been spent from the public purse (that is funded by you and me) over the decades, paying to give personal protection, to these criminals who have behaved with impunity and exploited their positions to benefit themselves as individuals and their allies and supporters as a cohort.
It is incalculable.
Starmer's defence today that he believed Mandelson's lies is a desperate attempt at a cover up. He had the briefing from the security services about the long association (more than 20 years) between Epstein and Mandelson.
Or is he telling us that the security services were not doing their job - and that was something that he oversaw as PM?
The BBC has said that there are emails which suggest that Mandelson stayed in Epstein's flat in New York in 2009 whilst Epstein was in jail for sex offences.
So there had been a relationship between them for more than 15 years, now proven.
Hardly knew each other?
What do you think?
The problem is that there is no one strong enough to force the matter to its necessary conclusion, so most of 'the Guilty' will wriggle away, escaping the justice they have hitherto circumvented. The Epstein Rot is a vivid example of how civilisation is doomed. Despair and anarchy (or totalitarianism to throttle freedom of thought) will prevail, and what can we do to prevent that, when even the honourable are hobbled by the system?
Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words.
- Ursula K Le Guin
You've certainly shown how to powerfully use the 'art of words' in this piece, Matt. And YES to the use of art generally in protest - from glorious banners and placards, Red Rebels and drummers - to a very arrestable jumping kangaroo 🦘.
I'm a big proponent of anarchy, which isn't a product of despair, but of hope.
Anarchy allows the honorable to reject the system that hobbles them and build something better.
'V for Vendetta', whose prescience becomes more obvious with every year that passes, points out that 'Anarchy means "without leaders", not "without order"'. It is essential reading, a story of hope in the face of oppression, but also a warning that things may get much worse before they get better, if we don't heed its lessons.
An absolutely spot on appraisal of the sorry state of both UK / US politics.
Unless and until those responsible are truly punished for their corrupt and decadent crimes - and are really made an example of - it's going to be extremely difficult for genuine and decent politicians to make a breakthrough and restore peoples faith in democracy and politics.
I have been posting on just this. There is a nexus of political power, and financial wealth, to which we can add the techbros and much of the media, social and traditional. They are never held accountable despite the colossal damage they have done to economies and societies, whilst massively rewarding themselves. Regulation does not work as it does not have the teeth or resources, the wealth is used to deploy hefty legal resources, and any fines are just the cost of doing business.
The businesses need to be broken up and cut down to size. Directors of these businesses need to be made fully accountable with crippling personal fines. The money and lobbying needs to be surgically removed from politics.
Nothing less will do.
The reporting in the national media over the Epstein files is justified, but it begs the question: Why aren't the horrors that are taking place in Gaza and the West Bank not given the same amount of time, space and condemnation?
Witnessing a live streamed genocide of the Palestinians over the last 2 years has already lowered the bar of the evil and that laws and justice don't apply all the epstein stuff, absolutely no surprise no shock, no further horror to have
We do not want a proven LIAR like Farage anywhere near our Parliament.
UKIP/BREXIT/REFORM there is no difference all led by the same liars.
Your assumption is incorrect. I was going to be much more pithy.
There is no doubt Labour have been inept and made wrong decisions but they are not in the lying league of the Tories. Starmer is basically honest and has integrity but he lacks oomph and charisma.
Leaving only Reform is a disaster. Deceit and lying over 15 years created the mess we are in, Reform are only beaten for deceit and lying by Trump. Brexit lies have caused a £250bn drop in our GDP. Lies will always cause harm.
Please don't say UK if you really mean England.
Or if you actually really do mean UK perhaps you can give your views on the Scottish and Welsh government elections this year...
Que??
Makes no sense.
But Reform are the tories! They literally all have been part of the Conservative party in the past.
You definitely cannot predict what *will* happen, but you can look at what Reform and its MPs have done in the past to predict what is *likely* to happen.
Reform, under another name, were instrumental in the most detrimental policy in living memory: Brexit. That gives you an indication of what is likely to happen if they win the GE.
Reform led councils already exist and they have not delivered the things they promised. That gives you an indication of what is likely to happen if they win in May.
I find it hard to trust Reform given its past form.