The Decline of the Pop Song

With the honourable exceptions of the Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand (and to an extent, Coldplay), the pop song, lyrically and musically, seems to be in decline. About 10 years ago, Pete ("the Hitman") Waterman said that there were only 3 types of song in pop music:
1. "Baby I Love You"
2. "Baby I'm leaving You"
3. "Baby I'm Coming Back to You".
Somewhat limiting, but at least they were ABOUT something. Current lyrics, by Leona Lewis, Cheryl Cole etc, don't seem to be about anything. They read like they have been produced by a computer - and some people say they are! Age and memory play tricks, but to me, songs written before (about) 1995 could lay claims to being art. Not now. What views do we have?

Fighting the Cuts to Come

I turned 60 a couple of weeks ago, which entitles me to free travel around London and I no longer have to pay for prescriptions. Perhaps unwisely, I sent an email to friends about it, and one replied with the question:
"Don't you think some of these perks will be victims of the cuts soon?"
This was an uncomfortable question, but there is a valid point in the asking of it.  The Coalition have started planning cuts already - and this is just the beginning. For ordinary people, there is a real risk that the Welfare State, which we have subsidised with our taxes all our working lives, is to be subjected to a severe reduction in staff and services. And this all because of the greed and opportunism of a bunch of avaricious bankers. As  these cuts will have  seriously adverse effects, perhaps we should be planning to resist them. So - how do we fight back? All ideas welcome!

Better Late Than Never?

It really is heartening news to learn that Ed Balls and Ed Miliband, both contenders for the Labour leadership, now think that the invasion of Iraq was "a mistake". I seem to remember that about 1000 000 people marched through London before the invasion in 2003, and not much notice was taken of them. We all make mistakes, of course, but the passage of seven years before you discover you've made them seems rather a long time. What do we make of this discovery by messrs Balls and Miliband?

Does the X Factor Make You Cross?

Last week, I read an interview with Annie Lennox in the London "Metro". Among other things, she said that the only real winners in TV shows such as the X Factor and American Idol were the shows themselves, not the contestants. She also said that she would never have done well, had she ever gone on the show herself. I have to admit, originality does NOT work on shows like this. I often wonder what Simon Cowell would have made of the young Bob Dylan. Besides which, so many so-called "winners" of these shows soon lapse back into obscurity (Whatever happened to Shane wotsisname?), while the people who run these shows are doing very nicely, thankyou. So what do we think? Are these shows valuable outlets for undiscovered talent, such as Susan Boyle, Leona Lewis and Cheryl Cole? Or are they simply glorified karaoke sessions out of which a handful of cynical individuals make a great deal of money?

Meet the New Boss!

So, David Cameron becomes our new PM, albeit with the support of Nick Clegg and the LibDems (not all of whom are happy about the deal). How long this Coalition will last is a matter of some conjecture, as such arrangements are very often prone to severe strain. Examples include the Popular Front governments in France and Spain before the war, and the Lib-Lab pact in this country more recently. As George Orwell noted in "Homage to Catalonia", the Popular Front in Spain was "an alliance of enemies". This Tory-LibDem Coalition might not be that deeply internally divided, but there are many in both parties who loathe what the other party stands for. So - what do we think? Will this new alliance be a success, or can we look forward to another General Election before too long?

Back to Politics - Deal or No Deal for Nick Clegg?

Now the Election is over - where do we go from here? At first glance, the LibDems have  not done as well as might have been expected. In fact, however, they are in a very strong position, for the obvious reason that Labour and Conservative will need to make a deal in order to govern. What should happen now? All views very welcome.

The Gulf of Mexico Oil Slick

Yet another environmental disaster strikes the world, with the same devastating consequences for wild life and regional industries. BP admits responsibility, but says that it is not to blame for the accident which sank the rig on 22nd April. President Obama is insisting that BP must pay the bill for the clean-up. No-one is saying much about the 11 or so workers killed in the accident. What should be done now? Must the world accept that these disasters must happen as part of the price we pay for oil? Is the price too high, given the environmental and human consequences? All comments welcome.

Who's Winning the War on Terror?

The attempted bomb attack in Times Square has prompted me to ask the above question because the answer seems to be "not us". It's now nearly ten years since 9/11, after which, the then President Bush and the then Prime Minister Tony Blair launched their military incursions into Afghanistan and Iraq. Since then, thousands of people of many nationalities, mostly innocent civlians, have been killed, maimed or driven out of their homes. Vast amounts of money have been spent on the war effort. Yet still we are told that this is being done in our name and is protecting us from terrorist plots. I don't know who was behind the incident in New York (it might not have been Jihadis), but it certainly highlights the fact that terrorists don't need a base in Afghanistan or Iraq to launch operations in the USA or Europe. The 7/7 bombers certainly didn't. So: is the War on Terror a wasteful, failed effort, or is it keeping things from getting worse? All views very welcome here.