Playing Mole-Whack with the Government
Kevin Redpath, who made the great little film of our Druid work, has just made a film about the threat to UK libraries. I’ll paste it in here:
This is what Kevin says about Druids getting involved in trying to counter the threat to our woodlands: “I’m so glad you are on the case of the forests. Honestly, it is like playing a game of ‘mole-whack’ with this government. You campaign against library closures, then up come forests, then its recycling centres and apparently the next one will be outdoor leisure centres.”
About time the Robin Hood Tax was pushed for again I reckon. After all, Robin Hood lived in the forest. Watch this great clip with Bill Nighy explaining in effect how we could keep the forests, the libraries, the recycling and leisure centres, all with one little tweak to the banking system:
4 Responses to “Playing Mole-Whack with the Government”
Is it possible the government could be sued under European or other type of law for some of the things they are doing. Some way of making them individually realise the roll they’re on is totally unacceptable.
Tony Hawkins
Wonderful film! Like so many people, libraries have played such an important part in my life and my learning. The government plans sicken me. Libraries made a huge difference to me as a kid, coming froma poor family – and as an unemployed adult, many years ago, libraries enabled me to access a world beyond the narrow horizons I found myself in, ultimately leading me back into higher education. I once worked in one too and through that became even more aware just how vital they are to individual development and community well-being. That particular library was in a poor, disadvantaged city area. It was closed to save money and the loss to that community was immense. I can’t even begin to imagine the damamge of that one closure happening on a mass scale, in every city and community across the country!
The government would have us believe that in the ‘The Big Society’ (whatever that is) we (or fairies and elves!) would rally round and run the libraries, although where the money to do that would come from they remain coveniently vague about. We don’t want privately run libraries -we want them to remain public and free!! They are planning on closing all but two libraries here on the Isle of Wight. Just two libraries for an entire county!! They don’t give a damn about communities or individuals – their Big Society is a sham, an ad man’s buzz phrase as shallow and ill thought through as the rest of their policies. Our public services were hard won and we should treasure and protect them for the good of all!
Well said Maria! Reminds me of what our esteemed ‘Touchstone’ illustrator Arthur Billington has written in the latest issue: ‘How surprised we were in the UK in the early eighties when the government invited us to buy shares in our own bus service. Didn’t we own it already? Well, yes, but only since that remarkable visionary Aneurin Bevan had gone around nationalising everything: and the government says it has every right to sell common property on our behalf – especially if the Chancellor is having trouble balancing the books. Over the years they’ve sold our trains, our telephones, our post, our essential services and we’ve grinned and born it – but now they’re putting the nation’s forests up for sale, it’s time to call a halt. Our connection to our ancient forest heritage is a profound one and we loose it at our peril. I don’t have to explain to Druids why action to prevent their sale is essential.’
Well said Arthur!! And of course, the convenient smokescreen of balancing the books allows them to sneak in lots of ideologically fuelled changes -regardless of them being needed or making any kind of difference to the deficit. Changing the ownership of our publically owned forests being a prime example! If I hear that well worn mantra of ‘we are having to make some tough decision’ one more time I will spit with anger!! Not very lady-like I know but those Druidesses of Mona all those years back were a wild lot when it came to feeling aggrieved about territory rights! :0)
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