Friday 8 May 2015

70 years.

today, I want to talk about patriotism.

I've been raised under the rhetoric, but that's not real. britannia rules the waves? tea & crumpets? princess diana? 2 world wars and 1 world cup? get over yourself.

I love my country, but not for it's monarchy, it's colonial past, it's flag or sporting achievements...

...no, I salute the NHS.

I'm proud to have been born in an NHS hospital. born into a society that believes it's citizens deserve care and dignity, cradle to grave, free at the point of access. truly, this is the highest mark of civilisation.

born at the end of the second world war, the NHS was a glorious, utopian vision for the future, built when we were still reeling, emotionally and financially, from years of war.

but mr cameron & mr duncan-smith will never need it. utopia has no place for their self interest. a tory majority is an illness with potentially deadly complications for the NHS.

the VE day anniversary celebrations are on TV. I can't feel anything about that. WWII feels less and less relevant as we forget more and more of the lessons we supposedly learned from it.

terrible things happen when you blame all your problems on a vulnerable minority.

lest we forget.

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