Fear and Loathing

I haven't written anything on this blog now for some years now. To be frank, I was in fear of what might happen if I continued to write about welfare reform or anything else. As to why I was in fear, take a look at this blog and the documents that are linked to it:

https://kittysjones.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/how-covert-agents-infiltrate-the-internet-to-manipulate-deceive-and-destroy-reputations-glenn-greenwald/ 

Quite frightening isn't it, what could happen to you if you stick your head above the parapet? But this is what has happened over the last 5 years to people who do. Dirty tricks that not only can ruin your reputation, but damage your close relationship with family and friends.

Let's think for one moment. If you had made these claims 10 years ago, people would have said that you were some kind of conspiracy theory nut. Now however, governments don't even try to hide what they're doing, they do them in your face. Ian Duncan Smith for example, claimed over £150 for just a 20 mile journey, along with things like wipes and underwear: is anything done about such corruption: hell no! During the later years of the Labour government, the powers that be would have vilified M.P.s claiming these sorts of expenses, but now – despite these claims appearing in the national press – nothing, but nothing is done.

But such things, though important, are nothing compared to how governments are prepared to ruin a person's life, just for being a law abiding activist. According to Edward Snowden's revelations, via the internet, they can plant evidence like child abuse images, or terrorist communications via email, even messages on your phone to make you look guilty of something. It makes you wonder how many times they've done that in cases we've seen in the courts. A person could be innocent of every charge, but it's been made to seem as if they are guilty.

10 years ago I would have been reticent to believe such a thing, but now, after hearing so many examples of this happening in the social security activist groups, fracking groups, and those supporting families of child sexual abuse, I no longer think it's a conspiracy fantasy, it has become a conspiracy fact.

I kept my head low then; I've still tried to help people where I could, apply to charities for them, supplying benefits info and practical help etc, but I stopped doing anything on this blog. And after getting my own 'fingers burned' when involved with a facebook group, I decided that I would withdraw from those as well.

The thing is readers (if there are any left), the way things are going for the disabled and unemployed as well as the working poor, it's getting to the point that people are going to have nothing left to lose. And we know well the quote:

“The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.” (James A Baldwin) 

How far can you push people before they say enough is enough? Thousands of deaths? Leaving people without an income for months, even over a year? Children getting food out of waste bins? No, that didn't seem to do it. Of course, there have been many demonstrations, but nothing has worked, and the government just keep on cutting regardless. I'm convinced nevertheless that there will become a breaking point for people. When a mass, when millions of people, are personally affected, when they have nothing left to lose, when they have lost hope, when there worst fears have come true, then and only then, they will stop being frightened and make themselves be heard: they will not be ignored. As Dale Carnegie said:

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."

The government are about to foist devastating cuts, not only on the unemployed and disabled, but the 'hard working families' that Cameron promised to support. I'm no longer sitting on the side-lines then, I'm throwing my hat in with the best of them: I refuse to fear any more.