Grumpyhatlady and Chums

I hate the feeling I get when I’m unable to attend events of historic proportions. I firmly believe today, 26th March 2011 is such an event.

The March for the Alternative is expected to be the largest protest of it’s kind in the UK for decades. Tens if not hundreds of thousands are descending upon London, from all over the UK to let the government know they are not happy about the austerity measures that inevitably make the poor, poorer and the rich, richer.

So many issues are being marched for. People trying to save their jobs, people trying to save their homes, people trying to save their benefits, sick and disabled people trying to save their dignity, a nation trying to save the NHS… The list goes on and on and covers almost every aspect of society.

Are well all in it together like the government says? If you’re an average person earning an average wage then yes, you’re in it. If you’re a middle income family then you’re in it too. If you dare not to have a job, you’re definitely in it. If you dare to be sick or disabled you’re in it more than most.

If you happen to be well off, with an inventive accountant and billions to spare, you’re probably not in it… Yet.

So what is this “it” we are all in? it’s SHIT of course. We are all in the shit together.

And through no fault of our own.

We didn’t allow the banks to make risky business decisions that shattered the western economy.

We didn’t let the likes of Vodaphone off with billions of tax debt due.

We didn’t even vote this government into power. They took it by inviting the LibDems into bed with them.

So while we are all in the shit together a bunch of politicians earning a minimum of £66k per annum sit on their fat arses taking more and more from society while giving less and less to those who voted them in.

Never before have I felt so powerless to do anything and the big March for the Alternative could have been my way of expressing my disgust.

Instead, I’m stuck “visiting” the in-laws. No escape. I can’t even participate in some of the online protests as we have some ‘lovely’ family time planned for this afternoon

I don’t want to feed the fucking ducks, I want to fight the fucking cuts.

Sadly a true blairite of a mother in law means she’s probably all for these so called reforms. Much like, it seems, most of the labour party.

I’m angry that it’s come to this. I’m angry at the misinformation spread by the media about Trade Unions and protesters. I’m angry I can’t be there in person to have my say.

I’m angry that a bureaucratic fuck up at election time meant I didn’t get to vote. With all these impending cuts, more and more bureaucratic fuck ups will happen and fewer people will have their say.

Hell I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re soon to return to a position of only allowing landowners the vote and certainly not allowing women or the disabled the vote.

People need to be able to speak out. People need the opportunity to be heard. I hope the March for the Alternative has an effect. I hope someone sits up and listens to the voice of the true Big Society.

Somehow, I don’t think the government cares. I don’t think they’ll listen. Ideological politics has no place for the people

The Con-Dem coalition full of unrepresentative ministers will never understand why these people need to March and if they understand, they won’t care.

“Let them eat cake” spoke an ignorant French royal… “We are all in it together” spoke an ignorant blue blooded PM