You have to be careful about the opinions you express, and indeed the opinions you have expressed in the past, or even just casual remarks you made years ago. If you are at all in the public eye, someone will trawl through your words and use them against you.
I’m not a great fan of rap music. Various people have tried to convince me that it’s worth listening to and I am prepared to admit that it often has a good socio-political message to impart but musically it does nothing much for me. Even so, I feel quite sympathetic towards the Belfast rappers Kneecap who have been faced with their US work visas revoked.
“During their second set at the Coachella music festival in California on 18 April, the rap group, known for their political performances and support of Palestine, led the crowd in chants of “free, free Palestine”. Messages displayed on the stage’s screens during their set read: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people” and “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.””
Kemi Badenoch has been after them as well and they have apologised for an overheard remark a couple of years ago to the effect that the only good Tory is a dead Tory. Not a statement any of us should be agreeing with, even if we don’t like the Tory party. But the seeking out of past remarks is worrying.
“The band has previously claimed they are facing a “coordinated smear campaign” after speaking out about “the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”.
“To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt,” they said in the 500-word statement.
“Establishment figures, desperate to silence us, have combed through hundreds of hours of footage and interviews, extracting a handful of words from months or years ago to manufacture moral hysteria,” they said.
“Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history.
“We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action. This distortion is not only absurd – it is a transparent effort to derail the real conversation.””
The USA deporting policy in general, though, seems rather harsh and extreme. I’m coming across all sorts of stories about tourists being arrested and deported, and, more harshly, mothers separated from heir children while awaiting deportation and then having to make a snap decision about whether to take their children, US citizens, with them. Traumatic times.
All the walls and fences and barriers being erected at borders are affecting not only people but animals. Here’s a link to an article about the lynxes of the Białowieża forest which once freely prowled through 1,420 sq km (548 sq miles) of ancient woodland. Then, in 2022, the habitat was abruptly sliced in two. Poland built a 115-mile (186km) wall across its border with Belarus to stop refugees and migrants entering the EU. About 15 lynxes were left stranded on the Polish side of the forest, forced into a genetic bottleneck. Humans are causing havoc in the animal kingdom.
Yesterday Spain and Portugal had a massive power cut. Public transport (well, trains and planes) came to a stop. Cash machines could not let people access their money. Phones could not be recharged. Internet was affected. They’re still investigating why it happened.
Today a friend of mine drove to Manchester rather than take the tram because there was a power outage on the overhead lines. That sounds a bit familiar! Is it a coincidence?
Suddenly we become aware of what a fragile thing our power-dependent society is. Electricity supply fails and all sorts of things fall apart. We may all have to become survivalists. It’s all very well, however, our stocking up on tinned food and dried goods if we have no electricity to work the machinery to cook that food. Perhaps I need to look in the shed for the camping gear stored there and find the old calor gas stove that we used to take on our camping trips years ago!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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