Counterfeit World

In 1964 Daniel F. Galouye's (sadly) little known masterpiece, 'Counterfeit World' was first published. It is certain, I am sure, that a brief summary here would fail completely, to do anything approaching justice to the great novel. Let it suffice, however, to be written that the plot hinges largely upon the fact that one of it's main characters believes himself to be conducting important research, until the day that something inexplicable happens, causing him to question, thereafter, everything that he has ever believed to be fact.

I cannot recommend it highly enough, not least because it, curiously somehow, appears to allude, allegorically, to a modern day Britain. Obviously, you may be thinking, this cannot be the case, written, as it was, some thirty-eight years ago.

All the same, the parallels, are more than quite remarkable. You really should consider giving it a spin. If nothing else it'll probably reacquaint you with your nearest library, before the Coalition closes it down in order to help fund tax breaks for the very wealthiest in 'our' country.

Special thanks to Vincent van der Pas

It was whilst listening to that curious anomaly, Edward Miliband, that I was given to recall the aforementioned novel. Young Edward was, I think, seeking to impress someone with his 'level-headed' refusal to oppose 4% cuts in certain public sector pay. "Pay cuts before redundancies," was the message, as he climbed comfortably on to that anti-public-sector bandwagon that the Coalition have been joyriding up and down the nation; always a safe bet with the tabloids. "I am not going to change my policy, in the face of threats," he retorted to questioning Union members. Well, certainly not, it would appear, threats from that section of society that he pretends, intermittently, to represent.

"So, how will this 'common sense' stance be affecting your meagre income, Mr Miliband?" I would have been curious to enquire. "Or perhaps your property portfolio?" I might have added, given the opportunity. Where to turn, we, the working classes, might be forgiven for thinking?

Thank you to Jan Tik

So, whilst yet another government bows and scrapes entirely to the demands of the hidden powers of the uber-wealthy, the new face of Labour finally begins to shed its cocoon, transpiring to be the uber-disappointing face of old New Labour. We could wonder if dear old Ed already has one eye on the tax-evading havens of one of his former leaders, the uber-dupicitous Mr Blair. Whatever else we might think of the aspiring ex Prime Minister, he certainly seems to know his way around the tax circuits. His Windrush Empire seems almost immune to the inconveniences of income tax; not so very different, then, from the mathematically astute Mr Osborne.

I think that, even as a child, I had begun to suspect that the likes of the unelected CBI held far more sway over the big decisions of the UK than the media-elected Government. And that was before the demonic spectre of Thatcher had raised its charred and soulless profile. All kneel and chant, "Oh money, we worship all that you may control and will seek to bludgeon all else into subservience."

Do you remember the last Hollywood blockbuster that you watched? No neither do I, probably because, once the glitz and special effects had been stripped away, the memory had so little, in the manner of substance, to hold on to that the film just melted away, like candy-floss upon the tongue.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the original Danish 'The Killing' so much that I sometimes sat and watched three or more episodes on the trot. So enamoured with the drama was I that I even gave the American version a chance. A mistake that was gratefully terminated, less than twenty minutes into episode one, although I suspect that its lack of subtitles probably grossed it a great deal more than its European superior.

There could be no prizes for guessing which version Michael Gove (Education Secretary?) would prefer. His expensive, port-droopy eyes of privilege will be blinded by the zeros. Integrity also must bow down to the profit god; after all 'what point art if it brings not great spoils?' Really? Education Secretary? Seriously?

Thanks to quisnovus

Although, Mr Gove does have one 'valid' point to make, regarding all of those 'teachers' that 'need' to be removed from the system. Who, in all honesty, can seriously argue that teachers who fiddle thousands out of the system and flip their many homes, at the expense of the state, should not be summarily dismissed. Wasters and crooks, every one of them!

At least, over Christmas- 'good will' and all that- we were, occasionally, heartened to witness just a tiny fraction of the good work being undertaken at the behest of some of our highly revered top celebrities; always a good time to lever one's 'underexposed' face back into the media spotlight, isn't it? How, I find, it warms the soul to see the likes of Bono or Sting enlightening us as to some of the immense inequality that is taking place upon the planet. As, I'm almost certain that they are endeavouring to inform us, there is only so much to go round; the world's resources are decidedly not infinite.

How I laughed at the humorous, yet curious, concept of Rio Ferdinand debating with Keira Knightly and other nefarious celebrities, arguing the case over who should be permitted to visit some of the most poverty-stricken spots within the safer countries of the African Continent. If only those who shed their tears, from their custom-built castles in the clouds, could figure out how to solve this growing inequality we'd be half way to some kind of solution. Go on Mr Branson, tell us do, why are there so few islands to go round?

Maybe one day we'll all wake up to discover that 'redundant', just like Morton Lynch, someone from an altogether 'higher' standing has decided it's time to simply switch us off.