Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons: are they amongst us, what do they represent, and can we really tell the two apart? Often I'm far from certain on any of these points.

'Demons' is more succinct, but a few of 'my' images are probably gargoyles, or, more often, chimera, even just bosses. The former is from the French, 'gargouille,' the word simply (almost) translates as throat, perhaps suggestive of the oft functional aspect of these 'creatures,' the bubbling, gurgling sounds of running water as it is voluminously jettisoned from a building. Historically, gargoyles and their cousins have featured in the church's long and dubious history of misinformation to the illiterate masses, representative of evil, but obviously not that that might be perpetrated by the church itself. They may quite literally have hearts of stone- the gargoyles, obviously not the church- thus rendering them harmless, yet are they not also curiously aesthetically pleasing?

And Angels? Well we all think we know what Angels might represent, but wasn't The Devil himself a fallen Angel? So what about the fallen ones, and fallen whence? Were they somehow better, before they fell and became so much worse? Even at such heady heights, clearly they are not infallible.

The BBC covertly raised the question(s) for me, on Friday morning (22nd August) on Breakfast TV. Two news items juxtaposed, within the blink of an eye.

First: "Hospitals are admitting more malnutrition cases than ever before." I have paraphrased the headline, but this news is still being widely reported. "Malnutrition soars by more than 70% since Coalition came to power," is the Mirror's take on the same story. "Malnutrition cases in English hospitals almost double in five years," would be the headline in the Independent. The latter two don't quite tally, but the gist is there; namely that things have got a lot worse for some of the population. And let's not forget that 'we' are the sixth richest nation on the planet.

Second: "The Weather!" Well, I realise that these two 'stories' don't quite appear to impact in the way I was intending. So let me just contextualise "The Weather," for those who were already off to work or otherwise occupied. Carol was delivering as usual; all smiles and kind thoughts for those who might be suffering under the more inclement of our weatherly options. During the faultless delivery of this update, an intrusive revving could be heard. I'd thought it might be one of Norwich's intellectually challenged males- I live in the fine city- but not! 'Twas an idiot upon the screen; why Carol was effectively killing two birds. In the field behind 'our' presenter a petrol-head was pointlessly spinning some sort of car in a field, advertising no less! Round and round, and round he went... Angel or Demon?

The weather forecast was being delivered from Jody Scheckter's Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire, where a weekend Chris Evans's CarFest was scheduled to be taking place. Let's hope the weather held! So whilst the viewer was still pondering the immense inequality that might cause a (let's just say) significant rise in hospitalised malnourished patients, he/she could also be reassured that there was an upside to things, a rosier side to life in the UK!

Compartmentalisation! That convenient 'art' of perceiving items or issues separately, as if mysteriously totally disconnected from all others. Thus permitting unthinkable decisions to be made in isolation, pretending (as it were) that one self-serving choice will not have an adverse affect upon another (already covertly demoted) issue. Breakfast TV had done this through juxtaposing serious-faced reportage of the UK's rising health issues and smiley Carol with the weather. "These two items are not in any way connected!" the BBC was stating, albeit subliminally. Angel or Demon?

Not true! Britain's much-talked-about debt is entirely peculiar to certain institutions, businesses, departments, impoverished individuals, whatever. In much the same manner as the less-talked-about beneficiaries of this debt are also peculiar to other institutions, trusts, organisations, money-rich individuals etc, etc. But to pretend, for 'convenience' sake that 'our' whole country is suddenly in debt is, at its very best, disingenuous. Just as it would be duplicitous to imply that the two sides are not inextricably linked. The global market is such that the idea of whole countries owing other countries is highly misleading and simplistic, yet 'convenient.' The global market, as it currently 'operates,' has moved well beyond respecting those vague, often abstract, borders. Hidden in full sight, there will be the huge beneficiaries of this vague debt (recession), living in (but not in any way beholden to) the UK, just as there will be the victims. The UK government is just one of these 'affected' units, currently presented as being on the 'victim' side of the divide. Angels or Demons?

It is simply the case that Chris Evan's mates' rights to 'play' have been deemed more worthy than your right to peace and quiet, because the former will have paid £1,999 + VAT, in order to modify his exhaust, whereas you have not paid anything in excess, in order to remain unaffected by the same. Chris's mates will also have paid quite substantially, to live well away from the consequences of their own ego-centric behaviours.

Highly 'curious' is the overbearing reluctance to openly discuss the economic fact, that monetarism heavily relies upon borrowing, thus debt. Without such the whole system starts to look very shaky! Even for the major beneficiaries! Most of us have been encouraged to embrace debt, it suits the system, it's the means by which most of those with a home managed to acquire it. It also perfectly illustrates that monetarist relationship of borrower and lender.

Oz the Great and Powerful is ignobly exposed! If Toto can spot the ruse, why are not more pertinent questions being asked by 'our' TV news teams?

Instead, it appears that we are to muddle on. 'Muddle' hardly hints at a state of affairs whereby government ministers, who feature largely on the beneficiaries side of the divide, are to make significant national decisions, in the guise of political representatives of 'our' government, portrayed as being on the side of the current losers. Indeed, what could possibly go wrong? An economically thriving (benefiting) minister, operating behind the screen of a national debt... Angels or Demons?

Thank the Lord above that they will always be operating in the 'best' interests of the UK population. Otherwise, Heaven alone knows what might result.

A tightly related issue would be the recent dismissal of the role of food banks, by one Edwina Currie. "Are you telling me that some people in this country are going hungry? Seriously? Seriously?" she disdainfully spat.

Rolled out, entirely like merely an expendable foot soldier, dear ol' Edwina appears eager to exploit her portrayed eccentricities, that might 'permit' her bumptious dismissal of the yawning economic chasm that has opened up in 'our' society. We know, with an unbending certainty into which category we'd lump Edwina, but it is the constructed apparently bullet-proof environment within which she resides that should cause far greater concern. That societal tumours, of the ilk of Edwina and Ann Widdecombe, might be repackaged as celebrity 'characters,' should be raising far wider concerns. More of the sordid work of the recently discredited publicist Max Clifford?

"Idi, in this series of Strictly Come Dancing, you're going to be dancing with..." Cue round of applause, cut to now standing members of the audience. Angels or Demons?

Finally, presented, predominantly by themselves, as being on the side of the Angels we have Norfolk County Council (@ your service).

Upon a recent trip to one of the county's refuse tips I was astounded to learn that paint, correctly categorised as a hazardous waste, is no longer accepted at any refuse disposal point. I had been planning to travel out to Mayton Wood Recycling Centre, but as usual had not sensed Norfolk County Council's covert agenda, thus effectively 'missed the boat.' The County Site is eager to clarify that the, "disposing of hazardous waste incorrectly is illegal, and may harm the environment." Angels or Demons?

Ever eager to (pretend to) regain the upper ground Norfolk is offering a two day amnesty at this site, after which the cash registers will begin to chime. Responsible ol' Norfolk County Council, @ our service!

If I were less concerned with the ever-depreciating state of the environment, I might opt for the growing trend for transference of responsibility- that would be fly tipping. Of course, I cannot!

But if I did, whose crime would really be the greater? Mine, at least, would only have caused five half tins' worth of damage. Angels or demons?

Brace yourself for a subtle change to the verge-side litter, adjacent to your local hedgerows.