Well, it's that time of year again - I know the season of goodwill is upon us when people wearing faith on their sleeves
complain about Christmas having become so distastefully commercial. Naturally this has no political corollaries - so,
politics it is then :)
Democracies essentially enshrine the right and ability to choose, and yes, our choices are generally governed by the economy,
stupid. Both UK & US electorates have consequently been blessed with devoutly Christian political leaders espousing, in the
finest traditions of 'western civilisation', political philosophies that promote a (selectively) free-market economy,
facilitating implementation of policies that both depend upon, and foster, continuous escalation in the generation of
'wealth'. Validation is achieved by extolling virtues associated with 'meritocracies', which define 'merit' in terms of the
ability to contribute to an ever-expanding economy, fueled by acquisitiveness - materialism. To some, this may appear to
undermine fundamental 'Christian' values. However, salvation is at hand... dissonance is judiciously reconciled by employing
the 'secular' approach which, superficially, embraces multicultural society and respects the principle of 'freedom of
worship', but which is actually a mechanism enabling us to segregate spiritual values and beliefs from mundane attitudes and
behaviours.
And no-one is safe...democracy, the church of commerce preaching freedom, is being exported as rapidly as it can be sold.
Even where congregations have consistently rejected the promotional material, capitalism has already been unofficially
annointed as the new 'saviour'.
This vendetta against Christmas - what is that about? Scapegoating I guess - merely a symptom of the choices we collectively
make, a microcosm of motivation. Well, what else would you expect a godless virago like me to say?...
Ok - diatribe over...I have to go decorate myself for public consumption, shops are closing, and there is something I really
must acquire, today, this minute, something I didn't realize I needed until it appeared, vision-like, on my beloved new
widescreen, slimline LCD TV...
I am currently listening to: Doll Parts - Hole - The Storm, in
association with...[something puerile]
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