Another rant? Why not. Pass the bloody crumpets.

[spyderfyngers]

I wonder what age I'll be when true political apathy sets in.

I was so excited about my first vote. I went alone to the polling station in Cambridge, cackling to myself becuase I'd already been able to vote in Ipswich due to a clerical error. I'd been on protests beforehand, written obnoxious letters to Bush, Blair And Cronies, shouted at the TV and generally acted out like an angry teenager.

Don't get me wrong - I knew all politicians were bottom-feeding slime, and I had no party affiliation - but a few years ago I wanted to do some good in my tiny way.

Now there's just impotent frustration. I rarely watch the news anymore. Yelling "WHERE ARE THE SODDING SNIPERS?!" at the television isn't going to do much good. Even if we got rid of all these comfortable middle-aged men on the BBC, a new wave of comfortable middle-aged men would waddle in and take thier place.

Why am I writing this?

I hate war. As a Forces child, I grew up with war. "Where's daddy?" Iraq. "Where's daddy?" Bosnia. "What's he doing?" Minesweeping the Adriatic. "Why?" 

I support troops becuase I know what it's like to sit at home waiting for someone to return. It's a far nobler profession than politics.

Some of you may have met my Uncle Ken. He's from Alabama. He came over here to marry my aunt and has lived here ever since. According to him, gay people, black people, conscientious objectors, 'lefties' and the like should be 'put against a wall and shot'. He uses those words. He loves Bush. Loves him like the kindred spirit he is. When I went on my first anti-war protest, he went ballistic: 'She's under 18, she can't have her own opinions yet, they don't teach politics in school' blah blah blah. He shouted, slammed doors and wouldn't speak to my family for a few weeks. Now that the war is, quote, 'over', he's full of remorse. The 'good guys', amazingly enough, are still being killed, and he just can't understand it. 'It's a Godawful state of affairs', he says, wearing his sickening little stars and stripes/union jack badge.

Of course, now that Israel are throwing a shit-fit, he's on top of the world again. 'If it wears a kaftan, kill it.' Yee-haw.

I have to wonder how many Uncle Kens there are in the world.

Why I'm ranting, I don't know. On a cheerful note, Sisters of Mercy are ever-so-jolly and it's only a matter of days until I meet the minx.