A New Year

Inspired by Hannah Mudge's blog here are some reflections and some looking forward to 2014.

2013 was an odd year. I was mostly pregnant which drained me of energy. Life was pretty stressful for a number of reasons and mostly I was glad to see the back of it. It did have some redeeming features, a new baby and some fabulous lodgers. Like Hannah I also found little time to write and when I did found myself getting into probably pointless discussions about gender differences.

2014 feels like a very new year and I am getting increasingly energetic about it. There is so much to be done. 

Today I began to read the news again - depressing. 

First thing I read yet another suggestion we are in danger of heading to a police state. 

Then for one reason or another I ended up on the Center For Social Justice Website which caused me to become so irritated I overcame years of deliberating and waiting for them to swing to the left and joined the labor party.

So first blog of the year, hear are my thoughts on the Center for Social Justice. I am too depressed to deal with 'ipnas'.

Center for Social Justice - sounds like the sort of thing I should love. I do not I find it incredibly problematic. 

My first problem is its name. Social Justice means something in common understanding. the Center has taken the phrase and appropriated it for their own purpose. Social Justice in most people's understanding, would involve changing the social structures in which people are oppressed. 

CSJ narrative seems to be that social breakdown causes poverty. Reading between the lines would suggest they think people chose to be poor. Most social justice activists and organisations would probably argue that poverty caused by economic inequality causes much 'social breakdown'.

I could get over all this if the they described  themselves as a right of center think tank on social issues. But they don't they describe themselves as 'independent'. They have pictures of Cameron all over their website and most crucially they were set up by Ian Duncan Smith. Are they really trying to convince me they are free to critique government policy? All this explains the 'social breakdown' rhetoric though.

Bllur!!!

Then I read that Cameron's barber got given an MBE. 

I imagine I will be blogging quiet a lot of grump this year and hopefully seeing some collectivist action against ridiculousness.  

I was given a red beret for Christmas. Wearing it definitely makes me feel revolutionary. To the non-violent resistant barricade and lets all get an ipnas.