politics – Page 3 – Babycakes Romero

23/01/201822/01/2018

#MYLDN (1047)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

20/01/201822/01/2018

You were a veagon, now you will be gone!

You may or may not know this but Veganuary is in full swing. I do not have any issue with people being encouraged to eat less meat. We’ve all seen the stats. Meat consumption at its current levels is just not sustainable for the future. Takes up too much land and too much water, both of which we ourselves will need to survive as the planet warms so it will eventually be a case of who do we feed…us or the animals we eat? We’re gonna have to cut out the middle man at some point. So any attempt to get us out of this cul de sac the human race has found itself in is a good thing. But what I do have issue with is really bad puns. Veganuary? Really? Is that the best you could do? There is something about veganism that encourages really bad word play as they try to find alternate versions of names for meat products. Not sure if they are trying to be funny but they are failing. As a demographic vegans have a reputation for not having a sense of humour so that would at least tally.

There is a joke that goes “how do you know someone’s a vegan? Because they tell you” which goes someway to highlighting the often smug sanctimonious attitude that often comes with the decision to go animal product free. I guess a lot of it is no-one likes to be told what they are doing is wrong and evil and it doesn’t help if this information is dished out with an air of superiority and worthiness. No wonder it gets people’s backs up which is a shame as the message does need to get across somehow.

The delivery of the message has previously always had the angle of trying to guilt people into action but it doesn’t work so why do it? There is a bit of a vegan explosion (sorry that doesn’t mean blowing up vegans) going on at the moment in this country and I believe this is because of Simon Anstell’s documentary “Carnage” which uses comedic satire to get the point across and its clearly worked. According to the Vegan Society, there are now at least 542,000 vegans in the UK; 10 years ago, that figure was about 150,000. So maybe dodgy puns are the answer. If they make people laugh maybe that will make them buy the products. If only they were actually funny and not cringe able. Sheese? Really? Sheese Louise! (see what they make you do? You can’t help yourself)

Where do I stand in all of this? I’ve been a peskytarian for decades but have recently become an 85% indoor vegan. What does that mean? It means I mostly don’t have any animal products in the house and only occasionally have a pizza but am largely animal product free. Largely? Mostly? 85% What the fuck are you talking about? What kind of a cop out is that? Well, unlike many people, I do not consider my food choices akin to a religion. There is no rule book. If there is I have never seen one. People say, how can you call yourself a vegan if you occasionally eat cheese or whatever? I can do whatever I like because I don’t actually call myself anything.

It has become aware to me that our food choices have become somewhat tribal and evangelical creating a multitude of in groups and out groups to assign yourself to but I think it just creates polarisation and alienation and is ultimately a distraction from the matter in hand. It doesn’t matter how purist you are about it, what everyone needs to do is to just eat a shit load less meat. And we all know it.

My line is, if everyone was 85% vegan then it would be problem solved. We don’t need to cut it out completely. We just need to (m)eat less. Ok that’s another bad pun, see what I’m saying? Its contagious. I actually need to stop talking about veganism as its making me unfunny. I might lose my sense of hummus completely. (just shoot me, but don’t eat me after yeah? Its Veganuary remember)

If you have never seen Scott Pilgrim vs the world then the title of this blog won’t make much sense but is, as established above, one of those very rare things, possibly one of a kind – it’s a genuinely humorous pun about veganism. Film is brilliant. Why not watch after ‘Carnage”…you can veg out with a Double Vegan bill (ok, I’m outta here, I can feel the funny draining from my very being)

22/12/201721/12/2017

#MerryMYLDNXmas!

Me and my camera wishing you all a very Merry Xmas and a happy New Year!

And so we come to the end of the year and all there is to say is..thank fuck that’s over! 2o17 started with such doom and gloom and it never really abated. The world went to the dark side and rarely emerged out of it. The future looked so unbright it made me switch to black and white photography. Everything just seemed greyer, no colour & no glimmer of hope. Black and white also felt like the perfect way to mirror the stark polarisation of societies around the world as everyone got into their own respective and opposing camps. Everything went very black and white with the disappearance of the middle ground in favour of major lunges towards hostile extremities.

The misery inducing forces of Brexit and Trump and the sense of global meltdown driven by the refugee crisis and the continued and worsening climate chaos got so bad it actually made me switch off the news completely for the first time in my adult life. Consequently I didn’t look at a single piece of news anywhere for the first six months of this year as it felt over-powering and this combined with a feeling of utter powerlessness made it too much to bear.

The only reason I got dragged back was Maybot calling the snap election and then it felt impossible to ignore the relentless self-destruction of this country. And so it continued. Hope gave way to horror and common sense got annihilated by populist opinion riddled with bullshit and lies. The fact this year gave birth to the concept of fake news shows just how far from the truth we have strayed. And we had also clearly veered off the path of morality and decency into an uncaring world where the plight of the needy and the desperate, both abroad and at home, were no longer a concern for western democracies.

And yet, having said all that, I’m kinda done dwelling on the shite. Regardless of what is happening we still have a choice what we choose to focus on which is why this week I have shown a series of photographs all taken during the last few days showing people having a good time, united by music and showing that humans can be brilliant together, full of love and togetherness and joy. And all in colour! I had a great time at lots of different nights out with lots of different groups of people but what they all had in common was a demonstration that hate and division is definitely NOT a requisite of human interaction. It can be so very very different. Enjoying life might not seem very productive in the scheme of things but it is way more constructive than being destructive. We can all sit at home and bemoan the plight of the planet and its population or we can just go out and rinse existence for all its worth…

The last few weeks has been a fairly non-stop party fest for me and it really showed me that even when everything goes to crap and things look grimmer than they ever have the human spirit cannot be extinguished. We forge on no matter what always in the hope that things will improve. And hope might be a misguided delusional notion but its all we have and it might just be enough. So let’s leave the shit to the shits and the rest of us can do what humans do best – hang out, be good to each other and have fun…all in favour..raise your hands!

See you in 2018!

P.s This photograph was taken at the Soulwax gig at the roundhouse at the weekend. If you want to see the full gallery please click here

15/12/2017

#MYLDN (1033)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

There is an undeniable air of negative gloom hanging over the U.K at the moment and it shows no signs of abating. The writing is on the wall and its screaming “Run!”. It is indeed the shadow of Brexit that looms large across the country and has put most of us into an all pervasive pessimistic mood. Its difficult to shake as nothing but more shitty news seems to arrive each and every day indicating that everything is just going to get a whole lot worse. There is a distinct absence of hope for the future and everyone is feeling insecure about their work/life situation. There are those who have already flown the coop as Brexodus is in full swing (yes I mean you Lisbon lot!) but the rest of us who can’t/won’t leave are gonna just have to wait and see how far this fuckery is going to go.

So what to do? Watch as our elected bodies flush our country down the toilet? Pretend everything is ok whilst knowing it really isn’t and with no glimmer of hope that it is ever going to be? As inflation runs away in one direction and wages are being sucked back in the opposite direction there will come a time when life becomes unsustainable. There is a tipping point and we aren’t far from it. London is already piss take expensive. It is inconceivable that prices can be jacked up higher than they already are but that looks extremely fucking likely at the rate we are going. Our housing market (both rental and sales) is already beyond broken as everyone is paying through the nose for places not technically big enough for human beings to live in. Maybe when everyone else has been forced to leave the new population of this city will be rich hobbits who will be ok living in shoe boxes masquerading as homes.

We used to be called ‘Rip Off Britain’ and that was before Brexit and now I guess we are ‘Rip Up Britain’. It is an act of wilful self-destruction, country suicide, a relentless shit show that no-one in power has the ability or the balls to circumnavigate away from disaster. All aboard the slow mo train wreck…

Even non-political chat seems to be on a downer these days as the negativity seeps its way into everything and everyone. The general air of misery and uncertainty has permeated all aspects of life and all you hear are tales of woe and horror show after horror show and no-one seems to have anything good to say whatsoever. We are all beaten down. Depressed. Despondent. How can it get more fucked up than it already is?

I have no answers, no solutions to offer, not even a witty remark to add, there is really nothing funny about Brexit at all. Its just sad. What I really want is for this to be like that series in Dallas when Bobby Ewing woke up in the shower and the whole previous series had just been a dream…and Victoria Principle is staring into my eyes telling me everything is going to be ok. When your only hope is being saved from fictional characters from an 80s soap you know you’re in deep shit.

This week’s photographs are all part of my ongoing series “r u talkin to me”…

14/09/201713/09/2017

#MYLDN (979)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

07/07/201705/07/2017

#MYLDN (960)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

There has always been a big question mark in my head as to whether protest marches ever actually work on any significant level. This is mainly because all the ones I have been involved in have not succeeded in their goal.

I marched against student loans – failed

I marched against the Iraq War – failed

I marched against Climate change – failed

I marched against Brexit – failed

So what’s the point? As they say doing something over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. But the alternative is nothing and action is always better than apathy. Nothing ever happened from doing nothing. When you march through streets joined by thousands of others who feel the same way you are united as a body of people, you feel like a unit, there is a sense of togetherness and the positive energy that generates is maybe reason enough because in some ways, that feeling of oneness is all we need to go forward. It creates a unified collective which focuses on the power of the many rather than our own individual sense of powerlessness. Even if this is essentially a delusion, this feeling of empowerment is ultimately enough to warrant the action.

So why are we protesting? Because we know austerity is bullshit and we know that the reason that there is austerity in the first place is because we bailed out the banks. They took our money and now we’re up to our eyeballs in debt. Their debt that they saddled us with and then rode off into the sunset only to start all over again. We cannot forget this. We mustn’t forget this.

This is not our debt. It is theirs but we paid for it. It was not the public sector workers debt. It wasn’t the disabled. It wasn’t those on benefits. It wasn’t those who lived in council flats. But they are the ones who they have taken the money from. Was there money for the DUP? Yes. Was there money for Brexit negotiations? Yes. Hinkley? H2? Trident? Somehow there is money for all these gargantuan insanely expensive projects that no-one wants but apparently no money for sections of the population that actually need it.

We are also protesting because we know the current establishment is not working for us. They are working for themselves. It is blatantly obvious to see. Referendum? For them, not us. Snap election? For them. One billion pounds of our money to buy 10 seats? Them again. They are our elected body. Technically they work for us but in reality their actions are largely driven by a desire and need to cling onto power. Is that really who we want to govern us? A government that has no concern for our concerns or any concerns other than their own.

The march on Saturday through London was called NotOneDayMore but the sad truth is we have five more years of MayBot bollocks and even though you can feel a change in the wind, a step in the right direction, a shifting of public opinion, a desire for something less cunty, more caring, there is still a shitload of time before any of that can kick into gear. In the meantime, we must fight for what is right, what is decent, what is morally correct, regardless of party politics. It doesn’t matter if you are blue or red, whether you hate Corbyn or not, this is about doing the right thing. It really just boils down to whether you want to be on the side that gives a shit about people or the side that doesn’t. Is that too simplistic a view of life? Am I being naive? All I know is that there is a good person and a git in everyone of us and I know which one I would rather be.

I will try and give politics a rest for a while now, well, at least until the next major shit hits the fan but in the meantime I will put it on the back burner, on this blog at least. In person? That I can’t guarantee…

p.s I accidentally posted two pics yesterday so you got a extra one thrown in for free this week. That’s the kind of caring sharing guy I am…

06/07/201705/07/2017

#MYLDN (959)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

erm, not 100% sure bout that, labour didn’t technically win even though it might have felt like a victory. So it might be a teensy bit early for self-congratulatory jubilations from the youthquake. Just sayin..

05/07/201703/07/2017

#MYLDN (958)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

05/07/201703/07/2017

#MYLDN (957)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

04/07/201703/07/2017

#MYLDN (956)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

(please note: if you are a subscriber and still cannot see picture in your email please click on post heading to go through to my site or follow me on instagram (@babycakesromero) where you can find exact same feed only with square photos. Not as in ‘less cool’, as in literally)

03/07/201703/07/2017

#MYLDN (955)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

The lizard people have been amongst us for many eons but never before has their disguise malfunctioned so massively as to permanently reveal their true selves to human society…

09/06/2017

#MYLDN (944):

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

Shall I tell that nasty woman to go fuck herself? Shall I?

08/06/201708/06/2017

#MYLDN (943)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

Crunch time for Britain…

This election is our last chance to protect the things that should be most valued in society: services, healthcare, community support, affordable housing, a living wage, equal opportunities, culture. The Tories do not value these things because they do not value us or our needs. They seem to stand for nothing other than themselves.

They cannot be trusted with our future because they are only planning for their own. They plunged our country into disarray, creating division and instability for their own political gain. They have continually shown no concern for the effects of their actions as long as they stay in power. If they get back in they will continue to initiate policies for their own benefit whilst selling off the countries assets (including the NHS) in the process. This is what the Tories do. This is all they ever do. They will take away our human rights. They will continue to slash services. A vote for them is really just a vote for them, not for you, not for the country, not for anyone else.

Or you could vote #anythingbuttory. Just make sure you vote. Everything else can wait till tomorrow.

If you want to know how to make a tactical vote here is how to do it: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2017/jun/02/tactical-voting-guide-how-to-make-your-vote-count-in-the-2017-election

02/06/201702/06/2017

#MYLDN (939)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

The photographs this week reflect the notion that we in the U.K now seem to be living in an utterly divided nation. Left vs Right, Privileged vs Poor, Immigrants vs indigenous, racists vs non-racists, homeowners vs rentals, london vs the rest of the country, equality vs hierarchy, young vs old, peace vs war, leave vs remain…the EU referendum just highlighted and exposed the conflict already present in our un-united kingdom, and just as Scotland found from its own referendum, we were maybe unaware how deep the divide went until the result. Everyone seems to have retreated into their various sub-groups. Lines in the sand have been drawn and whether those lines have been drawn by cash or culture, religion or race, geography or history, they are fragmenting our society.

What it all ultimately means is that we no longer feel we identify as a whole. Divisive propaganda by the likes of the Daily Mail & the Express have done a magnificent job during and since the Brexit campaign of generating hate amongst the various different ethnic groups present within this country, which the present government has essentially endorsed by offering no reassurance to any immigrants, from Europe or otherwise, that their citizenship is safe or indeed that they are even welcome here. If we don’t include everyone how we can we expect people to even feel British enough to want what’s best for the entire country? And if being British is all about exclusion rather than inclusion then you have to ask yourself, is this what I support and want to be included in? And if we all can’t relate to being British how can we possibly all agree on the way forward for a country we don’t even feel like we belong to? How can we work together when we see each other as the problem not the solution?

We must see that we are all the same, regardless of where we are from, where we live, what we earn. We just all have to want to live in a good society that has a sense of community, that provides its citizens with no more than the basics: a living wage, affordable rent, free healthcare and a sense that we all have a purpose and an importance no matter what we do. A sense of equality was built in this country in World War II when it was understood that every component and contribution was vital. Since then that idea has slowly been eroded, and now it is only the top echelons that are championed and supported. Those in power always maintained that there would be a ‘trickle down’ that would benefit everyone but it was bollocks and it never happened. There wasn’t even a trickle…

And with America now very much under the control of the forces of evil aka the fossil fuel industry who are clearly dictating policy just in an attempt to protect their profits and keep their stranglehold on the whole planet. They know their day has come and they are clinging on, using Trump to do their dirty work at the expense of pretty much everyone and being nothing less than an obstacle to the future of the human race – and we would apparently prefer this as an ally to Europe? We must be as insane as the Donald himself. Brexit is also bollocks. Everyone knows it.

We are on the brink of an election and in some ways, never more was at stake. We are at a crossroad and could go either way. We need to see beyond the bullshit of politicians and work out for ourselves what is important. There is an opportunity to steer this country away from the ‘me’ and towards the ‘we’. Does it matter how well you are doing in society if the society itself is fucked? Does it matter what rung of the ladder you are on if the ladder is rotten and crumbling to bits? We need to reinforce the ladder and make sure everyone can get on it, not use it to escape the horror around us…

19/05/201718/05/2017

#MYLDN (930)

Me and my camera in my home town, my capital city, my london

No-one I know, including myself is really talking about the upcoming election in Britain which is kinda weird as so much is at stake. The writing’s on the wall but nothing is being said. Why? Are we all beaten down by Brexit? Was that the point of a snap election? To catch everyone in a state of utter disillusionment and despair and take advantage of the apathy? It would appear so and it looks like its working. Is the election a done deal? That is definitely what they want you to think but please remember, politicians are only unelectable if you don’t vote for them. The power is still with us. What have recent elections shown us? That it’s never a done deal. That you can never predict what is going to happen. Your vote counts. It always does. No matter what. Don’t be lulled into paralysis and inaction by a right-wing biased media counting on it. And if you think they are all as bad as each other, think again. Some give a shit about the rest of us and some really don’t. Its not hard to see who is who. Even in a world of fake news.

Find it so sad to think that the internet which was created to spread knowledge and information has created a world where nothing can be believed and everyone is now taking advantage of that. This is why common sense (rather than the current ‘common insanity’)needs to be re-established. They are banking on the fact that you don’t have time to digest and discern what is real and what isn’t. Spend the time, check the sources, it’s worth it. If you can’t, just file it under ‘maybe’ rather than gospel. The era of post truth is most definitely here. That you can believe.

If you want to be even more mistrustful of the algorithms and how you and your online habits are being manipulated to swing entire elections read this article which shows how the alt. right from the U.S got seriously involved in our EU referendum: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/07/the-great-british-brexit-robbery-hijacked-democracy

Is it to be believed? Can it be trusted? Its pretty well researched and from corroborated sources and written by a professional journalist so as much as anything can be, yes it is and its pretty fucking chilling stuff. However, like the revelations of Snowden, it might not do anything other than confirm what you already believed and re-inforce your sense of powerlessness and why being involved in the election process is pointless. But, if anything, all it does for me is show why your vote counts more than ever. They are systematically unleveling the playing field to work in their favour. We cannot allow them to get away with it. What can we do? How do we fight this? There is really only one thing you can do…Vote! Vote! Vote!

Whether you agree with the Brexit result or not, whatever your politics are, it showed one thing. Going to the polling booth does make a difference. Most of my frustration comes from feeling that I am at the mercy of the people in power who clearly have nothing but their own (and their donors) vested interests as the driving force of their actions. Voting is all we have. Until they take that away from us as well we must use it to exercise what minuscule amount of power we have as citizens. Add all those minuscule bits together and you have real power.

Am I talking to like-minded people? I have no idea. I kinda hope not. Who wants to live in an echo chamber? That’s what Google and Facebook want because the more they narrow your world the easier it is to advertise to you. That is the only reason. We cannot be afraid to hear opposing views or just slam them down because we don’t agree. If we want others to listen to you so must you be prepared to listen openly to others, even if they are from a different political side. Our brains are geared up to reject new information and instead to seek out anything that re-inforces our world view. It is called confirmation bias and it is the brain’s default. It spends its whole life trying to find things that make you think you were right all along. This is obviously some evolutionary misfire because it’s causing us to devolve. And it affects liberals and conservatives equally (acc to study in new scientist so a pretty reliable source). We can override these mental mechanisms, we just need to understand that our brains occasionally need overriding. We need to dig deep and access the logic part of our minds. It’s in there somewhere amidst all the bile and the bullshit…we just need to find it.