Let's face it political correctness, that strange form of mental illness, continues to devour what's left of freedom and democracy and brands commonsense policies dangerous at best, evil at worst. Dare to call for controlled immigration and you are branded an evil racist.
A fine recent example of hysterical PC branding was when US commentator Rush Limbaugh asserted that James Bond should not be played by a black actor on the grounds that Ian Fleming created Bond as the son of a Scottish father and French Swiss mother. Of course the shit hit the fan and he, and others, were pilloried for such evil racism. I suppose, therefore, that we will soon see Russell Brand playing the lead role in a bio pic of Nelson Mandela's life.
Don't agree with gay marriage? Many of us have been branded evil homophobes for daring to question the idea of gay marriage. I don't have a problem with gay couples having all the legal rights that heterosexual couples have. I don't have a problem with civil partnerships. I just believe that marriage is, and should remain, the joining together of a man and a woman. Call me old fashioned but do not brand me homophobic, because I'm not.
Dare to comment on the stonings, beheadings, crucifications and more carried out by muslims and you are branded an Islamphobe. The apologists for Islam claim that it is a peaceful religion full of joy and goodness. Well maybe ISIS are rogues but look at any muslim state and tell me you, especially if you are a woman, would like to go and live there. Public executions, often shown on TV? Women arrested for driving? Women stoned to death for adultery or even for being raped? Homosexuals thrown in jail or facing death? Under sharia law only the males in a family can inherit? These things don't strike me as being compatible with liberal western values. But dare criticise and all those politically correct liberals who want their version of 'equality' imposed on us suddenly defend the polar opposite of what they preach to us and brand you an Islamophobe.
The politically correct loathe British people who live in France, Spain and other countries but maintain a British way of life, eating British food, shopping in British shops, playing cricket and bowls and so on. Little Englanders who should integrate cry the politically correct.
Visit a typical British city and you often find yourself in huge areas that resemble Delhi, Istanbul, Cyprus or Lahore. Wonderful examples of diversity and multiculturalism cry the politically correct.
The central element of political correctness is self-loathing. A loathing of British culture. A loathing of British history. A loathing of the British way of life. A loathing of British people. A loathing of our political system. Foreigners are so much friendlier. Foreign cultures are so much more vibrant. It is a form of mental illness involving self harm. An individual suffering this form of illness would be offered treatment.
Against this backdrop it is no wonder that next year's general election is unlikely to offer us a serious option for change. They are all scared that the media and the metropolitan elite will brand them evil extremists if they dare say anything that could be branded politically incorrect.
At one time politicians had beliefs. Does anybody know what any of our senior politicians actually believe today? At one time our politicians used to listen to the electorate. Now, because they have been so neutered by political correctness, they daren't listen to the public.
So who is really to blame for this mess? Senior politicians? Yes. One thing that would make 2015 a wonderful year would be to see the Chilcot Report published and Tony Blair hauled off to The Hague on war crimes charges. That's just for starters.
The politically correct? Of course they are to blame. In another era they would have been labelled Quislings, and quite rightly so.
But when apportioning blame the 'anti-politicians' must carry a huge burden of guilt. I mean those people who sit on their bums slagging off anybody involved in politics, be they a volunteer leafleter or an MP, just for the fact that they are involved in politics. The advent of the internet has made this problem even worse with the appearance of the keyboard warrior, who has all the answers, usually idiotically simplistic answers, but still sits on his fat arse doing nothing constructive but slagging off those who actually stick their heads above the parapet and try to change things. The 'anti-politicians' do more than anybody else to drive people away from politics thus leaving political parties in the hands of an ever dwindling band of misfits.
For the first time in decades I won't be involved in the next election in any way, a combination of disenchantment and finding that trying to engage the average voter is like trying to raise the dead. An utter, demoralising waste of time. I doubt I'll even be voting in May 2015, for the first time since the local elections in 1980, although I spoilt my European ballot paper in 1979.
So, if you vote just for the sake of voting, even though you don't agree with any of them, don't complain when you get a government you don't like or that you accuse of not listening. You voted for them.
Before you slag me off I spent around 35 years trying to make a difference, but when banging your head against a wall gets really painful you stop. Think you could do more and better? Then get off your lazy arse, leave your keyboard alone and get involved.
To those who are still motivated enough to plod the streets knocking on doors on behalf of a candidate, stuffing envelopes in a draughty campaign office or sticking their heads above the parapet to actually stand for parliament I wish you luck, and the New Year you deserve.
