London: a rant.

8 thoughts on “London: a rant.”

  1. Hya Lisa…whenever I go to london, the capital of capitalism, I also feel it throttling me, like chains tightening around my throat and have similar issues with the place to yourself, I also spent a good 6 years living there. However, i’m also very proud of and grateful to London, it’s the place where i discovered how to be alternative, to be poor and creative and happy with little. Where i learnt about anarchism and community and Cooperative living, where i found freedom in the squatting laws (bastard Tories put a stop to that!) London is massively cosmopolitan and accepting of other cultures compared to many other cities around the world) despite that things are getting worse with immigration laws and that all the tabloids appear to be inciting racial and class hatred, the diversity and culture are better than in many places (in the rest of England) and I heard in Paris that discrimination and segregation are so bad there that in certain poor suburbs there are tanks parked the whole time to keep ‘immigrants’ and ‘racial minorities’ under control. My feeling is that things are getting worse tho, like the law that means we can know longer protest freely in the city, that we can no longer protest in parliament square, that we can no longer squat, the fact charities and ngo’s can no longer raise money to lobby during elections. But the veil has been lifted to an extent, people are realising we don’t live in a democracy after all, and this knowing has a strangely liberating feeling to it…but i do know what you mean, whenever go back there now, more than ever I feel the dark stain of greed and global corruption tainting the grey streets. But we have also to be grateful for what we have because it could be so much and probably will get so much worse. The more they feel power slipping away the more they will try to grip on to it with all their might…viva la Revelation!

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    1. Hi, yes sadly there is racism in France, the UK and the rest of Europe but thankfully no tanks in the suburbs of Paris as someone inaccurately told you.

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  2. First of all… You are in London!!! Can I see you? Secondly, I loved your writing, particularly the story of the lady helping the man. It’s easy to feel alone in London, as in any large city. But some people do really care. I am glad that man got at least a little kindness; when a person is at their lowest ebb, it can be the meaning between life and death. A few kind words and a little time isn’t an expensive commodity… It infuriates me when I see someone who needs help and everyone walks on by. I see some of the worst and best in people in London: carrying a baby with me really shows me what humanity can be. Some people fall over themselves to help me, offer me a seat (I carry my baby in a rucksack on my back) or retrieve his shoes that he delights in kicking off. Some people make my life harder by criticising my parenting (no, Seb doesn’t need a hat as it’s baking, but thanks for making me feel like a bad mother), purposefully walking into me or just being plain rude. Ignoring the rich and the selfish, London can be a beautiful place to live… I love the free museums, the parks, especially Greemwich Park and the friendliness of strangers, although I know that is mostly down to Seb. I miss the sense of community that I had in the country, but London isn’t so bad! X

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  3. Thanks sharing your point of view and story, Yes there are lots of beautiful and kind of people around, we will make it 🙂 it got me emotional with the story… love xx

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  4. Hi Lisa,
    What a superb text. I believe hear you as you were near of us.

    But I wonder where’s exactly is the problem.

    You describe London with (wo)men inside…

    What could be London without (wo)men inside ?
    And (wo)men without London ?

    Is London that make (wo)men like that or (wo)wen that make London like ?

    May be both or something else 😉
    Woaine’ll e pleased to see you ag
    Cheers

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  5. I am now pootling to the West End daily for work (I hope what I do is both decent and useful – although it’s hard to tell these days). My girlfriend lives deep in the City where we regularly use the Glastonbury Steward’s technique to wake up passed-out bankers dangerously drunk on the pavement… it’s notable that they never have the decency to say “thank you”.
    I find London (especially the City, but also the hyper-wealthy enclaves) both sad and worrying at the moment. I think it’s impossible to walk past the dramatic cityscape without a sinking feeling of impotence. They have it all sewn up; they’ve owned so much, for so many years. Shouting for change is exactly equivalent to repeatedly bashing your head against the Georgian splendour of one of the Duke of Westminster’s perpetually rented-out mansions in Mayfair…
    You may like this link: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2014/04/a-nation-of-slaves.html

    We should figure out how to meet up soon! x

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