It was quite a sight.
Jeremy Corbyn, the much mocked Labour leader, addressing a massive crowd at the Glastonbury music festival.
And getting a rapturous reception.
Calling on young people to rise up, and send a message to Donald Trump.
While all over Glastonbury, the young sang "Oh Jeremy Corbyn."
But while it is an amazing phenomenon, and in these dark times a beacon of light in the darkness, nobody should be surprised.
We've seen it before in the United States with Bernie Sanders, and to some degree in Canada with Justin Trudeau.
Corbyn, like Sanders and Trudeau, understands the power of hope.
He said he believed it was the spirit of hope driving his campaign which had caught the imagination of young voters, who had spent the past few years forced into “making difficult and unpalatable choices” thanks to cuts in education grants and introduction of university fees. He called for an end of a society where “we sullenly accept poverty, inequality and the desperation of some people”.
And is able to relate to the plight of the young.
“Young people sometimes get very afraid, they disproportionately suffer mental health stress, young people often suffer quite a lot of things alone and deal with a lot of abuse on their own,” he said.
“I think social media has had a very big part this this,” he said. “In changing that orthodoxy, a lot of other things become possible, and that’s what engaged so many younger people, as well as older people who returned to politics after being driven away by the cynicism of the past.”
So it's no wonder they love him...
I must admit I have no idea where this is going, but as you can imagine it has sent my spirits soaring.
I'll check it out when I'm in Britain in a couple of weeks, and let you know what I find out.
But with Theresa May and her Brexit Cons in terrible trouble...
And a new generation rising.
Anything could happen.
The future does belong to us.
And the man the Cons loved to mock so much, could be the next prime minister of Britain...
I think this is AWESOME!
ReplyDeletehi Kathleen...I think it is too. Theresa May and her Cons were hoping to destroy the Labour Party and now they are the ones gasping for air, and trying to stay afloat...
DeleteJustin Trudeau is not our beacon of hope. I thought he might be but he has been co opted by the neo liberals.
ReplyDeleteTrudeau is a con artist, broken promises to FN, a mismanaged Inquiry where the original head of the inquiry was fired for sensibly suggesting male victim should be included, broken promise on electoral reform and then spinning lies to cover for it, and so much more.
Deletehi anon...you are entitled to your opinion, but let me remind you of two things. (1) Canada is not the Socialist Republic of Outer Mongolia. (2) And in the absence of any other alternative Trudeau is for the new generation at least, the only leader that offers them hope....
Deletehi Gyor...Trudeau has done more to advance the cause of the First Nations than any other PM in our history. The electoral reform fiasco was caused by Nathan Cullen who joined forces with the Cons to demand a referendum, which would have buried electoral reform for a generation. The latest polls show that almost 50 per cent of NDP supporters like Justin a lot. And if you could have heard the deafening roar of the crowd when he marched in the Pride Parade yesterday, you would realize that he is going to be prime minister for a long long time. Sorry....
DeleteOooh a socialist preaching to a bunch of stoned hippies at a musical festival. Pretty controversial stance he's taking there.
ReplyDelete-MC
The other guys have got a lock on the gun nuts, racists, bible-thumpers, gay bashers, motorcycle hoods, gynophobes, Tuffy McNutts, white collar crime enthusiasts and other assorted somewhat functional semi-morons and situational rugged individualists; so I think it's okay if we let the socialists have a few stoners and Pollyannas without getting too cynical about it.
DeleteSocialist are always free to take the dregs and washouts of society. After all it isn't like they are going to ever hold political power anyway.
Deletehi MC...you forget one thing, socialism isn't a dirty word anymore, and Jeremy Corbyn is popular with the young for calling for more socialism and less globalism. Times change, and you really must keep up with them...
Deletehi anon 7:05...Good god, it seems that the every crazy old man is screaming for his mummy today. Or at least screaming to be mummified. The dregs of society are the capitalist parasites, and the young have had enough of them....
DeleteMuch better than having T May preach to a bunch of ossified entitled aristocrats/bankers/businessmen deep into bottles of sherry, port and brandy muttering about the serfs and their substandard housing dealt them by the rich perhaps being used to hang them for malfeasance, yet worried where their next million quid is going to come from after Brexit.
ReplyDeleteWhich scenario is more real to more people? Corbyn? Or May and her two hundred pairs of shoes, lack of brainpower and an entitled outlook for the privileged? Pretty obvious answer to that one MC.
BM
hi BM...yes, that is a good question. Although you left out Theresa's expensive pair of leather pants. I don't think MC understands what's going on in Britain since The Rebel has only the racist Tommy Robinson as their correspondent. And the situation can only get worse as Robinson may soon end up in jail, and the Rebel Commander will have to cover the story from his basement in Toronto...
DeleteLove your blog, but these Corbyn pieces put me to sleep. Goodnight.
ReplyDeletehi anon...well I'm sorry about that. Look I support the Scottish National Party so I'm bitter too. But Jeremy Corbyn is a phenomenon who can't be ignored any longer...
ReplyDeleteHe surged by default. I would have voted for him happily out of my disgust for May.
DeleteI can't pretend that I'm not offended by one of your comments, Simon. On behalf my fellow dirty old men I would like to assure everyone that, though we are largely neither impressed by Justin's numerous courageous star performances nor with his performance generally, we mean no harm to the boy. And we certainly don't hate him. At the same time I understand that I can't speak for all of the dirty old men. There are just too many of us.
ReplyDeleteHi John...I'm sorry you consider yourself to be a dirty old man, and shocked that you believe there are so many. Because I don't know any myself. What I am talking about are the crazy old geezers who infest places like The Rebel and are always threatening to kill Trudeau. Surely you I are not one of them are you? I didn't think so....
Delete