The World's Police - Leon Rosselson

Leon Rosselson is one of England's most respected songwriters who played a real part in the post-war revival of folk music in the UK. Best known for his politically-edged tune, "The World Turned Upside Down," that tells the story of the historic Digger Commune movement of 1649 in England. Dedicated to the ideal of a classless society, the Diggers settled on privatized land and held it in “the common good,” believing that all should share freely in the gifts of the earth.about the 17th century.
https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2019/09/gerrard-winstanley-19101609-10091676.html
Rosselson continues to reflect the state of modern Britain through his songs that are full of power, passion, anger and hard questions yet catchy and sometime laugh out loud funny. The Guardian called his tunes "fierce, funny, cynical, outraged, blasphemous, challenging and anarchic," Folk Roots described Rosselson as "a sharp observer, a wonderful wordsmith, a composer of originality and depth, but most of all, a superb integrator of words and music." Launching his career in the early '60s, as a member of folk revivalist group the Galliards, Rosselson attracted international attention when several of his songs were featured on the satirical television show, That Was the Week That Was. A major break in Rosselson's bid for success came when Billy Bragg's version of "The World Turned Upside Down" reached the British Top Ten in 1985. Two years later, Rosselson had a minor hit with his independantly-released single, "Ballad of a Spycatcher," recorded with accompaniment by Bragg and the Oyster Band.
He has performed in every conceivable venue around the country, from pub rooms in Wigan and Warrington to the Albert Hall and Festival Hall in London, and has toured the United States, Canada, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Australia. He has written songs for community theatre and children’s street theatre, songs for a stage production of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? and a scripted shows about the nuclear threat called ‘No Cause for Alarm’. He has released twelve CDs of his songs and published two songbooks, Bringing the News from Nowhere and Turning Silence into Song. He has also had seventeen children’s books published; the first one, Rosa’s Singing Grandfather, published by Puffin, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 1991. A stage show based on his children’s story The Greatest Drummer in the World was premiered at the Drill Hall in London in 2002 and subsequently went on a nationwide tour of theatres and schools.
From his 1979 LP If I knew who the enemy was, The World's Police has a wide interpretation, being on surface level about the forces of law and order, but in fact developing to show the use of authority as not merely oppressive but apocalyptic. By extension, the same authoritarian forces lead from boots to non-lethal weapons, to machine guns, bombs and ultimately nuclear holocaust.

The song seems to have reached its coda when the verses drop out, and in one of the most unexpected developments of any Leon song, the post-apocalypse world is almost celebrated as one of perfect calm and peace. But Leon spins it around again; he's looking from the perspective of the authorities where peace is synonymous with order, and the theme of the song is launched anew. As with a lot of his songs, it has a timeless quality that still resonates with the times we live today.
The World's Police" features Leon alongside Roy Bailey https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2018/11/roy-bailey-radical-socialist-folk.html backed by Firoz Shapur on brass and piano, guest guitarist (and LP producer) Martin Carthy unhappily sitting out the session.

"There were arguments, I seem to remember, when we recorded this cheerful little number for If I Knew Who the Enemy Was. Martin Carthy thought that I'd over-arranged it. But there's no arguing over Fiz Shapur's fine octave leap on the French horn shortly before the end of the world."  -  LR (sleevenotes to Guess What They're Selling at the Happiness Counter, 1992)

“Musically, and in content and form, this is about as remote from the folk idiom as it’s possible to be. I’m not sure how I arrived at a melody which required a chord sequence of Edim/Fm/Cm/C sharp minor/G sharp/E. Not, for sure, from strumming the guitar. Could I then have made my first acquaintance with the Brecht-Eisler songs? This wasn’t, in my mind, a song just about the militarisation of society and the suppression of popular uprisings. It was intended to be broader than that – to depict a society based on an ideology of control, order, obedience, repression, domination of nature, deterrence, leading ultimately to the death of the planet.”  -  LR (sleevenotes to The World Turned Upside Down (CD box set), p27-28)

Source:- https://lrsc.weebly.com/  

Why leon Rosselson, is not a “household name” has long baffled me, not only has Leon been writing and singing for more than half a century, but he has remained faithful to a certain concept of political, social and economic justice. For those who share that faith, he will always be a household name

Visit his website at www.leonrosselson.co.uk

And here is a link to a recent  article written by him on the current Labour Party debacle :-

Beyond a Joke - Leon Rosselson


https://medium.com/@rosselson/beyond-a-joke-9296840293a2?source=social.fb 

http://www.leonrosselson.co.uk/
 

Oppose Israeli Government’s Annexation Threat in the Occupied West Bank

Demonstrators take part in a rally to  protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the West Bank, Jericho, June 22, 2020

Despite widespread condemnation from Palestinians, US-Arab allies and numerous foreign governments. Israel is expected on July 1 to annex  huge swathes of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank  under a plan agreed by Netanyahu and his rival turned ally Benny Gantz, the head of  the Blue and White party.
The plan comes as part of US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century” which was announced on Jan. 28. It refers to Jerusalem as “Israel’s undivided capital” and recognizes Israeli sovereignty over large parts of the West Bank, and calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the form of an archipelago connected by bridges and tunnels. Palestinian officials say that under the US plan, Israel will annex 30%-40% of the West Bank, including all of East Jerusalem.occupied territory.
These dangerous proposals, represent a serious attack on decades of international law and successive United Nations resolutions, and further undermine the rights of the Palestinian people and the prospects of peace in the Middle East.The plan will force Palestinians to live in isolated enclaves surrounded by Israeli military checkpoints, walls and segregated Jewish settlements built  on Palestinian land, and will have a devastating impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children, women and men, whose voices were not even consulted. The Israeli government has already made it clear that Palestinians in the West Bank who will be annexed to Israel will not receive citizenship nor residence rights, and the most likely outcomes will  see further unequal distribution of land and water resources on behalf of illegal Israeli settlements, more state violence, and fragmented Palestinian enclaves under complete Israeli control
As the world is focused on the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Israeli government is rushing to implement these plans ahead of the US presidential elections in November.
Even a smaller scale annexation would mark an immense blow against the democratic and national ambitions of millions of Palestinians, and particularly against the idea of a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, and thus would mark a significant turning point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This threat has already drawn protests and sharp opposition on both sides of the national divide and internationally. This includes thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and thousands of Jews and Palestinians in Israel who have protested against the plan.
The demands of the Palestinian people for an end to occupation and the system of segregation, an end to discrimination and the right to full equality, and the exercising of self-determination through the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders remain unchanged. These legitimate demands will not be diminished by unilateral moves taken by Israel in violation of international law, and we must reiterates our solidarity with the Palestinian non-violent opposition whose freedom, dignity and human rights are threatened by this current proposal and Israel's previous actions. Since 1967, tens of thousands of Palestinian properties have been demolished and whole communities forcibly displaced to make way for illegal settlements. Natural resources have been diverted and appropriated to settlements which flourish while Palestinians communities face systematic and institutionalised human rights violations, and lets not forget that under every shade of Israeli rule, Palestinians have only ever been exiled refugees,  occupied subjects, or second-class citizens. There is nothing that another bill can tell us that decades of laws and policies haven’t already. And there is no need to wait for Israelis to admit their regime is apartheid to prove that Palestinians were right all along.
Israel's plan to annex any area of the West Bank including the Jordan Valley must be condemned.We must recognise East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan Heights as illegally annexed under international law and continue to condemn Israel's 53-year occupation of the West Bank and its 13-year blockade of Gaza. Adding our voice to the growing denunciation of Israel's flagrant disregard of international law, the Geneva Convention and resolutions agreed upon by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. Standing  with those countries, civil society and human rights organizations, and people of conscience who call for Israel to immediately end their plans for annexation.
Annexation, will formalise Israel's strategic and persistent efforts to create "facts on the ground" and will be the death knell for a viable Palestinian state. For decades, a two-state solution which acknowledges the rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis as equal neighbours has been upheld by the United Nations and the international community. If Israel continues with its plans, as articulated, realisation of a two-state solution will be rendered impossible. This will cause irreversible damage to the fulfillment of the inalienable right of Palestinians to self-determination, as guaranteed in Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations, and will hinder efforts for them to create a flourishing Palestinian state.
Disturbing historical parallels have also been drawn between Palestinians and the Bantu people of South Africa. Ten territories were designated as quasi-autonomous states for the black African population during the mid to late 20th century and kept under control of the white supremacist state.  The “Steal of the Century” is intended to bring about a similar fate for Palestinians.
With the looming threat of annexation, there’s been a general escalation in attacks by Israeli state forces and by colonial settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The killing of Eyad al-Hallaq, a 32-year-old Palestinian with autism, on May 30 in occupied East Jerusalem by Israeli “Border Police” soldiers was a graphic example of the brutality of the Israeli occupation in a territory which was already officially annexed to Israel immediately after the 1967 war of occupation.
The small but important protests following that killing involved Palestinians and Israelis and drew inspiration from the BLM rebellion in the US, with some using the slogan “Palestinian Lives Matter”. Israeli Jewish activists of Ethiopian origin drew a comparison between the case and the racist police brutality endured by Israeli Ethiopians, which sparked a series of stormy protests, most recently in July 2019. In response to the killing of al-Hallaq, the Israeli establishment, including Netanyahu, shed some crocodile tears, realizing the potential for a stronger backlash.
Yet, despite Netanyahu’s concern with a potential investigation in The Hague, it is clear that any annexation move will trigger a sharp backlash against the Israeli occupation and the Israeli regime in general over the next period. The plan is quite simply a further attempt to legitimize the illegitimate: Israel’s existing policies of forcible expulsion of the indigenous Palestinian population, home demolitions and evictions, and already unprecedented levels of state-sanctioned settler violence against Palestinians. Annexation means Israel’s illegal, immoral, and racist 19th Century campaign of colonization, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid become officially formalized – in violation of all international law.  
Virtually everyone opposes this, but the question is whether anyone will do anything about it. Europe and others have the power to make Israel think twice, but they need to hear a massive demand for action from citizens first. Let's give it to them! .
Demand action for Palestine now, plase sign the following petitions:-
,
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/no_more_palestine_61/

https://www.change.org/p/israeli-ambassador-to-oslo-stop-israeli-west-bank-annexation-sign-the-petition?source_location=topic_page

Quick Facts : Israel Annexation of Occupied Land & International Law

https://imeu.org/article/quick-facts-israeli-annexation-of-occupied-land-international-law

Ocean of Tears

Lulling us into false contentment the light jades
Across an undulating mirror lightning plays,
Eternally in motion lit by silver blades
Turbulent foam flecked over restless waves,
Gathering souls in an endless quest
To clasp the bravest in it's watery breast,
Ever governed by the moon
Its tidal swell catching those too soon,
Young, strong, weak and old
Pulled relentlessly into the cold,
Trapped forever in perpetual gloom
Dragging the helpless to their doom,
Hearts and souls set forever free
Drowning among salty hold.
Unfathomed are the waters deep and blue
The ocean creating such hullabaloo;
Seeking amusement in lunar slavery
So eager to catch the sleepy unwary.

National Windrush Day

Today marks National Windrush Day, the 72nd anniversary of the SS Empire Windrush arriving at Tilbury Docks in Essex carrying the first Caribbean migrants. It marked a seminal moment in Britain’s history and has come to stand for the rich diversity of this nation.
Many of those who left sunnier climes were ex-servicemen who fought with the UK in the Second World War and had answered the British Government's call to help rebuild post war damaged Britain  Their hard work and skills would help bolster the economy, fill labour shortages and help establish our National Health Service.Their descendants have continued to enrich social, economic, political and religious life. It is estimated that around 500,000 people living in the UK are part of the Windrush Generation, who arrived between 1948 and 1971.
Windrush Day was established as a celebration to honour the enormous contribution those who made that journey, and others who followed from elsewhere - have made to Britain. Many encountered overt racism, discrimination, and rejection. The climate of Britain was not ready to embrace anyone who was different. "The Other" This was the era of "Sorry no coloured, No Irish, or dogs" The harrowing stories of being spat at, excluded from the mainstream, not accepted, not wanted, laughed at physically and emotionally abused. The stories told are horrific.Yet,  despite all this they persevered. Many were granted the right to settle in the UK by the British Nationality Act 1948. Those legal rights meant that those migrated neither needed, nor were given documents upon entry to the UK.
The annual event was established in 2018 in the wake the Windrush scandal when many of those invited to Britain suddenly found themselves on the wrong side of immigration laws that, unbeknown to them, had changed around them.
We should not forget the infamous words uttered by Theresa May, who as home secretary in 2012 said  “The aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants.”
Under  racist immigration  polices introduced by Theresa May then and in  2014, many of the children of the Windrush migrants found themselves hounded by the government. Further changes to already racist immigration laws in 2012 and 2014 meant migrants could be forced to prove they have the right to be here.
This "hostile" immigration policy devised by Theresa May during her time as Home Secretary has been  regarded as "almost like Nazi Germany" by some ministers.

Although many people had lived and worked in Britain for most of their lives, law changes required them to have official documents to have access to healthcare.

Some people who had lost their official documents or were unable to provide them were sent to immigration detention centres. At least 83 people were wrongfully deported.

The scandal led to the resignation of then-Home Secretary Amber Rudd, and prompted a wider debate about British immigration and deportation policy.The Government  was forced to apologise and give compensation to those whose lives were affected. Despite the scheme being launched two years ago, only 5% of the many people who have submitted claims have been paid compensation.
This country owes a huge debt to the Windrush generation. The injustices that the Windrush generation and their families have faced have not gone away, as they struggle to secure their status and access the compensation they deserve. The Home Office must stop furthering the pain of victims of the Windrush scandal. If the Government were sincere in their apology, it’s time for the hostile environment to come to an end and they compensate victims fairly.Please sign the following petitions

:-  https://www.change.org/p/uk-govt-fix-the-windrush-compensation-scheme-now/psf/promote_or_share

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/windrush-never-again

https://act.globaljustice.org.uk/home-office-stop-hostile-environment-all-immigrants?utm_medium=email&utm_source=mailchimp_2006WIN&utm_campaign=Migration_campaign# 

No matter who you are or where you are, there are lots of ways to mark Windrush Day, even in lockdown, by watching, reading and educating yourself through informative and accessible events taking place online. Many places  began  their days of celebration with the ‘Windrush song’ – ‘London is the Place for Me’ by Lord Kitchener – at 10.27am – in reference to 1,027 passengers aboard the Windrush when it docked at Tilbury.

This year, the NHS in particular is leading the charge in Windrush celebration, marking the contribution of staff from more than 200 nationalities who have played a critical part in the shaping of the health service, and remain a crucial part of its workforce today.
Here's  some other ways you can get involved this year:
The Black Cultural Archives will be celebrating the heroes of the Windrush Generation with live poetry.Between 7pm and 8pm, they will be live on their Instagram page in partnership with youth charity Poetic Unity.
Residents living in Lambeth, London, are being invited to sing Desmond Dekker's song ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ on their door steps on June 22 as a socially distanced way to mark the day with others.
A Windrush art and activity pack is also available for locals, and has been created by a Brixton-based artist, Carolyne Hill.
Even if you don't live in the area, you can always sing the song in your home as a sign of support.

There is also an online screening of the documentary “Daughter of the Windrush” from Blackburne house, working with the Museum of Liverpool – which examines stories told by daughters and granddaughters of Liverpool’s Windrush Generation.
 Another Black Cultural Archives (BCA) collaboration, ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ is a series of eight radio plays produced by Decolonising the Archives that explore Windrush legacies by drawing from the BCA collections. The plays will be released over eight days from Monday June 22. Find out more here. 
The poetry Society will also be sharing poems by poets throughout the day. https://twitter.com/poetrysociety
And events will also being taking place across Wales to honour the Windrush generation and their contribution to Welsh life https://gov.wales/windrush-generation-honoured-through-welsh-celebrations
Lets show our gratitude and respect to the people of Windrush, who did nothing wrong and  did not deserve the treatment experienced. Their legacy lives on.

World Refugee Day 2020

Credit ;Deveron Projects , Illustrated  by Jacques Coetzer

World Refugee Day is held every year on June 20 to raise awareness about the plight of refugees around the world. It is held to show solidarity with those who have been displaced and to honor their resilience and determination to keep their families safe. The day is also marked to draw the public’s attention to the millions of refugees and Internally displaced persons worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, climate disaster, political instability conflict and persecution.
World Refugee Day came into being in 2000 when the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 55/76 decided on December 4, 2000 that June 20 would be marked as World Refugee Day. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol help protect them.
This year the theme for World Refugee Day 2020 is Step With Refugees. As per the UN, in a world where violence forces thousands of families to flee for their lives each day, the time is now to show that the global public stands with refugees.
Statistics from Amnesty International  show that many refugees who have fled conflict, persecution, hostile environment  or disease remain in volatile conditions.  Millions of Syrian refugees live in dire conditions on the border with Turkey – millions more refugees live in overstretched camps and face daily exploitation in Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Greek islands. Even refugees who sought a better life and made the extremely dangerous journey to Europe face open hostility and daily injustices. Refugees stranded in camps and at borders have been challenged more than ever before with the toughest of living conditions and a hostile reception at international borders.
Nothing can be more heartbreaking than having to flee the place you have been born and brought up in, 70 million people are currently displaced from their homes on account of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations, of these, approximately 25 million are refugees, over half of whom are children under the age of 18, having being forced to  leave their home country and  take perilous journeys to cross international and national boundaries in search of safety elsewhere. A far larger number of people are displaced within their own country (internally displaced) or displaced for reasons which go beyond persecution and conflict, including drought, hunger, environmental disasters and the effects of climate change. In this context, World Refugee Day takes on ever-greater importance as a point in the year to remember, learn more about and explore ways of addressing the situation of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons.
Don't forget either  that many refugees find themselves living in camps until they are resettled, some of which are so dangerous and not well-equipped for long term living. Refugees also don't have a say in which country they are ultimately relocated to, and the bureaucratic process involved in finding their new home can take years. Refugees stranded in camps and at borders have been challenged more than ever before with the toughest of living conditions and a hostile reception at international borders.The persecution of refugees continues, whipped up by forces of racism spreading fear and misinformation. As continuing tragedy unfolds, some of the countries most able to help are shutting their gates to people seeking asylum. Borders are closing, push backs are increasing, and hostility is rising. Avenues for legitimate escape are fading away.
Since the beginnings of civilization, we have treated refugees as deserving of our protection. Whatever our differences, we have to recognise our fundamental human obligation to shelter those fleeing from war and persecution. It is time to stop hiding behind misleading words. Richer nations must acknowledge refugees for the victims they are, fleeing from wars they were unable to prevent or stop. History has shown that doing the right thing for victims of war and persecution engenders goodwill and prosperity for generations. And it fosters stability in the long run.
Today and tomorrow we must continue to stand up for refugees. We must and play our part in continuing to challenge the injustices and inequalities that fuel and helps further exacerbate this ongoing crisis, and promote a better understanding of why people seek sanctuary. It is vital more than ever that we  ensure that people seeking refugee protection  remain visible and heard and are welcomed. The world needs to renew its commitment now to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its principles that made us strong. To offer safe harbor, both in our own countries and in the epicentres of the crises, and to help refugees restore their lives, and allow their voices to remain visible and heard, build  bridges not more obstacles or borders.

Devoid of Virtue

£900,000 to paint Boris Johnsons personal plane
While many don't have enough for food for table,
Engulfed in despair and utter desolation
Trying to keep lives afloat on troubled waters,
Our Prime minister it seems has money to burn
Foolish man, with overrated sense of self- importance,
Brimming with selfishness that must be reviled
Who believes aid to poor countries should be denied,
As he swaggers and blusters across the land
Making mockery, releasing arrogance of power,
This money could be spent on free school vouchers
Or a years salary for 36 newly qualified nurses,
Instead of a revolting lurid vanity project
Many feeling this folly truly obscene,
As our country faces really grim future
This red white and blue paint job, taking the piss,
A vacuous leaders wasteful distraction
Sycophantic pillock in need of gratification,
While the tears of Grenfell continue to fall
Where's the recovery cash, for all the survivors,
Can you see them, hear their cries
Beyond this Tory clots tactless makeover.

Sean Taylor - Herd Immunity

 Sean Taylor is a fantastic London-based singer and songwriter who deserves wider acclaim.
This , alongside "This Is England" is Sean Taylor putting into words his total frustration with what has become of the UK in the last few years. And he speaks for so many of us.

This track specifically challenges the Johnson led UK government over their appalling, self praising handling of a pandemic that has caused so many thousands of unnecessary deaths.
It's tough in its condemnation, harsh in its criticism, but needed to be said. And I applaud his fearless approach.

Stay alert
Die quietly
Don't complain

All hail Boris the butcher

Welcome to our ‘Little England’ nightmare
Incompetence, arrogance, negligence and cruelty
Is the twisted heart of government
If you repeat a lie often enough
You can write it on the side of a bus
They knew this pandemic was coming months ago
But as the storm gathered pace
The UK declined European assistance
The government chose Brexit over breathing
As other countries closed large events and gatherings
Boris bragged about shaking hands with Coronavirus patients
Coughing with 80,000 Rugby fans
Followed by Cheltenham festival
Where a quarter of a million people spread the virus
Every action has been taken with reluctance, incompetence and delay
Too slow to close the schools, too slow close public places
Too late with tracing and testing
We have gone against advice from the world health organisation
We have taken a completely different response to every other country
They say it is too early to ask
Why we have one of the highest death rates

The victims are always the most vulnerable;
Coronavirus in care homes spread like wildfire
The sick and the poor hammered again
Stay alert means stay home if you are rich
But die at work if you are poor
The lowest paid jobs have the highest death rates;
Those who never stopped working;
The construction workers, the cabbies, security guards, transport workers, doctors, teachers, nurses, carers delivery drivers and supermarket staff
Workers from every country
Who are vilified by racists as ‘unskilled migrants’
Now as we are fighting for our lives
Exploited migrants become key workers
If you can applaud the NHS why do you keep voting Tory?
Remember when they cheered a pay freeze for nurses?

Angela Merkel is scientist and Jacinda Ardern a compassionate leader
We have our very own killer clown
Putting the blame on the individual
Makes the government not responsible
All that bragging got the clown infected
Taking it on the chin turned to ‘Let’s all pray for Boris’
We will never know the truth about his illness
Except it is his get out of jail free card
Read the Sun exclusive about an Old Etonian’s scary ordeal
He should try being poor
Our deaths are reported like scorecard of government success
An abstract figure fed through a prism of lies
Our criminal government aided and abetted by a complicit media
Fawning over daily graphs and colourful slideshows
It is a dark time when phone tapping Piers Morgan
Is the only mainstream journalist challenging the government

They say ‘Protect our borders’ when they demonise migrants
But when it comes to Coronavirus we have open door policy.
Everybody is welcome particularly those infected
Forget about fighting on the beaches
Who needs quarantine and testing
When we have that stiff upper lip
Herd immunity is far right eugenics
In Dominic Cummings’s words ‘let old people die’
Like the Bullingdon club trashed restaurants
Now they are wiping out care homes
Do you feel proud?
When Boris calls black people ‘piccaninnies with watermelon smiles ‘
When Boris calls homosexuals ‘tank top bum boys’
When Boris calls Muslim women ‘letterbox bank robbers’
When Boris steals the racist thunder
From Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson

Written by Sean Taylor

Produced by Mark Hallman 

Video by Shaun Dey@ Reel News

Buy @https://seantaylorsongs.bandcamp.com/track/herd-immunity

Homepage https://www.seantaylorsongs.com/home