Do we still need it?

Last week there was a big fuss in the press about longer school hours and shorter holidays.  It was the result of a few 'churnalists' (I can't claim the word - it's my daughter's), who had read a blog by a former government adviser, who really couldn't see the point in short school days and long school holidays. Instead of going and interviewing people and getting a real story they then recycled the story into a piece designed to worry and scare ordinary middle and working class parents.  Some people would argue that with the invention of social media and blogging, journalists don't need to get out and report any more.   But what about the people without this kind of public voice? Think of all the stories they are missing.

Whenever I read this type of blog by rich men I wonder why they had children in the first place.  They don't like children and see them as an obstacle to their favourite thing; making money. Reading Paul Kirby's blog http://paulkirby.net/2014/01/26/is-this-the-perfect-2015-election-promise/ I suddenly realised what is going on.  Rich men have children to pass their money onto.  They want them fully grown, and full of 'grit', so that they can take care of their money and make more of it.  He thinks that everyone wants to work 70 hour weeks and have their children make as little impact on their lives, until they are ready to inherit,  as possible.  He thinks that spending time with children is no longer needed.  Unfortunately, most people don't have children for the same reasons.  Most people don't want to work all the time and the truth of it is, even if they did, they wouldn't be making the kind of money that would make procreation about transfer of wealth. So, short school days and long school holidays are still needed by most people because it's all we have.  We had our children to spend time with interesting and funny growing humans - we have no wealth to transfer.

We so often hear people say that feminism isn't needed anymore.  They argue that women have equal rights in this country and so it's time to stop fighting and occasionally I agree until I read an article like this http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2014/01/29/the-de-piero-fantasy-cabinet/ or see a picture like this and think it's a joke.

Harriet Harman on the Andrew Marr show this morning, dared to make the suggestion that the sacking of Baroness Sally Morgan might have been more to do with the fact that she's a woman than her allegiance to the Labour party.  Michael Gove, said that it's good business practice to 'refresh' jobs and that it is a sensible thing to replace someone who is doing a good job.  Luckily for him, after a year longer in his job than Sally Morgan had in hers, he isn't doing quite such a good job, so there's no fear of him refreshing himself.  Twitter exploded and despite the fact that Harriet had properly mocked Michael with her, "Conservative Cabinet is raining men," comment, she came off the worse for it.  Her name was changed by several people to 'Harperson' and comments were made on her appearance.  They pointed out that the only female prime minister this country has had was a conservative (as if one woman thirty years ago is enough)  I thought that of the two politicians sat on the BBC sofa, Ms Harman was the more attractive to look at of the two but Twitter was full of remarks about her personal appearance.

Although people do make comments about Mr Gove's appearance I have never seen it suggested that because he looks like a Pob, all men should be excluded from public office.

This afternoon I went to the cinema and watched American Hustle. It was a good film, with some amazing acting by Jennifer Lawrence, in particular, that thankfully, didn't dumb down or leave out the importance of the women in this piece of history, or did it?  I grew up in the Seventies and I can confirm that men dressed like that, with ridiculous hair, and that wallpaper was just as hideous but I never saw quite so much female flesh, which the male costume designer justifies by saying that it represents the women's naked vulnerablity. 

 So, I would argue that we still need long school holidays, proper reporter journalists and feminism.