Hey readers, and Merry Christmas. It’s been a while since I wrote my last post for the Woz Report. It’s December 23rd, and while many are winding down for the holiday season, billions of people face an uncertain future.
Last week, Terry Hall, the charismatic lead vocalist of British ska revivalists The Specials, died, aged 63. Hall’s death got me thinking. The group’s most well-known songs is Ghost Town, it’s lyrics are as relevant to today as they were in 1981, when the group released the single.
This town (town) is coming like a ghost town
All the clubs have been closed down
This place (town) is coming like a ghost town
Bands won't play no more
Too much fighting on the dance floor
Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?
We danced and sang, and the music played in a de boomtown
This town (town) is coming like a ghost town
Why must the youth fight against themselves?
Government leaving the youth on the shelf
This place (town) is coming like a ghost town
No job to be found in this country
Can't go on no more
The people getting angry
This town is coming like a ghost town
This town is coming like a ghost town
This town is coming like a ghost town
This town is coming like a ghost town
Food banks are ubiquitous across the globe, and there are approximately 2,500 in the United Kingdom. Soaring inflation continues to hit the shopping basket, and many households continue to find a balance between heating and eating. Mid-December saw plummeting temperatures across Britain, putting pressure on low-income families. Everything seemed grim in 2022, and then you look beyond your border, and remember there is a war is raging in Eastern Europe.
Only the dead have seen the end of war. Plato
Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelensky made a recent trip to meet Joe Biden, in Washington. President Zelensky addressed the press corps in English, stating Ukraine was alive and kicking. Mr Zelensky’s words are a reminder that there are millions of people literally fighting for their lives.
I’m reading Max Hasting’s All Hell Let Loose. The significance of the individual witness runs through the heart of Hastings's history of the second world war. Displaced persons, conflict, hunger, sacrifice and an uncertain future is not just relevant to the most important event in human history, there are many synergies to events in the 21st century.
Modern slavery is as prevalent now as it was in the Second World War. The United Nations estimates 11 million children aged between 5 and 17 work in unregulated industries.
It seems history has a habit of repeating itself, with governments across the globe making the same mistakes over and over again. For many of us, the festive period is a time for relaxation, over indulgence and family. I’m sparing a thought for those not so fortunate to enjoy the family festivities.
The 2020s has not been easy, and the outlook does not look promising. Britain will start the new calendar year with a further week of rail strikes. You don’t need to be Michel de Nostredame to predict another year of struggles.