{"id":153998,"date":"2019-12-25T17:45:04","date_gmt":"2019-12-25T17:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/?p=153998"},"modified":"2019-12-25T17:45:04","modified_gmt":"2019-12-25T17:45:04","slug":"christmas-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2019\/12\/25\/christmas-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

This year is drawing to a close. Its been hard work but we are still here.\u00a0
The last 6 months of the year has been mostly bad news in one way or another.\u00a0
Much has come to light that is deeply disturbing in so many ways.\u00a0 The illusion that the UK is a tolerant society has finally been completely and utterly swept away it seems.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No great surprise really other than perhaps my own foolishness in believing that most people would work for the greater good rather than inflict suffering on others out of petty jealousy and prejudices. The thugs now rule democratically elected with a mandate to destroy in part handed to them by the weakest in society who they will pick on first of course.<\/p>\n

Also the lies and propaganda from what use to be trusted and reliable sources. Do you wonder how we have come to this? I certainly do.
Surely it can just be that people are inherently minded towards the darker side of life. I would rather hope not, but the evidence says otherwise.<\/p>\n

From where I am standing it looks like the light has finally gone out.
Fundamentally then perhaps it is easier to believe a lie that fits your point of view than any sort of uncomfortable truth, regardless of how much evidence is presented to the contrary.<\/p>\n

This year I have had to deal personally with some very restricted and small-minded individuals and it has I think brought me to a place where my tolerance is pretty much gone. I used to give people second and sometimes third chances in the mistaken belief that they would eventually come around to a more reasonable point of view. That position was incredibly naive. Sometimes\u00a0 the best defense is to retreat or better still not engage at all.<\/p>\n

I should like to say I have learned my lesson, but against that sort of deviousness, there is no really much defense. Some people’s lives are ruled by the principle that only by having power over others can they find any meaning for their own existence.<\/p>\n

Of course, with some, it is simply the love of money and the power that brings. The full force of the law is still felt disproportionately by the poorest in society, much as it was when Dickens was writing his books.<\/p>\n

Maybe, just maybe a corner will be turned we hope.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year is drawing to a close. Its been hard work but we are still here.\u00a0The last 6 months of the year has been mostly bad news in one way or another.\u00a0Much has come to light that is deeply disturbing in so many ways.\u00a0 The illusion that the UK is a tolerant society has finally … Continue reading Christmas 2019<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-153998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musings"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6NRDR-E3Q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4270,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2014\/06\/21\/peoples-assembly-demo-in-london-tens-of-thousands-matching-for-a-just-and-equal-society\/","url_meta":{"origin":153998,"position":0},"title":"People’s Assembly demo in London – tens of thousands matching for a just and equal society","author":"diana Stone","date":"June 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Post by Owen Jones. \u00a0 After several complaints BBC finally admits its happened? And also only 25 secs of video. Perhaps they sent the office boy or girl out with a camcorder ;-) At least it was reported on C4. How are people to make any other conclusion than that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6609,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2015\/03\/16\/uk-must-spend-more-on-the-vulnerable\/","url_meta":{"origin":153998,"position":1},"title":"UK must spend more on the vulnerable","author":"diana Stone","date":"March 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Letters: Early help for families will save millions of children from suffering needless trauma and save money in the long run","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Powered by Guardian.co.uk","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/image.guardian.co.uk\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2010\/03\/01\/poweredbyguardianBLACK.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10873,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2015\/05\/25\/the-welfare-state-saved-me-to-need-it-isnt-a-moral-failure\/","url_meta":{"origin":153998,"position":2},"title":"The welfare state saved me. To need it isn\u2019t a moral failure","author":"diana Stone","date":"May 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Society is buying the Tory message that poverty is all the fault of the individual. I know first-hand how vital state support can be","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Powered by Guardian.co.uk","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/image.guardian.co.uk\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2010\/03\/01\/poweredbyguardianBLACK.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6921,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2015\/03\/23\/funny-sort-of-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":153998,"position":3},"title":"Funny sort of day","author":"diana Stone","date":"March 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I seem to be in a bit of a dip at present. The weekend went fairly well, (Three gigs with my roots hat on as part of the Delta Ladies ) but despite this \u00a0my mood has dived again. I am worried about how things will go in the future.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"village-bicycle","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/village-bicycle.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/village-bicycle.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/village-bicycle.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":179597,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2025\/12\/26\/the-inbetweeny-bit\/","url_meta":{"origin":153998,"position":4},"title":"The inbetweeny bit","author":"diana Stone","date":"December 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The familiar cry that it's not fair echoes through the land as the Tommy\/Farage\/Brexiteer fanboys and girls (mustn't be sexist \ud83d\ude42 ) shout about the destruction of an English society that never really existed. Certainly not one I have seen in my 68 years on this planet to date, fuelled\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Invisble-FC.jpg?fit=548%2C284&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Invisble-FC.jpg?fit=548%2C284&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Invisble-FC.jpg?fit=548%2C284&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":144331,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2019\/07\/02\/mark-field-probably-is-not-in-favour-of-this\/","url_meta":{"origin":153998,"position":5},"title":"Mark Field probably is not in favour of this?","author":"diana Stone","date":"July 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Dan Jarvis, the Labour MP for Barnsley Central, said it was worrying homelessness was becoming increasingly normalised in society. He said: \u201cWe should always remember that these are our fellow citizens and choose our words carefully and responsibly. The government needs to concentrate on working towards a compassionate and practical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Musings"","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153998"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154002,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153998\/revisions\/154002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}