The Considered Opinion....

For the majority of the time that I was at university I found the idea of having a considered opinion as being extremely old fashioned and entirely out of synch with the post-modern fluctuations in ways of approaching research, epistemology and other issue areas that I struggled to understand. There may of course only be this level of understanding this term however, I would speculate that there are what may in effect be class based divisions in how the term can be viewed.

It did seem like a particularly Victorian and gentlemanly means of a describing a relatively good quality opinion, a view of high status that was arrived at through sensible and reasonable consideration of factual information in the light of a contemporary situation. A considered opinion should perhaps reflect all information relevant to the opinion after someone has had opportunity to digest that information. This information should perhaps be researched and critiqued by the person who expresses the opinion. It may also be something that a graduate of any degree should aim to have on any view that they express – that they will have given adequate consideration to all matters that they are willing to state an opinion on. I find it rather difficult to imagine that this does take place because I imagine graduates tend to slowly absorb information after a degree and may enjoy or find greater pleasure in well researched, written and targeted texts but not necessarily research their views with a semi-religious conviction.

I have aimed at understanding some current affairs issue areas to a respectable standard and not found it straightforward to do this. I have say for instance aimed at developing an understanding of conflict ridden areas, such as the middle-east and Northern Ireland. It is not difficult to get a few books on each area, say reviewing the last fifty years history and key characters and movements which are affecting each area, and to read through these. However, what I have found rather difficult is just getting on with this. Academia is not the leisure activity that I think it possibly should be in some respects. Maybe I should not feel any grief dissatisfaction or upset when reading about the atrocities of the British government but after studying the information then express and feel some form of shame. It’s certainly not something that should disrupt the reading that I do and I shouldn’t feel that any response during reading is anything other than likely to interrupt the process of forming the said opinion. This I appreciate may sound like a very juvenile view to state but because it does I don’t think that it is frequently expressed.

It does also strike me that there is going to be some means to other levels to the considered opinion and that there are likely to be matters that can not be divulged publicly that may have some bearing on what can be expressed in an opinion – that someone gentlemanly – not that this restricts women in any way at present - and senior in society may not be able to divulge information on some particular form of corruption, however, what someone may be aware of could be incorporated into their opinions. Maybe a considered opinion was a means of gaining guidance without needing to be aware of the unpleasantness of the world that those up top may be aware of and to benefit from their guidance. This is what I assume religions aim to propagate through a universal doctrine of morality which has been generated by some of the most corrupt people that the world has known…A little jaundiced I think.

What other methods of facilitation of mental illness could take place?

I assume that most people would consider it to be entirely plausible that there is likely to be a natural progression of mental illness following say offensive behaviour or criminal activity someone may reasonably be excluded and subject to a reduction in self esteem which then plausibly leads into depression reduced self care, disconnection from the same norms as others and become socially isolated etc. Then lacking the reinforcement and incentive through lack of appropriate social contact there will be a reduction biologically in various chemicals within an individual who may then require chemical support in order to normalise after this has manifested itself through anxiety, depression or other symptoms.
I assume again maybe rightly or wrongly there could be a great many alternate explanations bubbling under which may partially support this type of bio-psycho-social model of the development of mental illness which requires a medical intervention to rectify problems. I am really sceptical about this and have had no real joy in getting this type of matter addressed – mainstream political parties seem to disregard this as a matter of course and have a strong desire to marginalise anyone who may have experienced mental ill health and there seems total willingness to disregard the type of allegations that someone may make on the basis that they are paranoid and for example ‘look or appear mentally ill’. My own experience leads me to believe that there could be a great many problems linked together that would be difficult to separate and certainly this type of explanation should not be disregarded. If alternate explanations are dismissed as paranoid speculation then this could take place without investigation or concern from the authorities, who resemble something like the cast of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Whether it’s worth speculating on this or not I can’t say – I think it’s likely that there are various forms of medication that have been developed for ‘state’ purposes that could involve medication which has been specifically developed for degrading mental health. The CIA probably possesses drugs that can entirely melt your brains. They’re probably used in the USA for prisoners in Guantanamo Bay to ensure that they breakdown just a little bit and while the US government can deny they exist, as representatives of the British government would also do. The theory behind them is probably not that sophisticated. Depression lifts for the 50 million or so who are taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) ensure that there is an increased level of serotonin around the neurons the brain – what could be simpler but to have a drug which could do the opposite of the SSRIs an unselective serotonin reuptake facilitator? You’d feel like death warmed up having the most impossible low that would be imaginable. What’s interesting about this is that there is the theory in place and technology to develop this, however, governments across the world would continue to deny their existence. Will anything give?

Has there been significant manipulation of the RESPECT coalition using inappropriate means?

Having been linked only relatively superficially to the RESPECT coalition I didn't make a significant impact on the party membership, their procedures or their policies. I did wonder frequently about a couple of their members and think that they may have been subject to influence to render them less likely to be of impact within a number of political forums.

I feel that it's likely that I was subject to influence in order to reduce my ability to deal with a number of situations within the party meetings, particularly in what seemed like open discussion. I don't think there will be any 'evidence' of this but I certainly think it's likely that I was subject to influence while I was still a relatively young child and not likely to be taken seriously - how would the British public feel about the far left organisations if they were comprised of people who had been subject to manipulation and engaged in politics in a manner that was likely to leave them unlikely to be successful? Furthermore, if the methods of manipulation were so absurd that if anyone who did voice concerns about the manipulation were classed as insane and potentially dangerous as a result of stating such paranoid thoughts would this be in any way acceptable political manipulation?

I have also wondered about the UKIP Party and whether or not anyone linked to that coalition felt that there were unusual methods used upon them - quite possibly there were significant problems within UKIP which have been reflected by the lack of public profile - I can't state at this point only indicate that there could have been the same methods used upon us all....