"The Way Of The World"

A BBC interviewer was out in the street this week, asking for opinions about the BA strike. There would be the usual editing shenanigans going on afterwards. There was a woman speaking - I can't quote her exactly, but her words were to the effect that we’re all taking wage cuts, job loses, insecurity, and changes to our contracts. She finished with, “That’s just the way of the World”. I thought, that’s it then - is it? That’s the way of the World. We don’t ask questions, no discussion, no ideas - nothing. Just, “that’s the way of the World”. We just accept what’s handed down to us.

I thought, that kind of talk could get her elected this coming May. It’s not quite the stuff the electorate are looking for, if she wants elected, but it’s just the right attitude required by the party leaders to get her selected - and as you have to be selected, before you can be elected, well... you’ll get my drift.

Then I imagined a scene, with that BBC interviewer, at another moment in time. “So Mr Mandela, what do you think of apartheid?”

“Ah - well, that’s just the way of the World.”

Now, a clip like that wouldn’t end up on the cutting room floor either. They'd repeat it umpteen times that day, until a story about Jordan’s boobs, or Beckham’s metatarsal pushed it off the top spot. But as Mr Mandela had such a spoilsport attitude towards the way of the World, Margret Thatcher called him a terrorist and the rest of us hardly knew he existed, until the way the World was, was no longer sustainable as “the way of the World”.

I can just imagine that interviewer travelling back even further in time, and saying to William Wallace, “Er, could you put down that six foot sword for a moment Wullie, and tell the viewers what you think of these Plantagenets. Erm... is that steam coming out of your ears Mr Wallace? Don’t you think it’s just the way of the Wor...? Ha ya’ missed! What do you mean - don’t nod my head?” That one would end up on the cutting room floor, but Dennis Nordon might bring it back as one of his out-takes - after leaving plenty of time for the political fall-out to settle, which I suppose will probably be - never.

Then the Levellers - here’s what Ollie Cromwell said about them: "What is the purport of the levelling principle but to make the tenant as liberal a fortune as the landlord? I was by birth a gentleman. You must cut these people in pieces or they will cut you in pieces", (as opposed to bludgeoning them to death with that BBC microphone.) Ah well, that sounds close enough to, “just the way of the World”, so we’ll keep it off the cutting room floor.

What about the suffragette, Emily Davison? “Ms Davison, would you mind not disturbing the King’s horse for a moment, and tell the viewers what you think of the fact that you women are just too stupid to be trusted with the vote? Oh! Oh dear, oh, well... never mind. I think she was about to say, that’s just the way of the World - perhaps we could email Greg Dyke, and see what he thinks...” That should confound the editor. Maybe not, he’ll just edit out the bit about Greg Dyke.

Well, I could go on; and don’t I just. But I don’t want to because... well I just don’t want to - not today. Anyways, that’s the bailiffs at my door. I tried to explain to them, it’s not my fault I was sacked - and I can’t afford to pay the rent - that’s just the way of the World.