Remember, Remember, The Fifth Of November

The gunpowder treason and plot / I see no reason / the gunpowder treason / should ever be forgot

It's the first verse of a traditional poem sung in the UK on Guy Fawkes Night - A celebration held on the 5th of November to commemmorate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 to kill kill King James I and destroy the House of Lords.

Yes, that's right. They failed. And celebration of Guy Fawkes Night was made compulsory by Royal Decree, until the Decree was withdrawn in 1859.

The original goal of the celebration was to celebrate that the King escaped, and the Government survived. In other countries, like the fledgling Americas, it began to take a more anti-authoritarian turn. It was this attitude that set the stage for V for Vendetta a graphic novel by Alan Moore which was then adapted for a movie of the same name.

The Plot was simple, to kill the king, and then replace his mostly Protestant government with a Catholic one. The graphic novel was about a totalitarian government that stays in power through voter apathy, and the film was about how people were manipulated into voting, and then into helping maintain the party in power.

And therein lies the tale. The graphic novel has a better and scarier story, and the film has the better lines. But the basis for them all, including the original Gunpowder Plot, is something far more simple. That Governments have no idea. That their control should be limited. And that they should be opposed.

I am not sure I agree with Guy Fawkes. I don't trust those who would replace a government just to put another in its place. Are we merely exchanging one evil for another? But I agree with the graphic novel, and I agree with the movie. Governments should be taken down. Ripped down and stomped on. Power should return to those who need it most - the people.

This world is screwed up in style. Every government is becoming more and more repressive. From the Land of the Free, to the Sceptered Isle, to the Paradise Isle. Every government is trying to pull more and more of the power into itself. And power is a zero-sum game - the more power they have the less power we have, and since freedom is proportional to power, the less power we have, the less freedom we have.

And they know it. And we seem to be oblivious to it. We have people who are willing to toe the party line, and vote for the party no matter who is running. We have people who are begging for their rights and freedoms to be taken from them - some because they believe everything the government tells them, and others because they are so apathetic about life they have no wish to control the way their life goes.

And every time we give up a freedom to the government, it becomes impossible for us to get it back. Does anyone actually believe that the checkpoints will disappear? That the fucked up anti terrorism laws will be repealed? That the roadblocks and security guards given to each and every politician will just simply disappear overnight?

We have given powers to the army, the cops, the stoolies. Are we ever going to wrest that power away from them? Are they, like Cincinnatus going to give up their power, the power that they have lied, cheated, fought for, and killed for when its all over? If you believe that the answer is Yes the please contact me. I have a lovely bridge I would like to sell you.

And yet, it is those who fight against the controls of the government that are called terrorists. Journalists, rights activists, writers, the LTTE, they are all lumped together. They are vilified and attacked by the people, including the so-called educated and intelligent ones. And who does the branding? None other than the Government. It must be great, to be able to call anyone who doesn't agree with you a terrorist. Maybe you remember Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. How about O con noi o contro di noi? The first was by George W. Bush. The second - meaning you're either with us, or against us - is by Benito Mussolini.

Life imitates art.

And V, the character in V for Vendetta seems to be the only person who fights them. Seems to be the only person willing to see what is going on. And on the 5th of November, he blows up parliament, albeit empty, He does it as a symbol. An attempt to rouse people from their apathy.

So remember, remember, the fifth of November. And also remember a quote from the movie.

People should not be afraid of their government. Government should be afraid of their people.