Talking Politics

For the past few days I have been awoken, not by the shrill screams of my alarm clock but, by the scrape and drill of workmen in my garden. Well, it’s not really my garden, it’s more the shared patch of grass behind my block of flats – ‘garden’ is nicer on the ear. Anyway the fact remains: I am being disturbed by their work, in addition to this the builders seem to be in competition as to who can speak the loudest. As you can imagine every morning now sees me arise from the wrong side of my bed.

Then something strange happened. This morning, as usual, I was dragged out of bed before schedule. Half asleep, I was brushing my teeth when I heard someone shout something or the other about Condeleeza Rice. Thinking it was my mum shouting at her morning news programme I returned my gaze to the mirror and proceeded to brush my teeth. Then a second voice; I could pick out roughly something said about the proposed UN resolution. This time I realised it was not coming from within my house but from beyond my window… it was coming from the builders. My ears immediately pricked up. Standing in my bathroom, my mouth filled with toothpaste, I found myself listening to a group of builders talking politics.

I quickly snapped out of my momentary daze and snapped into wannabe journalist mode. I grabbed my notepad, perched myself by the window sill and began recording their conversation. The debate of the day concerned the current Middle East crisis. A number of the builders took the stance that the proposed UN resolution was a ‘joke’. They queried the cause which allowed Israel to continue military action; however one builder, with in-depth knowledge, explained that the clause did not allow continued action but was worded in a way which did not prohibit Israel from carrying out defensive action. His input then raised questions about Israel’s actions to date and the same builder then put forward his view that Israel was fighting a ‘terrorist group and [their] hand was forced.’ The conversation continued in this same vain, with the ‘wise’ builder offering statements which were then argued upon, until what seemed like some senior workmen with blueprints arrived.

Looking at today’s tabloid papers you will find no mention of the issues surrounding the proposed UN resolution... Maybe The Times should consider revising its readership profile.

I know this isn’t quite the investigate journalist work of the ‘fake sheikh’ but it intrigued me enough, to hear these builders talking politics, that I felt I had to share it with you.