A THOUSAND people marched through Worthing on November 30 in protest at the government's attack on ordinary men and women working in the public sector.

Meanwhile, the letters pages of the Worthing Herald have been buzzing with outrage at the council's decision to give the go-ahead to the 700-home Durrington development next to Titnore Woods, despite overwhelming public opposition and very real fears of massive flooding.

The mood is the same nationally, with The Observer reporting on December 4 that "an extraordinary alliance of countryside campaigners, wildlife groups and green activists" had launched a "savage onslaught on the government, accusing it of showing a 'stunning disregard' for the environment."

Young people are being put off going to university because of the prospect of crippling debts looming over the rest of their lives as education increasingly becomes a treat for the rich.

And the not-so-young, now expected to work until they drop dead of exhaustion, worry about how they are going to be able to afford to go to the doctor's once the NHS is fully privatised along American lines.

What has happened to this country? Why is the future looking so bleak? The immediate answer is The Nasty Party is back in power and, despite all that greenwash and soft-soaping before the general election, this version is even worse than Thatcher's mob.

New Labour was bad enough, with war criminal Tony Bliar, his croneyism and his phoney freedom-stealing 'war on terror', but we've now reached a new phase. Make no mistake, the ruling elite of this country have now well and truly declared war on the people. This cabinet of millionaires regard the rest of us as nothing but a bunch of pathetic cattle to be herded about, left in the shit and milked for all we are worth.

They have a barely disguised contempt for the 'lower orders' and hate it when we stand up for ourselves - witness Cameron's fellow millionaire mate Jeremy Clarkson 'joking' that he'd like to see trade unionists dragged out of their homes and executed in front of their families.

Their corrupt Ponzi scheme is imploding and in order to ensure the bankers and the bosses keep getting richer, they have decided to make the rest of us bail them out - again and again and again. And if we don't like it? They've already pretty much abolished democracy - there's no real 'choice' with the fibbing cretins we are presented with on the ballot paper - and in Greece and Italy they've now being ruled by unelected 'technocrats' brought in to impose the bankers' will.

Try peaceful mass occupations like they have in the USA? Out comes the tear gas and water cannons. It sometimes seems like an impossible task to stop this descent into social slavery, environmental disaster and totalitarian police state rule.

But the one thing we should never forget is that we are the majority - the 99% as the Occupy movement so rightly points out. We are the majority in Worthing, the majority in Sussex, the majority in England, the majority in Europe, the majority in the world.

They, the 1%, may have the guns and the money but they will always be outnumbered by the rest of us, by the people. All we have to do is find the determination and courage to take them on!


How can I do my bit?

HERE at The Porkbolter we try to spread info about a range of campaign groups, so get yourself on our email list by writing to  porkbolter@eco-action.org.

Going to monthly Worthing Alliance meetings is a good place to get involved and discuss ideas (see Pork Scratchings, below).

A great source of weekly info is the Brighton newsletter SchNEWS (www.schnews.org.uk) and Brighton also hosts the excellent Cowley Club social centre (12 London Road, www.cowleyclub.org.uk). A number of Worthing people were also involved with the recent Occupy Brighton protest camp (occupy brighton.co.uk).

Here in Worthing, if you're concerned about the environment there is the Worthing Downlanders (www.worthingdownlanders.org.uk) or Don't Overdevelop Durrington (www.dontoverdevelopdurrington.blogspot.com), for a start. For workers' rights try Worthing Solidarity Network (www.worthingsolidaritynetwork.blogspot.com) or Worthing Trades Council (mail  worthingtradescouncil@gmail.com).

If none of them appeal, why not set up your own action group - or just be a lone wolf freelance rebel!