Five Reasons to Lift Weights

Lifting weights has become a very central part to my lifestyle. I have been going to the gym religiously (typically between three to six times a week) for the past six years. Increasing someone’s size and physical strength is pivotal to one’s personal progression and growth – it certainly has been for my own. In light of my own experiences regarding the glorious power of the barbell, here are five reasons why all people should lift weights.

1. It gives you a physical presence.

If you lift weights correctly, you will develop an upright posture and a strong looking physique. Having well-developed shoulders, a strong chest and trunk, along with well built legs gives you presence. This will help you no end in social situations, as it will give you the confidence to act with conviction when working or discussing things with others. The well-built, physically fit man or woman will almost always appear to have the upper hand over their lethargic looking, sickly counter parts. On another note also, it also separates you from the rest. You will, at least appear to, be the cream of the crop. People will look up to you and people will be more likely to listen to you due to your potent presence.

2. Perseverance and mental strength.

Looking at the daunting prospect of lifting up a 450lb barbell and then doing so takes considerable mental strength. Looking at the squat rack knowing that you have one more set do to, even though your legs feel like jelly, pushes your mental strength to its upper limits. But if you do this week in and week out, your mental strength, along with your physical strength, will increase. You will then find that the perseverance that you have trained in the gym will then lend itself into other aspects of life, such as in the workplace and in relationships.

The deadlift. An intimidating exercise.

    3. Excel at other sports.

In my youth I used to be one of the best swimmers in my year at school. However, once people became bigger and stronger, I stayed the same. I did not become physically stronger, so my times did not improve. However, when I started to lift weights, my times decreased dramatically and I went on to win many races. The explosive power that you attain from lifting weights will help you no end in sports. Sports such as rugby, swimming, martial arts, American football and athletics all require explosive power. Most crucially of all is that your core muscles will be strengthened significantly, as they form the basis of all of your body’s movements. This will be the case especially if you focus on compound exercises. These are exercises such as the overhead press, bench press, squats and deadlifts.  Lifting weights will almost definitely be of benefit to your chosen sport.

    4. You are more energetic.

It is of no surprise that people who lift weights are far more energetic than people who do not. In my personal experience, I find that I feel much more fatigued during the day if I do not do any physical activity. As your stamina and strength increases, you will feel energised far more often. The endorphin hormones released during and after exercise will also give you a natural high – therefore making you more inclined to take part in more activities and sports.

    5. You will be a role model to others.

Always adding weight.

Who is a schoolboy more likely to look up to as a role model – a man with a lean physique and a V-tapered torso, or a man with a beer belly and arms that resemble spaghetti? As previously mentioned in the first point, lifting weights will give you a greater physical presence. And this presence will have an impact on others. Since I have discovered the glorious power of the barbell, I have gone on to train with friends and other people who also want to become stronger and fitter. Along with the fact that lifting weights will make you feel good about yourself, you will feel even more empowered when you see how you are able to help other people. For me, this is one of the best parts about going to the gym and lifting weights.

Is the Alt-Right Useful to Conservative Causes?

Since Donald Trump’s popularity has soared, a new faction of right wing politics has become apparent, rising out of the deepest, darkest, and most obscure corners of the internet. This is the Alt-Right. In its infancy, the Alt-Right has its source in white nationalism and neo-Nazi ideologies. This has meant that during much of the existence of the Alt-Right, it has belonged to fringe political movements. It has been kept very much out of the mainstream. Therefore, it would seem that the Alt-Right has very little to do with conservatism, along with its relating ideologies and causes. Yet, since it has broken into the mainstream via Donald Trump’s anti-establishment rhetoric, it may prove to have a role to play.

Before the current essence of the Alt-Right is examined, its initial source must be looked at in order for its existence to be understood. The Alt-Right was originally first and fore mostly a white nationalist ideology. With ideas taken from white supremacist veterans such as David Duke, the website ‘Alternative Right’ was founded by Richard B. Spencer in 2010. Spencer is noted for his involvement with the National Policy Institute, a nationalist think tank, of which he is the president. Further still, the Alt Right’s tactics of internet trolling and usage of internet memes originate from the Daily Stormer which was created by Andrew Anglin in 2013. Again, this comes from a fringe movement on the far right, with its foundations in neo-Nazism. Note the uncanny resemblance in name to the notorious Der Stürmer newspaper from the Third Reich. Needless to say, at least in it’s origins; the Alt Right’s ideology was undeniably based upon the politics of the far-right. Thus in this case one can comfortably say that the Alt Right’s origins are able to discredit any potential usefulness to the conservative causes.

Despite the Alt-Right’s apparent surge in support, it is almost impossible to define its current political ideology. While it does have its origins in white nationalism, many of its followers do not support such a radical view, which is a view that does not belong in mainstream politics. By looking at Donald Trump’s support base, and the Alt-Right’s followers who are now very vocal across the internet, a variety of ideologies are illustrated. Firstly, the Alt-Right does believe, at least partially, in populism. The Alt-Right do believe in ‘making America great again.’ They are anti-immigration, and they are sceptical of Islam. However, it is the extent of this that varies. While many Alt-Right sympathisers are libertarians and more right-leaning conservatives, the movement does still have notable traces of nationalism. While this is certainly true, due to the undeniable elements of populism that the Alt-Right believes in, conservatives and libertarians do have something to gain from their increasing publicity. The Alt-Right will allow for certain issues, such as immigration and Islamification, to be raised on a variety of platforms. Albeit, the association with white nationalism and neo-Nazism does handicap the credibility of the Alt-Right movement, some of its current main ideas do now have a place in mainstream politics. It may perhaps prove to be of use in terms of publicising issues that conservatives have long been fighting for.

The way in which the Alt Right spreads its ideas and gains publicity is also a bizarre modern political phenomena. The use of memes and internet trolling has previously been used by the more puerile users of the internet – typically misanthropes and sexually frustrated teenagers. However, since the rise of the Alt Right, trolling and meme usage has since broken into the mainstream political scene, and which credible success. What this has done is utilise a massively underrated force in politics – younger members of society. Via the use of memes and social media, a new demographic of people have been able to access political issues in a very digestible manner. Despite the childish and absurd appearance of ‘Pepe the Frog’ memes and so on, they have proven to be immensely popular and have gone viral. Even Donald Trump himself has tweeted an image of ‘Trump Pepe.’ This new method has turned out to be witty, comical, and most surprisingly very insightful. The use of memes in politics has truly shown how important a force populism in politics is. For true populism, all demographics of people need to be reached and spoken to. And in this case, memes and humour-based political discussion have proven to be crucial in gaining publicity for conservative movements and ideas.

Donald Trump has often been the topic of 'Pepe the Frog' memes. 

Regardless of one’s political standpoint, the Alt Right has proven to be a formidable force on the numerous political and social platforms across the internet. Whether done through structured political debate, the comical yet profound use of memes or even through the persistent nature of internet trolling. These have allowed for the Alt Right to leave its old place in the obscurity of the political wilderness, and to venture right into the volatile centre of our current political climate. Yet, the question still stands – whether or not the Alt Right can be of true usefulness to conservative causes. This still remains to be a dubious question to address. The Alt Right will always have its origins, and continuous support, from those belonging to the far-right ideologies of white nationalism and neo-Nazism. This seriously handicaps the movement, as it will allow the Left to continue to use the ‘racist card’ along with the usual lousy comparisons to Hitler and the Third Reich. It could therefore potentially be damaging to conservative causes for conservatives to associate themselves with the Alt Right. While this is an undeniable fact, the Left’s continued attacks against Trump and conservatism across the West in general have proven to be quite futile. The arguments of ‘he is literally Hitler’ and ‘that idea is fascist’ have become so threadbare that they lack any real credibility. Further still, the Alt Right has given conservatives an unlikely platform to promote patriotism, anti-immigration stances and freedom of speech. The Alt Right has in this sense proven to be quite the credible political ally.

What is most crucial of all however is the way in which the Alt Right has been able to mobilise such a widespread community. It has opened up the minds and ideas of a new generation of conservatives, libertarians and patriots via its youthful tactics in order to gain publicity. This will undoubtedly allow for conservatism to spread into the next generation. This is therefore a very promising prospect. As long as conservatives do not adopt the ideological origins of the Alt Right movement, the Alt Right will continue to be a pivotal force in politics that will be of the utmost use to conservatives of all demographics.

How the British Education System Needs to be Improved

For centuries, Great Britain had prided itself on having the finest education system in the world. Since the creation of our country’s great schools many other nations have attempted to replicate their success. Further still, the Twentieth Century saw the golden age of Britain’s education system following the 1944 Education Act. This created a three-tier system in which students had to sit exams, which gave them entry to either: a local grammar school, a comprehensive school or a technical school. Thus children could focus on either academia, or skills relating to blue-collar work. It took advantage of the needs of each individual student. This created a system based on meritocracy – children of varying abilities could flourish under an environment tailored to their intellectual needs. However, since Blarite politics has been swamping the political establishment over the past two decades, our education system has been sabotaged by the Left’s calls for ‘equality’. All this has done is handicap the chances student’s achieving success, while also putting a greater strain on our schools. After working in a typical British comprehensive school for a year, I was able to see these disastrous effects first hand.

One issue regarding many of Britain’s schools currently is the quality of the staff. In previous years, to be a teacher was a full time role. Much like being in the forces, a real sense of duty was to be had. In recent years however, teaching has become an easy way out for many. In light of Blair’s ‘education, education, education’ dogma that proved to be complete nonsense, far too many people have gone to university in recent years. He called for fifty per cent of school leavers to go onto further education. As this has saturated the job market, many people have gone into teaching because they are unable to do anything else.  Indeed, “for those who cannot do, teach.” The academic capability of many staff in the average British school now is truly appalling. And this reflects on the students of the schools, as they are not exposed to free, open discussion, debates, or anything regarding culture and society. Instead they are subjected to individuals who are simply in teaching as a career that offers an easy ride. The way in which this can be rectified is simple. Teaching needs to attract the right people. While it currently attracts people who are afraid of the real world (and thus want to return to school because they are lazy) teaching desperately needs to attract bona fide academics and sports people. This means that schools need to make it more an attractive, lucrative career for prospective teachers. Schools need to become more independent from big government so that they can then do this. If a school is able to run itself, it will create a far more competitive environment enabling staff and students to flourish. It will therefore attract a more colourful group of people.

Another major flaw regarding our education system is, again, due to the people it attracts. The vast majority of schools have a lot more female staff within their faculty than men. Now before the ‘sexism’ card is undeniably raised there is a point to this. I have met many talented and engaging female teachers. But having too many female staff in a school gives a very impartial view to students. The worst aspect of all is for the male students, and even staff. As a workplace, schools have become overly feminised. Boys have very few if any role models to look up to, while male teachers often have to tread on eggshells due to the nature of having to work with so many women. As I saw in my time as a teacher, many male members of staff themselves became extremely effeminate. This can and does have a dire impact on many male students. Without a male role model, boys become disillusioned with school and do not know how to socialise and to interact with others. On the other hand, female students are often pandered to, and then find the harsh realities of life outside of school difficult to cope with. For this to change, teaching has to cease to be seen as being an effeminate career. It needs to attract more prospective male teachers by making the education system equally as masculine as it is feminine. A prime example of this is how physical education us carried out in our schools.

At the school I worked at, there were two male teachers in the physical education department. Both of them were out of shape, and worse still, they were only pushing thirty. And this is not unheard of in many state schools across the country. Two, unfit men where ‘qualified’ to teach students about the importance of fitness, health and how sports could enrich ones life. However, many students at the school that I worked at were also unfit, and did not respect the importance of exercise. This was due to the current nature of physical education. It has become stagnant, lethargic and wet. This is incredibly damaging for future generations. Exercise should be of a critical importance within our education system. It should not just be prancing about in a field once a week for an hour, which is what it is at most schools. Physical education is needed to teach students the importance of perseverance, strength, competitiveness, along with both mental and physical toughness. But this will not be possible if students are being taught by staff who themselves show disdain for any real exercise. Our educated system insists on staff being qualified via the massively flawed teacher training schemes, but this prevents the right people from becoming PE teachers and sports coaches in our schools. The solution should be allowing former professional and talented athletes to teach in our schools without the necessary “qualifications”. I was lucky enough to attend an independent school that did not suffer from government interference. This meant that I was coached and taught by talented athletes and former professional sportsmen. This allowed me to learn about the importance of physical health from engaging teachers who could show me a real insight into how sports and exercise could enrich one’s life. This will sadly not be possible however as long as the long claws of bureaucracy are deeply embedded into our country’s schools.

To become a teacher in this country in a comprehensive school, all teachers must undergo teacher training. This is a classic example of big government with a political agenda. Whilst its idea initially was in good taste, to professionalise teaching, it has instead undermined it considerably. Now teachers are told to use a very delicate approach regarding discipline. This means that teachers are not able to act with conviction in the classroom, as they were once able to in years gone by. Albeit, while corporal punishment was extreme and rightly banned, teachers now lack authority in the classroom. They have to undergo tedious procedures in order to reprimand students, purely in order watch both their own back, and the school’s. This results in the student often only be given a very trivial punishment. This only teaches students bad habits for when they go into the real world, where many will go on to struggle in the work place. Further still, when the government does attempt to make any real changes, the omniscient teachers’ unions often prevent any positive changes. To rectify the issues of big government and union bureaucracy therefore, two changes need to be done. Schools need to become more independent, as they have started to with the introduction of academies. Secondly, the power of the trade unions needs to be stripped back. The teaching unions have since become vast bodies of whinging, lazy left wingers who deem their six hour days to be far too strenuous. While people have a right to a trade union, their political agendas need to be booted out of our classrooms to allow for prosperity within our education sector.

Naturally, now that teaching attracts some of the laziest graduates that we have seen in decades, our schools lack one very critical quality. That quality is ambition. Now that few children are able to get the opportunity to go to a grammar school, children of varying capabilities have to endure the same lessons. Whilst forty years ago the prospective electrician would go to the technical college and the talented scientist would go to the local grammar school, these opportunities have been demolished by the progressive Left. By abandoning the selective processes of our education system, children are no longer able to study with like-minded individuals. Currently, a bright student will have to put up with a dumbed down lesson, so that their less capable classmates will be able to keep up. All this is doing is not only lowering the potential grades of students, but it is also killing opportunity. What use is a GCSE in English literature to a student who is planning on doing a carpentry apprenticeship? All this results in is increased boredom for both sides – the academically capable are not stimulated by their school’s curriculum whilst those more inclined to physical activities and ventures become restless and unruly. The only solution to this would be to abandon the absurd notion of the Left; that meritocracy is against equality, and to reintroduce the three-tier system.

After witnessing these issues first hand, I realised that for the most part, any sane person would not be able to work in the field of education. As long as meritocracy is shunned, big government is embraced and the system continues to be feminised, we will continue to witness the demise of our once internationally renowned education system. Again, whether or not there will be any real change comes down to the current political climate. One of the first things that Theresa May has stated since coming into office is that she wants to look into the return of grammar schools – so perhaps there is some optimism to be had. Despite this, it will take years to unwind the damage that has been inflicted onto our schools. As ever, there will be numerous calls from the Left to prevent any positive change, the feminists will scream in horror at the idea of an increased masculine presence in our schools and the bureaucracies of government will not give in without a fight. But as the pendulum of the political spectrum is due to swing back to the Right, changes ought to come sooner rather than later.

Why It Would be Beneficial for Jeremy Corbyn to Remain to be Leader of the Labour Party

Initially, this statement appears to be a bold one to make. For the most part, Corbyn’s ideology is backward and illogical. His political outlook is similar to that of a bohemian, self-loathing, student who relishes in being against things purely for the sake of it. However, as we are currently seeing, the establishment has been attempting to oust Corbyn from his position as leader. While this has been on going since his promotion to leader in 2015, the call for him to step down has amplified considerably post-Brexit. When Corbyn’s ideas and the way in which he has lead the Labour Party are put under scrutiny, his role may actually benefit those on the political right. And for these reasons, we must hope that the establishment fails to oust him.

First and fore mostly, Corbyn is deep down a Eurosceptic and a supporter of Brexit. This could prove to a pivotal factor in our upcoming withdrawal from the European Union. While at least in public he backed the Remain campaign, it is blatantly obvious that he was forced to do so by his party. For decades Corbyn has been a very vocal critic of the European Union and of our membership. It is highly doubtful that Corbyn shunned his Euroscepticism entirely overnight in the run up to the referendum. Further still, many ‘traditional’ Labour supporters and working class members of the electorate voted Leave. Therefore it would not be a surprise if Corbyn made a U-turn and returned back to his Eurosceptic roots as a means of gaining the support of working class Brexit voters. This would be a major blow to the Europhile establishment. Although this could prove to be a double edged sword. If Corbyn were to return to publically being a Eurosceptic, this may have an impact on the working class support for right wing Conservatives and UKIP. Regardless of this, the potential increased support of the Labour Party would only be a minor concern. By embracing Eurosceptism once more, the Europhile establishment would be faced with a formidable Eurosceptic national voice, spanning the entire political spectrum. This could very well ensure a better deal once Article 50 has been triggered, while also meaning that it would come sooner rather than later. To be able to watch the establishment cower in horror at another surge in Euroscepticism would make backing Corbyn (despite his ideological differences) worthwhile.

Corbyn’s unashamedly obvious disdain for the political establishment has always been something worth admiring about the Labour leader, despite his dishevelled appearance and socialist tendencies. Ironically, he has this explicit disdain for the establishment in common with leading figures on the right. In this sense, it is worthwhile supporting him in the constant battle with the press and the political establishment that even now still has the stench of Blairite politics about it. Again, this is not to say that we must support Corbyn’s policies. But it is refreshing to have a Labour leader who is not backed by countless moronic celebrities, big media and other establishment heavyweights. Much like those on the right, Corbyn has longed to see the destruction of a political stage that is dominated by a cosy, elitist political class. Ever since Blair became leader in 1994, the Labour Party has ditched its traditional supporters. It has sold out. It is much more concerned about being backed by wealthy, upper middle-class Londoners rather than working class families in the industrial north. Yet, Corbyn is by no means a modern day Keir Hardie. A comparison to Michael Foot would perhaps be more accurate. And it is with Michael Foot that Corbyn shares two crucial concepts. Both have been portrayed as anti establishment, and both oversaw the downfall of their own parties.

Aforementioned, both Michael Foot and Jeremy Corbyn are seen as political outsiders, even by the standards of those on the modern day left. And much like Michael Foot did with his 1983 manifesto that became the ‘longest suicide note in history’, Corbyn too may very well accelerate the destruction of his own party. While the potential increased public support for Euroscepticism under Corbyn would be beneficial, the downfall of the Labour Party would potentially be of a greater benefit to those on the right. As was with Michael Foot, Corbyn’s policies are out of date (at least for the most part) in terms of the desires of the electorate. They instead belong to the ramblings of a student union, not within a party’s national manifesto. We could therefore in the future see an even greater shift of working class votes go to both the Conservative Party, and even more so to UKIP. So far Corbyn’s leadership has divided the party. Leading figures such as Hilary Benn have left the shadow cabinet, while Labour Party members are becoming increasingly more sceptical and pessimistic about their own party. And as the general election proved in 2015, Labour’s support is waning considerably. Unfortunately for those on the left, the toxic legacy of Blairite politics still haunts the Labour Party.

Corbyn is anti-establishment. And despite his superficial backing of the Remain campaign, Corbyn is fundamentally a Eurosceptic. Both of these factors could prove to be crucial in both the gradual but inevitable destruction of the current political establishment, and also in the triggering of Article 50 along with the negotiations of Brexit. However, with all things said, the number one reason why it will be of benefit for Corbyn to remain to be leader is that it will ensure the destruction of the Labour Party. Due to the contempt that the hard line left wing members and the Blairite members of the party have for one another, along with the party’s abandonment of the working class, the Labour Party is on its way out. If however Corbyn does not remain to be leader, the party will still continue to self implode. Although this would result in the establishment gaining another figurehead – in the form of yet another Blairite. Thus for the right to make the most out of the Labour Party’s downfall, we must hope that Jeremy Corbyn remains to be its leader.