Freedom is not free

Hi Ricardo

It was (before being bulldozed) a curious place; I'm endlessly fascinated with the way that humans often cope with contradiction in order to preserve an ideal or idea that they cherish. A few hundred yards away is a cafe called Fidels where one can find 'socialists' (some I know to be successful professionals with far above average incomes) gathering to discuss the plight of the impoverished over expensive cafe breakfasts and drinking endless cups of coffee - historically one of the most exploitative crops ever grown. Many of these same people hated The Bypass, seeing only its cost and the large scale roadworks companies' potential profits - when in fact environmental impacts caused by the congestion it hoped to alleviate (also dear to these good folks' hearts) were assessed to be hugely beneficial; for me it represents one of those frequent clashes that occur when the politically-correct find themselves caught between two things they want to defend - but which are mutually exclusive. Despite the fighting spirit on the wall in this photo - it ended as these things often do - not with a bang, but a whimper.