17th October 2006.

I read in the newspaper that History Matters, a quango comprising a load of other quangos like English Heritage and the National Trust, were running a "blog in" at www.historymatters.org.uk, the intention being to collect as many blogs as possible for the day of 17th October 2006, which then would be stored at the British Library. Well I couldn't resist, and inspired partly by a nostalgia that has arisen from hours of fiddling about on my space tracking down artists I haven't heard of for years, and partly by a growing existential dispair at the world we live in, I decided to write a serious piece. Not like me I know, but it happens sometimes.

This is what I wrote:

"“We need to get the balance right between integration and multi-culturalism” said Prime Minister Tony Blair today. Multi-culturalism is the word du jour.

I remember when I first heard the phrase back in the 1980s. Actually what I first heard was “Multi-Kulti”, the name of an album by Jazz trumpeter Don Cherry. Back then multi-culturalism meant something completely different. It was all about sharing and exploring people’s identities, roots and culture. England was drab and grey in the 1970. To be young in the 1980s gave you the hope that the future would be better. Music, clubs, magazines, nightlife, food – everyone seemed to be exploring and mixing it up. Going to clubs like Dingwalls on a Sunday afternoon, you would see old white jazz beards mixing with sharp suited young black jazz dancers, united in a love of music. “Youth” culture was specialised – you chose your clubs, your clothes, your diet, according to which tribe you aspired to, but you were free to choose any you wanted, and to chop and change. In the late 1980s came the “acid house scene”. Again all sorts of unlikely people united in revelry. The music itself was an extraordinary hybrid; growing out of a US scene which was largely black and for the most part gay, it fused with the British working class “scally” culture of the terrace “casuals” to become something new, something for everyone, even for nice middle class educated white boys like me. That was multi-culturalism; a pick and mix and remix culture. Everyone getting along just fine. I’ll swap you some jerk chicken for a slice of kugel. It may seem superficial, but actually what makes us human more than food and music?

We thought we would grow up like this, and that our fundamental belief that everyone was equal, and that diversity was a good thing and a thing to be shared, would change the world.

Fast forward to 17th October 2006 and the world is a very different place and multi-culturalism has a very different meaning. In the age of spin, there is nothing that the media and politicians like better than to adopt slogans and phrases whose meaning is apparently indisputable, thereby avoiding any real discussion of the issue. But the words and phrases come ready loaded with emotion and prejudgment. “Weapons of Mass Destruction.” “Disproportionate.” “Islamic.” “Militant.” “Insurgent.” “Apartheid.” “George W Bush.” “Zionist.” They are designed to stifle debate and to hide underlying meaning; often you can best define their meaning by asking yourself what word the user is seeking to avoid using.

So today’s word is multi-culturalism. It is used to mean the opposite of integration, even its enemy. That it means nothing of the sort will not worry the media or the MPs. What they want it to mean is uni-culturalism, or isolationism, in the specific context of Muslims in Britain. But they will not say this. To use clear and specific language in this day and age is a dangerous and unfashionable thing."

Well, try as I may, the site just wouldn't accept my entry. I was well within the character count limit, but I reduced the piece to a single paragraph, took out contentious words like "Muslim" but still no joy. I tried different, how might I put it, more authentic identities, but still no joy. The speed of rejection was quite something. I began to suspect foul play. Some censorship bug or other.

Out of despair, I tried a different tact. I submitted this:

"Had a lazy day."

And it sailed through, no problem.

So there it is. That is my contribution to history. Had a lazy day.

If you want to post, you have until 1st November.