De gemeenteraad heeft na lang wikken en wegen een nogal ingrijpend besluit genomen. De volksvertegenwoordigers hebben aangegeven absoluut niet over één nacht ijs te zijn gegaan in hun besluitvorming. En dus moeten we maar aannemen dat alles is besloten met ieders welzijn voor ogen. Dat een en ander desastreuze gevolgen heeft voor de burgers van de gemeente, is de bittere pil die we met z’n allen moeten slikken, zo klinkt het. Het algemeen belang gaat in dit geval voor. De mensen moeten weg, het dorp gaat verdwijnen, het grootkapitaal neemt z’n nieuw verworven plek in.

[John Pebble of Styx Enterprises]

“Get ‘em out by Friday!
You don’t get paid till the last one’s well on his way.
Get ‘em out by Friday!
It’s important that we keep to schedule, there must be no delay.”

[Mark Hall of Styx Enterprises (otherwise known as “The Winkler”)]

“I represent a firm of gentlemen who recently purchased this
house and all the others in the road,
In the interest of humanity we’ve found a better place for you
to go, go-woh, go-woh”

[Mrs. Barrow (a tenant)]

“Oh no, this I can’t believe,
Oh Mary, they’re asking us to leave.”

[Mr. Pebble]

“Get ‘em out by Friday!
I’ve told you before, ’s good many gone if we let them stay.
And if it isn’t easy,
You can squeeze a little grease and our troubles will soon run away.”

[Mrs. Barrow]

“After all this time, they ask us to leave,
And I told them we could pay double the rent.
I don’t know why it seemed so funny,
Seeing as how they’d take more money.
The winkler called again, he came here this morning,
With four hundred pounds and a photograph of the place he has found.
A block of flats with central heating.
I think we’re going to find it hard.”

[Mr. Pebble]

“Now we’ve got them!
I’ve always said that cash cash cash can do anything well.
Work can be rewarding
When a flash of intuition is a gift that helps you
excel-sell-sell-sell.”

[Mr. Hall]

“Here we are in Harlow New Town, did you recognise your block
across the square, over there,
Sadly since last time we spoke, we’ve found we’ve had to raise
the rent again,
just a bit.”

[Mrs. Barrow]

“Oh no, this I can’t believe
Oh Mary, and we agreed to leave.”

(a passage of time)

[18/9/2012 T.V. Flash on all Dial-A-Program Services]

This is an announcement from Genetic Control:
“It is my sad duty to inform you of a four foot restriction on
humanoid height.”

[Extract from coversation of Joe Ordinary in Local Puborama]

“I hear the directors of Genetic Control have been buying all the
properties that have recently been sold, taking risks oh so bold.
It’s said now that people will be shorter in height,
they can fit twice as many in the same building site.
(they say it’s alright),
Beginning with the tenants of the town of Harlow,
in the interest of humanity, they’ve been told they must go,
told they must go-go-go-go.”

[Sir John De Pebble of United Blacksprings International]

“I think I’ve fixed a new deal
A dozen properties – we’ll buy at five and sell at thirty four,
Some are still inhabited,
It’s time to send the winkler to see them,
he’ll have to work some more.”

[Memo from Satin Peter of Rock Development Ltd.]

With land in your hand, you’ll be happy on earth
Then invest in the Church for your heaven.

Peter Gabriel – ‘Get ‘em out by Friday’

Een geweldige tekst van de toenmalige Genesis-frontman Peter Gabriel. Met diverse personages die hij, ook ‘live’, perfect wist te vertolken.

Moerdijk is de hedendaagse Nederlandse variant van het Britse Harlow. Daar werden mensen aan de kant geschoven door vastgoedprinsen; hier maakt de energietransitie ruim baan voor moderne groene durfinvesteerders.

Nothing changed. Nothing changes. Nothing will ever change.