Greek Tragedy

Just wondering, with the Greek crises, when the IMF suits finally get their hands on the Greeks books and sell off just to service the debt the utility companies, ports, postal services and the international airports, to name but a few, would it qualify as the largest jumble sale in the world ? Or does it qualify as an invasion ?

Not enough jobs to go round

Good to see Graham Jones MP settling in at Westminster, but I could do without the default party spin. (Letters, 24/06)
You’re supposed to be a new MP who should be brimming with ideas about having a better system. Instead you prefer to propagate the myth of blaming the pencil stealers in the factory rather than the one’s walking off with the computers for our economic gloom. Instead of sucking up to your leader you should be challenging his notion of a better society. We, the people, can only do the little things, it is the Government than can plan and deliver the big things.
Our system is in meltdown and those that are in charge haven’t a clue as to what to do next. Blaming the bankers made good headlines and appeared to make sense, but all the bankers did was play out to a natural conclusion our economic system, making money out of nothing and getting the rest of us to pay ! People are rewarded for bad behaviour, why else would we end up with so many self serving ego maniacs in charge, look at the damage Blair caused.
The people of Greece have already worked out that something smells about the system. If a bookmakers has a software program to detect unusual betting patterns, then the Governments and financial institutions in Europe and around the world must have turned a blind eye to what was happening with so much money being moved out of the Greek economy. They now have an unelected bunch from the IMF telling them what and how to spend their money. Don’t be surprised if a civil war starts over in Greece, it happened in Spain. People vs. Political elite.
What all our politicians have failed to spot is the white elephant in the room, predicted some years ago by a bunch of Luddites, there’s no longer enough work to go round. The technology has finally caught up and we are free from the shackles of labour, sounds good, unfortunately only a few will be able to enjoy all of this free time. So Mr. Jones MP, you now have a platform and an opportunity, so let’s start with the debate “ What if there isn’t enough work for everyone?” – Discuss.

Big Society

David Cameron’s “Big Society” is proving to be a more elusive concept than fermat’s last theorem. It is also a stroke of genius, because he will take credit for all the good work by volunteers being done out there, despite his cuts.

Bashing Bankers

So here we go again, bashing the bankers for their bonuses. I was always under the impression, living in a Capitalist system with a zero sum model (winners and losers), that making money was the prime motivator driving successful businesses. More profit less effort is the ultimate goal. So surely we must applaud the efforts of the bankers not demonising them !
However, being a zero sum, we can see clearly the winners and the losers with all the cutbacks and job losses meted out by millionaires down in Westminster. Do not fall into the “politics of envy” trap when we make the stark comparison between rich and poor.
The people at the top are embarrassed by the injustices exposed by the size of bankers bonuses with people losing their jobs on the back of Bankers decisions. But don’t let it be lost on demonising the Bankers, it’s the System that is to blame. It encourages bad behaviour.
Inequality and exploitation are ingrained in our very inept system. How much evidence is needed for people to realise that our current system only works well for the top 10%, the rest struggle at best or are completely discarded.

Men Beware !

NINE WORDS WOMEN USE:

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you’re welcome. (I want to add in a clause here – This is true, unless she says ‘Thanks a lot’ – that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say ‘you’re welcome’ . that will bring on a ‘whatever’).

(8) Whatever: Is a woman’s way of saying F– YOU!

(9) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What’s wrong?’ For the woman’s response refer to # 3.

Good governance, my arse

If I was to organise a popularity contest in our local newspaper to determine who I employed at work, people would think I was mad. How could I possibly find the right candidate to do the job effectively with that type of recruitment Strategy. Yet that is how our local Government is run by Councillors all pulling in different directions and all claiming to have the remit to do so by their local electorate. Mind you it makes good copy for the newspapers judging by some of the decisions being made.

Community Centre closure – A cunning plan

It is no use blaming the push pull antics of the two main parties for the cuts. If either of them had the answers there wouldn’t be any need for elections.
The future is bleak for many, no matter how hard working you are, our system only works well for a privileged few. How long are the silent majority going to sit back and do nothing about the carnage unfolding through savage cuts meted out by the “ don’t blame us” brigade.
If we are to buy in to this hardnosed economic argument for closing much used and needed community centres then allow me to suggest a couple of ideas for raising the necessary funds for keeping them open.
The Pope’s visit will cost tax payers an estimated £12m so let him sell a couple of paintings to cover the costs or tell him we can’t afford him. The other idea involves the Queen. As a state funded position would it not be appropriate to sell the position of Queen, like everything else we have flogged off.

It’s a Tory Legacy not a Labour mess

The Tories are now having to deal with a mess they instigated back in the 80’s. The privatisation of pensions and the selling off of state run assets has lead to the current crises. New Labour merely carried on where the Tories left off with the help of a working class veneer.
With unfettered access to large amounts of money in pension funds and demutualised building societies the City have developed a whole new language in creative accounting.
Our drive to become a shareholder economy has had a disastrous effect on jobs and wages, farmed out abroad and reduced to increase dividends, and in the most recent example of cutting costs, BP, Gulf of Mexico, a detrimental effect on the environment.
Our once state run assets, sold on the cheap, are now run by foreign state owned companies, clearly the French, German and Dutch Governments had a better game plan for their people.
Don’t be fooled by what the Tories are now saying, the system was bust regardless of who was at the helm. Devoid of any detail prior to the General Election, all three main parties knew how bad cuts would be, it was like pulling teeth trying to get them to talk about job losses and the severity of the spending cuts. Now that they are in power, the Tories are more concerned about what the city thinks than any of the electorate, foolish enough to vote for them, worried about their jobs.
6 billion in cuts is the figure bandied about by the media over the last few months, but that is only a taster. It will cost us 4 billion per month just to pay the interest off on the debt. Years of austerity and a breadline pension to look forward to, no matter which of the three main parties got in. So much for change then.

Shame on you

During a General Election period journalist should be celebrating the art of freedom of speech. Around the world your colleagues are risking life and limb to cover the stories others would prefer to cover up and allowing people to read what is happening. What a pity then that despite a full time political correspondent on your books, you couldn’t find the time to cover new ideas and policy from some of the smaller parties or independent candidates like myself. Surely it is not for the media to pre judge smaller less supported parties, that should be left to the electorate. I paid my deposit like everyone else, am I not equal in that respect. There is a certain irony to the plea from myself in the paper (3/05), not to vote for me, so little was made of the stunt I had over 300 votes. What a pity we have to resort to stunts rather than policy to get some publicity. Maybe now that the election is over you could put your political correspondent in charge of circus news.

Electoral Reform

If ever there was a case to be made for Electoral Reform just look at the latest evidence, the Election results.
In Darwen and Rossendale, with a voting population of 61,000 ……… 42,000 (68%) chose not to vote Conservative.
In Blackburn, voting population of 70,000………48,000 (68%) chose not to vote Labour
In the Ribble Valley, voting population of 78,000………52,000 (66%) chose not to vote Conservative
In Hyndburn, voting population of 67,000…………..50,000 (74%) chose not to vote Labour
Total number of voters 276, 000 of which 192,000 (70%) did not agree with the choice.
The LibDems have it in their power to wrestle control from the two main parties who have dominated the scene for too long. I hope they don’t betray their supporters by reneging on their promise of PR and jumping into bed with one of them. It would be hard to spot any differences if that happened.