Empty rhetoric

More empty rhetoric from Cable, the co conspiratorial hypocrite along with Clegg, Alexander and the others. Does this naive moron really believe that Osborne and Cameron will allow integrity to overcome bias? This latest ConDem hobby horse is only for public consumption and represents no threat to the cosy existance of the "City".
No one, Darling, Brown, Osborne, Cameron, Clegg et al has or had the political wiil or the personal inclination to take on their friends in the Banking and Finance sectors.
They cause the crisis and reap vast financial and influential benifits. The people of this Country pay the price.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/banks-face-warning-over-secrecy-of-lavish-bonuses-2164834.html

The Government may have won the vote, but ...........

Now we see in what contempt this ConDem Government holds the people of this country.For the benifit of those people commenting to the fact that it is the fault of the last Government that we are in this mess, I would say that I agree. However, it is also the fault of the Banking and Finance sectors who have made vast sums of money from gambling in the property and exchange rate markets. then when the gamble failed, went cap in hand to a Government for bail out packages. It isalso the fault of the "markets" who speculate against Countries and reap huge profits when the enonomies fail, as in the case of Ireland, Greece, Portugal etc. (Who is next?)
It is not the fault of Students, Lecturers,Pensioners, Working families, Nurses, benifit claimants, taxpayers generally, or beleive it or not, the Police.
Why should ordinary people pay for the excesses of Markets, Financilal institutions, and the gutless acquiecence of Governments, too terrified to take the measures necessary to control the "City".
People may well criticise the events which took place in Parliament Square yesterday.
This is only the begining. When this Government introduces the measures which will effect people personally, cuts in services, reduction of minimum wage, cuts in expenditre, job losses, reductions in benifits, etc. etc.then we shall see demonstrations of public anger which will make the events of yesterday pale into insignificance.When the Police have to implement cuts to their own front line services, expenditure and support personell, will they too demonstrate?
On News 24 last night, Nick Robinson speaking from the lobby of the Palace of Westminster, concluded his report with the phrase "The Government may have won the vote, but they have lost control of the Streets".
A little premature perhaps, but prophetic in context.

All of their own making

The LibDem's are in chaos, and all of their own making. No matter what Clegg, Cable and the others may say in a futile attempt to justify their positions on this issue, the fact remains that they are perceived as people more interested in office and it's trappings, people who have no honour and no conscience. All 57 of them signed a pledge. The argument that adherence to that pledge can be discarded, since the pledge was made for a scenario where they would be in power, is a cynical proclamation from shameless hypocrites. They are in power. They hold 23 ministries. They appear in the media introducing new Government policies. They sit on the right-hand side of the Speakers Chair on the Government benches. That is being in power, no matter what they may argue to the contrary. The vote on Thursday next could be the last chance that any of them may have to redeem themselves from the stigma of being puppets interested only in the position of power, and the limelight of temporary fame.
For the sake of this country, may they take the opportunity to restore a shred of credibility.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/three-lib-dems-threaten-to-quit-posts-over-fees-2153041.html

Chaos in the ranks

Having been put in the position of holding a balance in the House of Commons, Clegg obviously found the prospect of a seat at the table in Number 10, together with the luxury limo more attractive than maintaining any semblance of honour or principle. Cable, Alexander and others followed Clegg’s lead and grasped this opportunity for all the privileges of Ministerial office and convinced the remaining LibDem MP’s to endorse the concept of Coalition. The arguments made by Clegg and others in respect of providing the country with stable Government are nothing more that a smoke screen put forward to camouflage a grubby grasp for power at any price. The honourable thing would have been to remain in opposition and watch the Conservatives Govern in a minority.
The Lib Dem’s are now reaping what they (or perhaps Clegg) have sown. Chaos, alarm and confusion rattle around Westminster as they scrabble for some semblance of justification for their abandonment of principle and betrayal of the all those who voted LibDem at the last election, in the vain belief that British politics could be lifted from the gutter,

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chaos-in-lib-dem-ranks-as-vote-on-tuition-fees-creates-party-split-2152171.html

Who created this problem?

What I do not accept is that I, and millions of other people in this country,including students, health care workers, firemen, working families generally, benifit claimants, etc etc should be punished for circumstances which are not of their making. Lets get one fact crystal clear. The present economic situation was caused, created and perpetuated by the Banking and Finacial sectors of this (and other) ecomomies. The New Labour Governements cure for this crisis was to create a bottomless pit of taxpayers money for these inept, incompetent and corrupt organisations to tap into at will, with little if any public control or monitoring of their actions. The bill ran to tens of Billions of Pounds and is still rising on a daily basis with the prospect of pouring more billions into the Irish Banking system within the next few weeks. The previous Government was a financial disaster and the ConDem coalition has perpetuated and expanded the mess. Until such times as this Government (or any Government) get to grips with the fundemental problem and introduce proper and enforceable controls, monitors and balances on the Banks and Financial Institutions, I shall require a great deal of convincing that the British People should pay (in every sense) for the crimes and failings of Governments and "the markets"

Resist the Cuts

In May 1968, the Students took to the streets in Paris, occupied the Sorbonne University (amongst many buildings) and brought Paris to a virtual standstill. Shortly after, the French TU movement joined the students and brought France to a virtual standstill. Soon after that President De Gaulle and all his cabinet resigned and was replaced by a fresh administration.The TUC and others should join the students and lecturers here in the UK today and organise protests against this Governments unfair policies.
Resistance to the ConDem cuts is not just about University fees. It is about unfair cuts to services, spending and jobs which will ultimately effect all of us. The actions of this disasterous ConDem Co alition must be resisted by everyone.

See More

Student fees protest: 'This is just the beginning' | Education | The Guardian

www.guardian.co.uk

Conservative party headquarters attacked in what ministers acknowledge is likely to be 'just the beginning'

The Banks and finacial sector created the mess.

The Banks and finacial sector created the mess.The last Government, and now the Condem Coalition are pouring billions of Pounds of our money into a rotten and corrupt system, while the people pay the price with punative cuts in services and benifits, huge increases in taxes and duties, rising prices and more job losses. This is a global situation and the protests are growing in an increasing numbers of countries. The protest will be here soon.




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/liamhalligan/8038931/Why-we-need-to-follow-the-Irish-and-restructure-our-zombie-banks.html

Another harebrained contrick

Nick Clegg sold the LibDems "down the river"(and everyone else who voted Libdem) so that Cameron could indulge in these fairyland contricks.
Who pays for this lunatic scheme? "The Big Society Bank is based on legislation passed by Labour allowing money untouched for 15 years to be diverted to good causes if account holders cannot be traced by banks."
The Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber double act following the disaster that was New Labour.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cameron-says-big-society-is-not-about-saving-money-2029927.html

Lies, Damn lies and Statistics

Crime down. Un employment down.
Just two of the recent headline grabbing stories churned out in the press and media in an attempt by this version of Whitehall/Downing Street, to convince the great British public that all is getting better. What is really mind blowing is that some people actually believe this to be true!
Why are there so many un employed on Incapacity Benefit? Simply, it is because that during the eighties and nineties, it was the only way to move the figures from the un employed list. Then, due to the fact that the way the unemployed figure was established was to count only those who were claiming un employment benefit, it could be “proved” that un employment had fallen! This, coupled with the deceitful practice of removing from the unemployed list, all those people who had been claiming unemployment (job seekers allowance) benefit for more than twelve months, and hey presto, the number of unemployed had fallen overnight!
This, of course, is yet another example of Government lies for the sake of expediency. Taking names off one list and moving them to another list with a different name does not solve the problem. It merely moves people from one box to another and conveniently conceals an embarrassing Government problem.
The same is the case with the Crime figures. The dubious system of reclassifying some crimes to a list which is not counted, and the fact that a vast number of people do not even bother to report criminal incidents due to the fact that they know little if anything will be done. What is the actual figure for “Un reported Crimes”?
There are lies, damn lies and statistics. Have people been so numbed down in this country that they are prepared to accept any “official figures” that the Government produce?
Wake up Britain. As long as these Government “facts” remain unchallenged, so the politicians will sit back, draw their expenses and think we will believe anything that they tell us.

Smiley's people or the Goon show?

Is this the biggest Non-story in the entire history of news coverage? Russian spies who "spied" on nothing, gathering information that they could have got from Google or Facebook.
"Sleepers", living and working in the UK and USA some with children born in their respective countries, trying to "influence policy making" in the US and UK.
Fat chance of achieving that with New Labour here and George "Dubya" Bush there, then in charge.Even less chance with control freak Obama in the White House and Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber in Downing Street
The these 10 low level "spooks"are being exchanged for proper espionage agents jailed in Russia,just because the Russians want to become members of the World Trade Organisation !!
The mind boggles

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Russian-Spies-Anna-Chapmans-British-Citizenship-Reconsidered/Article/201007215661852?lpos=World_News_News_Your_Way_Region_4&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15661852_Russian_Spies%3A_Anna_Chapmans_British_Citizenship_Reconsidered

A new Rambo?

Another case of an American beleiving that they
are a cross between John Wayne and Al Capone.Mattis was reprimanded by the Marine Corps for telling a San Diego, California conference in 2005 that "it's fun to
shoot some people".

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/07/201078233717799692.html

More rewards for crime

War criminal and liar Tony Blair to receive an award and $100,000 in cash !

http://twitter.com/TelegraphNews

You could not make this up !!

RT @TelegraphNews Tony Blair to be awarded Liberty Medal http://bit.ly/aakQLb

Dr. Kelly

We will probably never get to the truth of this matter. The establishment pro war lobby have too much to hide.
Why are the initial post mortem results to be kept secret for the next 70 years?


http://bit.ly/aOU3le

Ethnic Cleansing

Still building settlements in defiance of UN resolutions.
Clearly the West and the UN have double standards when it comes to Israeli non compliance.


Settlers target 'shared cities' - Focus - Al Jazeera English

Israel to allow aid cargo into Gaza

It would be nice to believe that this is a direct result of the International protest not only at the attack on the flotilla, but also at the continuing blockade of Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. Perhaps the tide is finally turning................time will tell.

Israel to allow aid cargo into Gaza - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

A Voyage of Life and Death

As the UK media, papers and TV channels, loose interest in what happened in International waters only 11 days ago, perhaps we should remember that 9 passengers of the Mavi Marmara were killed.
Two days after this outrage took place, another "Israeli Government spokesperson" said on TV "In a week or 10 days from now, the world will have forgotten this incident and moved on."

Attack on Aid Convoy. Huge own goal

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/06/2010624659743443.html

An interesting piece by Daniel Levy, a former Israeli negotiator in the peace process

Electoral Reform

During my time as a very active member of the Labour Party, there was always s difference of opinion, one of many, between those on the on the traditional right of the Party and those of us who believed that PR was a more democratic system of voting. First Past the Post will always favour Labour but will invariably produce Governments elected by less than 4 in every 10 of people voting. That, in my opinion is just one of the fundamental reasons why the total number of people turning out to vote has, until this election, been falling. Ironically, it is the FPTP voting system which has produced the current coalition perhaps as a result of many people voting tactically to try to ensure that, this time, their votes were not wasted and a change in the voting system could be made. At this election, there was a 65% turnout. This is a 4% increase on the previous election, when all expectations prior to polling day, were that turnout would be down.
Perhaps the Labour Party leadership election will produce a result which would allow me to rejoin a party of principle and vision rather a collection of populist opportunists called Nu Labour.
In his Compass publication THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRACY, Jon Cruddas writes

Democracy
To build equality, to create community and to secure a sustainable future we
must strengthen our democracy. We need constitutional change and proportional
representation – to push power out of Whitehall and closer to the people.


Now there, if he stands, is a candidate that I would campaign for and support, if I were still a member of the Labour Party

A coalition of the centre right

We now have a new Government. A coalition of centre right Conservatives and Liberal Democrats has replaced a centre right coalition of Labour. The prospect of a new political philosophy , shown at times during the election campaign by Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats, has been extinguished by the vision of seats in the cabinet and some political power for Lib Dems, albeit limited, for the first time in some seventy years. This has clearly been more attractive to the Liberal Democrat MP’s and Executive Committee members than remaining on the opposition benches in the House of Commons. The losers in this arrangement are of course a substantial number of Liberal Democrat Party members, and a significant number of people in the Country who voted Lib Dem in a number of Constituencies in the hope and belief that, at last, this time something may come as a result of their votes. Alas, the arrangement with the Conservatives has dashed that prospect.
Notwithstanding the agreement with the Tories in connection with a referendum on changes to the electoral system, the system to be proposed is the Alternative Vote, which the vast majority of people will argue is little better than First Past the Post and can often produce results which are even more distorted and un representative of electoral preference. Only one method of PR has any credibility and that is Single Transferable Vote. It is the system used in other Countries and ensures that a true reflection of voters preferences are shown in the resulting Parliaments. It is argued by critics of PR that the election results produce minority Governments which lead to protracted discussions between parties seeking to create a coalition. It is therefore ironic that our current FPTP system has produced in this election, exactly the same result. There also seems to be no timescale for the holding of this referendum. It could be that nothing will happen within the lifetime, however long that may be, before the first Thursday of May in 2015 !
Leaving aside the matter of Proportional Representation and the other points in the coalition deal, there remains the wider issue of how a progressive left of centre party can remain in such a close relationship with right of centre party and retain any impression of credibility with the voters. Many people voted Liberal Democrat on May 6th 2010, many for the first and in the light of subsequent events perhaps the last time, in the belief that their votes may have an effect in brining about change in the political and electoral system in this country. It seems that now, on May 12th 2010, we still have the same old attitudes but now disguised with some new faces. What ever happened to the belief in principle before expediency.