The Royal Mail

Firstly let me congratulate Peter Mandelson on actually speaking his mind over the comments from the Head of Starbucks. It was a refreshing act of truth and emotion.
Now let me condemn him as well over the sale of the Royal Mail to a private company, well 30% of it. Two things come to mind, the first being where the hell has he been for the past ten years? Has the debacle of the privatised companies passed him by? Did he not notice the rise in energy prices by private companies? Energy that we once owned and we were the share holders. Now it seems that that has been overlooked. The energy companies didn't need to make a profit as there were no shareholders to placate. The railway system has never been in a worse state. It costs over a hundred pounds to travel from Birmingham to London on the same day and its slower than it was a hundred years ago and it is still subsidised by the tax payer. If you run state based economies and companies on anything but altruistic means then you are going to be in serious trouble.
This brings me to the main point. Isn't about time that the government stopped relying on experts and civil servants and actually started asking the people who do the job their opinion? Any junior school child can tell you that sats don't work, most of the teachers would agree but all these years later they have decided to have a review. If you want to know about the post office ask a postman, the railways a train driver and you will hear more sense in one afternoon than any amount of government committees.
After all it was the experts that got us into an unwinnable war and a spiralling economic system. Just because someone is the MD or CEO of a large company doesn't follow that they know anything about that company or even the industry. They maybe there because of the shares they own, or perhaps its part of another company that they own. Just an aside don't you think it might be a good idea that if the MD or CEO has a knighthood and the company goes bust putting people out of work that he might lose it. It's a small thing but even small punishments count. My advice is make it compulsory for every cabinet minister to watch Back to the Floor. Its not just about everyday life but its about my life and every other individual's in this country. You stop thinking about people as human beings and only as statistics then two things happen, you get dictatorships and people start getting locked up without trials and start to disappear.Sound familiar?
How is it that education can't have enough money but we can sustain a war in two counties and MI5 can double its members of staff. The two submarines that collided, well the damage to the British sub is estimated at £50 million. How many Hospital wards could be staffed with decent wages and fitted out with the latest equipment, how many schools could be fully staffed with good teachers teaching smaller classes. I don't think we even realise how near and how lucky we are it wasn't worse. Just remember that there are countries in the world that don't even have our expertise.
Just one final point before I go. This is a labour government, a government dedicated to equality and state ownership. I never saw selling off the post office as part of the manifesto and yet there seems a lot that was in it that seems to be again overlooked. Keir Hardy would turn over in his grave, but I think that under this regime he maybe trade marked, branded and sold to the highest bidder. One clean conscience going to the highest offer, though a consortium would be considered.

psychological not physical or fiscal

As my friend pointed out in the last blog it only takes a little bit of thought to solve what seem to be insolvable problems. It just needs a bit of joined up thinking. I was amazed that the CEO of Barcklays was telling us all that the recession was going to get worse and more people would have their houses repossessed. Well maybe he can explain why in this state of credit shortage, ( I hate the expression credit crunch as it sounds more like a chocolate bar. It has been invented by a media spin doctor to make it seem easier to ignore), that as a head of one of the largest banks in the world doesn't he help by reducing the interest rate on credit cards. The interest rate is about 2% but credit cards are still charging in double figures. Why should they do this because of the domino effect. If they charged less interest then consumers would be able to pay off the amount quicker and like most people be able to spend more. Just because consumers are given the opportunity to pay off something doesn't mean that they will stop using it. In fact they could actually spend more, so helping the high street, which in turn would mean that more shops would not close, that more manufacturers could produce more and believe it or not but the mood of the country would have a sense of optimism. Instead of having a country that is looking forward to unemployment and poverty, it could be a counrtry that would actually spend its way out of misery. I know there is always inflation, but that has to do with money supply not the cost index. We now have a situation where private compnaies, stragely the ones that used to be government owned can now raise their prices regardless of inflation, countires can restrict the supply of oil, because the price is going down and yet the government seems to be obsessed by keeping inflation down. Its not wage demands that pushes prices up but the singlemindedness of ensuring the shareholders don't unlike, the rest of us, suffer.
I am always amazed that with the prospect of hordes of people who are about to be made unemployed and living off benefits that this could be solved by simple edicts. Isn't this why we pay the Bank of England, isn't this why we have a chancellor. You cannot have the double standards. Why should a bank be saved but a high street chain not? If you profess market economics then you should live by it.
Which brings me to the (yet again) idea of privatising the post office. Now let me see, when privatisation was first muted, it was going to be more efficient, cheaper and better for everyone. Well the trains are still not running on time, ticket prices go up every year above the cost of inflation and still have to survive on government money, energy prices have risen faster than anything and as far as I can tell the only people who have benefitted are the banks who took the commision for the sale in the first place. Now the post office. Are these policy makers mad? What will happen when it can't survive, will the government buy it back or become its major investor like the banks?
I understand that our nuclear weapons manufacture is now owned by a private company based in California. Well what is going to happen when they go under and decide to close the factory? We will have to buy our defence from a private investor. Has no one in the Ministery of defence ever read Catch 22. Its about the war being run by private enterprise. The days of imperialism to advance the aims of private companies are over. Some governments have not realised this yet but they will.
The air attacks on this mornings news in retaliation for the rocket attacks is the same as the economy. Its no good the Isreali government trying to validate their position as they have caused the situation. You cannot force people over decades into a corner and then expect them to curl up and ignore you. After years of demoralisation even an old prize fighter will still fight in some sort of self worth. The Palestinians don't have an army so they fight the way they can. The bombing of innocent people is wrong. It cannot be validated under any circumstances. David Ben Gurian said that the death of a martyr will bring a hundred recruits. Each death this morning will be a martyr. Peace like the recession isn't fiscal or political, its psychological. Its like learning to swim, if you believe the water will hold you up it will. If you believe that you will drown you will. Survival isn't about the physical its about a state of mind. If they want peace they can have it. All it takes is to change the mood from depression to optimism. We seem to have lost that understanding.

The Energy of Effort

Oil will run out (sooner rather than later) and last night on Top Gear James May drove a Honda 4 door saloon using a hydrogen fuel cell. If only someone else could see the line. Wave power (because it's free and we're an island. Wind power, because the places of natural beauty will be lost anyway without an alternative to fossil fuel (is there a reason we can just stick a small wind turbine on top of every single pylon in the UK and tap it straight into the national grid?). Solar power, because the sun still shines. Kinetic power, caused by millions of feet and cars and trains. Expended power (why aren't all gyms attached to the national grid, just look at all the energy being wated on those cycle machines, rowing machine and treadmills. Thermal energy for the millions of miles of black tarmac roads that criss-cross the country and are continually being resurfaced. Energy from solar collectors, bacteria feeding on sugar..... A journey of 1000 miles begind with a single step. If any Government or industry seriously cared enough then they would see the future and invest now. What a shame that short term greed and the lust for power outway the good of the people and the planet. I weep.

MP Arrest

So Damien Green was questioned for 9 hours and then let go home. Questions have been raised in the House, David Cameron and various members of the front benches on both sides are demanding an enquirey. Good thing he wasn't black or a muslim then. After all with such a serious subject as passing government information to another could be construed under the present climate as terrorism. In which case he could have been held for up to 42 days or actually even longer if the authorities so want, but as an MP he was let go.
I hope the various political parties learn from this the next time they decide to erode our civil liberties any more. If it had been someone else they may still be languishing in prison. Waiting for a trial where no evidence would be produced but it would taken as read that it would endanger the country's security.
We now live in a climate of privelidge. If you work in a bank then we will help you out, if you work in Woolworths then it is market forces. Thats comforting for the 25,000 employees of Woolworths that are about to lose their jobs. Surely there has to be some consistency in these decisions.
I am also getting furious about the fuss that the government has dropped VAT. Great! They should have done this months ago when they were telling us that the recession was coming. Economic policy should have been put into place then not now. The idea that somehow paying 45pence in the pound is so bad, well it would be to all the newspaper editors who earn salaries in excess of £150,000. The trouble is that they still wont pay the full amount because they can afford accountants to get them out of paying. Of course they are all patriots as long as it doesn't cost them money.
How are we going to pay for all this borrowing the media cry? Well how about floating the shares of all the banks that we now own when the economy gets better. Simple economics really, so why does it take someone like me to know this but far more qualified people don't. I am expecting a new reality show to hit our screens soon; "I'm a wealthy banker get me out of the shit that I made for myself"
The trouble is that its not just us. Everybody throughout Europe and America is having a bad time. The world is falling apart because of a simple lack of common sense. Doesn't anybody realise that a housewife would prefer to pay an extra 2p on her tin of beans than have the threat of losing her house and job. Its up to her to buy or not to buy. Don't tell me about inflation when the utility companies, and the transport companies can put up their prices, the oil producing nations can hold back oil production because the price is too low. Not for us but for them. We have to pay the price for others greed, so its about time that the government and the financial services agency started having teeth and fining or even sequestering financial institutions that are being too reckless, and stop other institutions from profiteering.If you haven't realised that economics is the new weapon where have you been. Do you think that Putin is really just good mates with Chavez. Its imperialism by another name and that name is economics.
There are statutes to allow the government to do this. Thatcher brought them in in her religious war against the unions. Lets see a bit of muscle. Its ok to arrest and detain an MP, lets see some of the CEO's from the banks get arrested and have to argue their mistakes.
Just one final note. With all these economic problems going on, one of the services to get hit, because it always does is the Social workers. They have a shitty job and do it remarkably well in often very trying conditions. Occasionally and tragically things go wrong, as baby P. This is where we need investment, because if he had survived he would have grown up knowing only violence and the consequences of that with him as an adult do not bear thinking about. Three things.
1) more investment and communication with all the agencies. It wouldn't take much to have a single department made up of social workers, doctors and the police that social workers in the field could go to if they have any second thoughts but feel unable to progress the investigation any further.
2) Any act of violence that results in the permanent scarring or broken bones of a child be subjected to serious investigation. If it is proven that it was done on purpose then they should arrested and have a minimum sentence of 10 years. Those around the child are guilty if they have not reported or intervened. The French have a law which makes it so that if you see a crime happening and do nothing you can be prosecuted. It only takes one phone call and it could save a life.
3) lastly and by far the hardest thing is to start creating communities again. Everyone is so insulated. The way to do this is by stop having the climate of fear of repercussions. If a young person does something and you tell them off and they attack you, then they get 10 years in prison. If you are subjected to harrasment from family and friends then they will get 15 years in prison. There will always be those that won't take any notice, but I wouldn't like to go to prison for my mate's act of stupidity especially a longer sentence than the one he got.
Finally.
Let baby P be known by his name. Not an initial. He deserves that after so many have failed him, he should have at least his name. I suppose they don't want to use it because it will embarass those connected with the family. Well maybe it should then it might not have happened in the first place. Resposibility should be rewarded those that shirk it should be despised.

recession

Why is it that so many people in both the government and the media are promoting the idea of a coming recession? We have had the govener of the Bank of England telling us for months that one is coming, the chancellor predicting that this is going to be the worse for years and all the economic pundits on tv and in the press rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect. Could it be that by telling everybody that they may lose their homes and jobs unless they curb their spending, though I think that even the the most stupid person in the street would realise that has nothing to do with the state of the economics of the world or the country. Its a really good distraction from the fact that capitalism is starting to implode. We are now seeing a state run banking system along the lines of a nationalist run mixed economy.
You see the big problem I have is that yes share prices are as low now as they were five years ago but no body mentioned a recession then in fact it was a state of elation. Now we have a state where in years first time buyers can afford to buy a house at a price they can afford. Isn't that what the government wanted a few years ago, so they were going to build affordable housing. Well now they don't need to.
The another problem I have is where has all the money gone? You just can't wake up one morning to find $60 billion gone and you don't know where it is. I understand that they have lent money as mortgages to people who can't pay it back but then don't they have the value of the house, that one presumes they own and then can't they rent it out to people who can pay a realistic rent so that some of the money can be recouped, if not perhaps instantly but certainly over a longer period.
The banks are still lending each other money at extreme interest rates. Surely there has to be a stop to this unless of course I am going to get my own investment through the government paid with a high rate of interest. Surely there has to be a unilateral ruling by governments to stop the same thing from happening again. While we are on interest rates why do credit cards have to be so high. Surely if the rate was lower then borrowers would be able to pay it off quicker so lessening the risk and then being able to use the card sooner to buy more things so helping the economy by keeping the shops alive.
I am concerned that the government can raise money to fund the banking system but have to rely on people selling poppies in the street to look after servicemen and women, who need to be treated with dignity and care. These men and women have put their lives in the hands of governments who for whatever reason have got themselves emersed in a war, and then when these brave people return they are treated like used consumer units. This attitude is so prevelent throughout the country. Soldiers sailors workers nurses teachers are all treated as units, not as living people. There has to be a shift in the mental picture of those in power and stop treating people, the citizens of this country as nothing more than statistics.
What do I mean by this, well the air ambulence service is kept in the air by charitable donations, yet we can spend millions on buying equiping and manning military helicopters? Its not just a single figure on a piece of paper its someones son, daughetr ,husband and wife that need to treated quickly and it is that person who may or maynot survive. Children are in danger from abuse yet the NSPCC is a charity. We are surrounded by sea and yet the lifeboatmen are volunteers.
I can understand why they probably want to stay out of the government hands as the first thing that would happen would be a whole set of rules enforced about what they can and cannot do, the costs would have to be looked at by a government inspector and they would have to have their own minister whose wages would buy a new boat for the RNLI. And then of course in a turn down in the economy there would have to be cut backs.
There has to be a radical shift in thinking. We cannot rely on the boom and bust of economics, or try to live by technology yet still maintain the victorian attitudes to workforce and employability. Workers now thanks to the last economic debacle are now serious stakeholders in the running of the banks and the country's economic affairs and if the chancellor and the banking giants think that the unions are content with being told thet there is no money to pay workers or expand the national areas of concern such as health and education, then they may just ask for their investment back. The government could always go and ask the ex chief of Lehmans. Poor thing after all he only has $310 million in the bank. I am assuming it wasn't his own bank.

wierd and wonderful

As far as I understand it, fuel prices are going up because of the cost of oil, but OPEC announced that they are slowing down production of oil to stop the fall in price. Yet again its the the poor old man/woman in the street who is subsidising the shareholders. What's the government's great plan? Well they are getting the power companies and the tax payer to subsidise energy saving devices. A nice idea but with a flaw. If the householders can't afford to pay for the energy bill of £1000 a year then how are they going to afford double glazing even if it is subsidsed because they still have to fork out for the energy bill as well as the double glazing.
The prices should be capped and if the companies don't like it threaten them with nationalisation. You remember that. When we the taxpayer owned the company but then it was sold back to us even though we now owned it on the idea that the services would be more efficient and cheaper. Well that was a false economy and another blatent short term political expedient.
We have the chancellor and the head of the Bank of England and the head of the CBI all telling us that there is a recession coming, well what are they going to do about it. We pay them very large salaries to avoid these kind of situations not to state the obvious. If they can't do the job, or if they haven't got the correct experts to solve the problem , then get some.
I would like to know how it is that after the war in the 1950's, when there was very little, we had an education system to be proud of, a national health service that cared about its patients, streets that were safe, people that were polite and kids who repected their elders. Bus drivers weren't attacked and there was a minimal amount of paperwork. We are supposed to have progressed and in some ways we have. I can now order a variety of products on line, I can listen to any kind of music and the variety of foods and consumers goods are endless, but we seem to have lost our way somewhere along the way. We have exchanged our ethics for the equivilent of a pot noodle. We are supposed to be better off now than ever. No it just means that we can buy more things, but are lives are now hollow.
We have global warming, a mountain of rubbish that won't go away, a highly dangerous power source that we can't stop or close down, yet governments all across the globe are ignoring the facts because of political expediency. The idea that if we cap companies that are making too large a profit and that they will go away is rubbish. When America put the oil embargo on Cuba, it changed its whole policy on energy. I hope we might actually start thinking with our brains and not with our calculators.
The energy crisis is man made therefore it can be solved by man. The alternative technology has been around for decades but has been subdued by companies that have their own interests at heart. The food crises is not a new situation. Over the years poor wages and political policy has destroyed the farming across the country. This country can and has been self sufficient in food. The farmers have had a poor deal but they have also brought it upon themselves. They were quite happy to accept the European hand outs based on a policy of stupidity and progress. The same progress that has us now in the midst of an energy and food shortage.
Do you know what I doubt if any of the power company executives are going to turn their fires off and put on extra jumpers because they can't afford to heat their houses. Just remember when the government sit in their warm offices with computers on stand by and their ministers are driven home in their large cars, we the taxpayer fund that lifestyle. Not the bosses of the power companies but the man and woman in the street.

Sophie Lancaster

Two teenagers were given life sentences today for murdering 20-year-old Sophie Lancaster because she was a goth.
Passing sentence the judge called the murder a "hate crime" against completely harmless people because of their appearance.
Ryan Herbert, 16, who had pleaded guilty before the trial started last month, was jailed for life today at Preston crown court and ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years. His accomplice, Brendan Harris, 15, who was found guilty at trial, was given a life sentence with a minimum of 18 years.
Passing sentence today, Judge Anthony Russell QC, told the defendants he thought their behaviour in court had been unacceptable and described it as "swaggering".
"I noticed the wink that one of you exchanged with the public gallery when the murder charge was not proceeded with against you and that one of you thought it appropriate to shout out 'love you mum".'
Detectives investigating the murder criticised the conduct of the defendants and their families throughout the criminal proceedings as "appalling".
Harris and his mother were said to have been "laughing and joking" when they were first interviewed about the incident.
Harris, of Spring Terrace, Bacup, had denied the murder charge but pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm to Maltby.
Herbert, of Rossendale Crescent, Bacup, pleaded guilty to murder and assault.
During the trial it also emerged that Harris had been convicted of kicking and stamping on a 16-year-old in April 2007. He and Herbert, who was also involved, were given six-month community sentences.
Brothers Joseph, 17, and Danny Hulme, 16, both of Landgate, Whitworth, near Bacup, and Daniel Mallett, 17, of Rockcliffe Drive, Bacup, all pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent on Maltby. They did not take part in the attack on Sophie, the court was told.

This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Monday April 28 2008. It was last updated at 17:35 on April 28 2008.

I have posted this section of the article because I do not want the names of these evil monsters to be forgotten. Sophie is dead and will never have the opportunity to experience all the joys and sorrows that life may bring. The chances are that all the convicted will be back out on the streets at some point, in the case of those who pleaded guilty to GBH probably in not more than 5 years. They will still have the opportunity to laugh and cry and experience. Will they ever feel regret? I doubt it. Will they ever feel remorse? Unlikely. So what will have been gained? Very little. This makes the whole situation even sadder. It also demands that we as a society look into our hearts and decide once and for all what the value of a life is. I, for one, hope that all those who were involved in this viscious, callous and cowardly attack have miserable lives full of pain and suffering.