The tories have killed off the Nanny State, or so they say, because we should be responsible for our own destinies, and not rely on the state for anything. Now, we are told, its vital that the state knows about ALL of our communications. I see, so now we must be responsible for ourselves but not too responsible so that we might speak to who we like, email who we like, browse websites we like, or even search on google for things we like. Has the Nanny really died? Or has it been replaced by a more sinister, evil, matriarch - the Police State.
The idea of snooping on EVERYONE was proprosed by Labour a few years ago, but as quite rightly shelved and should of been left there - even the evil Tories were against it, now about that! But I supposed we shouldn't be surprised that the Tories have been bullied into this by the police, like Labour were - they probably want to use it for their own evil purposes, not just to allow the police to monitor our every communication. Just think what private companies could do with our communication data!
Its very easy to dress this idea up as a necessary requirement for policing modern communications, but the fact is the police can already spy on peoples communications anyway - if they suspect people are up to no good. Thats why you know there has to be much more behind whats being proposed - and claims that there will be 'safeguards' against the use of OUR personal data by private companies doesn't wash with me. 'Anonomised' NHS records have been sold to private companies for years now, yet we weren't told that was going to be allowed. THEY may tell us our privacy is protected, but the more they undermine OUR data by allowing snooping or private companies to profit from it, the less protected people will feel. Lets face it, the state has 'lost' personal data too many times itself - why should we have any faith they can look after our communication data.
I'm amazed they claim that the content of emails will not be recorded, I mean, what can you glean about anyone JUST from the people they email, or that email them - surely they would ALSO want the content, to prove wrong-doing. Its ludicrous that they seek to want to monitor what we are up to, yet try and pretend they don't really want to know the detail! There doesn't seem to be any point in such a system, even if WE asked for it - which WE haven't, and NEVER would!
WE are the majority,
Yet THEY let lead us,
WE have the power,
Yet THEY have control.
WE have a voice,
Yet THEY drown it out.
WE have our freedoms,
Yet THEY enslave us
WE have our rights
Yet THEY take them away
Come on people, WAKE UP!
Monday 2 April 2012
Wednesday 21 March 2012
NHS RIP - or just RIP'ed to shreds?
The Health and Social Care bill has been passed, the NHS as we know it is no-more. It may not be dead, or fully privatised, but the privatisation door has now been opened. I feel bereaved, a loved one has slipped away and gone forever. Ok, the world will not end, but public healthcare as we know it has changed forever - and sadly it seems, probably for the worst. As soon as private companies are involved, it all becomes about profit - and not quality, and the enevitable complexity and blame-shifting mean patients will get a raw deal, and be impossible for anyone to do anything about it.
I'm sceptical of change, I hate change, it makes me really anxious - I worry about mental health services deteriorating further, or dispappearing completely to be replaced with 'soft' alternatives. There's no real help for Asperger people as it is, my psychiatrist was scraping around in her desk trying to find a photocopy of a local support group home page! I also worry about my GP not sending me to the best place for help, but the cheapest place, or the place that his 'friends' own and will profit from - he struggles to understand my problems as it is, so I will have no faith in the future system.
I could be worrying about nothing of course, but the private sector has failed in health and social care before - Southern Cross, Castlebeck, and I could probably find more examples quite easily. This is the side of privatisation the government don't want you to see.
The government claim this bill does not privatise the NHS, which I guess we should be grateful for, but it WILL mean private involvement like never before.
I'm in a state of shock really, walking the dog last I felt less certain of things - as if the world had changed, moved on, left me behind. Nobody voted for this, it was not mentioned - we should all feel robbed and abused! I hope sick and able people across the land will fight this all the way, even if it means more riots - we are now only a step away from a complete private healthcare system, like in the US. And like the US, It won't be long before the poor will have to queue up in car parks and muddy fields outside huge tents to see volunteer medics, with limited places, to get the only free healthcare there will be. No wonder Cameron enjoyed his US visit, he wants to emulate the American Dream over here! I can't think of anything worse, American TV on every channel is bad enough!
I'm sceptical of change, I hate change, it makes me really anxious - I worry about mental health services deteriorating further, or dispappearing completely to be replaced with 'soft' alternatives. There's no real help for Asperger people as it is, my psychiatrist was scraping around in her desk trying to find a photocopy of a local support group home page! I also worry about my GP not sending me to the best place for help, but the cheapest place, or the place that his 'friends' own and will profit from - he struggles to understand my problems as it is, so I will have no faith in the future system.
I could be worrying about nothing of course, but the private sector has failed in health and social care before - Southern Cross, Castlebeck, and I could probably find more examples quite easily. This is the side of privatisation the government don't want you to see.
The government claim this bill does not privatise the NHS, which I guess we should be grateful for, but it WILL mean private involvement like never before.
I'm in a state of shock really, walking the dog last I felt less certain of things - as if the world had changed, moved on, left me behind. Nobody voted for this, it was not mentioned - we should all feel robbed and abused! I hope sick and able people across the land will fight this all the way, even if it means more riots - we are now only a step away from a complete private healthcare system, like in the US. And like the US, It won't be long before the poor will have to queue up in car parks and muddy fields outside huge tents to see volunteer medics, with limited places, to get the only free healthcare there will be. No wonder Cameron enjoyed his US visit, he wants to emulate the American Dream over here! I can't think of anything worse, American TV on every channel is bad enough!
Tuesday 20 March 2012
National Loan Guarantee Scheme
The Government, a bit short of ideas on how to stimulate the economy, has decided that small/medium sized businesses could really do with loans that are 1% cheaper than currently available! They are setting aside £20bn to guarantee banks who lend under this scheme. Well, if you try hard, you might see that it could have a slight benefit to the economy, I suppose - companies save a bit on interest payments, so they can invest the few quid in something useful .. maybe enough for a christmas party! I'm sure companies out there will be interested, but will all those that apply be making investments - or simply propping themselves up with more debt? How many small companies that really need the investment will probably miss out and go down the pan? There should be strict criteria on who gets it, but I bet there won't.
Hang on a minute! Haven't the government already pumped hundreds of billions of pounds into the banking system over the past few years with quantative easing? This was supposed to help banks lend to small/medium businesses - WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE? Don't suppose we will ever know! I know the Government are not actually giving £20bn to banks under this scheme (I HOPE!), but this effectively cheap money for banks, so they can lend without worrying about RISK! So basically QE didn't work, the banks weren't willing to be a bit risky and so didn't loan out as much as they could (not even meeting government set targets in some cases, which they should of by rights!) Banks (when they aren't cocking things up) make billions of pounds of profits each year, yet somehow need help lending to SME's - it makes me sick! This is why the country is failing - banks are sucking money from the economy/state and keeping it within their own circles. And when they don't make enough money, and fail, we throw even more money at them! Its a good game being a bank, HEADS THEY WIN TAILS WE LOSE! Nothing changes!
What annoys me futher is that they have £20bn spare to do banks a favour, but they haven't got £20bn to keep genuinely sick/disabled people on benefits! Just shows where their priorities lie!
I guess banks are feeling the pinch after the PPI scandal, so they need a state hand-out to make up for all that money they are paying back. See, the banks keep cocking-up and its US that suffer every time! Banks are in a WIN WIN situaton - they can't lose, they have no fear, and in the unlikely event things do fall apart the executives walk away with golden hand-shakes and vast pensions, never needing to work again (unlike the bank staff at the very bottom!).
As if all thats not bad enough, banks are now shedding jobs to bump-up their profits - and shareholder dividends! Thats what its all about folks. The Tories whinged about Labours failure to control the banking system, yet they are now feeding cheap money to banks and doing nothing about the bonus culture and extortionate executive pay. Well done Tories, is it cosy in bed with the bankers?
Dave trotted off to Europe and made this country look about as isolated and pathetic as it can get, by trying to protect the UK's profiteering banking system from regulation. He's scared of banks, thats the problem, and when they threaten to up-sticks and move abroad he bends-over backwards to keep them here. Yes, our banks contribute a huge amount to the economy and we would struggle without them - but thats the problem, successive governments has let our banking system become too vital, too corrupt, and now we depend upon them for survival. Things are pretty bad anyway, how worse can it get if a few banks moved abroad? And maybe its a price worth paying for having a more morally-sound banking system in this country! I won't hold my breath though!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17437361
Hang on a minute! Haven't the government already pumped hundreds of billions of pounds into the banking system over the past few years with quantative easing? This was supposed to help banks lend to small/medium businesses - WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE? Don't suppose we will ever know! I know the Government are not actually giving £20bn to banks under this scheme (I HOPE!), but this effectively cheap money for banks, so they can lend without worrying about RISK! So basically QE didn't work, the banks weren't willing to be a bit risky and so didn't loan out as much as they could (not even meeting government set targets in some cases, which they should of by rights!) Banks (when they aren't cocking things up) make billions of pounds of profits each year, yet somehow need help lending to SME's - it makes me sick! This is why the country is failing - banks are sucking money from the economy/state and keeping it within their own circles. And when they don't make enough money, and fail, we throw even more money at them! Its a good game being a bank, HEADS THEY WIN TAILS WE LOSE! Nothing changes!
What annoys me futher is that they have £20bn spare to do banks a favour, but they haven't got £20bn to keep genuinely sick/disabled people on benefits! Just shows where their priorities lie!
I guess banks are feeling the pinch after the PPI scandal, so they need a state hand-out to make up for all that money they are paying back. See, the banks keep cocking-up and its US that suffer every time! Banks are in a WIN WIN situaton - they can't lose, they have no fear, and in the unlikely event things do fall apart the executives walk away with golden hand-shakes and vast pensions, never needing to work again (unlike the bank staff at the very bottom!).
As if all thats not bad enough, banks are now shedding jobs to bump-up their profits - and shareholder dividends! Thats what its all about folks. The Tories whinged about Labours failure to control the banking system, yet they are now feeding cheap money to banks and doing nothing about the bonus culture and extortionate executive pay. Well done Tories, is it cosy in bed with the bankers?
Dave trotted off to Europe and made this country look about as isolated and pathetic as it can get, by trying to protect the UK's profiteering banking system from regulation. He's scared of banks, thats the problem, and when they threaten to up-sticks and move abroad he bends-over backwards to keep them here. Yes, our banks contribute a huge amount to the economy and we would struggle without them - but thats the problem, successive governments has let our banking system become too vital, too corrupt, and now we depend upon them for survival. Things are pretty bad anyway, how worse can it get if a few banks moved abroad? And maybe its a price worth paying for having a more morally-sound banking system in this country! I won't hold my breath though!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17437361
Monday 19 March 2012
The road to ruin?
Ok, so Cameron has announced that there will be a big investment in Englands road network - but theres a problem, the government is skint, so he is inviting private investors to help him out and take over the road network, and build new toll roads. He makes it sound like he is making a rallying cry to private companies to do their bit for the nations infrastructure, but its all very carefully engineered rhetoric - what he really means is he has rich and influential business friends who quite like the idea of running the England's roads for him, profiteering at our expense! This is another fiasco in the making, like railway privatisation was under the last Tory government! Tory's just love selling everything off - BT, British Gas, electric boards, water utilities, school playing fields, airports, railways, and now roads! There will be nothing left that belongs to the people! They even tried selling off OUR beautiful woodlands to make a bit of cash - but people weren't going to give up our most precious family jewels so easily. Its not just Tories that have done this though, Labour were guilty as well under Blair- allowing private companies to build new hospitals, schools, and then charging exhorbitant rent that means it will work out more expensive than the government just using our taxes to pay for the building work! I guess most politicians are quite happy selling their grand-mother, and soul, if needs be - so selling off Englands road network must seem like parting with tat at a car-boot sale.
Since private companies have long been involved in maintaining our roads, and building toll roads/bridges, then we probably shouldn't have been surprised by Dave's intentions - but like the railways, once you sell-off infrastructure (usually at a heavilty discounted price) is not easily reversible if it all goes pear-shape. This is obviously deliberate, the contracts are carefully written and have clauses that make cancellation extremely costly - which of course make private companies profit even more. I guess Dave is cramming in as much privatisation in the 3 years as he can, as he knows Clegg is too limp-wristed to stop anything new that the Tories propose! Selling the nations remaining assests, including the NHS (albeit partly), is almost certain to dent the Tories election chances, but by then Cameron will try and come up with a 'bribe' to pursuade UK voters to keep him (and the Liberals, if necessary) in power a bit longer - which if history is anything to go by, will probably work! Basically, expect a tax-cut pledge in the next Tory manifesto (and Labour for that matter)!
Anyway, back to road privatisation, sorry investment. I'm not sure how the road network is going to be better off just by selling it to one or more private companies - this will clearly cost us more, or mean less investment, as companies will inherently have overheads - and profits of course. The more companies involved the more costly/inefficient things become - and like the railways, they all want to pay their CEO's and directors lavishly. Any politician who says this set-up is a good idea, is either seriously deluded or seriously corrupted - either way, they shouldn't be in power.
Why do we need private investment anyway? The government rakes in billions from road tax and fuel duty, which could easily be used to fund investment - but of course, deliberately, all income is put into one big pot and the UK road network gets very little back from the state. Local roads have pot-holes, bottlenecks cause delays/polution, and road improvements schemes are scrapped. I am pro-environment and do not want to see towns and countryside ruined with new roads, but there has to be give-and take, this country is growing whether we like it not. There are plenty of ways to improve the network without completely new roads - such as widening, improved junctions, removal of wasteful bus-lanes, which can all be done without private investment. Its enough that private companies profit from road schemes in the first place, further layers of profiteering is just plain immoral.
I guess this is the end of integrated transport policy then? Public transport is no longer the answer to anything it seems - far better to pump money into roads, than encourage increase bus or rail use. Bus and rail fares are increasingly becoming unaffordable for those on low-incomes, or who have to commute long-distances. Improve roads by all means, but public transport should also be improved - you can reduce congestion by improving bus and rail services - there are hundreds of disused rail lines/links that could be repened to provide greater choice, and encourage more freight by rail. Lets have joined-up thinking, not political gimicks that only serve the interests of an elite few.
Dave also mentioned more toll-roads, as if these are some how the answer to everything - they never have been, thats why there are so few of them. Take the M6 toll, its quiet (too quiet) - its supposed to be taking traffic away from the original M6 around Birmingham, but it just doesn't make enough difference - anyone who uses the old M6 will tell you that, especially around J8. If the government wanted it could pay for all road schemes outright - its just an excuse that private companies are needed - its all about increasing opportunities for profiteers. He said no existing road will be tolled, and that may well be the case initially, but I don't really see how private investors will make any real money from taking-on existing routes, so tolls we probably be inevitable. Once you start the privatisation ball rolling, anything becomes possible - even if initial rhetoric suggests otherwise. Like the NHS for example - which WILL become fully privately-run eventually, its already happening and subsequent break-offs become easier and easier. Ok, it will probably still be funded by tax payers, but it WILL be in private hands.
Of course, privateering is not necessarily a bad thing - the railways boomed under privateering, and profiteering, and it was all down to private investment and initiative - but it resulted in duplication of routes, services, and a disperate rail network that was cobbled together around local/regional enterprise, it just wasn't designed as a complete efficient network - Beeching set about rationalising the network, rightly enough, but unfortunately as we now know that was done primarily for the benefit of road transportation. Building more toll-roads means increases transports costs, and toll-road avoidance will mean tax-payers having to bail-out companies who cannot make enough profit from them. Its just a disaster in the making.
So, we shall see how far Dave gets with this - and how much profit WILL be made. Of course, scrapping the 50% tax rate would coincide very nicely with road privatisation - we shall see if he dares to try getting away with both, and then we will know who he mixes with most! Will Captain Clegg save the day though? Sorry, what was I thinking - he's a Tory in disguise of course!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17423693
Since private companies have long been involved in maintaining our roads, and building toll roads/bridges, then we probably shouldn't have been surprised by Dave's intentions - but like the railways, once you sell-off infrastructure (usually at a heavilty discounted price) is not easily reversible if it all goes pear-shape. This is obviously deliberate, the contracts are carefully written and have clauses that make cancellation extremely costly - which of course make private companies profit even more. I guess Dave is cramming in as much privatisation in the 3 years as he can, as he knows Clegg is too limp-wristed to stop anything new that the Tories propose! Selling the nations remaining assests, including the NHS (albeit partly), is almost certain to dent the Tories election chances, but by then Cameron will try and come up with a 'bribe' to pursuade UK voters to keep him (and the Liberals, if necessary) in power a bit longer - which if history is anything to go by, will probably work! Basically, expect a tax-cut pledge in the next Tory manifesto (and Labour for that matter)!
Anyway, back to road privatisation, sorry investment. I'm not sure how the road network is going to be better off just by selling it to one or more private companies - this will clearly cost us more, or mean less investment, as companies will inherently have overheads - and profits of course. The more companies involved the more costly/inefficient things become - and like the railways, they all want to pay their CEO's and directors lavishly. Any politician who says this set-up is a good idea, is either seriously deluded or seriously corrupted - either way, they shouldn't be in power.
Why do we need private investment anyway? The government rakes in billions from road tax and fuel duty, which could easily be used to fund investment - but of course, deliberately, all income is put into one big pot and the UK road network gets very little back from the state. Local roads have pot-holes, bottlenecks cause delays/polution, and road improvements schemes are scrapped. I am pro-environment and do not want to see towns and countryside ruined with new roads, but there has to be give-and take, this country is growing whether we like it not. There are plenty of ways to improve the network without completely new roads - such as widening, improved junctions, removal of wasteful bus-lanes, which can all be done without private investment. Its enough that private companies profit from road schemes in the first place, further layers of profiteering is just plain immoral.
I guess this is the end of integrated transport policy then? Public transport is no longer the answer to anything it seems - far better to pump money into roads, than encourage increase bus or rail use. Bus and rail fares are increasingly becoming unaffordable for those on low-incomes, or who have to commute long-distances. Improve roads by all means, but public transport should also be improved - you can reduce congestion by improving bus and rail services - there are hundreds of disused rail lines/links that could be repened to provide greater choice, and encourage more freight by rail. Lets have joined-up thinking, not political gimicks that only serve the interests of an elite few.
Dave also mentioned more toll-roads, as if these are some how the answer to everything - they never have been, thats why there are so few of them. Take the M6 toll, its quiet (too quiet) - its supposed to be taking traffic away from the original M6 around Birmingham, but it just doesn't make enough difference - anyone who uses the old M6 will tell you that, especially around J8. If the government wanted it could pay for all road schemes outright - its just an excuse that private companies are needed - its all about increasing opportunities for profiteers. He said no existing road will be tolled, and that may well be the case initially, but I don't really see how private investors will make any real money from taking-on existing routes, so tolls we probably be inevitable. Once you start the privatisation ball rolling, anything becomes possible - even if initial rhetoric suggests otherwise. Like the NHS for example - which WILL become fully privately-run eventually, its already happening and subsequent break-offs become easier and easier. Ok, it will probably still be funded by tax payers, but it WILL be in private hands.
Of course, privateering is not necessarily a bad thing - the railways boomed under privateering, and profiteering, and it was all down to private investment and initiative - but it resulted in duplication of routes, services, and a disperate rail network that was cobbled together around local/regional enterprise, it just wasn't designed as a complete efficient network - Beeching set about rationalising the network, rightly enough, but unfortunately as we now know that was done primarily for the benefit of road transportation. Building more toll-roads means increases transports costs, and toll-road avoidance will mean tax-payers having to bail-out companies who cannot make enough profit from them. Its just a disaster in the making.
So, we shall see how far Dave gets with this - and how much profit WILL be made. Of course, scrapping the 50% tax rate would coincide very nicely with road privatisation - we shall see if he dares to try getting away with both, and then we will know who he mixes with most! Will Captain Clegg save the day though? Sorry, what was I thinking - he's a Tory in disguise of course!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17423693
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