In order to illustrate why the title of this post is true allow me to take you on a quick trip round the blogosphere (and do please follow all the links in the posts!).
Richard North, EU Referendum, highlights an article in the Mail which reports that the cost of Smart Meters, originally with an estimated 'roll-out' cost of £9billion will now cost £11.3billion. Reason? Ministerial incompetence.
England Expects posts on the fact that Mary Honeyball, MEP, publicly states that the EU has competence over only a limited range of issues – agriculture, fishing, some environment and some justice and home affairs, some trade and some industrial aid policy. This is a downright lie and an attempt to hide the truth as Mary Honeyball only has to read Articles 3-6 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) to know that there is damn all areas of law-making that the EU does not have the power to decide!
Calling England believes that there's something nasty going on behind the scenes but the only thing that's clear at the moment is that we're the patsies - and who can blame her? On the question of the agreement to the bail-out (Osborne vs Darling vs Greening) someone is not telling the truth and we the people have a right to know exactly what the facts are.
Dick Puddlecote posts on the problems he has with his children's education and the fact that he has to instill in them the basics. So if the education system is not delivering the core requirements and parents are having to fill that gap, just what the hell are we paying taxes for?
The Boiling Frog posts on a letter received about the 'digital switchover' and on which the back of the envelope only contains two EU languages, the rest being in what looks like Arabic, and other languages written in hieroglyphics.
The Purple Scorpion links to Inspector Gadget who points out that if the 'front line' was a million strong, what would be the point with - in his words - p/poor sentencing.
What that short trip round part of the blogosphere shows us is that we have incompetent politicians; we have lying politicians; we have an education system that we are able to Reid read as 'not fit for purpose'; we have our national broadcaster spending money on a totally unnnecessary piece of equality; we have a serving policeman showing us that our justice system is a joke - and still the Great British Public would appear to not care less, or even have the slightest idea, as to what is happening under their noses!
Point to ponder: At the moment we have a situation where various opposition projects are being planned and which, on their own, will have limited impact. For example we recently had a demonstration planned against the Census (which came to nothing); we have a march planned 'for the cuts'; and word reaches me that VColumn are attempting to organise a demonstration later this year. What we have here is a 'fractured' opposition and it needs to be co-ordinated.
Any ideas, anyone? Either reply in the comments or alternatively email me through my blog.
6 comments:
I share your concern, but current political trends developed before the internet and I think we have yet to see how that changes things, how we should react.
Dave failed to win a majority at the last election even though up against one of the worst Prime Ministers ever. Why didn’t he win easily? Possibly because the internet was too fast for him. He was sussed too quickly, unlike Blair.
The web is making a huge difference, because only a few years ago we only had very limited access to the kind of analysis we see on the web and no automatic way to comment. Now we read blogs, follow links, make comments. It changes people, and that change is the great unknown.
I think you've most or less covered the areas which are bringing the UK to its knees.
The military should have been included though don't you think WfW? They're being used as stool pigeons and have no recourse other than to resign. In another 10 years, with the best resigning once they've guaranteed their pension rights, our armed forces will be a shadow of what we have had in the past.
Now I know you'll be thinking the military are only concerned with pensions, but let's put it in perspective. A Major in charge of 100-200 men is paid £43,0000-£51,000 depending on the time he's held the rank. Before many are promoted they're given the title of Lt Col and the basic pay for that, but not the pension rights.
We have thousands in our military who could earn money far in excess of what they earn but they prefer to offer their skills to protect us. Their pensions are far, are far smaller than many local council leaders receive.
I'm ranting. Sorry.
Thanks for the link Mr WfW, my wife had a slightly more robust response than I on seeing the envelope. As you say one wonders what the cost of it was.
It is these sort of things which has led to both my daughters and their husbands having feelers out for jobs outside the UK and preferably outside the EU. They are all potential high earners with good qualifications, and I fear it won't be long before they join the children and grandchildren of various friends of mine who have already been driven out. My younger daughter has become particularly concerned about the education of her young son when she compares notes with a friend in Australia.
It is all very simple. The 'people' are only of interest to politicians in two circumstances, the last three months before a general election and if they get too violent.
Those with Power and Influence can get noticed, celebrities, the media, russian oligarchs, oil sheiks, odd characters with control of billion pound resources and so on. If they take up the fight on behalf of the 'public' then something usually gets done, but it is exceedingly rare for them to do so, most being content with the status quo in general.
Thus only violence will be effective in getting political attention.
While many, certainly a majority, no doubt think dark and violent thoughts against our politicians and their sheer incompetence, when push comes to shove we are simply not prepared to emulate the mad student fringe. Thus, unwilling to embrace our only real weapon, we sit back and close ours eyes and hope things don't get as bad as we fear.
If, or perhaps we should say, when they do, there will really be blood on the streets. Just think how much future grief would be saved if there were enough brave souls to chase a few MPs down the street pelting them with rotten fruit now.
T: You may well have a valid point - me I'm not that patient!
SR Rant away, please feel free...... Not forgetting the militar, I assure you.
EP: yours and many others children no doubt - if they have any sense, that is.
p: Indeed 'when' the public do decide to rebel it will be bloody and quite glorious!
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