In the eleven years that NuLabour have been in power in the Dis-United Kingdom, the gap between rich and poor has widened, social mobility has fallen to zero, our education system turns out more and more unemployables, and the welfare benefits system has grown into an enormous bureaucracy that keeps the poor, poor.
Meanwhile, our economy has been royally shafted by Gordon the Moron, with ten years of cooking the books during a peak in the business cycle, pretending that money was being invested in our 'future' whilst instead giving tax-breaks to the rich, at the same time increasing the country's national debt to unheard of proportions. So, now that we are heading into a deepening recession, there's nothing left to tide us over the bad times to come.
These thoughts, and more, were in our minds as Nosher and I relaxed in our deckchairs after an afternoon's gardening on our little allotment plots.
The sun was out, the breeze was gentle and warm, and our plants were growing well.
But, in the great scheme of things, we are both poor.
Although we both own our homes, we have been bled almost dry by mortgage payments over the years and steeply rising taxes. We try to make sure that what little disposable income we have left is spent as wisely as possible. In other words, we devote our efforts to ameliorating our condition in any legal way available. And, for both of us, that means taking responsibility for how we live our lives and not expecting the State to pick up the tab.
But the situation for those people now currently in the benefits system, or who become enmeshed in it in the future, is going to get far worse if the reforms outlined today by one James Purnell, are anything to go by. Purnell is a NuLabour Assistant Fool who has led a privileged life (like so many NuLabour activists), has never been poor, and appears to despise the condition, if his latest pronouncements are to be believed.
Due to both main parties treating the poor like a political football for the past forty years, there are now more economically-inactive people in the Dis-United Kingdom than ever before - even on conservative estimates there must be around 10 million people of working age who are not economically productive.
By fiddling the figures, the Government claims that only around 1 million people are technically 'unemployed' - that is, out of work and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance. But add to that around 2.7 million on Incapacity Benefit, another approximately 2 million 16-18 year olds not in employment, education or training, and a million or more on DLA who don't work, plus an indeterminate number who don't (officially) work but don't claim benefits (either because they are too proud or they despise the system and don't want to be a part of it) and the numbers become mind-boggling. In short, we are a country that does not make much attempt to utilise the talents of our workforce for the national good.
'These new proposals will do nothing other than make the poor even poorer' Nosher said 'whilst doing nothing to address the benefits culture that enduces workshy people to expect the State to give them money for doing nothing.'
'The tragedy' I said 'is that these reforms will be used to depress the wages of the lowest paid workers as the economy sinks deeper in recession. It really is a sad indictment of our political system that not one political party is prepared to say openly that the benefits system is out of control, and that nothing will change until we reform the education system so that it trains people for a life of work, and motivates them to want to work; until we reform the NHS so that it strives even harder to find effective treatments for those who are found to have medical conditions that prevent them from working. And then the benefits system itself should be reformed so that it becomes an effective re-training and employment agency, so that, in effect, in functions as an extension of the education system. And we need to provide realistic incentive to business and industry to take on apprentices and trainees, and cut their tax burden if they do so. Instead, we appear to be heading for a cynical workfare-style system that will do little to motivate people to take charge of their lives, but will enable the unemployment and benefits figures to be manipulated even more than they are at the moment.'
'Tragic, but, I fear, all true' said Nosher.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Half Full - or Half Empty?
Farmers - and gardeners - seem to have the reputation for always having something to complain about.
And, given that so rarely is everything in the garden all rosey, they may perhaps be forgiven for wishing things could for once proceed without a hitch.
That this is a very human sentiment - and one that has yet to be detected in other animals - is not lost on Nosher and me.
And so it was that, one lunchtime, the topic of human failings came up as we sat in our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside Nosher's allotment shed.
'I was thinking' Nosher announced 'about the Pope's recent visit to Australia, where he gave a speech bemoaning the godlessness in society and claiming that his god was needed to fill the void left in the otherwise spiritually empty lives that were the result of consumerism. I think that was the gist of what he said. Although it seems to me that if people's lives are empty that's got more to do with what they could be putting into their lives, but aren't, rather than having anything to do with god or spirituality.'
'Are you talking about the "glass half full or half empty" scenario?' I asked 'concerning whether an individual habitually takes an optimistic or pessimistic attitude towards life?'
Nosher looked across at me, for once with a nod of approval.
'Yep, I guess I am' he replied 'and since the vast majority of people in the UK, for example, profess no allegiance to any specific god, even if they may have some vague belief in a god of some sort, and yet the lack of any organised, ritualised spirituality in their lives doesn't seem to impact upon them negatively, I'm wondering why it is that religious leaders repeatedly insist that those who don't actively participate in an organised religion are in some fundamental sense leading empty lives. It's not only presumptive on their part, it's arrogant, and also indicates a desire to prey upon the vulnerability of those people who are either constitutionally or habitually incapable of maintaining an optimistic approach to life without some kind of emotional prop in the form of religion.'
'Do you believe that all religion is an emotional prop?' I said 'I mean, isn't it possible that for some people religious faith is something that enriches their lives, not because they can't live without it, but because it inspires them to give more to life, and other people, than they would otherwise do?'
'I guess you could be right' said Nosher 'and there's nothing wrong with that at all; I think what I'm getting at is the idea that leaders of organised religions seem to be able to make derogatory dismissals about the godless and the lives the godless lead, yet when the godless make derogatory dismissals about the religious, the religious take it as offensive. There's an asymmetry there that needs to be addressed, but isn't.'
'I'm not sure it is something that can be addressed, at least not legally' I suggested 'perhaps it's best to view it as an issue that is perpetually in play, and those who lead godless lives need to propagate a greater public understanding of how religion isn't always required in order to lead a morally good, socially beneficial life that is fulfilling and positive in its outlook.'
Nosher gave me another look, this time more quizzically.
'I guess we should treasure our freedom of belief' he said 'perhaps more than we do.'
I second that.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Best wishes - and may your god go with you...
And, given that so rarely is everything in the garden all rosey, they may perhaps be forgiven for wishing things could for once proceed without a hitch.
That this is a very human sentiment - and one that has yet to be detected in other animals - is not lost on Nosher and me.
And so it was that, one lunchtime, the topic of human failings came up as we sat in our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside Nosher's allotment shed.
'I was thinking' Nosher announced 'about the Pope's recent visit to Australia, where he gave a speech bemoaning the godlessness in society and claiming that his god was needed to fill the void left in the otherwise spiritually empty lives that were the result of consumerism. I think that was the gist of what he said. Although it seems to me that if people's lives are empty that's got more to do with what they could be putting into their lives, but aren't, rather than having anything to do with god or spirituality.'
'Are you talking about the "glass half full or half empty" scenario?' I asked 'concerning whether an individual habitually takes an optimistic or pessimistic attitude towards life?'
Nosher looked across at me, for once with a nod of approval.
'Yep, I guess I am' he replied 'and since the vast majority of people in the UK, for example, profess no allegiance to any specific god, even if they may have some vague belief in a god of some sort, and yet the lack of any organised, ritualised spirituality in their lives doesn't seem to impact upon them negatively, I'm wondering why it is that religious leaders repeatedly insist that those who don't actively participate in an organised religion are in some fundamental sense leading empty lives. It's not only presumptive on their part, it's arrogant, and also indicates a desire to prey upon the vulnerability of those people who are either constitutionally or habitually incapable of maintaining an optimistic approach to life without some kind of emotional prop in the form of religion.'
'Do you believe that all religion is an emotional prop?' I said 'I mean, isn't it possible that for some people religious faith is something that enriches their lives, not because they can't live without it, but because it inspires them to give more to life, and other people, than they would otherwise do?'
'I guess you could be right' said Nosher 'and there's nothing wrong with that at all; I think what I'm getting at is the idea that leaders of organised religions seem to be able to make derogatory dismissals about the godless and the lives the godless lead, yet when the godless make derogatory dismissals about the religious, the religious take it as offensive. There's an asymmetry there that needs to be addressed, but isn't.'
'I'm not sure it is something that can be addressed, at least not legally' I suggested 'perhaps it's best to view it as an issue that is perpetually in play, and those who lead godless lives need to propagate a greater public understanding of how religion isn't always required in order to lead a morally good, socially beneficial life that is fulfilling and positive in its outlook.'
Nosher gave me another look, this time more quizzically.
'I guess we should treasure our freedom of belief' he said 'perhaps more than we do.'
I second that.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Best wishes - and may your god go with you...
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Is it Enough to be NEET?
In this little corner of the Dis-United Kingdom the weather has improved somewhat, with more sunshine than overcast, and the breeze at least has some warmth in it.
Still not up to the summer weather we might expect for this time of year, but at least it's better for our allotments than the weather we've had recently.
By lunchtime we were reclining in our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside Nosher's shed, putting the world to rights.
'I hear the LSE is about to publish a report indicating that the proportion of the young between 16 and 18 years of age who are not in employment, education or training is around 18%, over twice the official Government figure' said Nosher, by way of starting the ball rolling.
'If it's true' I replied 'that truly is astonishing - that means there are hundreds of thousands of youngsters in this country living directionless lives, totally economically dependant upon their parents or the State, instead of learning skills that will enable them to become economically independent adults.'
Nosher smiled at me - the kind of smile I've come to expect from him when he considers that I know little or nothing.
'When I was a lad' he said 'most kids left school at fourteen and went straight into employment, either as an apprentice, or as a shop assistant, or in a factory as an ordinary worker. They might not have earned very much, but they had the benefit of an adult to work closely with, who soon put out of their heads any silly ideas that they would earn a fortune or live an easy life. In those days, if you wanted to get on in life, you knew you had to learn a skill and be good at it, and make yourself useful to those who required the skills you possessed. You didn't stop learning until you had a little niche for yourself, and even then, if you were wise, you continued to look out for new skills that might one day be useful. Nowadays many of the young, it seems, grow up without any effective adult supervision, and expect the State or their parents to support them whilst they sit around playing computer games. This is a recipe for social and economic disaster in the not too distant future.'
I stared back at Nosher in agreement. He is irritatingly right at times.
'This is not a new problem, though' I told him 'it's something that's been building up ever since Thatcher, and then Major, effectively destroyed the apprenticeship system in this country. And Blair and Brown haven't done any better. They've allowed a youth culture to develop in which it's seen as perfectly respectable to live off the State for one's entire life, whilst blaming "society" for everything about one's life that is not deemed to be satisfactory. I fear any solution to the problem of economically-inactive, State-dependent youths of working age will require long-term initiatives that will not come cheap.'
'Which means it's unlikely to happen' Nosher replied, then he went on:
'Realistically, we must accept that the outlook for this country is now very bleak.'
I do hope Nosher is wrong, but sometimes there's no other option but to agree with him.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Still not up to the summer weather we might expect for this time of year, but at least it's better for our allotments than the weather we've had recently.
By lunchtime we were reclining in our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside Nosher's shed, putting the world to rights.
'I hear the LSE is about to publish a report indicating that the proportion of the young between 16 and 18 years of age who are not in employment, education or training is around 18%, over twice the official Government figure' said Nosher, by way of starting the ball rolling.
'If it's true' I replied 'that truly is astonishing - that means there are hundreds of thousands of youngsters in this country living directionless lives, totally economically dependant upon their parents or the State, instead of learning skills that will enable them to become economically independent adults.'
Nosher smiled at me - the kind of smile I've come to expect from him when he considers that I know little or nothing.
'When I was a lad' he said 'most kids left school at fourteen and went straight into employment, either as an apprentice, or as a shop assistant, or in a factory as an ordinary worker. They might not have earned very much, but they had the benefit of an adult to work closely with, who soon put out of their heads any silly ideas that they would earn a fortune or live an easy life. In those days, if you wanted to get on in life, you knew you had to learn a skill and be good at it, and make yourself useful to those who required the skills you possessed. You didn't stop learning until you had a little niche for yourself, and even then, if you were wise, you continued to look out for new skills that might one day be useful. Nowadays many of the young, it seems, grow up without any effective adult supervision, and expect the State or their parents to support them whilst they sit around playing computer games. This is a recipe for social and economic disaster in the not too distant future.'
I stared back at Nosher in agreement. He is irritatingly right at times.
'This is not a new problem, though' I told him 'it's something that's been building up ever since Thatcher, and then Major, effectively destroyed the apprenticeship system in this country. And Blair and Brown haven't done any better. They've allowed a youth culture to develop in which it's seen as perfectly respectable to live off the State for one's entire life, whilst blaming "society" for everything about one's life that is not deemed to be satisfactory. I fear any solution to the problem of economically-inactive, State-dependent youths of working age will require long-term initiatives that will not come cheap.'
'Which means it's unlikely to happen' Nosher replied, then he went on:
'Realistically, we must accept that the outlook for this country is now very bleak.'
I do hope Nosher is wrong, but sometimes there's no other option but to agree with him.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Slow-Motion Crash Has Begun
The news that the budget deficit for June 2008 was the worst on record reached our little allotment in South Gloucestershire at lunchtime as Nosher and I sat in our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside his shed.
'Well, I guess the slow motion crash has begun' he announced as he switched off his little trannie 'Gordon the Moron's ten years as Chancellor and one year as PM have left us without any reserves and an economy highly vulnerable to the vagaries of international trade.'
'Do you really think things will get that bad?' I asked, curious to know exactly how far Nosher's predictions of economic meltdown would go.
He gave me one of his 'you're so stupid' looks.
'It's going to get bad' he said 'very bad. We are going to see widespread poverty in this country - not just relative poverty, but real poverty. The wealth redistribution in the Dis-United Kingdom has worked to the advantage of the wealthy since NuLabour came into power, and they will not want to give any of that up. Whereas the millions of people who are only just above the poverty line now will be pushed under once the recession bites harder. That's the economic legacy of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.'
'Surely you can't blame Blair and Brown for the vagaries of the oil market?'
Nosher's 'you're so stupid' look intensified.
'What we are going through just now has very little to do with vagaries - that will come later' he replied 'but this current situation an entirely predictable result of the massive increase in demand for oil from the burgeoning economies of China and India. Granted the situation has been made worse by speculators in the futures markets, but that was predictable too. It has been clear for at least ten years that eventually China and India would experience a rapid rise in consumption of oil within the foreseeable future. Blair and Brown did nothing to insulate our economy from the effects of that rise in demand, so they must shoulder some of the burden of responsibility for what is now happening to our country. They could have taken steps to protect the poor and vulnerable, at the very least. Now it's probably too late without bankrupting the country. It's as simple as that.'
I can't help feeling that Nosher may have a point.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers; please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
'Well, I guess the slow motion crash has begun' he announced as he switched off his little trannie 'Gordon the Moron's ten years as Chancellor and one year as PM have left us without any reserves and an economy highly vulnerable to the vagaries of international trade.'
'Do you really think things will get that bad?' I asked, curious to know exactly how far Nosher's predictions of economic meltdown would go.
He gave me one of his 'you're so stupid' looks.
'It's going to get bad' he said 'very bad. We are going to see widespread poverty in this country - not just relative poverty, but real poverty. The wealth redistribution in the Dis-United Kingdom has worked to the advantage of the wealthy since NuLabour came into power, and they will not want to give any of that up. Whereas the millions of people who are only just above the poverty line now will be pushed under once the recession bites harder. That's the economic legacy of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.'
'Surely you can't blame Blair and Brown for the vagaries of the oil market?'
Nosher's 'you're so stupid' look intensified.
'What we are going through just now has very little to do with vagaries - that will come later' he replied 'but this current situation an entirely predictable result of the massive increase in demand for oil from the burgeoning economies of China and India. Granted the situation has been made worse by speculators in the futures markets, but that was predictable too. It has been clear for at least ten years that eventually China and India would experience a rapid rise in consumption of oil within the foreseeable future. Blair and Brown did nothing to insulate our economy from the effects of that rise in demand, so they must shoulder some of the burden of responsibility for what is now happening to our country. They could have taken steps to protect the poor and vulnerable, at the very least. Now it's probably too late without bankrupting the country. It's as simple as that.'
I can't help feeling that Nosher may have a point.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers; please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Does Anyone Believe the Latest Crime Figures?
Down here on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire in the good old Dis-United Kingdom we tend to take a sceptical view of official pronouncements.
The latest crime figures are no exception.
'I cannot believe that many people outside the Government actually believe these figures!' Nosher exclaimed 'they claim that all categories of crime show falling rates of offending. To expect the man in the street to believe that requires us to ignore what we see going on around us every day of the week!'
It was lunchtime, and we were sitting, as usual, on our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside Nosher's shed, enjoying the warm weather, although the overcast sky was not to our liking. At this time of year our plants need all the sun they can get.
'And what do you see around you every day of the week?' I inquired.
'For a start, the vast majority of motorists break the speed limit at every opportunity - the only thing that appears to slow them down is the presence of a speed camera' Nosher explained 'then there's the littering, rubbish is strewn everywhere; then there's the vandalism and general destructiveness evident in our society.'
'Are you saying that a great deal of crime goes unreported?'
'Exactly' Nosher replied 'and the British Crime Survey is grossly unrepresentative, since they knock on doors to get their sample, and in any case do not claim to record the experiences of the under-16 age group.'
'So you're saying that both Home Office figures and the British Crime Survey are inaccurate?'
'Yep - and I believe that most people think the same way' Nosher said.
I can't help feeling that he has a point.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more from http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Best wishes and take care out there!
The latest crime figures are no exception.
'I cannot believe that many people outside the Government actually believe these figures!' Nosher exclaimed 'they claim that all categories of crime show falling rates of offending. To expect the man in the street to believe that requires us to ignore what we see going on around us every day of the week!'
It was lunchtime, and we were sitting, as usual, on our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside Nosher's shed, enjoying the warm weather, although the overcast sky was not to our liking. At this time of year our plants need all the sun they can get.
'And what do you see around you every day of the week?' I inquired.
'For a start, the vast majority of motorists break the speed limit at every opportunity - the only thing that appears to slow them down is the presence of a speed camera' Nosher explained 'then there's the littering, rubbish is strewn everywhere; then there's the vandalism and general destructiveness evident in our society.'
'Are you saying that a great deal of crime goes unreported?'
'Exactly' Nosher replied 'and the British Crime Survey is grossly unrepresentative, since they knock on doors to get their sample, and in any case do not claim to record the experiences of the under-16 age group.'
'So you're saying that both Home Office figures and the British Crime Survey are inaccurate?'
'Yep - and I believe that most people think the same way' Nosher said.
I can't help feeling that he has a point.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more from http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Best wishes and take care out there!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
When Generosity Fails to Impress...
The recession in the Dis-United Kingdom is beginning to bite.
Inflation in food prices is now above the 10% mark by any reasonable estimation, whilst the fall-off in trade in almost all other areas of business is beginning to worry anyone who relies on sales to pay their wages.
Meanwhile, down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire, the news that Gordon the Moron has postponed the autumn escalator tax increase on petrol and diesel fuel has impressed very few apart from his Assistants in Idiocy.
'They really are more stupid than I thought possible' said Nosher at lunchtime as we sat in our deckchairs in the weak sunlight. 'Everyone knows the Glasgow East by-election is coming up, and today is the last day before the summer recess that this announcement could be made to Parliament, thus guaranteeing media coverage. But everyone can see through it - it's a shallow trick to convince us they're on our side, when their apparent generosity is actually not actually generosity at all - it's our money they're giving back to us, only to take it away again as they stealthily increase some other tax. No one is fooled any more.'
I think Nosher has captured the national mood very well.
'Perhaps it wouldn't look so hypocritical' I ventured 'if the MPs themselves weren't so well insulated from increases in fuel tax. Their expenses are not taxed as earned income, whereas anyone else in the country who travels on behalf of their employer and who claims the cost of fuel back, is then taxed as if that remuneration was income, when, of course, it isn't, it's a repayment for costs incurred whilst on their employer's business. So the rate of tax being levied on those people in that situation is actually horrendously high already - yet the Government is oblivious to the injustice of it all.'
'The sooner this dishonest, incompetent, corrupt, and callous Government is voted out of office, the better' said Nosher 'can't come soon enough.'
'Well' I said 'I for one am not placing too much hope on Dave 'the people's toff' Cameron making a big difference once he is in power - these politicians are members of an elite group who merely change from one side of the House to the other from time to time, but their interests are much the same - keep the gravy train running, whilst pretending they're running the country for our benefit. It's pathetic really that we bother to call it "democracy" at all.'
'Yep, have to agree with you there' Nosher replied.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop, if you don't, you may find it's not there when you next visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Inflation in food prices is now above the 10% mark by any reasonable estimation, whilst the fall-off in trade in almost all other areas of business is beginning to worry anyone who relies on sales to pay their wages.
Meanwhile, down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire, the news that Gordon the Moron has postponed the autumn escalator tax increase on petrol and diesel fuel has impressed very few apart from his Assistants in Idiocy.
'They really are more stupid than I thought possible' said Nosher at lunchtime as we sat in our deckchairs in the weak sunlight. 'Everyone knows the Glasgow East by-election is coming up, and today is the last day before the summer recess that this announcement could be made to Parliament, thus guaranteeing media coverage. But everyone can see through it - it's a shallow trick to convince us they're on our side, when their apparent generosity is actually not actually generosity at all - it's our money they're giving back to us, only to take it away again as they stealthily increase some other tax. No one is fooled any more.'
I think Nosher has captured the national mood very well.
'Perhaps it wouldn't look so hypocritical' I ventured 'if the MPs themselves weren't so well insulated from increases in fuel tax. Their expenses are not taxed as earned income, whereas anyone else in the country who travels on behalf of their employer and who claims the cost of fuel back, is then taxed as if that remuneration was income, when, of course, it isn't, it's a repayment for costs incurred whilst on their employer's business. So the rate of tax being levied on those people in that situation is actually horrendously high already - yet the Government is oblivious to the injustice of it all.'
'The sooner this dishonest, incompetent, corrupt, and callous Government is voted out of office, the better' said Nosher 'can't come soon enough.'
'Well' I said 'I for one am not placing too much hope on Dave 'the people's toff' Cameron making a big difference once he is in power - these politicians are members of an elite group who merely change from one side of the House to the other from time to time, but their interests are much the same - keep the gravy train running, whilst pretending they're running the country for our benefit. It's pathetic really that we bother to call it "democracy" at all.'
'Yep, have to agree with you there' Nosher replied.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop, if you don't, you may find it's not there when you next visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Lawful Excuses
The latest bout of hysteria about knife crime has brought on the usual predictable reponses from our politicians.
Gordon the Moron's Assistants in Idiocy are proposing an arduous penalty of community service for anyone caught carrying a knife; whilst Dave 'the people's toff' Cameron and his lot are proposing a mandatory jail sentence (disregarding the fact that there aren't enough prison cells to go around, but that's never stopped politicians making empty promises...).
There are some categories of people who have a lawful excuse to carry a knife, and us little band of allotment holders are one such.
The last thing we want is to be made to do community service or to share time with convicted felons in an overcrowded jail cell.
'I find it endlessly fascinating' Nosher began 'that politicians ignore the obvious when they indulge in sound-bite policy-making.'
We were sitting, as usual, in our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside Nosher's allotment shed one lunchtime, enjoying a glass of his excellent parsnip wine.
'I guess somewhere in the small print they'll list the categories of people who they consider have a lawful excuse for carrying a knife' I replied.
Nosher raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
'No, I think that's expecting too much of the people who draft the laws' he said 'they might have the obvious ones such as fishermen who need a gutting knife, but do you think their capacious brains will manage to think as far as the humble allotment holder who needs a knife for a wide variety of tasks during the day?'
'You may have a point there' I told him 'so let's draw up our own list in case we get stopped by the Police.'
Nosher thought for a moment.
'Well, there's cutting the twine we use to tie up our plants with' he said 'also cutting the string we make the strings of onions with; then there's tying our little wigwams of bean canes together for the runner beans; and whittling a new dibber from time to time. There's a host of others, but that should be enough to convince even the most slow-witted of police officers that we have a lawful excuse for carrying a small pocket knife.'
'I hope you are right' I said ' because at the rate things are going in this country at present, anything less than wholesale butchery is not going to be enough!'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers; please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes, and take care.
Gordon the Moron's Assistants in Idiocy are proposing an arduous penalty of community service for anyone caught carrying a knife; whilst Dave 'the people's toff' Cameron and his lot are proposing a mandatory jail sentence (disregarding the fact that there aren't enough prison cells to go around, but that's never stopped politicians making empty promises...).
There are some categories of people who have a lawful excuse to carry a knife, and us little band of allotment holders are one such.
The last thing we want is to be made to do community service or to share time with convicted felons in an overcrowded jail cell.
'I find it endlessly fascinating' Nosher began 'that politicians ignore the obvious when they indulge in sound-bite policy-making.'
We were sitting, as usual, in our deckchairs on the little patch of grass outside Nosher's allotment shed one lunchtime, enjoying a glass of his excellent parsnip wine.
'I guess somewhere in the small print they'll list the categories of people who they consider have a lawful excuse for carrying a knife' I replied.
Nosher raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
'No, I think that's expecting too much of the people who draft the laws' he said 'they might have the obvious ones such as fishermen who need a gutting knife, but do you think their capacious brains will manage to think as far as the humble allotment holder who needs a knife for a wide variety of tasks during the day?'
'You may have a point there' I told him 'so let's draw up our own list in case we get stopped by the Police.'
Nosher thought for a moment.
'Well, there's cutting the twine we use to tie up our plants with' he said 'also cutting the string we make the strings of onions with; then there's tying our little wigwams of bean canes together for the runner beans; and whittling a new dibber from time to time. There's a host of others, but that should be enough to convince even the most slow-witted of police officers that we have a lawful excuse for carrying a small pocket knife.'
'I hope you are right' I said ' because at the rate things are going in this country at present, anything less than wholesale butchery is not going to be enough!'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers; please support your local bookshop, if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes, and take care.
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