POLITICS CORNER

[Tizer]

I heard Corbyn on Radio 4 at lunchtime, the first time I've heard him say anything more than the odd soundbite on the news broadcasts. I was impressed by his calmness, straightforward talking, avoidance of silly catch phrases. He sounds more like a real politician than most of the others that we've been hearing for many, many years now. I think he'll be elected to lead the party unless his many opponents manage to fabricate enough twisted stories to stop him; and if they do, that in itself will turn the public against them. Bring him on, we might get some honesty and real understanding of what the public wants and needs!

[Stanley]

David, you are right, damage is being done not only to the Labour party but democracy...
Tiz, I heard him as well and agree with you. Time for a complete reappraisal of where the party is going and I think this is the man to lead the debate. He reminds me of some of the old politicians from all parties who stood up and told truth simply and clearly.... Imagine Churchill using the degree of spin used today in his war speeches....

[Tizer]

Perhaps it's something to do with the fact that he's 20 years or more older than were Blair and Brown when Labour came into power last time, and than Cameron when the Tories got in this time.

Now here's an interesting bit of news that should put Corbyn the cat among the Party Pigeons...
`Jeremy Corbyn wins economists’ backing for anti-austerity policies' LINK

[Stanley]

A good balancing link that one Tiz. McDonnell is quite right when he says that privatisation has been a con designed to allow spivs and exploiters to get their greedy fingers on more and more money. The 'mass' of evidence against Corbynomics is due to the weight of the right wing media, not the actual evidence.
The sooner we get the election over and start a rational debate (if that is possible) in the Party using the latest economic evidence the better. What is certain is that the present course the Tories are taking is disastrous in the long run for 90% of the electorate. There is nothing wrong with capitalism and private ownership if it is efficient and affordable. The way it is being done at the moment is as McDonnell says, a licence to print money and we all suffer. I know I get boring but we need to control the commanding heights of the economy. Read Naomi Klein, Piketty and Stiglitz and then weep.....

[Stanley]

Events dear boy..... Ossie tells us that the chaos in the Far Eastern markets won't affect us but who does he think he is kidding? For the last thirty years the rise of the Chinese economy has stoked the general levels of world trade and all the evidence is that it is now faltering and there are going to be readjustments. These will affect all economies, there is no good fairy protecting us. The 'experts' are saying that the first effect is already with us, there will be no increase in interest rates until it is clear what is happening. This has all sorts of immediate implications for the UK and there will have to be some very accurate decision making. UK savers and pension funds have already lost billions....
In Europe the problem of the flood of refugees is reaching crisis point. Cameron wanted the EU to reconsider their open border policy, they are doing this now because of the present insupportable situation. Nobody has an answer to this and the futurologists who forecast this twenty years ago are being proved right. These are far reaching changes and all that is certain at the moment is that we are all going to be forced to accept more inward migration, not less. We absorbed this problem in the population movements following the end of WW2, the difference now is the scale and the ethnic origin of the refugees. Get the Crystal Ball out lads!

[Tizer]

...a licence to print money and we all suffer.

Another example of that licence to print money is the carbon credits system, I've always said it was a nonsense and would do little to prevent climate change and just line the pockets of the money makers. Now we have proof...
`Carbon credits undercut climate change actions says report' LINK

As you say, the low interest rates are a burden but there's another danger - what happens when they eventually rise? Think of the effect on the borrow-to-let people and the housing market. They will want to put up their rents to cover the extra interest on their mortgages. If rent goes up that will be another crisis for the young who can't afford to buy a house. On the other hand, if they can't put up rent then the borrowers will start trying to sell off their houses because they can make more money from interest than letting. In theory that should depress house prices, but in reality...?

[Stanley]

I agree Tiz. Interesting watching the chaos in the market system as the value of Chinese shares drops 40% in value since June.... (Did you know that losses in China are shown as green on the trading screens because red is a lucky colour and is reserved for rises?) I listened to the 'experts' last night explaining what was happening.... The general opinion is that the problem is that Chinese growth over the last 20+ years has been fuelled by rising levels of debt. At the moment China generates a third of global debt each year. The action of the government in cutting interest rates (encouraging the banks to lend) is the standard response and in market terms may stop the slide but in the long term simply postpones the eventual readjustment and makes it worse. (Now where have I heard this before....?)
Compare and contrast with the way the UK economy is being run.... The 'economic miracle' is fuelled by ever rising levels of debt, both personal and institutional. How do we differ from the Chinese situation? Am I alone in wondering if we are busy manufacturing the next market crash? Forget all the spin and obfuscation, my view seven years ago was that the basic problem was that we had been living beyond our means and that long term recovery could only be achieved by cutting our coats to suit our cloth. I see no reason to alter that opinion.....

[Stanley]

Cameron's much delayed honours list, it has taken so long to vet the possible candidates because of the flood of historical cases against certain people, has attracted almost universal criticism. (LINK) I can't help thinking that this is going to come back and bite the Tories. In an effort to stem the number of Bills modified by the Lords they have so diluted the chamber that it could well trigger draconian reform in the future. The Honours system is in total disrepute....

[Bruff]

Second largest representative chamber in the world the House of Lords, so I’ve heard. The largest is the Chinese Communist Assembly. Both have the distinction of being wholly unelected. We must also remember whilst we’re on about this, that the Lords also contains religeous leaders as of right. Having as of right religeous leaders in a representative chamber is a distinction we share only with Iran.

A few months back, when we got into one of our regular panics over ‘human rights’ vs ‘British rights/values’, Alan Bennett was asked in an interview what he felt was a British value? ‘ Hypocrisy’ he replied, citing our self-proclaimed image as a beacon of democracy in face of all evidence to the contrary (I think he cited our eagerness to stand in line and show deference to a hereditary monarch). Quite.

Separately, if you stick with it, this is a brilliant talk – Armando Ianucci’s McTaggart lecture up in Edinburgh the other day

http://www.allmediascotland.com/broadca ... -together/

Richard Broughton

[Bruff]

From another thread:

‘’I wonder if any of the Chinese teachers will be going on secondment to schools in Finland?’’


Finnish teachers are the best paid and best trained in the world, at all levels – nursery through to secondary. Even to teach at primary level you must go through an advanced research-based training programme. Competition is so fierce only 1 in 10 applicants are selected. Six years will pass before you are allowed into a classroom on your own. There are no private schools, education is wholly comprehensive, and you go to your local schools. The result: Finnish education is often rated as the very best in the world.

Here of course, our preferred approach includes for example making it easier for returning squaddies to take up a new role as teachers, using the tried and tested British rationale that having all once gone to school, we are all experts on education. A rationale that strangely does not extend to our all being experts on jet engines having once had a window seat by the engines on an Airbus…..

Richard Broughton

[Tizer]

That reminds me of my history teacher at secondary school in the 1950s, an ex-army chap, probably a major, called Mr Bell and known to us kids as Ding Dong. At each lesson he handed out Roneo'd notes which we had to copy into our books and hand back to him at the end. Meanwhile he sat and read a book at his desk. I don't recall him ever teaching us anything.

[Stanley]

Education.... I think I was lucky in that I just managed to scrape into Stockport Grammar School in 1947 because someone dropped out. Our teachers, because of the war, were all the old pre-war masters, caps and gowns standard and old fashioned solid education honed by many years of experience. I think it worked but of course is totally unfashionable today.
Richard, thanks for the précis of Finnish education, I didn't know that. How is it that a small country with no pretensions to world leadership can do that? Or is that part of the problem. I heard some of that speech and was very impressed. I get the impression that in their zeal to right all the perceived wrongs that the Tories bear grudges against they may have taken a step too far with the BBC. Do I detect a bit of back-pedalling?
Labour leadership frenzy dies down as everyone waits for what they see as the inevitable result. I wonder what's going on behind the scenes....

[Stanley]

We saw some of the 'behind the scenes' activity this morning, Blair putting his oar in again. Probably another boost for Jeremy!
As Many of us suspected, there is a good chance that the Maxwellisation Process is being used to prolong the delay to publication of the CHILCOT ENQUIRY and David Davies MP is calling for the payment of legal aid to be limited. The fact that so much effort is being put into modifying and delaying publication of the report suggests that it's conclusions are going to be quite devastating for some of the participants. This makes it even more important that we have publication as soon as possible. It also makes you wonder whether it is time for the whole of the 'Maxwell Process' to be reviewed.
See THIS for a quite explosive contribution to discussion of the rise of ISIS. Cameron accused of 'not having the balls' to embrace a realistic strategy to contain the situation in Syria. This could well be the case.....

[Tizer]

What Blair et al seem unable to comprehend is that their Labour Party and Corbyn's Labour Party are quite different species. They can't both be the Labour Party but Corbyn's rendering fits much more with the name and original values than does their version. It's they who should go off and start their own party and leave Corbyn to lead `the Labour Party'. Then let the public decide which party they want to support.

[Stanley]

Quite right Tiz and there are some who believe that this is the most dangerous legacy of Blair et al and New Labour. They created a split in the party which is far more dangerous than the old extreme left schism and could possibly lead eventually to a split. What is, in effect, the independent Labour Party in Scotland is in no way Blairite. They have not forgotten being reduced to a 'branch' of Westminster under Blair, Godron and even Milliband who did nothing to rectify the mistake. This is largely the reason for the growth of the SNP to which many disaffected Labour members turned when they saw London was ignoring them.
Blair used to go on about his 'legacy', it has turned out to be so destructive and is the main reason why Jeremy Corbin is having such success as he is seen as the only candidate who is advocating true old Labour principles. This is why I support what he is doing. The single factor that did the most damage under Blairite Labour was the bonfire of socialist principles in favour of vote-chasing. As far as I am concerned this is what needs fixing first, then bother about appealing to the electorate. Remember that a vote from a poor person suffering from the rising tide of inequality or the elderly and disabled being attacked by welfare cuts carries just as much weight as one from one of the top 1%! They call it democracy!
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest.... Hungary completes the razor wire fence (LINK along its border with Serbia and triggers protest from the core EU which is in turmoil over how to deal with the rising tide of refugees from the war torn Middle East. Another knotty problem to add to the list of EU problems.

[Stanley]

I see that Cameron has acquiesced to the recommendation from the electoral commission on the wording of the EU referendum QUESTION. I think this is right and agree with Mr Carswell that there was a suspicion that the Tories were trying to slant the vote to what is now a 'remain in' answer.
Nigel Farage positions himself so as to be unhampered by any official movements. He says that UKIP will not join in any movement but campaign separately to leave.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the Chinese economic problems and the continuing chaos in their markets is having an effect world wide. To be honest I don't think anyone quite understands the problem or the outcome but this uncertainty is enough to affect global trading and there are some potentially damaging results showing up particularly in the trading of currencies.
I agree with Nicola Sturgeon's statement yesterday ( LINK) in which she criticised George Osborne for announcing half a billion pounds investment in Faslane before there has been a proper parliamentary debate on the matter. Give her proper due, she makes very clear and cogent statements as she sets out her position for the upcoming Scottish Elections and an expected SNP majority. Compare and contrast with the chaos in the English branch of the Parliamentary Labour Party! The sooner we have a resolution and some clear statements of policy the better. The conference at Brighton at the end of September promises to be a lively affair!

[Stanley]

Cameron comes under pressure from Europe on the numbers of refugees we are allowing into the country. His response of a mass of statistics about numbers and the amount of aid sent to Syria isn't getting much traction in countries which are facing the enormous pressure head on. Some of his own backbenchers are demanding more action. I suppose it depends on how active your conscience is.... (LINK) We are not doing our reputation in Europe any good..... Expect some change in official attitudes shortly.
See THIS for an indication of the febrile atmosphere in the Labour Party as the count in the leadership election gets closer. What strikes me is the fact that the emphasis of his opponents is still to attack him instead of arguing for alternative policies. It will be interesting to see how they trim their sales if and when he is elected as the pull of advancement in the Party leads to Road to Damascus changes. Cynical I know but career politicians have advancement written right through them.

[Stanley]

Politics is dominated at the moment by the refugee crisis. I can't remember a more serious matter in my lifetime.

[Tizer]

It's not long since the big worry about future mass migration was that climate change would bring it about as people had to flee the newly arid countries but war and terrorism got there first.

[Stanley]

Dead right Tiz, still we have that to look forward to....
The thing that has struck me is that refugees were not an immediate problem until they came knocking on our door. Countries like Lebanon must be smiling up their sleeve, we have left them to get on with it for years....
Another thing that struck me was that the government in general and Cameron in particular have had a dream ride since the election but things aren't looking quite as rosy now. first there are the external events, then the referendum and quite possibly a reinvigorated opposition once Labour get themselves sorted out. (Of course this assumes Labour can do that.....)

[Tizer]

A commentator on the radio said how people are asking why the rich Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are not taking the Arab migrants, then she tried to balance the view by pointing out that those countries have very small populations which would be swamped by the numbers of migrants (Bahrain 1.2 million; Saudi Arabia 18 million Saudi nationals and 8 million others according to Wikipedia). What she didn't say is that these are rich countries and have shown they are able to build big cities, even in the desert, to accommodate large numbers of people. Now is the time to build some more.

[Tripps]

The photo of the little boy was very upsetting - I was nearly in tears, having grandchildren of a similar age. However some difficult, and harsh decisions are going to have to be made - and soon. LBC this morning said they have repeatedly asked for a government minister to come on air, but none has been willing to do so. I guess because they don't have a clue as to what to do, or don't want to face the difficulties involved.

On the basis that most of the population of India, Bangladesh, Africa, the Middle East, etc etc would move to UK if they could, then there has got to be a limit to the number of those admitted. No political party (except the Green Party), has said this yet, and none will give this number.

Consider this possibility. Remember that ISIS - the driving force behind all this has the aim of establishing a 'caliphate' with full sharia law, across all Southern Europe. What better start towards this aim, than flooding the area with aggressive, uninvited immigrants?

I read that Kent County Council are now looking after many hundreds of unaccompanied children. I'm glad I don't pay Council Tax there. Here is another one of the consequences.
Pull factor

I usually find space for a smiley or two in most of my posts - I try not to take life too seriously - but I can't do that here. It's hard to write the above without seeming to be cruel-hearted, which I'm not. On an individual basis I'd get on with almost anyone, but in their millions I'm not so sure.


I

[Stanley]

David, That was an honest post and I think voices what a lot of us think. Our society is quite good at assimilating persecuted minorities in reasonable numbers but the sheer scale of what is starting to happen will frighten even the most liberal people. Many years ago I advocated spending the money on aid not armaments in the Middle East and it gives me no pleasure to say I told you so. We sowed the wind there from the Crusades to the modern exploitation and now we may be seeing the start of the whirlwind. There are those who say that the answer is more military intervention but that was what got us to where we are now.
One thing is certain, we have got to raise our game but in what way is beyond me..... Cameron advocates local authorities stepping forward but not a word about financing any initiatives. Remember the floods when he said he would spend what was needed? We need a similar statement now but then it has to be a promise fulfilled not just political flim flam.

[Tizer]

I agree with you both, the UK can cope with some influx but the pressure is likely to build up way beyond our capacity. I also have concerns that I've heard nothing to convince me that the authorities are checking the health status of the flood of migrants already in Hungary and Austria and about to enter Germany. I've mentioned elsewhere about renewed concerns, so far unrelated to migrants, over an increase in polio and the discovery that some people carry and transmit the virus with no obvious health effects to themselves. Migrants from war zones are more likely to have diseases such as TB. I'm not saying that these people shouldn't be allowed into European countries but we must make sure that if they have diseases they are treated appropriately to prevent major outbreaks across Europe.

Another concern is with migrants from Syria. I assume some of these people have supported Assad, and others may have supported the rebels. Should Europe take in supporters from both sides and, if so, will it lead to trouble?

[Stanley]

It's a massive problem Tiz. I see that the government is suggesting that money will be diverted from the Overseas Aid budget to finance the councils who take in refugees but no definite word on the scale of the assistance. You raise a very important matter with medical inspections. I know of one case in the American Mid West where a rise in drug resistant TB was eventually traced to a turkey processing plant staffed almost exclusively by low paid Mexican and Vietnamese migrants. Some of them were carriers....
We should know by the end of this week whether the bookies were right about Jeremy Corbyn.... Then I suspect the fun will start and I have a suspicion that a lot of people are going to get a surprise. Firstly if all the forecasts are wrong and Jeremy doesn't get the leadership (not very likely). Second, what he will actually do and what response he gets. I'm an optimist and I think he may surprise everyone. The post modifies the man and despite what the Establishment would have us believe, all the leaders do not come form the playing fields of Eton.... If he does get the job I wish him good luck and hope that the party will support him.
Remember Eric Pickles saying in 2012 that it was an Englishman's fundamental right to have his bin emptied every week and pledging that the Tories would reinstate the service? There has been a quiet announcement this morning that this aspiration is to be abandoned as it is not practical. Another Tory 'promise'.