Knowledge can improve the world we live in

When a male undocumented immigrant called Jesus, in Florida says: “I voted for Trump for the economy”. Next week Jesus is hiding in the back of a car repair shop as Immigration Enforcement officers from ICE search for him. The week after, Jesus has been caught and he’s in the back of an ICE van, enroute to a detention centre and deportation. An improved economy may well be the last thing on his mind and he may then confess: “I just couldn’t bring myself to vote for a woman!”. FINALLY, the truth makes a belated appearance!

Yesterday, EU’s Brexit negotiator, now President of Poland (Donald Tusk) says he would like to see Britain return to the EU. Ok.
I never have and never will support a vote to leave the UK, but the referendum has come and gone. The majority (slight or not) voted to leave the EU. Can we not just respect that???!!! They convinced leave voted based on lies etc. Ok. Why didn’t the truth sayers do better to convince voters?
It is all history now. But it seems nobody wants to work hard, to make the most of whatever the hand is, that we have been dealt. Move on folk! We are spending all available time moping. Yes, you can hold another referendum 10, 20 years from now, but for goodness sake! get on with it!

Moral high ground? What bloody moral high ground??? The PERSECUTED today, are often the PERSECUTORS tomorrow. We’ve seen that time and time and time again!
It is the reason why it is to dumb, trying to correct the past! Pull down the statue to Cecil Rhodes? ok. If it offends some. But those same offended folk, will soon be the ones doing other unacceptable stuff! You see someone clutching a nice mobile phone and driving a nice car, wearing nice clothes, calling for an end to fracking (and I am not a supporter of fracking), but when you point out to them, that the nice clothes they have on, was produced by a child forced into a sweat-shop or that the cobalt in their electric car was dug up by a 7 year old forced down a dark, scary hole in a cobalt mine in Africa, they will swiftly brush that aside.
We see countries who have spent centuries chucking out CO2 now telling others not to. Yes, we must start somewhere, to try to make amends, but…. who picks that new starting point?

We are fast derailing! You see people online, saying whatever they need to, to get followers, become “influencers” and rake in cash, with absolutely no regard to the impact of their actions. Is that any worse than what obtained prior to the internet?

It is a hopeless world….

Disagreeing with politicians and taking opposing views is as old as the hills. I get all that. It’s not going to change. But delighting in their failure and willing them to fail, is counterproductive.

Past few months has been Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer (i.e. our Finance Minister in the UK). It seems she just can’t win! Yes, she may be stubborn and not doing what some folk want her to do or how they would like to see her do it. But for goodness sakes!!!! Give the woman a chance!!!!!! She’s only been in there a few months. If she fails, so many poor people will suffer even more!
I appreciate that people want to say she isn’t as bright as she thinks she is, or that her choices were wrong etc., but would we not rather she was right and the country get back to prosperous times???

We’ve lost the plot as a society!!! Jeez!!!!!

It’s the same as the situation in the US: they’ve had an election, the outcome may not be what some want, but it is what it is. Bizarre as some of the nominations for high office appear to be, would you not rather they did well? It helps nobody if they don’t do well. Ok, you get to say: “told you so?”…. what does that avail?

Can you imagine just how many people have suffered utter devastation from this?
11 teenage boys! Snuffed out just like that!
The police can’t implement necessary measures to end knife-carrying by teenagers in London, because people complain about perceived lopsidedness of the race of the folk who get stopped & searched. I accept that the police can indeed try to do a bit more to avoid racial profiling and that such measures as stop & search, should be applied indiscriminately, to remove perception of unfairness. But they need to be allowed to do their job!
11 kids knifed to death in just 12 months, is nearly 1 per month! That really is awful!
Something must be done and done urgently or it will become normal

I read one of the pitiful comments that typifies many 20 – 50 year olds in Canada today, who think the Liberals are to blame for everything that wrong in Canada (whatever those are??). The comment read: “if Trudeau & his liberals hadn’t destroyed Canada, Trump would never have thought about making us the 51st state”

What a wimpish sentiment!
You look at today’s youth, they sit around watching UFC and beating their chests! The minute they are challenged, they pull a knife! They are too cowardly to roll up their sleeves, raise their knuckles, trade a few blows and be on their way (all still alive and well, even if a bit shaken) albeit, brawling isn’t smart either (people have died from single blows), but is less likely to end in the fatalities we see today.

If it only takes 9 years for someone to destroy Canada, then something is clearly not right with the setup! When Trudeau became party leader in 2013 and later, PM in 2015, he was the rockstar of Canadian politics. So, when exactly did he begin this supposed destruction of Canada? For argument’s sake, let’s say he began to lose his popularity midway through, so, according to these fingerpointers, it has taken Trudeau roughly 4 years to destroy Canada and weaken her so much so, that it is his fault that a guy who had previously joked about Canada becoming part of the US, years prior, and is only just repeating it in 2024, was prompted by Trudeau’s mismanagement of Canada. It really is laughable ain’t it?

Yes, it is time for Trudeau to go, as he is not the only person in Canada who could give the PM job a go! And more importantly, he has been clinging on for a while now. Many have given up on him. It also seems he has indeed made several missteps. But as far as the suggestion of Canada becoming the 51st state goes – a suggestion that was made just to rile & should never have made the back page of any newspaper, let alone become something anyone would take seriously, let alone a raging topic – blaming Trudeau for that, is just infantile! Think about; it took the UK nearly 5 years to complete the Brexit paperwork, and that’s after there was a referendum! Trump is only in office for the next 4 years. So, even if he was serious about annexing Canada, he wouldn’t get through half the process before his term in office comes to an end. He can of course run again at 82 if he wishes, and win again, if Americans decide to cast their votes for him, but seriously? people should stop the silliness about Canada becoming the 51st state, as we say in the UK, it was just a ‘tongue in cheek remark’. The pathetic state of today’s world means that every tweet, every remark, becomes a headline and people who should be working on serious stuff, sit about in press conferences sharing thoughts and answering questions on the utterly ridiculous!!!

Canada has shown its underbelly! It is really unfortunate and partly sad to see. It’s like spending years and years revering your old granny and then one day as you drive by her house, you see her punching a 5 year old in the face, grabbing his lolly and swearing at him. It’s an image that’s impossible to expunge! The Canada of old, would say ‘Thank You’ to Trudeau regardless, get the new PM in when they do, close the Trudeau chapter and get on with it.

When we let hate rise to the surface, we lose objectivity. The reality is very simple: no matter how wrong some thing Trudeau got it, he is not without any support. His party won re-election right? In tearing him and his party apart, those who still support him, are essentially being told their opinions do not count. Such situations never end well.
We shall see how the folk who have been quick to criticise, do when they get in office.

We need to raise a new generation that learns to be less reactionary, less pathetic. There is no perfection out there. No utopia. Trudeau got some things or many things wrong. Even if he got EVERYTHING wrong, ok. Some voted for his party, his party selected him as leader, he gave it a go, some or many now say they’ve had enough of him, he’s quitting. End of. No need for the unpleasantness. Be Canadians of old. Get back to finding ways to solve whatever problems you say you have. Finger pointing gets nothing done!

If you are the president of a country where so many of your citizens are hellbent on fleeing to another country (for whatever reason), would you have time to trade silly bards?

Today, the President of mexico had the time to stand in front of some silly map, to suggest the US can be renamed Mexican America, as her response to Trump stating his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Huge swathes of Mexico remain unsafe as a result of cartel violence, thousands of Mexicans are likely to be deported from the US shortly, if Trump does what he said he’s going to do. Should these not be more pressing matters for the president of Mexico? Instead, she is sucked into the silliness of engaging in tittle-tattle with the soon to be president of a country that has a lot less to worry about.

I am sure the struggling, suffering people of Mexico would rather have a safe environment and prosperity – so that they don’t have to keep sneaking off illegally into the US in search of menial labour – than debate the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico or the tittle-tattle their president is wasting time on….

Leave a single lamp on in a dark room and all bugs flock to it. How about turning on several lamps in that same dark room?

The current rate of migration to the west is not sustainable. Not only because of the friction it is causing and resentment (be it fair or unfair), but for the simple reason that the infrastructure (schools, hospitals, housing etc.) required to ensure fairness and integration is simply not there. There is a very high risk that we are close to those awful situations where immigrants get blamed for everything…

There is a very obvious solution.

If we help end wars, conflicts, displacement of people in parts of the world where the majority of these migrants are coming from, and stop squeezing them for their debt, help industrialise their countries, create jobs, lift them up and make those countries prosperous, it will end the mindless draw to the west, that makes it so attractive to the point of mindless risking of lives of children in dinghies crossing the English Channel or trekking across deserts to get to America. But unfortunately, the same countries who say they are burdened by migration are the same ones who are reluctant to turn other lights on. They want global fiscal dominance. They want ‘America First’ etc. Well, if you succeed in becoming the only lamp in the room, the outcome, is what we have today; with so many risking their lives to come over. If we turn more lamps on…..

Just think of the possibilities….

No more drowning migrants trying to row across oceans. No more angry locals in the UK, Germany, US, France etc., a return of levels of immigration down to what we have the infrastructure to support and safely integrate…..

All at a much cheaper cost than what is currently being spent on deterrence that isn’t really working. A tiny portion of that expense could be put into rebuilding Syria and wherever else it is the migrants are flocking over from. Make the place safe, create opportunities and an environment they will not wish to leave or risk their kids’ life crossing the channel…

But we won’t do it. It’s too simple. We prefer the complex…

The rule of law and common sense can now be so readily bypassed by populism. Shout out, shout loud or have a twitter account with a few million followers and who needs Parliament? Just force politicians to start answering questions on twitter! No need for truth, facts or due process.

Welcome to today’s world…

The urge appears greater than the lust for blood by those at the games in 264 BC.

We can’t help ourselves.

Why on earth would a Prime Minister, the head of a government, go about responding daily to twitter attacks?? Well, because the masses have decided to do away with decorum.
Now we have endless distraction

We spend months, tons of money, running an election and selecting a government but a few weeks later, because someone launches some online petition, we think we can bully everyone else by calling for a new election?
And it cuts both ways. To those who keep on ranting & raving about the negative impact of Brexit; well, you had your chance to persuade people not to vote for Brexit. The leavers won. The rules should have required a greater majority to win, but it didn’t. So, we must get on with it. Brexit stays. Awful as it is, that is what democracy is!

Today, nobody wants to follow due process anymore. They think they have found a shortcut to everything. Just go on social media, shout as loud as you can, gain some support, use that support to threaten ‘cancelling’ etc., and hey presto! You get to have it your way….

Madness!!!

Perhaps, the simple answer is: IT IS US! Humans! Not social media or the knives, guns etc…

For years, the folk who sell guns, tell us it isn’t guns that kill. Those who counter, say: well, punches or knifes kill fewer people. I won’t get into all that today.

I was astounded today, when a UK newspaper headline stated that the 6-month old Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer (i.e. Finance Minister) have ruined the UK economy! Jeez!!! Can we possibly have such a short memory??? It was only a few months ago, prior to this government stepping into power, that we had the Liz Truss budget that is still impacting millions of people whose mortgages flew through the roof!
To begin with, if an economy is anywhere near stable, it is simply not possible to ruin it in 6 months!
And YES, the new government have made a number of very questionable decisions and several unnecessary ones. And they may well end up ruining the economy, but that is yet to be seen.

We have become so beholden to the fast past of unedited, non-factual information feed that is now available online. No rules, no efficacy, no responsibility. Fact-checking is pointless as the masses no longer wish for facts. It’s all about mindless reaction and immediate thirst for the next headline. Carnage is what left in its wake.

Yesterday, Canada’s PM announced he will resign. Now, the ones who have pushed him off the cliff edge, will find a mountain of excuses to explain their own inability to perform any better than he has. It is very easy to be in opposition, shouting out what’s supposedly wrong. It’s quite a different matter, when you’re faced with solving the problems as opposed to criticising those attempting to solve the problem. Canadians will find this out very shortly….

You now frequently hear people (myself included) blaming social media for the spread of lies, misinformation, disinformation etc. We say that in the absence of X (twitter), Tik Tok etc., people would not go rioting as they did last summer in the UK. That people will be less inclined to be led astray etc. I am beginning to be less and less convinced by this argument. It seems we are what we are. We just keep on finding stuff to blame….

I feel very strongly about this. I can see the perspective of those who try to argue that Britain and some other countries were built on the back of the empire and other acts in years gone by. I am also someone who strongly believes in the need for human beings to accept that we are only here temporarily and we don’t take anything with us, when we die. BUT, and it is a capital ‘BUT’, for goodness sakes! There should be a modicum of gratitude! The hundreds of thousands of people, over the last century, who have come to Britain, be it fleeing war (loads came here during & after WWII for instance), or seeking a better life. Yes, there are some sad realities of hardship faced by some e.g. the Windrush generation – including extreme instances of intolerance & hate, which some still have to put up with today. But some of this should have been a 2-way street. There must be some degree of gratitude for getting a chance in a relatively safe environment.

Even with the alarming spate of stabbings in recent years, particularly in London, I am not sure there are many places around the world, safer than the UK.

There appears to be a great deal of a sense of entitlement these days. People come in and expect a lot. But I would hope that a little bit of gratitude goes with that.

There would be no Britain to run to, if some rules were not enforced over the years. Rules that every Brit follow (so, why shouldn’t others coming to Britain do the same?). I have said this before; the government should consider an arrangement where benefits provided to newcomers, to help them settle in, can be recouped over several years, in a comfortable manner (via a tax code applied to those folk), so that they are no longer seen to be a burden. And we can speed up integration and get newcomers into jobs etc. And they can start paying back into the same welfare system that helped them when they came in. This may unburden the NHS and other services.

The language used by those calling for change, is what is simply awful and unacceptable. Leading to terrible moments such as the Summer 2024 riots. We must deal with this, with decency. We are decent people. There is absolutely no need for the horrible language and dehumanising words. Things can be done with decency.

Our laws, our way of life, the need for people coming in, to come in and be the way we are, is the only way we can still have a country that people can flee to, to seek refuge. If we let go and allow the country become a cesspit (with littering every where, stabbings etc.), not only will resentment grow – leading to more intolerance and hate – but along with that, we will very quickly become a similar place, to where people are feeing from.

As a son of a son of immigrants, I will forever be grateful to Britain, for being a place that my grandfather was able to come to (he wasn’t fleeing anything, he came to work) and regardless of some of the hardship he & others like him, who came over to work, faced back then, would they have been better off where they were? Obviously not! But back then, and with my father’s generation, they were very grateful for the opportunity, regardless of some hardship. And this is not just about people who migrated here, everyone in the UK should be grateful for what the country means and what we have! Everyone came from somewhere. The Saxons, Normans, majority of Brits descend from people who came here from elsewhere. We all have a duty to keep the place going and to retain some of what makes it that country where so many people, over so many years, have been able to flee to, or go to for economic reasons etc. If we let it sink down to the cesspit, that is not to anybody’s advantage is it?

Donkey years ago when I took Economics 101, same as many of us, it felt a bit strange to learn about how goods were valued and the global demand & supply arrangements that left supposedly poorer nations in a pit, as the products they exported were valued by a matrix that they didn’t create…..

Nothing new there of course! You may have to go back hundreds of years…

It is what it is.

What that arrangement wasn’t designed to cope with though, is implosion. The west is not supposed to be at each other’s throats. The entire tariff system may have to be overhauled. But by whom?
This is where populism tends to cross paths with realism.
When some say they wish to “put their country first”. Well, why not? Let them. It may well open their eyes to just how dependent we now all are, on each other.
Why is the world so dead against ‘America First’?
US population is 334million. World population is 8.02billion. If the world have been exploiting American generosity over the years as the ‘American First’ people claim, then perhaps they are well within their right to seek to end that. Now, I cannot say that I see any particular part of the world, that has been more prosperous than the USA, so, not entirely sure where the said lopsided arrangement is? Who has exploited America’s generosity? China? Canada? Mexico? India? or is it simply all of us?
Well, if that be the case, then, let’s see what happens over the next 4 years, if the US do indeed end the alleged freebies these folk claim they have been handing to the world?

There may well be some truth to what the ‘America First’ proponents allege? If not, why is everyone so worried? They say they want to (and they have now won the election and run all tiers of their government: congress and the White House) and intend to put their country first. Well, why is everyone having a hissy fit? Could it be, that we have all been taking advantage of their generosity as they claim? If not, then, what’s the hysteria about? or could it be, that we are just worried about the destabilising effect of tariffs etc.? Fair enough, it may all lead to some chaos. But if they are hellbent of doing what they say they will, then the world should just prepare for that bit of chaos, over the next 4 years and QUIT MOANING!!!!
if the circa 7.9billion people of the world (excluding the US) are indeed so dependent on the generosity of the circa 334million in the US, then they (Americans) do indeed deserve to live it large and have the cheapest gas (as they call it), groceries etc., as they want and whatever it is the ‘America First’ people say Americans do not presently have.
If they are wrong, and the world haven’t been exploiting US generosity and we have not been taking advantage of them, then that should all become very apparent and they may just discover just how much their 334million people need the remaining 7.9billion people of the world?

None of this should be acrimonious. Same for Brexit. It should all be a simple matter of principle. Countries should be able to determine how they want to position themselves in the world. It does seem a tad suspicious, when there is acrimonious objection. If America want to slap tariffs on everything and contribute less to global endeavours etc., well, others can slap whatever tariffs they can too, and let’s see where it all ends up.

Either way, we will soon find out. Quit the moaning Canada, Mexico et al., go back to the drawing board and sort out how the 7.9 odd billion of the world can trade with each other and stay afloat, if 334million people say they no longer wish to be taken advantage of, and no longer wish to subsidise the rest of the world.

I have read several online posts of many Canadians stating: “see, that’s the way to go”. Referencing the US. Yes, Trump has surprised pretty much everyone, by winning the election (albeit, the situation wasn’t very different from his defeat of Hilary Clinton, and perhaps that result should have been a peek preview to Kamala’s outcome) but the reality is simple – and this is not about the US or Trump – and should apply to all democratically elected governments: winning an election means you got the votes. Implementation of solutions, be it in relation to the economy, fixing borders etc., should be assessed and scored 2 – 3 years in.

I am not sure what exactly Canadians are looking to copy? Has Trump already fixed the economy and immigration issues? He has said he will fix it all and the electorate have said they believe he will – hence voting for him – but surely, Canada, the UK and any other country where people are saying “way to go! that’s how to do it!” do need to see it done first?
We had a government in the UK who had a whopping super majority of 80 or so seats in parliament but kept blaming the opposition (whom they could have easily eviscerated in every decision in parliament that gets voted on, if they got their members in line…) for apparently thwarting them. Trump now has the house, senate and presidency. So, I believe Canada can wait 4 years to see the wonders, before diving in?

The age-old problem with talking the talk, is always that you then find that you need to walk the walk. You need to implement. You need to deliver. Love or hate him (Trump), he has won their election and that is that. If he gets all he promised done, all the folk (in Canada, UK and other places) saying his way is the way, can begin saying that. But surely, not before 2027/28 right? Unless of course he is a miracle worker and gets the American economy, their border issues etc., all sorted by the end of January 2025…..

Who knows?

One of the most obvious flaws of our democracy is that it has become so easy to exploit. So easy to manipulate. Anyone can say anything during a campaign and promise anything, knowing they won’t be challenged. In the UK, we have a 5 year limit for each government but today, we start criticising a new government, 2 weeks into their term. The job of the opposition party is to help the government do well, by holding them accountable. Not to begin plotting their downfall from Day 1! The country continue to suffer because our politicians are only interested in taking over the government, instead of working together to help the electorate. A very good example is Nigel Farage saying he can help the government get favours from his supposed friend in America (Donald Trump); why is Farage stating that publicly? If he believes he can help the country get deals via his friendship with Trump, he should just do so or offer his help to the government behind the scenes and if his offer is rejected, we’ll, that is the government’s choice. What is the exact purpose of putting his offer out in the press?
We have an opposition party that is already thinking about the next general election, from week 1 of the new government. Within a few weeks, someone put a dumb petition out asking the government to call another general election and the opposition leader was making reference to it in parliament. How embarrassing! I can understand if the government was at the end of their 3rd year…, but they haven’t even completed their 6th month in power. The opposition leader should be busy trying to work with the Prime Minister, to help the people, help the country. Then towards the end of the 3rd year, one can understand if the opposition then break off to begin preparing to take them on at the next general election. What we currently have, is a total disservice to the nation.

Can there be a turning point?

The vast majority of our politicians in the UK mean well. They are just caught up in a vicious cycle of gamesmanship and putting self, party and thirst for power before the need to help the country, which includes ending child poverty, social issues, insane rise of knife crime, fixing the border & migration issues etc.

I know many will swiftly point to the perceived ills of the British Empire and several brutal acts back then, but the attempt to judge that era by today’s moral standards is foolhardy. The people back then, to all intents & purposes, were doing what they felt they had to do for their country. Few would argue that some of what they did, was truly gruesome and many of those gruesome acts still affect some parts of the world today. But it is the same as attempting to demand we follow the biblical 10 commandments today or bring back corporal punishment in schools. These are different eras. What is inexcusable today, is that we are still the kinds of intolerance and hatred that spills into some of our political discourse, when we should have governments that are fully supported by everyone (including the opposition parties) and assisted in doing well for the country. When we get to election years, yes, the gloves can very well come off and the opposition can rightfully criticise the government and point out what they should have done better etc. But for goodness sake! (and indeed, for the sake of the country), what we presently have in Year 1 of a new government, cannot possibly be in the best interest of the country!

When you look at America – and I have said I will no longer comment on American politics, as I don’t see the use. They are in a hopeless situation – the opposition party rejoicing this week because it seems the MAGA people and the incoming party has started infighting; with Laura Loomer taking on Tesla guy with regards immigration of tech experts. These early signs of dysfunction of the incoming government should not be cause for celebration as they will be there for the next 4 years and if they fail, the entire country will suffer for those years. So, why not help them to avoid failure? Ideological difference? FINE. The voters deserve what they chose? Ok. But how does that help the whole country?

The problem is that many are yet to accept that we are no longer what we were, a hundred years ago, when Britain was a superpower and we had all sorts of resources. Today, we are paying £350 a month for energy (gas & electricity) when 2 years ago, it was £80 a month. Why? We lost access to cheap energy from places such as Russia. If they Middle Eastern countries turn off our energy supply, we’ll be in trouble. If China stop selling us all the stuff Amazon delivers to us daily, we’ll be in trouble. But there are implications all round. If the US were to deport everyone that’s not a direct descendant of the Mayflower ship or deport everyone that’s their MAGA people do not consider to be Americans, they will find that they are unable to function as a country. That is the point the Tesla guy is trying to make to the MAGA Laura Loomer. It is the same in the UK; if we deport or remove everyone that’s not a isn’t a direct descendant of the Saxons or Celts, those remaining will find other reasons to be at each other’s throats! It will be the fat fighting the skinny or something else or the other. People who wish to be disagreeable will always find reasons to disagree. But most importantly, the thing with immigration is: if you are able to vet the type of people you let in, you might as well bring in those who can do the stuff that others are not presently good at doing. It is dumb to think you will be able to train up local folk for stuff they are not interested in doing.

The reality is that the levels of dependency have reached an all-time high. I don’t see any country that can go it alone. Not even China or the US. But most certainly not the UK. We import far too much. I don’t think people realise just how dependent we have become, and just how much of the cheap stuff they consume, means we cannot just up and turn our back on the rest of the world. It is time someone explained today’s reality to people in the UK. Yes, we did Brexit (and I won’t even bother commenting on that), but if we think life is hard now, if the countries we rely on, to keep prices of food and everything else reasonable, suddenly stop providing those to us, inflation will hit the roof and there is no point blaming the few thousands of illegal immigrants we have. Even I& we deported all of them, it won’t make a jot of difference. So, NO, we cannot become a hermit nation. We are brilliant, resourceful people in the UK, but it is not enough to sustain us isolating ourselves completely from the rest of the world.

We must find a way to take a step back and reverse the current situation. When a government is elected, we should ALL (all of us, without exception) work with them for the first 3 years, to get things done. FOR THE SAKE OF THE COUNTRY. Then in the election year, if the opposition parties wish to go on the offensive, fine. But for goodness sake, we must end this constant, never ending nagging from Day 1, where the opposition starts criticising the government and carry on regardless of the detrimental impact on the country, on and on and on, just for the sole purpose of taking over power!!! It exploits democracy!!

The newspapers had stories of 80year olds being shoved aside in supermarkets as people rushed to grab stuff off the shelves. Many were hoarding stuff. Toilet paper ran out across the country as people hoarded them.

And Covid was a mini emergency compared to a World War.

Who wants to see their children carted off, hastily trained and sent off to war?

So, when you read about elected politicians in the US talking about a civil war if the candidate they support in an election doesn’t win, we should all be bothered about such talk. But even more worrying, is what has now become a very casual discussion of the possibility of a 3rd world war. Seriously? What exactly do wars achieve? We’ve had 2 world wars and barely 80 years after the last one – and yes, a handful of veterans from that war are still alive today – we see rioting on the streets of the UK because some people say they don’t want migrants reducing their access to benefits! We read about politicians in the US, calling migrants (other human beings) vile names and accusing them of eating pets. The people who gave their lives in World War 2, did so, believing they are giving their lives to ensure we have a world where there is tolerance. They gave their lives believing it was worthwhile, to give the rest of us a life where we all see each other as human beings and never have to fight another war. But here we are, are few decades later and we appear ready and willing to start wars…

The uncontrolled influx of illegal migrants forcing their way into the country is indeed a big issue, and one that needs to be addressed. But for goodness sake! These people are human beings. We cannot ram them on the high seas or leave them to drown! We need measures that will get them to apply for refuge or asylum via standard, safe routes and legally – those measures should include coming down hard on the people who are exploiting them, the ones employing them illegally when they get here etc. But these issues are no reason for us to start burning things down and rioting.

If we know of reasons why the world could contemplate another world war, we should be actively seeking to address those issues now. We should be finding solutions now. With what we have seen of people in the past few years, right across the world, human beings have totally lost our value of human life. It matters little these days, how many people get killed in conflicts or drown trying to cross the English Channel. We do not appear to care. So, goodness help us, if there was another world war! Wars must become a thing of the past. There must be other ways to settle conflicts….

Several articles earlier in the week were dedicated to Prof. Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called godfather of Artificial Intelligence, stating that AI will wreak havoc 10 years from now and wipe out humanity.
Today, it’s Prof. Anthony Glees of University of Birmingham saying we are now on a countdown to World War 3.

It is a little curious because I am not sure the tens of thousands of people killed in wars in Europe and the Middle East in 2024 or their relatives, and including thousands of hungry children in struggling parts of the world, would be that worried about AI wiping out humanity. They are already being wiped out anyway.

I believe we have fairly detailed, written history of human beings dating back a few thousand years now, and it provides no reassurance. Every time groups of people ask for reflection and calm, they are called liberals or lefties. We appear totally incapable of avoiding conflict. The popular individuals are those who talk tough and drive us headlong into wars, intolerance and hate! We embrace those individuals and follow them, till they lead us straight to destruction and carnage. It is how it’s been, and it looks very much like we are headed in that same exact direction yet again.

AI. cool. But what is the arrangement to redistribute wealth, such that the poorest – who are likely the ones who will lose their blue collar jobs to machines – can survive and not revolt? Well, such thinking, to avoid the wealthy getting it all and leaving nothing to the poor, is what we currently deem too leftist, too liberal. But strangely, those presently seeking to crucify the said left/liberals, are the very ones who are certain to feel the brunt of job losses etc. Unfortunately, by the time this dawns on them, it will be too late.

But don’t worry. Once today’s billionaires become trillionnaires, they will tell us they intend to give all their wealth to good causes before they die.

We shouldn’t bash the rich. I am fairly certain that if any of us was in their position, we would most likely do the same and grab as much wealth as we can. It is a human failing. I do not believe there is perfection in any of us. Personally, my sole approach to life, is to try to just get on with living life in a way that only largely impact myself, and I try to exert the least possible impact on others; because oftentimes, the good you think you are doing others, isn’t how they see it. If we can each live our lives by just trying to avoid impacting others too much, I feel it may be a great step forward. Sadly, that is rarely ever the case. We always feel we know best and wish to get others to follow our religion, our ideas, our way of life etc. And THAT, is the reason we will continue to end up in wars and disasters such as what’s being predicted re AI.

If we could simplify life – we fail each time we try, because we grant vetos etc – such that, if you take religion as an example: people should follow whichever religion they choose to follow, but if you wish to live in the UK, then all aspects of your religion needs to be in line with our laws here. Or you do have the alternative of living elsewhere. And if you look at migration, all those heading to the UK, should accept that we have a border that should be respected by everyone, regardless of circumstances. If you wish to seek refuge, seek asylum, you need to come in via the set process. On Christmas Day alone, we have had over 400 people cross the English Channel in dinghies. Tens of thousands have now entered the country via this route. They do not seem too bothered by the fact that what they are doing has led to such tension and violence in the country – with people rioting and seeming willing to burn hotels housing migrants down – you would think that people seeking refuge would want the place they are heading to remain peaceful right? It has become the sole excuse that people are using to spread hate and intolerance in the UK. Everyone’s now at each other’s throat. The government must find a way to put an end to these channel crossings, so that we can go back to welcoming refugees and asylum seekers through proper routes and processes that allow us to be ready for them and cater for them, in a manner that doesn’t cause such friction in our society.

It seems we are just so accepting of violence, wars, hateful rhetoric, all in the name of trying to exert our superiority over others. You look at America and it is Christian nationalists, MAGA, Republicans (now same as MAGA), Democrats etc. Each claiming to be right. Each claiming the other(s) is wrong. Why can’t there just be different visions, but all decently seeking to provide a happy, prosperous environment? Why must the solutions come at the expense of others: mass deportations etc.

Any serious discussion about trying to prevent WW3 or an AI wipeout, will be quickly shut down as being naive and not worthwhile. We seem resigned to the fact that there will be another World War. Afterall, there are presently a number of ongoing wars, and we say each of those are equally inevitable and had to happen. We have a bunch of people talking tough left, right and centre. The needless loss of thousands of lives, do not seem to worry us anymore. It really is astonishing!

We have learnt nothing throughout the course of human history!

It’s just so callous.

To stand there and say you just cast a vote for the sake of paying a few pennies less on a loaf of bread!

Yes, we all want to be prosperous. But for goodness sake! There is more to life than just that!

I know I am of course wasting by breath! Sadly.

I do not follow any religion and have never been religious. And yes, many will quickly point out that Christianity did not prevent slavery, colonialism, the inquisition and several other heinous acts of humanity to date. Ok. But when you look at how completely soulless society have become, with opportunists and charlatans everywhere you look. People standing up saying they speak for the poor and seek freedom of speech etc., when all they’re after is just an opportunity to spread hate or make money…

The rise of heartless crimes such as knife crimes that have now become so commonplace in London, is definitely one that the threat of eternal damnation perhaps kept a bay. But seriously, one thing the Sunday Schools and Christian sermons did back in the day, was instil a little bit of respect for human life over here.

Yes, Christianity was never a global panacea. You only have to look at the spate of crime across the most Christian parts of the world, and in particular, Latin America, to see that. But in the UK, it definitely made a difference as the current void left by the disappearance of churches and churchgoing, is very clear to see. This isn’t about making a case for a return of churches & churchgoing, but we may have to find something to fill the void, as social media ain’t the answer!

Society has descended right to the abyss!

If you read the newspapers and online articles, you will be forgiven in thinking parents no longer exist and the government must be responsible for everything!!

We blame the government for EVERYTHING.

I was reading a BBC article this morning, which reported on the spate of theft in shops (shoplifting) across England. It is an extension of the same ‘help yourself’ attitude that is now so common in today’s society. I need this, so I’ll take it. Not a thought for the impact on the shop owner and their kids and the bills they have to pay. The likelihood their insurance shoots through the roof if they keep dealing with thefts etc.

We want to blame the government for EVERYTHING: knife crime in London, everyone blames the Mayor of London. Illegal migration across the English Channel, blame the government. Ignoring the people employing illegal migrants (exploiting them) illegally, which is one of the key reasons coming to the UK is so attractive to them. Ignoring those they are paying huge sums of money to, to smuggle them in. It is just so convenient to blame the government

We do not want to take any responsibility whatsoever.

How about teaching kids NOT to carry knives and checking your child’s bag regularly, anytime they leave home. Making sure you are on top of how they see things and what they do. And that they fully understand the impact of taking a life.
How about appreciating the impact of shoplifting on the shop owner? How about trying to hold back from this urge to just take things that do not belong to us?

It won’t be the government fixing the growing lack of decency. This seemingly uncontrollable perception of entitlement!

As I’ve always said, it takes a type. Most likely individuals who feel they must lead.
The current toxic environment of our politics is a huge deterrent to the brightest and best. It now takes more guts & thick skin (to take repeated vile abuse) than brightness, to be a politician. It’s a surprise we have anyone left willing to get into politics.

Yes, it’s always been about power and getting quick access to power, which leads to post-politics jobs etc. But, is it worth it these days? Many no longer think it is…

We are cutting off our nose to spite our face. If we deter the brightens from entering politics – because it’s become so toxic – we end up with just anyone who is brave enough and willing to take the abuse and toxicity. That’s not helping anyone is it? We need the brightest and best, going into politics, so that the country is run by the sharpest people we have.

Take housing as one example. The country is short of houses. It’s nothing to do with illegal migration nor migration. If you kicked everyone who isn’t a direct descendant of Henry the 8th out of the country, we are still short of houses. It is a problem that’s built up over decades of underfunding (the same problem with the NHS, services across sectors etc). But where to build new houses? NOT IN MY BACKYARD (NIMBY) says everyone! They want green spaces, clear open skies, no increase to traffic on the road etc. No planning, no consensus. We want to eat our cake and still have it. So, we find someone to blame. We are a country of over 65million people. How can the influx of, say, 2million illegal migrants over a 20 year period, be the reason why everything we have has disintegrated? Is that really being honest? I don’t have the exact figures, but let us assume that of our 65 million population, those that are not 10th generation British are a whopping total of, what? 20 million? How can they be the reason our service industry is on its knees and the NHS, housing etc., are crippled?? We are a great nation, a resilient nation. Why have we not invested and kept things going? HATE won’t solve anything. INGENUITY will. YES, we must secure our borders – for so many highly credible reasons. YES, we must integrate newcomers such that we do not lose how we live our lives here etc. BUT no, no and no, to scapegoating. It’s gone on for too long. We need to face today’s reality: if we want to maintain the exact same scenery as we had 100 years ago, when our population was a lot less than 65 million, then we need to come up with other solutions. Find previously uninhabited or uninhabitable islands to develop and create incentives to move people there? Build artificial islands? Find a new habitable planet? Whatever. Sitting about doing nothing but just blaming everything on migration and repeatedly whipping up hate and intolerance, is a basic human flaw.

Not listening to those NIMBY folk and plowing ahead with sticking houses in places that will lead to generational tension is also shortsighted. But when we have created a toxic environment where our brightest minds had run off and do not wish to enter politics, we are sunk.

The government is damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Double-damned if they try to be decent or honest (like our current government). The only government that can be popular today, is one that’s willing to just say what the people want to hear. Get the slogans out there e.g. “oven-ready Brexit”, “stop the boats” etc. while knowing fully well that they are all just empty words. Honesty and decency now gets you nowhere. Combine that with an era where only the brave and thick-skinned can enter politics (with the brightest unwilling to enter politics) and you can see why we are where we are today!

We no longer allow for any planning nor thinking time! Today’s government have targets that they must meet – to stand half a chance of reelection – so, they just have to get on with it. Little in support from the baying public. We want immediate fixes. It is such a dire situation. It seems so hopeless. It is depressing.

What we should be doing, is setting out exactly what the situation is. The facts. How many social housing units do we have in total? How man6 people who do not consider themselves migrants are in need of housing? How many migrants do we roughly expect each year (say, 500,000 legal migrants (net) and 200,000 illegal?) how many of those will require social housing? What kind of housing units do we need to build and what level of increase in services (transport, schools, health etc) do we need?
Then let’s see how best to fix a totally broken system. Instead, we just want to play politics with it all. It has all become just a convenient weapon to divide us all and pitch us up against each other. It’s become a very potent tool for divide & conquer. Divide & rule. Very few actually want to fix it. And when the try – as the current government is – they get crushed for trying. Because we don’t really want the problem solved do we? We just want something to carry on moaning about….

American is the same. Just look at the size of the USA. Should a country of that size and resources get so impacted by a few million people trooping in through their southern border? Why not build more, or find a new planet? or anything. Solutions. Instead, they fixate on mass deportation. It is just so unbelievable really. And they get so whipped up about it. Ok. Fine. Round up all the millions you say you want to deport America! Round them up. Deport them. Build a sky-high wall across your entire border (make the Great Wall of China look like a mini wall), do all that. Let’s see what you have left. A loving society? Nope, you will find the next thing to quarrel about (probably LGTBQ). The same people who are up in angst against migration, will find the next topic they are angry about. There will be no end to it. That is what divisiveness is. The topic is irrelevant. They will always find the next issue. Sort migration and it will be something else next..

I know many people are waiting to say “told you so” to Trump voters. The reality is simple: you will be waiting till eternity. Why? Well, look at Brexit. The people who have been most-impacted, who are suffering most, have now been told their suffering isn’t as a result of Brexit, but that it is all down to illegal migrants and all migrants in general. Did such obviously foolish idea land? Well, you only need to look at the videos from the summer riots. That is what populism is. They will just move on to the next reason, the next excuse, and sadly, the folk who gobble down these wild tales will continue to do so. Why? because it is usually what they want to believe and given their ignorance, they cannot query the efficacy of the information they are fed.

Spend just 10mins on the internet and you will see every article that allows comments is dominated by the same type of folk commenting: folk who can hardly spell. They have found a home on the internet. They have ample time on their hand, as many of them do not work or work jobs where they can still spend hours on the internet typing up vile stuff. You only need to look at the profile of the rioters sent to prison this year. They upload vile comments on every article. They go as far as to find ways around the abusive words that the online systems bots can detect (how sad is that? just to try to hurt others…). They rant and rave. Everything wrong with their lives is the fault of the left or the Labour Party (who have only been in power for a few months!) or migrants of course. They dream of some past era that was supposedly when they had the country and they now want their country back! If you ask them to point out that exact time in history that they wish to return to, that time when the masses, the poor, the illiterate ruled Britain…. Well, they won’t be able to respond.

It was some foreigner who said a few weeks ago: “Britain is no longer English enough”!
And he thought he had made a great point. Well, genius, Britain has never ever been English. The Welsh are not English. Neither are the Scots. Nor the Irish in Northern Ireland. All part of Britain.
The present madness is pretty much that: MADNESS!

Everyone’s dipping their oars in. Everyone’s an expert in what’s good for Britain.

It is undeniable that Europe needs to find a way to sort out the ridiculously porous borders. And the UK and France, need to find a way, urgently, to stop the madness of people just rowing across the English Channel in their thousands – risking lives, with so many drowning – and also adversely impacting the society in terms of the impossibility of preparing for such unquantifiable number of people just turning up on our shores. Yes, fix it and the folk spreading hate and using vile words online will simply find the next topic to spew their bile at. They can’t help themselves. There will immediately be the next topic for them to hate on. However, notwithstanding, the government must fix this problem

There will not be any ‘light bulb moment’ for Trump voters. The next excuse for things going ape in the US – if it does (and I am not entirely convinced it will, as in truth, other than being decent, the Biden government didn’t really do much) – is already prepared and they will simply roll it out, just as the Conservative government who were in power for 14 years in the UK blamed “leftie lawyers” for the uncontrollable rise in migration, when in truth, the greater number was from legal migration, which they simply lost track of, and failed to control – albeit there are reasons for that (one of those, is Brexit!). The next excuse is always ready for them to move on to, and they know their gullible following will gladly lap it up.

I didn’t vote for Brexit, but it was a democratic process – even if the core tenets were based on lies or as many say, it was never fully understood – and as such, the remainers should have done a better job in convincing voters but they didn’t. So, we have Brexit and nobody should attempt to reverse it. Instead, we should all work hard to make the best of it. But there is no dodging the fact that Brexit has had a terrible impact on the economy and the people at the bottom, the poorest in society, are the ones it has impacted the most. We should be able to honestly admit that and then find solutions to the problem; solutions that must not include attempting to reverse Brexit, as it is the will of the majority, like it or not!
Don’t expect a ‘light bulb moment’ from those folk either.

The people being led up the garden path by those exploiting them, are not to blame. It isn’t new. It is sadly, what human beings are. We exploit each other. We take advantage of each other. We are as bad as each other. Do we really care about each other? No. There will be Olympic Games held while some parts of the world is at war. We will say life goes on. Music concerts etc. as others suffer. We through tonnes of food away in one part of the world, even as helpless children starve in other parts of the world. But we each look the other way. Life goes on. If those starving are assisted, will they in turn seek to assist others in future? Not likely. If we cancel the Olympic Games and Taylor Swift concerts in sympathy for those currently at war around the world, will those people do the same for others if the roles were reversed? Not likely. Therein lies the dilemma.

If only we could treat others as we would want to be treated.

I read an article this week that stated: if we can each spend just 24 hours not complaining, not venting against something, not hating on anyone…..

If only….

History tells us appeasement doesn’t work, but equally, wars don’t solve anything either! Ask the Americans. They fought a civil war to eradicate hate, 159 years later, they still cannot seem able to set their differences aside to live harmoniously. There was even whispers of a civil war if Trump didn’t win the 2024 Presidential election. Then take a look at Europe: from Brexit to Ukraine to the ongoing resurgence of populism and isolationist agenda that now appear to be preferred by many. The summer riots in the UK against immigration, where so many police officers were injured by rioters and the very fabric of our society and civilised discourse, shredded! How could we not find a way to discuss our differences without resorting to violence and a breakdown of law & order?!! This is supposed to be the 21st century right???

We just appear hellbent on going backwards. Many feel there is something in the past that is so desirable. A time when fewer and fewer people held privilege and there was no migration perhaps? Was there ever such an era? And should that be where we want to be in 2024??

Is it not time we made wars totally unacceptable?

Is it not time we step back from the brink?

We must find alternatives, we must find options to address our difference without ending in armed conflict.

Deterrence is fine, to keep the folk making the weapons in business, if they do not wish to find other products to manufacture. But we must find a way to pull back and stay back, from any possibility of war. It solves nought!

….this is how fragile democracy is. We need to protect it. The era of decency – if there ever was such an era – is firmly over. We just saw an individual decide to burn everything down, to have his own way. Evoking martial law should surely have a minimum number of senior government officials who must approve? But even so, it is the reason leaders now seek to load the deck with folk who won’t object…

Perilous times indeed!!

…. and we’re still 4 weeks to the end of the year. 122 crossed last Sunday. Around 65 have died.

It doesn’t matter whether or not the folks that are angry about this situation have all the facts, this situation is indeed concerning. It was also reported that legal net migration to the UK hit 906,000 in June and that 1 in 5 of those migrating (legally) to the UK are not in employment!

We of course must give the new government – who are only 5 months in – a chance to find real solutions to this problem. And I have every confidence that they will, because they have the right approach and intention.

We cannot have an uncontrolled or uncontrollable border. It makes a mockery of our sovereignty and abuse the hospitality of the British people. It doesn’t matter what the arguments are, or what the circumstances are, people should respect Britain and I believe this relentless channel crossings are disrespectful and there needs to be an arrangement with France, to process folk seeking refuge at their point of arrival (in France) and the French must secure their border, such that France doesn’t become a gateway to people using the English Channel to float across into the UK. It has become an adventure of sorts and the numbers are just staggering. It’s not right. It’s also not fair on Britain. The resulting hatred that it breeds, is also not right. If Britain is to return to being a happy, hospitable, welcoming country, these illegal entries must stop and the border secured. Then, people can get back to seeking refuge via legal entry.

Democracy should be about all political parties helping the party in power (incumbent government) to do the best possible for the country. The minute that singular objective is set aside, democracy is in trouble. Today, the only objective appears to be centred on making the party in government fail; it seems it is now solely about pulling them down, rubbishing all their efforts, frustrating everything they do, even if it means the entire country suffer for it! That is why we see a foolish petition asking for a general election – just 4 months after electing a new government – and you see the leader of the opposition, shamelessly mentioning that idiotic petition in parliament. Seriously??!!!

Politicians of all parties need to be reminded of their purpose. There’s a government, there’s the opposition that is there to ensure accountability and ensure the government is performing and there are other parties also there to provide alternatives. ALL are supposed to be serving the singular purpose to making sure the country has the best service. If the opposition party disagrees with the government, it should offer up better policy, better solutions etc., this was never supposed to be a race to the bottom! It was never supposed to be about tearing each other down to the overall & repeated detriment of the country & its people; which is where we are today! We ran a general election and 4 months into what’s supposed to be a 5 year term, we see a silly petition that should have been roundly derided by all, suddenly becoming a national talking-point. How about all parties helping the party in government to at least give it a go for a couple of years first, and if they are clearly failing, then the opposition can present its alternative vision! Not 4 months into a new government for goodness sake!!!!!!

Yes, the new age of misinformation and disinformation is part of the problem. But it is clear that opportunism is the core challenge our democracy is facing. Those hellbent of power believe they have found a shortcut. So far, it is working for them. They have us all at each other’s throats. The devil has fooled us all into believing he doesn’t exist..

Tied to the above, is the ceaseless quest of the new generation to want to correct the past. They somehow believe society can reach back into the past and right the wrongs of slavery, colonialism, displacement of indigenous people of places such as New Zealand, Australia, US, Canada etc. But when confronted with the simple fact that their own, present day luxuries and some of the universities they attended, places they visit etc.m are there on the back of profit generated back then. I am not sure what difference it will make if countries such as the UK, France, Spain and co., were to turn around and condemn their ancestors and those acts and actions of the past. Sure, it could expose them to liability and the talks of reparations could return in force; but what exactly will payment of reparation achieve??? The countries that may get paid reparation do not have the means to do anything with it. It is akin to handing a £billion Creditcard to a homeless person who doesn’t have a network of contacts and no clout. You do not have to look far, to find some useful examples. In 2004/2005 the government of Alberta in Canada said they have a bunch of money to give out and they handed out cheques of $400 or so, to every Albertan. The level of homelessness and people sleeping rough in that province is now, 20 years later, at an all-time high! You hand $400 to a homeless person with drug-related problems, they do a jig, off to their drug-dealer, get a fix for a few weeks and that’s that.
Besides, do people in Britain today, or Australia or the US, wish to condemn their ancestors and actions of their ancestors? The very actions that largely funded what they have today. Yes, many of those actions, such as slavery, were heinous, but the hypocrisy of avoiding the obvious fact that any of us living in today’s western world have indirectly benefited from those actions, is rife. It is what it is. There’s no fix. You can’t reach back in time to correct it. It is foolhardy to attempt ineffective tweaks. History is history. We have never learnt from it; which is why we still see so many wars today, and some are even now discussing a possible Word War III. Seriously???!
So, of what use is the incessant pillorying of actions of the past? We need to draw a firm line under it and move on!!! What is more worrying, is the likelihood of those past evils returning, along with many – of those evils – that never went away anyway e.g. the situations in the US where some sections of their society continue to suffer. Third world countries have remained third world. How many more centuries do we need to get the world to a basic minimum level of development?????
Some will argue that failure to unpick and fully settle the past, is what has continued to impact us today and in future. But we’ve been saying that for over 100 years now. Isn’t it time to try something else? Ditch the past, try to create a meaningful future that isn’t steeped in the burdens of our past???!!!!

This week, the new UK labour government released an update of migration figures, which really has nothing to do with them, as it largely spans the period before they took office. But more importantly, the excellent work they (Labour government) have started to do, will surely take some months to have an effect. But instead of clearly explaining what these figures represent: ‘Net Migration’ is not about the folk rowing across the English Channel! It is a figure that represents the rate of Brits exiting the country as well as non-Brits coming in (including the much greater figure of those coming in legally). The overwhelming number of those coming in legally and why? (is it driven by skills shortages? an appetite for cheaper labour? or what?), that is what needs reflecting on

Sadly, the focus on the last government (Conservatives) and their failure to tackle the issue, while making all sorts of noise in public about the much lower proportion rowing in across the channel, is not going to help the labour government address this matter or get the baying public on side.

The labour government needs to let go of the blame game. Spend more time explaining – even if as it were, the baying public won’t be convinced either way, as this is today’s social media reality, people will moan endlessly – to people, what these issues are: at present, there are several kinds of jobs and skills that Brits have not bothered with and this makes it impossible to drastically chop some of the legal migration, which is quite high. That then leads to all sorts of other cost-draining problems for the government. Ending the illegal migration across the English Channel is not something that will happen overnight, and Rwanda wouldn’t have done anything to solve the problem (it was not an effective deterrent) and indeed, the steps labour are taking, are the only steps that can lead to putting an end to it – albeit, I still fully believe tech is what we must have, as the end of channel crossings will only lead to those folk finding other openings. Tech solutions will keep the government ahead of the curve.

The tough-talking by the PM in his speech yesterday, has clearly not done anything to convince the baying public – in truth, no amount of tough-talking from him, will achieve anything with those folk, because he is not using the indecent words that resonate with them – what they want to hear him say is: “we must end this invasion”, “these animals coming I are eating our pets”. That sort of language is what gains you popularity with the kinds of people who would riot and throw chairs at the police and injure ambulance crew. He has no hope of convincing those people. But there are some, whom he can convince – the UK is like that; we are largely highly intelligent people; even those without higher education – if he stops wasting time blaming the previous government and get on with engaging better with the nation and putting the real facts out there. Has he not already demonstrated that he sees this as a big issue? HE HAS! And on top of that, his government are taking real steps to address this, as opposed to just slogans!

Perhaps we should not be so hasty banning others?
Or is it just a coincidence that these two have supposedly “acceptable” excuses for their positive drug test?
Would those excuses be acceptable if they were Chinese, Russian or from some developing country?

If only I knew?

Sadly, I’m no psychologist and I can’t really answer this question…

Some say it is fear of the unknown…

Some say it is a defective mind i.e. a mental malfunction..

Whatever it is, it has been there since the very first human being walked the face of the earth I suppose.
It was there in biblical times (for those who believe in religion) and I think it started with jealousy or something along those lines…

Whether it is today, 10 years ago, 100 years ago or 1000 years ago, whatever drives an individual to seek to protect his/her own, while willingly extinguishing others, is just to difficult to understand. We saw various formats last summer in the UK; be it the teenager that was able to take a knife to three young girls and kill them, to the inexcusable riots that followed, where several police officers and ambulance staff were violently attacked and injured, with hotels housing migrants being set on fire (just think about it: what if the fire hit a gas supply to the hotel? It could have been catastrophic!) and the hateful rhetoric that has now become acceptable language, even at the upper echelons of our politics.

We all thought heinous acts such as buying & selling of human beings, holocaust, world wars, genocide etc., were situations that could only have occurred years and years ago, when things were different. But here we are, in 2024, in the 21st century, and we are witness to some really horrific events. And some are now casually discussing the likelihood of a World War III, as if two of those wasn’t enough!!!!

We never have, still don’t and perhaps never will, sat down for a minute, to consider the fact that each single human being has a touch point with so many others, be it the mother, father, siblings, neighbours, old schoolmates etc. The notion of just ending a life, let alone tens, hundreds, thousands through war, is something we should all find wholly unacceptable. Instead, we take sides and argue. It should never ever be about who’s wrong or who’s right. When women, children, the defenceless, start getting killed in their hundreds, there has to be another way to resolve whatever it is that caused a conflict. We have to be better. We have to do better.

I have been very vocal about the madness and unacceptable nature of illegal migration into the UK for instance, but by the same token, when we start to see bodies wash ashore or migrant hotels being attacked and set on fire, you have to pause for a moment. There must be technological means of controlling our borders and addressing this issue, in a manner that avoids such tragedy. We must find a way.

There must be a way to appease those who have become so hateful, that they spend hours and hours on the internet, spewing hate or are prepared to attached the police during riots or burn down hotels holding migrants or do all sorts. There must be a way to get through to us all, that we cannot, we must not, we should not ever, get to such a juncture, where we harbour that much hatred in our hearts. It is impossible to even begin to imagine where the world is heading, when we have now nurtured so much hate. All sides appear locked-in and their stances appear immovable: just look at the Democratic and Republican parties in the US. These are supposed to be 2 parties that should be able to agree to disagree but appear irretrievably locked-in to their differing positions.

We have to hope someone will unlock this at some point and pull us back from the brink!

Take a look at the politicians – around the world – who are always talking about the existence of a deep state and you will almost feel like they are all one and the same person! They see something to be angry about at every turn! If there are no migrants, they will fume about Europe. If there’s no Europe they will fume about wokeness. If there is no wokeness, they will find something else to fume about!

We are now talking about World War 3 as if it was just a casual fisticuff behind the local pub! This evening I read a statement from a senior NATO official, asking business leaders to start preparing for a war scenario. Jeez!!! Should we not all be talking about the idiocy of war and how it solves nothing!!! Should we not be seeking urgent means of de-escalation?

It is virtually impossible to understand how supposedly “developed” countries can care so little for the loss of life that results from armed conflict. Are these soldiers not sons & daughters of someone? Yes, it was their choice to join the armed forces, but they shouldn’t be seen to be so dispensable! I can understand countries trying to flex their military muscle etc., and many folk on the news (and politicians) come up with reasons why war is inevitable in some instances. But for goodness sake! Can we at least try NOW, to take a step back and stop this idiocy??!!!

It is however not at all difficult to see why we end up in these situations. When we celebrate intolerance and allow crazy folk to continually whip up hatred, instigate riots, ignore facts and just make up stuff etc.

How obtuse! This is the generation we are in today! They just don’t get it!

Brexit referendum – oh! Let’s have another. NO. It’s done. Live with it. Not the result most of us wanted, but you get on with it!

Someone should sit this coming generation down and explain the facts of life to them! The general election is on a 4 or5 year cycle. We just had one. Like or loath the government, you will not get another general election till around 2028. Period! And if Kier Starmer wishes to do as his predecessor did, then definitely, the earliest will be late 2028. So, live with it!

To think demo is served by some dumb petition, to then start holding a general election each time some folk feel like penning petitions? Seriously???!

Give it a rest!

I could easily be labelled as a liberal. But although I am anti-war, I am not naive, I know why we sometimes end in such unsavoury situations. Placation hasn’t always worked. I am all for people respecting each other and everyone being treated equally, but again, I am not naive enough not to see the reason why we must have borders in today’s world (because at present, we do not all share the same culture, beliefs etc., and we shouldn’t allow those intent on changing us, to do so. Brits wish to remain as we have always been). So, if people who supported the Biden government (a well-intended government that wanted decency by the way, but unfortunately, ignored major issues such as sorting their border out or getting the country to understand the truths around why you can’t just go and build a silly wall..) for 4 years, and contributed to this situation where millions of Americans were left feeling that what they care about is being ignored – which is what has returned Trump to the White House – these same folk, who can afford to then waltz off to the UK…..

If our government in the UK do not learn from this and begin grassroot engagement with the discontent folk in the country – to get them to see the real, honest situation regarding the mass flow of people across the English Channel, and explain to them what actions are indeed being taken, and the the refusal to use dehumanising language doesn’t mean this government doesn’t recognise this issue is critical and must be addressed. What the current government is doing (and what they will do) will be a lot more effective in addressing this issue, than what the previous government did in 13 years. However, the current government will achieve nothing, if they do not engage with the disavowed and discontent folk in the country, to get them to see exactly what is being done. It is so easy for governments to take a high ground and see no reason to explain themselves, but with this particular situation, if they don’t engage, whatever they do achieve, will not have the desired effect. It is so much easier to go about calling migrants “Invaders” and promising to dump them in Rwanda – even though you know the practicalities of it makes such a scheme pointless and it won’t even be an effective deterrent either – or to keep shouting ‘stop the boat’ without any practical means of doing so. But it appeals to the folk who rioted in the UK last summer. They don’t do detail or practicalities, they just want to hear tough words, even if ineffectual. But the present government wants to be decent. They do not wish to use denigrating words, they do not want to tout empty, useless slogans. They want to fix the problem. BUT attempting to do so quietly, without telling the country how and showing real data etc., is not going to keep the rioters at bay. Toughening the laws and imprisoning rioters is not the solution. Yes, there must be consequences for people who throw chairs at the police and injure the police, BUT, what the government really needs to do, is talk to the people in the country who are concerned about the influx of migrants across the channel. Walk them through what can and is being done. YES, many of them will never be satisfied with whatever the government does, and prefer the dehumanising words and ‘stop the boat’ slogans, even if those achieve nothing!

But to those elites now waltzing in from the US., where were you over the last 4 years??? Why didn’t you ask the Biden government to at least pretend to address the border crossings in the south?

We don’t want to end up as America have. We want to retain decency and decent language in our politics and how we deal with matters. Yes, the illegal migration must be addressed and robustly, BUT not with empty slogans and dehumanising words…

I just read a report this morning by one of our news channels in the UK, lamenting the sudden appearance of many hotels housing illegal migrants & asylum seekers, at a cost of £8million a day to UK taxpayers. I am not sure if the intention of the report is to stir up more tension, but will give the reporter the benefit of doubt that he just wanted to report and that he simply doesn’t understand that this supposed £8m a day cost is not paid to an alien on planet Mars right?

Now, I have written several articles on here, about the need for migration to follow due process and how it is simply not ok, for people to start flowing into a country by boat across the channel, presumably knowing we can’t just shove them back. It is an exploitation of our system. And it must end. Technology has to be the solution. The silly deterrents previously proposed (Rwanda), ain’t going to work. I can also understand that the government must be exhausted; no matter how hard they try to explain the situation, those seeking to cause hate & division (for personal gain) will remain unrelenting. We could all work together, to solve this problem: beginning with those who illegally employ illegal migrants, those related to people smugglers and know exactly what they do, those who put these inaccurate reports out there and do so deliberately, without context. It seems nobody wants this problem solved??

But the government cannot afford to tire. We face anarchy (and we saw a glimpse of it this summer, with the awful rioting in the UK, which is simply unimaginable, in a developed country!!!). The government must communicate effectively with the people. The report this morning stated that one of the hotels where nearly 300 of the illegal migrants have been dumped (many of them young unmarried men) is within close proximity of two all-girls schools. Now, there is no history of this being an issue, but locals raising concern is quite understandable; surely, it is worth looking at any potential risk and explaining – to those raising concerns – how such risks are mitigated.

But most importantly, back to the matter of the £8m a day cost that’s being reported and if you read the hundreds of angry comments on the report, you can see that they are individuals riled by what they perceive as a waste of taxpayer money and that this £8m a day spent on these hotels, is a big issue. Now, let’s delve into this – and setting aside the wider issue of illegal migration for a minute – this £8m is not paid into an offshore account or to an alien on Mars! These hotels housing these migrants, are hotels that employ Brits! The food they feed the migrants are probably made by some companies employing Brits right? The produce used to make the food is from British farms or retailers right? The report say they hand money to the migrants for upkeep: presumably the clothes worn by these migrants are bought somewhere? The hotels are also owned by someone? They pay taxes….? If a news outlet wants to report on £8m a day spent on hotels housing migrants, why not provide some truthful context? Why not pick just one of such hotels and breakdown the details: who owns the hotel? How much tax do the hotel pay into the UK purse? How much of the £8m a day goes to pay the salary of British people who work for these hotels, work for the companies that provide the food and other supplies etc. How much of this £8m per day is actually money that isn’t staying in the system?

Yes, there are concerns and issues and impact on the NHS etc, impact on housing, schools etc. If we can’t plan for how many people come into the country due to this alarmingly high number of people (and the number is indeed truly alarming) rowing in by boat daily! BUT for goodness sake, let us stop this awful process of whipping up hate and division by putting out lies and leaving out the context just to put out over-sensationalised drivel! There is no £8m per day loss of money UK taxpayers!!! Most of that money heads straight back into the system! We are GREAT BRITAIN for goodness sake! Stop the mindless hate-mongering! If we want to deal with the illegal migration, look to technology! Fix the problem! But the government needs to URGENTLY up its communication with the people, to stop misinformation and disinformation or we it will be anarchy! People are being whipped into a hate-filled frenzy as they continue to be fed lies and poor context!

Take a quick glance around the world…..

Africa – supposed cradle of humanity? Now used as a deterrent! Centuries of misery, strife, hunger, manipulation and they are still trying to find a way out.

North America – populated by immigrants seeking a new, supposedly better life. Found it? Now fighting tooth & nail, to keep other immigrants out.

Europe – unending history of wars. Centuries on, still at war. Claims to have enlightened the world, but the legacy is difficult to grasp

Asia – always seeking to offer an alternative to ‘the west’. It is however difficult to see the positives. Can’t all be down to western propaganda can it?

The rest – depending on where you sit Oceania, the Middle East…. You have the return of issues in New Zealand, Australia, the European enlightenment seems to be in question. Nations formed from immigration, now grappling with immigration. As for the Middle East, tough to follow the various conflicts from Syria to Iraq, to situations in Yemen, Gaza, Lebanon, Israel etc.

You wonder what has been achieved? or rather, what are we trying to achieve?

Is it possible for the world to just take pride in being human, and leave it at that? It would seem, the moment we begin to take pride a step further, the problems begin to build up. Pride in planting a flag here or there, a religion, enlightenment….. etc.
It’s always one ideology trying to suppress another ideology. We then try to explain it all away, with weasel words such as: values, culture, beliefs etc.

’Live & let live’ appears to be unachievable.

Too much history. Pain. Scores to be settled. And indeed, ideologies still trying to take over other ideologies.

Where did it all begin?

It seems impossible to draw a line and try to restart…

Each to their own?

Each left to be as they prefer?

But who’s to blink first? You can see the dilemma. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? History can’t help us, as it depends on where you choose to begin and whose account you accept. If you say: let’s disarm the world, so that we use arm-wrestling to settle disputes, with nobody needing to die. Well, who gets rid of their weapons first? And how do you trust the others not to then seize that advantage? Not going to happen. It’s all a tangled web. Human being appear to need conflict. We appear to need to hurt each other, dehumanise each other etc. It’s been like that forever. You’ll be hated if you suggest things could be different and that we could try to hit restart and not be this way.

Perhaps too late….

I’ve always found it puzzling that when a group of people say they’ve found something that’s the best, something that’s the shining light; be it a belief, an ideology or whatever, the trouble starts when they want everyone else to have a taste of it! (whether or not the others say they want it). If you’ve found something great, how about you just carry on enjoying it. Perhaps others see what they have as great too. But oh no! ours is the greatest and others must have it! enlightenment, education, religion, way of life. We must spread it! It must be accepted by all….

Where did it all begin?

I don’t know.

But it is what’s left us as we are: with kids starving some place, others having a supposedly awesome life elsewhere and with more than they can eat. Strife and conflicts everywhere you look.

Who is right? Who is wrong?

Why must we always have good or bad?

Each side seem to have an explanation. Defending our way of life……

I try to avoid passing judgement. Perhaps it’s all just so complex!!??

It seems that is just what we are. Imperfect humans.

You look at some of our politicians today. They just want to find fault in each other, find negatives. Tear each other apart. No attempt at actually being decent (if that means anything anymore? or ever did?).

Sadly, can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel…..

Wouldn’t it be great, if we could just all leave each other be? And people can opt for what they wish for? But that’s too simple, too naive. Can’t happen….

Life goes on I suppose…..

You only have to look at the current UK government; led by decent individuals who truly want to help the country, but unfortunately, does the country wish to be helped? All you hear is: oh, they are increasing taxes! Oh, they want to do this or that! Well, ask yourself this: why do you think they are taking such action? Is it so they can wreck the economy? How would that benefit their hope for re-election?

It is not that difficult to say you want to disrupt, as the incoming Trump government appear to be doing. Appoint individuals who won’t be the norm! Stir it all up etc. Well, as I said in my previous article, when all you can say the government they are replacing did, was ‘be normal’ and ‘be decent’, while achieving very little else, you can partly see the reason they lost the 2024 election, with so many millions seeming to want to see what an opposite arrangement would look like. But running a government is not exactly the same as running a business, because with businesses such as Tesla, you have a lot longer than 4 years to get things done. With government, particularly in the US, you spend the first year in transition; getting appointees ratified by congress, reversing a lot of the policies of the last government etc. By the time you get to year 2, you are already facing a number of elections such as the mid-term, when you could suddenly lose control of the House of Representatives or the Senate, and suddenly, you are having some tough challenges and year 3 is spent fighting that. Before you know it, you’re back in an election year (year 4) and you’re off on your bike! As such, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy for America. Come January, if the intention is to go in a tangent to the norm and do stuff, the outcome is likely to be as many are already predicting. But of course, for the sake of Americans and the ripple effect on the rest of the world, I certainly hope we are all pleasantly surprised and the disrupters are proven right and they open the eyes of the world to their genius/this bold new way to govern….

Global peace? End of conflicts (Sudan, Middle East etc.)? Reduction of child poverty? Reduction of prison population/reoffending?

Have any of the above ended?

Over the years, people with medical training e.g. doctors, have been given a chance to lead health administration and failed. They were said to lack the administrative expertise. The we got an army of administrators in, who lacked the basic understanding of what it takes to provide healthcare. That ended up in a mess too. I guess you need a mix of both?

Today’s reality is quite simple: not much has been achieved. We have needless wars – even in Europe – we have people trafficking that’s now on a mass scale, with borders now meaningless and people assuming they can just walk into any country at will – essentially exploiting the civility of those nations. The helplessness that’s led to some of these folk making these perilous journeys should not be glossed over, but the lack of regard for borders and due process, is frightening!

So, is there honestly any sensible reason not to try “supposedly” unimpressively qualified people at the helm of government??? What have the supposedly impressively qualified folk achieved to date???

The folk who should be sitting quietly, figuring out how they blew it so badly, do not appear to have learnt any lessons. But honestly, some of the appointments are poacher turned gate-keeper! May end up an absolute soap-opera…

… “Woke”? What is it? What does it mean? Should I treat it with derision like many choose to treat rap music?

I am as guilty as the next person, for uttering statements such as: “what is this woke nonsense?”

Today, I learnt a very poignant lesson..

Some Americans (of African descent) are only just, in 2024, finding out, via documents that were only just made available through recent declassification from the federal records, how the Grandma whose picture has graced their wall at home for decades, died. One was a mother who was in her 40s in 1945, when she was arrested for selling alcohol – which was prohibited in her state at the time, under the Jim Crow laws – and she was beaten so badly, that her neck broke and she vomited profusely and died in the back of the police van. It has taken her granddaughter nearly 50 years of requesting information relating to her death.

Now, a guy like me can sit about here in the UK and question why these black folk in the US can’t just move on and get on with their lives. You hear politicians here, casually saying “woke”, “wokeness” and bandying those words about, without as much as a clue as to why these folk coined the term and what it means to them.

I am determined from today onwards, to refrain from commenting on this topic. I simply do not know enough about it.

Yes, a great deal of horrible, unthinkable stuff happened over the years, and if we look away, if we say “woke is crap” and we get complacent, there are still many people in today’s world, who can drag us right back to terrible eras such as the Jim Crow era in the US. There are still many capable people out there who wish to dictate to women, who wish to dehumanise other human beings just because they are in unfortunate circumstances e.g. in the hands of people smugglers or seeking refuge or migrating illegally – they are still human beings and much as their form of migration (illegal) has/needs to be controlled and they must apply for legal entry, they should not be dehumanised.

People must move on, YES. Talk of reparation for slavery for instance, in terms of payments, is just silly and unworkable. The folk asking for it should be looking for industrialisation, development that gets them up the ladder to become developed nations. Receiving payment ain’t gonna do anything long term for them.

Going forward, I will not comment on ‘Woke’ again. I do sincerely hope that those in society, who still feel like they are not getting a fair shake, see improvements soon, so that we can try to progress to times when people can get a fair shake

Democracy bought? Nonsense!
It is exactly what it’s always been…

We (human beings) are despicable!
We are what we are….

If you follow the money trail, you will find that the obscene amount of money raised by those vying to be president of the United States, is not spent on aliens! It is spent on, and earned by, the same people complaining about it. They buy merchandise, adverts, event venue rentals etc. So, in essence, the money is poured back in…

If you have a 2-party system (i.e. the main parties), one will win some, the other will lose some. As such, the claim that democracy is bought, is not accurate. It is just bizarre that they can’t place a firm limit of say, $100m on each election cycle, be it from directs or PACs and Super PACs, they should say that no candidate can exceed a combined spend of $100m. It really is, most unfortunate, if people are visiting food banks and there are homeless people on the streets of America, while candidates vying to be president, raise and spend heinous amounts of money. Albeit, if you follow the money, most of it probably filters back in. Same for the complaints about the £millions the UK government are said to be spending on illegal migrants: well, follow the money! Who owns the hotels that they are paying £millions to house those migrants? Who owns the catering companies feeding them? List all the other services tied to and are earning fees from all that? And the ordinary people those firms hire…..

Sadly, nobody wants to get those facts in the open, as it kills the arguments that they want to push e.g. democracy is being bought!

When you read some of the divisive (no reason makes it acceptable) rhetoric that’s now been normalised in today’s society, Remembrance Day becomes increasingly poignant. Most of those who gave everything for us (gave their life for us) were barely boys. We must find a way to honour their sacrifice by warding off future wars! War should never be an option. We must find other ways to settle matters.

Divisive folk should be reminded of the hundreds of thousands who gave their lives, and they did so regardless of their politics or preferences; we must honour their sacrifice by saying no, firmly, to divisiveness. We always say: “lest we forget”. But indeed, the best way to remember these fallen heroes, is to banish hatred of others from our words & actions. It is such divisiveness that led to the wars that claimed those lives that we now remember on Remembrance Day. When are we going to learn?

It’s so easy to just gloss over Remembrance Day and carry on. But we must never forget the sacrifice of those who gave their life for us; they would have had children, grandchildren etc., we sit here today, moaning about all sort, they gave their lives for us!

I watched Brighton demolish Man City in the second half of their match today. Their manager is barely in his 30s.

There’s a long, long list of these foreign managers doing so well in the league here. And we still query the appointment of a foreign manager for the English national team??! That said, as a Brit, it is painful for me to see a German managing the three lions. But it is clearly what will get us a trophy

The only reason I can come up with, for foreign managers doing so well – even the inexperienced ones – in the premiership, is the respect they are afforded. In England we seem to find it difficult to respect our own. You look at the constant abuse that Lewis Hamilton receives, in any other country, with his achievements, he would be a respected idol. Same for Emma Raducanu; we just love to tear them apart. I don’t know why. Andy Murray is Scottish but resides in England, won the Olympics twice! Yet, he is ripped to shreds for no reason. Sam Allardyce the former Bolton (and other clubs) manager famously said – and with good reason – that if his name was foreign (Allardici) he would have been better respected for what he achieved over so many years.

We need to start giving our own, a little bit of respect and encouragement. It will of course never happen, but we can live & hope!?

There are a number of laudable norms out there e.g. saying thank you when someone does something for you. And there are some non-negotiable norms set in law e.g. abiding by law & order. I’m happy with all of that.

But going forward, and in addition to some silly norms e.g. Valentine’s Day celebrations, Christmas (with some even venturing as far as to say it’s “holidays” and not religious; well, it is, and it is based on religion and we should not try to bend it to our own respective interpretations; ‘Christ-mas’ it is, the birth of ‘Christ’, leave it be as it is, if like myself, you’re not interested in religion, then just opt out. Not try to change it to suit. At least that will be my stance going forward: i will simply opt out)..

Birthdays? utter rubbish. We are in a world that’s so twisted; children dying left, right and centre, and we look the other way and try to explain that wars are a necessity at times? Well, what’s there to celebrate on a birthday? Going forward, I will make the first day of each year (Jan 1) my birthday and I will use it as a day of reflection and anyone looking to wish me a happy birthday can very well do so on Jan 1 each year, as this is my birthday going forward.

I have always tried to be someone who isn’t led by what others do and what society tell us we should do (well, other than those useful norms mentioned above e.g. being polite). This year has been a real eye-opener, including the most recent debacle of the year, where the 4 years of Biden normalcy in the US, have now ended being pointless really. What is the point of those 4 calm years? Many are now out in force predicting doom in the next 4 years, but would it not be more productive, to just try to be positive and constructive: after all, we say we subscribe to democracy, it is what it is. Thee were 4 years (2020 – 2024) to have convinced Americans to give the democrats another 4 years; why couldn’t they do so? People can put whatever excuses and reasons (it’s because she’s a woman, it’s because she it white etc… all are just excuses…) they want, the way this works, is you get people to vote for you….

I’m done with silly norms!!

The good cower and whisper their goodness in the background. The nasty folk are brazen and shout their nastiness from the rooftop. Well, which would prevail?

There is of course always a philosophical take on it, that goodness quietly prevails.

Who knows?

At the end of the day, what is good? and what is bad?
Perhaps all just a figment of our imagination?

You look at El Salvador, thousands of heavily tattooed gang members spent years terrifying the public. Their streets were unwalkable day & night. Now, many of those gang folk are banged up in prisons without due process, without trial. But the streets are safer. Murder rates are down. Some of those heavily tattooed folk banged up in prisons probably never committed a crime and in any case, their guilt hasn’t been legally proven. That is indeed how complex the concept of good & bad is….

We can sit here and say, well, you let the law run its course, but with years of nothing happening in a place like El Salvador, they had to do something…

When good people whisper goodness in the background but are not willing to take the heat and stand for what they believe in, we end in situations we are in today, across the world, where people are dying left, right and centre, regardless of who is right or wrong, we all look the other way. There are so many excuses put forward by both sides, but the end point always seems to be needless, avoidable deaths of so many innocent people.
Illegal migration is a crucial example: when bodies of children wash up on the shores of rivers, all sides defend an indefensible position. People smugglers, governments & reasons for displacement, be it conflict, economy etc. What does it matter what the reasons are? You have a dead innocent child…

I do not believe we’ve ever been able to grasp the meaning of good or bad. Perhaps it’s not a tangible concept. What’s clear though, is that we are in perilous times. People marching to protest all sorts. Organisations formed to make things right and then their finances reveal embezzlement of epic proportions…

We were so, so close in the 90s (at least, here in the UK) to ‘live & let live’, where everyone just wanted to get along and just do the best we could each do…

…. presumably the Democrats simply decided 2024 was not worth stealing…??

It is clear that one must wish Trump well (for the sake of America and indeed, the rest of the world); he has to succeed and hopefully, surprise us all this time around with less twitting and more president behaviour. Many people have started with the criticism, negativity, concern etc., since the result was announced. But the reality is simple: Trump will be President of the US for the next 4 years. So, as Kier Starmer has done, hypocritical or not, it is the only sensible thing to do: you wish him well! And hopefully, he rewrite his legacy in office and surprises everyone by actually focusing on improving their economy and doing positive stuff

America (or rather, Americans who have never doubted the integrity of their electoral system) do deserve an apology from Trump, his sons, his family and all the politicians who spent the last 4 years saying the 2020 election was stolen. Many of those folk who are in government, should resign in shame. They have tarnished their own electoral system, but now rejoice that the very same system has returned their man (Trump) to power?

Honestly, you couldn’t make it up even if you tried! A supposedly fraudulent electoral system that can supposedly be so readily manipulated, has now suddenly and miraculously become fraud-free and the supposed cheating Democrats who stole the election 4 years ago, all of them still in office in 2024, decided not to bother stealing it this time around? It’s now suddenly quiet on the ‘stop the steal’ front….

Sadly, no lessons will be learnt. There will be no apologies and the shameless folk who tarnished the country’s image by claiming 2020 was a fraudulent result, will slither away and quietly carry on.

…. everytime you hear of an individual or group complaining that their freedom of speech is being impaired, when you read the supposed speech, it is always one that targets the helpless.

Why are these defenders of ‘freedom of speech’ not going for speech directed at the wealthy and/or groups who can afford to defend themselves? Well, the answer is quite simple: because those folk will defend themselves and make you pay for your loose speeches!

Fair game for these ‘speeches’ tend to be defenceless people….

The quickest way to end up as a one-term government is by offering nothing innovative!

I like to think that any party that gets into government in a democracy, has what it takes. Even if it isn’t to everyone’s taste. In the US today, there will be all sorts of inquisition and doom-mongering. But the reality is actually quite simple: how much did the Biden government impact? I believe it was a well-intentioned government that came with minimal drama, no late night twitting etc. But the hysteria around Trump returning is not necessary: after all, he did run the country for 4 years not so long ago didn’t he? And even if his style & what he did was not to everyone’s taste and if what he will do, over the coming 4 years isn’t to everyone’s taste, it is hardly the end of the world is it? Over 75million Americans voted him in. It is what the system is, and anyone going around now, trying to convince anyone of what’s coming, need to pipe down! The democrats had 4 years to make their case, instead, they fumbled all over the place (well-intentioned or not), didn’t have an electable Plan B (which could have been Gavin Newsom or even Pete Buttegieg) and last minute, AFTER the primaries, decide to dump their past saviour (rather unceremoniously) and put forward someone who was never going to win. But the fact is: were they able to make a case for a second term?
The democrats are very decent, well-intentioned folk, but what they are trying to sell to their fellow Americans ain’t what those folk with to buy. For example, AOC’s green new deal; very noble, it will get her re-elected to congress etc., but for it to help and not be a hindering talking point at national level, it has to come with additional clarity on what those who will lose their jobs if certain sectors are impacted, what do they move on to? e.g. if I propose shutting down a diesel engine manufacturer who employs 500 people and I open up a wind turbine manufacturer on the same site, who employs 1000 people, that could be an understandable position…

The Labour Party have come in, on the back of widespread frustration with the previous government. They (Labour) must secure some very tangible wins. They have already annoyed pensioners (and pensioners have voting-age children, voting-age grandchildren etc); so, similar to Kamala Harris and the Democrats in the US, you can’t afford to alienate too many other groups. Kamala from the get go, already had a bunch of men who won’t vote for a woman to deal with, then there are a bunch of women in the US who still believe men must lead. Then her government, which she was a VP in, got on the wrong side on the ongoing Middle East issues and she lost a whole bunch of additional votes. Add to that the MAGA folk who weren’t going to vote for her anyway, and you think: what is the point of raising hundreds of billions of dollars from George Clooney and co. to campaign etc.? It was a fait accompli.

Now, the Labour government in the UK is facing similar challenges; they must deal with the illegal migration issue (regardless of how complicated it is) and must be seen to have a viable solution, which they really must get in place, with tangible results before the end on 2026. They (Labour) are very decent, well-intentioned folk, but as a government, you really can’t get much done in a single term. They need to have at least one more term and I believe they can do a great deal of good for every Brit. But they won’t get a chance to do so, if they end this first term, without having achieved some very notable wins. It won’t be enough for them to have been no worse than the previous government or more decent, with decent words etc. All that is clearly no longer enough. Americans were saying this morning, following Trumps victory, that they look forward to buying groceries for cheap. Essentially, they are not bothered by the rest. Not surprising really. How the Democrats thought the messaging around Trump being called a Fascist or some comedian at his rally calling Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage, was going to be the winning message, is quite frankly dumb! The people are saying they can overlook that stuff, if they get their groceries cheaper! Sad reality, but that’s what the majority are now stating as their reason. So, why were the democrats so oblivious of that???

Labour (in the UK) will need to take seriously, whatever it is, the population is saying is their priority. Saying the previous government got the numbers wrong as you hike up the tax, take money off pensioners etc., may well be the correct thing to do, but it is going to be their undoing, if they do not very urgently deal with some other issues that many in the country are hacking on about e.g. uncontrollable influx of illegal immigrants. This is not about taking a moral high ground; politics is about correctly gauging what matter most to the numbers you need, as Trump has made clear to the Democrats today

Yes, there are handicaps when you are elected and it isn’t easy to just get things done. But when politicians are elected and nothing appears to get done, it is a huge handicap and that is exactly what got Kamala Harris today.

The Labour Party in the UK should take note. I have said this over & over again, there must be a technological solution to ensuring that people cannot just row a rubber boat in droves, into the UK, without due process. I do not have a solution, but the people we elect into office must find the solution. It doesn’t matter what the reasons are – be it people fleeing conflict zones or economic migrants – the UK cannot be a country that people come into, without undergoing due process. Due process is the only way we can make necessary provision for those coming in, ensuring they are able to integrate and live the way we live. It is the only way to quell the intolerance and discontent felt by people who feel we have become a country that people feel they can just row into and it makes a mockery of our sovereignty, border and due process. Yes, any solution must be humane and use of abusive, denigrating words is not necessary, BUT, it is very clear that this issue needs to be fixed or the Labour Party will end up exactly as Kamala Harris has tonight.

My personal hope for the world, is that we get to a point where all human beings share the same objective – to live & let live – and we don’t need borders and people are not driven by desperation to migrate, but choose to, if they wish to. We are far from that period – and will probably never get there – and as such, the existing requirements must be observed (you apply for a passport, visa etc. And if you are seeking asylum/refuge, you apply for it, not pay a people-smuggler to row you in). Why? Because as of today, people do not all see things from the same perspective, be it mundane stuff such as littering or major issues such as religion and respecting a circular state. We have countries like the UK as a safe haven for many, because of certain principles e.g. the rule of law. That is why the control of migration remains necessary. That is why many local folk here are dissatisfied with seeing so many people rowing in via the English Channel, with thousands (crazy really!) being able to just row in. It means that we are not able to ensure that those coming in accept our laws and principles etc., this makes integration impossible. It is what has done Kamala Harris in, in the US presidential election.

One key lesson that the democrats will need to learn – whether they like it or not – is that in politics, to win, you must be sure you have the right numbers in the right places. I thought they had those numbers, but the Middle East issues perhaps hit harder than anyone imagined. Illegal migration into the US is of course just a nonsense, for a nation built by migrants, but regardless of what anyone thinks, if you want to be in politics and so many millions say an issue is of importance to them, you need to either persuade/convince them otherwise or you do need to fix it. Either way, you need to be seen to be actively trying to do something about it. It doesn’t matter whether the said issue is spurn out of intolerance or prejudice or whatever, if you have so many millions hacking on about it, then, as an elected government official, you do need to address it. Taking a moral high ground or saying those folk are not correct ain’t gonna cut it, unless you have an equal or higher number of people on your side of that argument

Some of it was so predictable in America; if Liz Cheney lost her seat in Congress, how could she be a political asset to convince Republicans – who didn’t vote for her – to vote for Kamala Harris? When you’ve got George Clooney deciding who runs for President, you know you’re in a clueless mess – this isn’t acting folks. These so-called celebrities mistake wealth for brains. If the Democrats wanted to ditch Biden, they should have had an electable alternative ready from day 1, even if as just a Plan B; not a belated decision after Biden had duly won the nomination, to then slot in – via the whims of celebrities – a candidate that America was simply not going to elect (as we saw with Clinton).

The world is always fixated with the US election for a variety of reasons, the reality is that failure to listen to what the electorate are saying is necessary. It is the last time I will write about US politics, because it is simply too exhausting. British politics is less exhausting and less vicious and we spend a lot less on the process.

I do not believe Americans are as far apart, ideologically, as they think they are. One side wants cheap groceries and want to be great again & be free to use colourful language in congress (because they say freedom of speech allows for that), the other side want to be heard and want an America that is seen as the land of opportunity for all-comers. Both sides think they are correct; that is indeed what pitches them closer than they think. With a bit of give & take, they may just be ok…

America has made its choice. We’ll see how it goes…..

… which afflicts one of his friends. That is how the world should live. It is the way we should each see others: as human beings. Instead, it’s carnage everywhere you look: children dying of hunger, killings left, right and centre. Needless wars. People trafficking. This weekend was people calling Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage, viewing migrants as trash (they are still human; regardless of whether or not many of them are exploiting the system instead of trying to come in by legal means). We are forever trying to incite division, hatred…. all for what exactly????

Shattered to hear that Sir Chris Hoy has terminal cancer! Such a decent guy! Terrible news…

The only person who has previously defeated Donald Trump, is Joe Biden.

He was the only viable option to defeat Trump.

These ain’t deep thinkers. They are movie stars. Celebrities as they like to be called. They donate money etc., but are rarely ever the sharpest tool in the box. The ability to put on a Batman cape and swoon around is not necessarily the makings of a political strategist. They saw Biden in a moment of weakness – which is of course to be expected from someone of his age – and unanimously decided to chuck him aside. I am sure Kamala Harris is awesome, but the some reality is that she hasn’t previously beaten Trump in a presidential race (she was simply on the Biden ticket as a VP). If you ask me, I do not see how Kamala wins this.

Trump never had the numbers to win against Biden. He would have huffed, puffed but he would certainly have lost again, just as he did in 2020. He has a huge following, but not enough in the key electoral areas to win. But against Kamala, I’m afraid Trump has just about enough numbers to win. It’s 2016 all over again, and Clooney just ain’t bright enough to see it…

I am not a fan of politics and I try to avoid commenting on politics, but we are in such dire times, that it is virtually impossible to avoid speaking about politics.

Earlier this year, we had an incoming Labour government. There is absolutely no doubt that they are well-intentioned. They are decent individuals who mean well and truly wish to help people. They want to reduce poverty in the UK and help the downtrodden. Unfortunately, they have a tough job to do. It also doesn’t appear that in their 14 years in opposition, they have been able to find alternative solutions. They have come in and so far, have not been able to avoid making many of the very same mistakes past government that they have criticised made.

It is very saddening. It is looking less and less likely, that they will be able to turn things around. That is indeed truly sad, as they do really mean well and would like to do well for the country. Sadly, it looks like they do not know how.

Their immediate fixation on fixing issues that they need a longer-term fix for, has become their undoing. Coming in and slapping VAT on independent schools, without as much as a clue of the wider implications, has really been damaging for them. Same as the removal of winter fuel payment to some pensioners. But most damaging so far, has been the lack of real, new ideas. Their key people taking gifts & freebies is trivial. Not having any real ideas to put to the table, after 14 years of sitting in opposition, is inexcusable!
They’re cancelling infrastructure projects, saying there isn’t funds. Well, was that not the very same excuse the last government put forward for cancelling HS2 Phase 2? So, what exactly is the point of having a new government? They must have better ideas, or at worst, better or fresh excuses.

I will remain hopeful that they surprise us by turning this around. So far, it has been a truly awful start!!!

People who have never been in a position of power do not realise just how tough it is, for politicians not to accept freebies. Many of those freebies come in totally innocuous formats that they could easily be overlooked, until you then have to declare it in the register, and by then, it’s too late

Whichever way you look at it, this new labour government is trying to be forthright. They are not and cannot be perfect, simply because there is no perfection out there. It doesn’t exist. But if you look at some of their early missteps e.g. Jess Phillips said some dodgy stuff and she apologised. Keir Starmer has now refunded some of his freebies. The only unfortunate aspect of this freebie saga – and I am sure that with a little bit of reflection, he would see it as such – is him not immediately apologising and explaining that he got it wrong and although, he hasn’t done anything wrong, the optics isn’t great, so, here’s a refund, won’t accept other freebies and end of story.

Surely, we simply need civil servants who can get their jobs done well right? The subjective tag of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ cannot, must not come into it.
The calibre of individuals we now have running for the highest office in the land (Prime Minister) is shocking. Honestly shocking!
It is most unfortunate that we have allowed standards to drop this low..

This week in the UK has been all about this topic, thanks to the Labour Party’s conference, where the party’s leadership have been questioned about their claims to understanding the people better, because of their own personal working class upbringing. But are they or have they in recent years been working class??

It all hinges on a quest to fit in. Quest to belong. The minute someone opens their mouth, we’re judging their accent, their mannerism etc.

Few decades ago, I spent nearly 2 years travelling across West Africa and I spent the first year, intensely trying to belong, not wanting to stick out like a sore thumb. I wanted to be a writer, writing about how the poorer parts of the world can set aside their past and quit moaning about slavery (which strangely enough, West Africans that I came across, very rarely spoke about) or the ills of colonialism (which is what they frequently talked about and linked pretty much all their present-day plight to) and focus on them working together and taking advantage of the advantages they do have e.g. solar. I didn’t want to be seen as foreign. I fully immersed myself, worked intensively on my accent to acquire as much of an African accent as possible (spending night after night mimicking my two guides) and by the second year, I had blended in perfectly (and to this very day, I have proudly retained an element of that accent, which I claim as my own!). When I spent the final months of that soul-searching period travelling across South East Asia, it was amazing how welcoming the locals were, now that I spoke to them in a less pompous accent. I could immerse myself into their cultures, I was welcomed into their homes and it was just such a completely different experience to my previous visits to Hong Kong and Thailand as a kid with a British accent; you try to engage and get close to the people but they only see you as a tourist, a visitor, a foreigner.
It is no different from where we are in the UK today, where the class war appears to be well alive & thriving. People are not able to blend in, as the working class want to associate with the working class and the new government spent years criticising the entitled demeanour of the posh folk of the Tory party, with their upper class accents. The middle class on the other hand, have been taxed out of existence! When the (previously) working class try to blend in, they are accused of hypocrisy

But essentially, everyone’s just trying to fit in!

The Labour Party leaders who are now being heavily criticised for accepting freebies such as using a millionaire donor’s New York and London home for their holidays etc., are in essence all just trying to fit in. They were raised working class but in truth, now that they are in high-salaried jobs and positions of power, they aspire to the lifestyle they deem better? Well, I have news for you: that is indeed, the lifestyle of the wealthy, upper class. There is nothing wrong with that attempt to blend in, perhaps it is the perceived hypocrisy that’s causing the present furore. They have come in, attacking private schools, slapping VAT on them, stating it will fund the addition of teachers to state schools, even as data affirms the impact will be detrimental across the board. But it would seem that if offered the freebie of having their kids at Eton, they would have accepted. So, all a bit confusing to many. But quite understandable to me, when I recall those couple of years when I worked so hard to blend in, on my trip across West Africa. It is indeed a profound experience, when people try to fit in; it sometimes take on that perception – as it is today, with the Labour Party – of hypocrisy. The Labour Party folk mean well. Their intentions are noble. They are trying to do the right thing. But, they need to realise and accept that the right thing is to bring everyone UP, not drag the whole country DOWN in the name of creating a fairer society