Eton educated David Cameron, a relative of royalty, the son of a multi millionaire, married to a women of massive inherited wealth, a man who got his first job within the Conservative office due to a telephone call from a royal equerry is lecturing low paid people or people on benefits about 'entitlement'. I bow to his superior knowledge on the subject as he is the product of entitlement and nothing else. Add to that the hypocrisy of his moralising about Jimmy Carrs tax issues only to fall silent and evasive when ask about Gary Barlows involvement in a similiar scheme. The difference being that Barlow is a tory supporter who campaigned along side Cameron as well as the recent recipient of an OBE, whereas Carr appears to be more left wing, evidenced by his appearances on the 10'o'clock show. Add further to this mix Camerons ideological soul buddy Osbornes tax avoiding Trust fund which enables him to avoid paying millions in tax to the treasury and you start to form a picture of a pair of privileged posh boys wading around, knee deep, in a swamp of stinking hypocrisy.
The suggestion that Housing benefit is removed from under 25'S is a vivid demonstration of how out of touch these two posh boys are. As if the kids are going to pop back to ma and pa's for a while until they sought themselves out and get a high paying job. The more likely scenario is that homelessness will increase along with crime. The frightening statistic that is widely ignored by the Tory's being that there are currently 2.5 million registered as looking for work and only 500000 vacancies, of which the majority are part time, some as low as 4 hours. Even the statistics on Housing benefit are hidden. Of the 1bn increase in Housing Benefit this year, 95% is paid to those in work.
Now they are suggesting regional benefits rates.It is a classic posh boy suggestion. Totally and utterly unrealistic and out of touch. I've not been up north for a while but I'm pretty certain that in cities like Liverpool and Newcastle the cost of food,fuel,gas,electric, insurance,car tax,clothing or footwear is no different than it is in London or the South East.
The only sure result, as Cameron and Osborne continue to wage an ideologically driven class warfare by attempting to divide and rule, by attempting to set working class against working class, Private sector against Public sector, old against young, is anger. Anger from the disposessed and disenfranchised as they see financial institutions acting criminally, bankers taking millions in tax payers money and then paying themselves massive bonuses for under achieving. The media buying off public officials, corrupting the police and phone hacking. Politicians defrauding and misappropriating tax payers money ( £680 wisteria removal Prime minster? £1936 mortgage over claim Chancellor? ) but being allowed to evade justice. The ruling elite allowing multi national corporations to lead them by the nose and to govern in the interests of those corporations and not in the interests of the people. Throw into the mix the massive expenditure of tax payers money for the ' bread and circuses' that is the Royal Jubilee and The Olympics along with the stripping back of civil liberties and you can see and feel an undercurrent of anger,hostility and injustice boiling up among the young and dispossessed.
The rain has been a dampener on the nation lately.
A heatwave is probably not what the establishment or politicians need or want at the moment.
The Queen Attempts to Put Kate Middleton in her Place.
Buckingham Palace released an interesting press release this week. The Queen has decreed that The Duchess of Cambridge must subjugate herself and curtsy when in the presence of blood royals. The daughter of entrepreneurial parents who started up their own business and turned it into a success must be subservient to the daughters of a fat bloke, who I'm not sure what he does other than associate with sex offenders and of fergie, the woman of toe sucking fame and trying to sell access to her ex-husband for £500000. It's makes you wonder if the Palace aren't becoming concerned about Kate Middletons popularity and that she may have a touch of the Diana about her. It's sad when two princesses who are known for wearing ridiculously pretentious hats and..........er, well that's all actually, while living off state handouts are considered better than the daughter from a high achieving and successful family ( I'm excluding Pippa from that last statement).
There's me thinking we lived in a meritocracy It feels more like the 1930's.
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Jimmy Carr Sees Into The Future
I see that Jimmy Carr, that well known celebrity member of the aggressive tax avoidance scheme K2 has twittereeted that he has now exited the scheme saying "I'm sorry. I made a mistake". I think what he is sorry about is the fact that he could probably see a future of declining DVD sales, appearing in front of decreasing audience numbers, dealing with hecklers on a nightly basis and companies not wishing to endorse any programme he might be appearing in. I expect he was sorry that on the 10'o'clock show he did that skit lambasting Barclays for using similar schemes to his own, yet branding them as scum. Hypocrisy is a nasty human trait we all succumb to at times. His mistake was that he got caught. Let's be truthful here, if he hadn't been outed by the Times newspaper he would still be paying 1% income tax and feeling very smug about himself. Of course if he had stayed a member he could have seen his career self destruct. But on the up side he would have achieved the tax nirvana of paying 0% income tax because his income would have probably been zero.
The main point is not that some shaved celebrity chimp has been involved in tax avoidance. No surprise there. It would probably be harder to find one that wasn't.The main point is the Governments snail like response to closing down these schemes. After all, when it came to Osborne gleefully snatching away the tax credits of the low paid he did it with such speed he made Usain Bolt look like a Sunday stroller. When the Witchfinder General Duncan Smith decided that the disabled were just a bunch of malingerers 'pretending' they had a limp and that being able to buy food and have a roof over their heads was a luxury they could do without he acted faster than a mackerel being chased by a seal being chased by a shark. But when it comes to shutting down tax avoidance schemes where the wealthy benefit suddenly they have difficulty putting one foot in front of the other. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the number of friends, relatives and business partners of the Cabinet who may be involved in such schemes.
I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with that.
Some Statistics on Homelessness.
50,290 families were declared homeless in the last year.
3,960 families were forced to live in bed-and-breakfast accommodation. An increase of 44%.
480 families have been living in bed-and-breakfast for longer that six weeks. An increase of 300%
Congratulations to the coalition and that corporate lick spittle Grant Shaaps in particular. Great job guys, great job.
Olympic Opening Ceremony.
There are certain iconic images of the countryside I expect to see in Danny Boyle's bucolic opening ceremony. They are as follows.
A group of dull eyed youths hanging around a bus shelter, drinking cider and endlessly saying 'whatever' and ' I don't mean to be funny,but'.
All the farmyard animals should have a wary but resigned look on their faces when a middle aged man in wellingtons approaches them from behind.
There should be a line of overweight, Tory voting farmers standing in a queue underneath a sign saying 'benefits office this way' but the word benefits is crossed out and replaced with the word 'subsidies'
A group of yokels are standing around complaining about 'townies' interfering in their way of life. Then they all go off to do the weekly shop at Tesco buying food subsidised by the millions of 'townies' who also shop at Tesco.
An ironic take on hunting with dogs where a small defenseless child is chased around the stadium by a pack of dogs and then ripped apart for the enjoyment of the onlookers who then smear the child's blood over themselves.
Rusting disused farm equipment littered around the stadium.
A retired couple from the city who have just moved into the area complaining about the noise made by the church bells or cockerels.
A group of chinless hoorays from the city blasting hundreds of birds out of the sky then the landowner complaining that a bird of prey once took a quail to feed its chick.
A landowner, probably a Tory MP, trying to introduce a policy where birds of prey can be persecuted to extinction because 'it affects the bottom line old boy'
If any of these scenarios are not included Mr Boyle then you have failed.
The main point is not that some shaved celebrity chimp has been involved in tax avoidance. No surprise there. It would probably be harder to find one that wasn't.The main point is the Governments snail like response to closing down these schemes. After all, when it came to Osborne gleefully snatching away the tax credits of the low paid he did it with such speed he made Usain Bolt look like a Sunday stroller. When the Witchfinder General Duncan Smith decided that the disabled were just a bunch of malingerers 'pretending' they had a limp and that being able to buy food and have a roof over their heads was a luxury they could do without he acted faster than a mackerel being chased by a seal being chased by a shark. But when it comes to shutting down tax avoidance schemes where the wealthy benefit suddenly they have difficulty putting one foot in front of the other. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the number of friends, relatives and business partners of the Cabinet who may be involved in such schemes.
I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with that.
Some Statistics on Homelessness.
50,290 families were declared homeless in the last year.
3,960 families were forced to live in bed-and-breakfast accommodation. An increase of 44%.
480 families have been living in bed-and-breakfast for longer that six weeks. An increase of 300%
Congratulations to the coalition and that corporate lick spittle Grant Shaaps in particular. Great job guys, great job.
Olympic Opening Ceremony.
There are certain iconic images of the countryside I expect to see in Danny Boyle's bucolic opening ceremony. They are as follows.
A group of dull eyed youths hanging around a bus shelter, drinking cider and endlessly saying 'whatever' and ' I don't mean to be funny,but'.
All the farmyard animals should have a wary but resigned look on their faces when a middle aged man in wellingtons approaches them from behind.
There should be a line of overweight, Tory voting farmers standing in a queue underneath a sign saying 'benefits office this way' but the word benefits is crossed out and replaced with the word 'subsidies'
A group of yokels are standing around complaining about 'townies' interfering in their way of life. Then they all go off to do the weekly shop at Tesco buying food subsidised by the millions of 'townies' who also shop at Tesco.
An ironic take on hunting with dogs where a small defenseless child is chased around the stadium by a pack of dogs and then ripped apart for the enjoyment of the onlookers who then smear the child's blood over themselves.
Rusting disused farm equipment littered around the stadium.
A retired couple from the city who have just moved into the area complaining about the noise made by the church bells or cockerels.
A group of chinless hoorays from the city blasting hundreds of birds out of the sky then the landowner complaining that a bird of prey once took a quail to feed its chick.
A landowner, probably a Tory MP, trying to introduce a policy where birds of prey can be persecuted to extinction because 'it affects the bottom line old boy'
If any of these scenarios are not included Mr Boyle then you have failed.
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Tory Scum Wage War On Poor And Vulnerable
I see the Tories are opening another front in their war on the poor and vulnerable in society. Led by the Witchfinder General Ian Duncan Smith, a devout catholic, whose religious hypocrisy must make Jesus weep, and assisted by Eric Pickles who is well known for being the answer to the question 'who ate all the pies?' The Tories are well known for their hatred of the poor and disenfranchised but this particular endeavour has a stink about it of a 21st century cristallnacht . As the Tories continue on their programme of demonising the poor and disabled they, yet again, conveniently forget the facts. They lie!!!. The majority of people living either just above or below the poverty line are in work!!!. At least 1.4 million people are in part time work that does not provide a living wage. Now that eligibility for tax credits has risen to 24 hours per week then that figure will rise dramattically. Their attempt to villify the poor is no more than a smokescreen thrown up in an effort to scapegoat a vulnerable sector of the community in the hope that the electorate will turn their gaze away from the Tories incompetence and ineptitude at running the country. As the numbers of children living in poverty increase under this government and the gap between rich and poor widens exponentially all this government can come up with is a programme, driven by hatred, of demonising the poor that the Third Reich would be proud of. The Tories continue to try to blame the previous government for every problem, even two years in, but when you look at Labours action on poverty it looks supreme. They introduced Childcare credits, nurseries for all, Surestart centres, Educational Maintenace Allowance, more lone Mothers in work, tax credits, Bookstart, The Child Trust Fund, the list goes on. But all the Tories can do is cut.Their mantra being 'if labour introduced it ,destroy it'. They are just a bunch of asset strippers. Anything they cannot personally benefit from they destroy. When the Employment Minister oberleutnant Grayling is questioned about the lack of growth in the jobs market he comes out with a figure but conveniently forgets to mention that the majority of jobs available are part time. Some as little as 4 hours a week. Try living on earnings of £24.32 a week Grayling. You probably claim that back in MP's expenses for coffees in a week.
I often wondered what a country would look like if it was run by a bunch of venal, fascist posh boys suffering from arrested development. Now I know.
Monarchists Versus Republicans.
Monarchists have been having a high old time lately. What with the Jubilee and all. The sun has been shining on them. Well, except for the pageant. Statistics show that approximately 80% of the British population are in favour of the Monarchy. I would be inclined to think that 80% are in fact in favour of The Queen. When Charles ascends to the throne I think that figure will drastically reduce. Perhaps even to a minority. And, if he starts to interfere in the affairs of state as some believe he will his popularity will decrease even further and probably quite fast. It is often stated about the Queen that she is hard working and that for her age she does a marvelous job. Although I agree she is very committed to her role I think that the efforts she puts in are sometimes somewhat overstated. After all, she may attend many garden parties but lets face it she's not up at 5am putting cubes of pineapple and cheese on cocktail sticks. I don't think she is booking the clown or fretting over the amount of sarnies that have been made. She has a whole army of staff, paid by the taxpayer, to do these things. She, lets face it, just does what she is told, where to be and what to do. I would like to congratulate her on her many years of service to this nation but let's keep it in perspective.
Monarchists have been giving Republicans short shrift lately. In all areas of the media. Portraying them as boring,charmless party poopers. They tend to adopt a dismissive attitude to republicanism in the same way people would attempt to dismiss the arguments for universal suffrage, votes for women,equal pay for women and the abolition of slavery. They seem to forget that people with republican sympathies pay taxes as well so have a right to voice their opinion about how those taxes are spent. A lot of Monarchists are hypocrites. The type of person who would belong to the Countryside Alliance and thinks it is outrageous that a law should be passed by a democratically elected government that prevents them from spending their spare time chasing a dumb animal to the point of exhaustion and then watching as it is torn to bits.
30 years ago the idea of abolishing hunting would have been laughable. It's not now because hunting with dogs has been abolished. Times change.
1952 v 2012
Some people have been looking back to 1952 with rose tinted glasses. It was a better time. So many good things seem to have disappeared. like.
TB, rickets, The Korean War,smog, waking up in the middle of the night and having to go outside for a whizz, being able to be really rude and abusive to Blacks,Asians and Irish and then going home to rape the wife with total impunity, waking up in the morning and realising that a lovely thick frost had formed on the inside of the windows, everyone had a phone but is was 200 yards away down by the shops, you could leave your doors open, mainly because you had nothing worth nicking, coppers could fit up, beat up or kill members of the public with total impunity, backstreet abortions, slum landlords, the malnourished poor............. I think you get the idea.
I often wondered what a country would look like if it was run by a bunch of venal, fascist posh boys suffering from arrested development. Now I know.
Monarchists Versus Republicans.
Monarchists have been having a high old time lately. What with the Jubilee and all. The sun has been shining on them. Well, except for the pageant. Statistics show that approximately 80% of the British population are in favour of the Monarchy. I would be inclined to think that 80% are in fact in favour of The Queen. When Charles ascends to the throne I think that figure will drastically reduce. Perhaps even to a minority. And, if he starts to interfere in the affairs of state as some believe he will his popularity will decrease even further and probably quite fast. It is often stated about the Queen that she is hard working and that for her age she does a marvelous job. Although I agree she is very committed to her role I think that the efforts she puts in are sometimes somewhat overstated. After all, she may attend many garden parties but lets face it she's not up at 5am putting cubes of pineapple and cheese on cocktail sticks. I don't think she is booking the clown or fretting over the amount of sarnies that have been made. She has a whole army of staff, paid by the taxpayer, to do these things. She, lets face it, just does what she is told, where to be and what to do. I would like to congratulate her on her many years of service to this nation but let's keep it in perspective.
Monarchists have been giving Republicans short shrift lately. In all areas of the media. Portraying them as boring,charmless party poopers. They tend to adopt a dismissive attitude to republicanism in the same way people would attempt to dismiss the arguments for universal suffrage, votes for women,equal pay for women and the abolition of slavery. They seem to forget that people with republican sympathies pay taxes as well so have a right to voice their opinion about how those taxes are spent. A lot of Monarchists are hypocrites. The type of person who would belong to the Countryside Alliance and thinks it is outrageous that a law should be passed by a democratically elected government that prevents them from spending their spare time chasing a dumb animal to the point of exhaustion and then watching as it is torn to bits.
30 years ago the idea of abolishing hunting would have been laughable. It's not now because hunting with dogs has been abolished. Times change.
1952 v 2012
Some people have been looking back to 1952 with rose tinted glasses. It was a better time. So many good things seem to have disappeared. like.
TB, rickets, The Korean War,smog, waking up in the middle of the night and having to go outside for a whizz, being able to be really rude and abusive to Blacks,Asians and Irish and then going home to rape the wife with total impunity, waking up in the morning and realising that a lovely thick frost had formed on the inside of the windows, everyone had a phone but is was 200 yards away down by the shops, you could leave your doors open, mainly because you had nothing worth nicking, coppers could fit up, beat up or kill members of the public with total impunity, backstreet abortions, slum landlords, the malnourished poor............. I think you get the idea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)