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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/21/omar-al-bashir-sudan-no-reelection
Wow, we live in amazing times.
Dictatorial bastards the world over are falling. Let's hope that what follows is an improvement. I dearly hope that those who are able to take advantage of these democratic reforms are themselves democratic reformers and not the type who make those they replaced look decent, honest and soft-hearted.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Libya uprising
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/feb/21/arab-and-middle-east-protests-middleeast
"Hague spoke to Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif last night, "warning him of global disapproval of the regime's actions", PA said. The use of sniper fire, automatic weapons and heavy artillery against unarmed protesters is "dreadful and horrifying", Hague said."
Sadly, to me the idea of 'global disapproval' being the only sanction against sniper fire, automatic weapons and heavy artillery (heavy artillery for the sake of fuck) is a bit pathetic
"Hague spoke to Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif last night, "warning him of global disapproval of the regime's actions", PA said. The use of sniper fire, automatic weapons and heavy artillery against unarmed protesters is "dreadful and horrifying", Hague said."
Sadly, to me the idea of 'global disapproval' being the only sanction against sniper fire, automatic weapons and heavy artillery (heavy artillery for the sake of fuck) is a bit pathetic
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Official statistics hide true increase in cost of living
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/feb/15/official-statistics-hide-severity-uk-inflation
I think there's some truth in that. certainly housing costs are huge, especially lower down the scale. But I wonder how much the general public are really a part of this debate. I mean, I don't sit down and compare my costs of living against the government's official measure then tut at key differences, and I'm the sort of person who would. So I wonder how much people care. I think people will care if inflation is said to be at 2% but felt inflation is up nearer 5%, for example. That would have me pissed off as all the policy decisions would be made with a 'never had it so good' time in mind when in fact times are tough.
Let's hope that doesn't happen, inflation is a worry for me, but then so are my low wages
I think there's some truth in that. certainly housing costs are huge, especially lower down the scale. But I wonder how much the general public are really a part of this debate. I mean, I don't sit down and compare my costs of living against the government's official measure then tut at key differences, and I'm the sort of person who would. So I wonder how much people care. I think people will care if inflation is said to be at 2% but felt inflation is up nearer 5%, for example. That would have me pissed off as all the policy decisions would be made with a 'never had it so good' time in mind when in fact times are tough.
Let's hope that doesn't happen, inflation is a worry for me, but then so are my low wages
Big Society: volunteering in government
I got an internal email today about how great it would be to volunteer and all that. how civil servants get up to 3 days off to go volunteering.
My boss tells me that this has existed for ages, but now has 'Big Society' stuck on to it
My boss tells me that this has existed for ages, but now has 'Big Society' stuck on to it
Nick Clegg blocks housing benefit cut for jobless
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/17/nick-clegg-housing-benefit-cut-dropped
I wonder if this was a genuine victory for Nick Clegg or he's just borrowed a competent spin doctor to get some support back from Lib Dem supporters.
The rest of the article is outlined by the nastiest elements of Tory philosophy
I wonder if this was a genuine victory for Nick Clegg or he's just borrowed a competent spin doctor to get some support back from Lib Dem supporters.
The rest of the article is outlined by the nastiest elements of Tory philosophy
A rotten sort of recovery | John Harris
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/17/rotten-recovery-low-pay-job-insecurity
In amongst all the lefty outrage is one nugget that I think could be really important in years to come: "What that means is obvious enough: for millions, the same deepening insecurity they experienced under the last government, and then some."
I think people are right to fear the lost generation of which I fear I may be a part, and a deepening inequality in terms of security. More and more people are going to have job insecurity, which when added to increasing financial pressure could well be a recipe for social disquiet. I'm certainly not advocating it, but that's what happens when you come down too strongly on the side of private sector employers and harsh supply side reforms.
"week's inflation figures showed prices rising twice as fast as average pay." This can only continue for so long
"To everyone I speak to, the combination of stagnating pay and rising cost of living seems cruel and increasingly unmanageable." Quite.
"the workforce is made anxious by ever-increasing numbers of agency workers, employed on inferior terms, who come and go at speed"
It's not nice being one, I tell thee that
I do wonder if all this will see a re-rise of union membership. It would certainly seem a logical solution to poor pay and job insecurity.
In amongst all the lefty outrage is one nugget that I think could be really important in years to come: "What that means is obvious enough: for millions, the same deepening insecurity they experienced under the last government, and then some."
I think people are right to fear the lost generation of which I fear I may be a part, and a deepening inequality in terms of security. More and more people are going to have job insecurity, which when added to increasing financial pressure could well be a recipe for social disquiet. I'm certainly not advocating it, but that's what happens when you come down too strongly on the side of private sector employers and harsh supply side reforms.
"week's inflation figures showed prices rising twice as fast as average pay." This can only continue for so long
"To everyone I speak to, the combination of stagnating pay and rising cost of living seems cruel and increasingly unmanageable." Quite.
"the workforce is made anxious by ever-increasing numbers of agency workers, employed on inferior terms, who come and go at speed"
It's not nice being one, I tell thee that
I do wonder if all this will see a re-rise of union membership. It would certainly seem a logical solution to poor pay and job insecurity.
Same-sex marriage cannot be the same as heterosexual marriage | Michael White
Having read this, it seems that some people get all worked up about something when I personally don't care. As far as I'm concerned, if people want to marry, they can. Gay, straight or whatever I couldn't care less. My own form of religious tolerance: couldn't give a shit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2011/feb/14/same-sex-marriage-heterosexual-marriages
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2011/feb/14/same-sex-marriage-heterosexual-marriages
Curveball's confession: another dent in the Iraq conspiracy theory | Michael White
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2011/feb/16/curveball-confession-dent-iraq-conspiracy-theory
The stuff at the start of the article is a bit boring. I mean, we all knew the Iraq war was dodgy. Well, the grounds for it were both there entirely and not at all. Going to war on one bloke's say so show the war had long been decided on.
What I find interesting is a military man criticising the military and the patriotic paradox something like the Sun finds itself in. hero attacks heroes, a military man (or 'hero' as they're all now called) has criticised the military. Criticising the military is treason and he's therefore evil. But he's a hero but can't be, but criticised the heroes so can't be a hero etc. etc. etc.
The more hard headed stuff at the bottom is of more interest to me, how China and America worked together and all that. very interesting.
The stuff at the start of the article is a bit boring. I mean, we all knew the Iraq war was dodgy. Well, the grounds for it were both there entirely and not at all. Going to war on one bloke's say so show the war had long been decided on.
What I find interesting is a military man criticising the military and the patriotic paradox something like the Sun finds itself in. hero attacks heroes, a military man (or 'hero' as they're all now called) has criticised the military. Criticising the military is treason and he's therefore evil. But he's a hero but can't be, but criticised the heroes so can't be a hero etc. etc. etc.
The more hard headed stuff at the bottom is of more interest to me, how China and America worked together and all that. very interesting.
Monday, 7 February 2011
Innovation: Britain's other deficit | James Dyson
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/31/invention-deficit-engineering-exports-growth
I certainly agree that innovation, R&D etc. are important. When my lot were in office they invested too much time, effort and money in the city to the detriment of a balanced economy.
It comes down to investment. Investment in education, skills, graduates, engineers. Even the author Mr Dyson acknowledges that, even while saying government should be cut back. He means cut back in the other areas. At the end of the day we need to be investing in education all the way through, and incentivising areas such as engineering. But that costs money, as do the tax cuts he's calling for.
And one last thing: it's all very well and good having an export-orientated economy, as everyone now wants to, but in order to export, someone has to buy it. Who will that be? USA, China, India, EU?
Upon that may rest a great deal
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/feb/03/investment-the-mother-of-invention/print
Interestingly, the first letter is pure protectionism. Is that the path our government wants to take? I have no doubt there would be tit-for-tat reprisals if it did but it's always worth considering
" James Dyson calls for "patentable exports" in his piece. Is this the same James Dyson who closed the Dyson factory in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, in 2002 to move production to Malaysia, resulting in the loss of 560 jobs? Sack British workers, move production abroad, still made £190m profit last year – no wonder he is one of Cameron's advisers.
Alan Quinn
Manchester"
Very interesting that. ouch
I certainly agree that innovation, R&D etc. are important. When my lot were in office they invested too much time, effort and money in the city to the detriment of a balanced economy.
It comes down to investment. Investment in education, skills, graduates, engineers. Even the author Mr Dyson acknowledges that, even while saying government should be cut back. He means cut back in the other areas. At the end of the day we need to be investing in education all the way through, and incentivising areas such as engineering. But that costs money, as do the tax cuts he's calling for.
And one last thing: it's all very well and good having an export-orientated economy, as everyone now wants to, but in order to export, someone has to buy it. Who will that be? USA, China, India, EU?
Upon that may rest a great deal
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/feb/03/investment-the-mother-of-invention/print
Interestingly, the first letter is pure protectionism. Is that the path our government wants to take? I have no doubt there would be tit-for-tat reprisals if it did but it's always worth considering
" James Dyson calls for "patentable exports" in his piece. Is this the same James Dyson who closed the Dyson factory in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, in 2002 to move production to Malaysia, resulting in the loss of 560 jobs? Sack British workers, move production abroad, still made £190m profit last year – no wonder he is one of Cameron's advisers.
Alan Quinn
Manchester"
Very interesting that. ouch
Charlie Brooker: Ed Miliband, the Labour leader now known as CUBE DX-9
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/07/ed-miliband-rebranded
oh it's funny coz it's true.
I can't help but feel that we've got another Michael Foot as leader, but without the flair and personality.
I like the bit about the German chancellor at the bottom:
"a German chancellor who consists of nothing but a runic symbol flickering on a monitor accompanied by a vaguely menacing drone."
oh it's funny coz it's true.
I can't help but feel that we've got another Michael Foot as leader, but without the flair and personality.
I like the bit about the German chancellor at the bottom:
"a German chancellor who consists of nothing but a runic symbol flickering on a monitor accompanied by a vaguely menacing drone."
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