Wednesday 28 November 2012

Lipstick and Pigs

The jury has delivered its verdict, the PM (Dave) has the report from Leveson and we will know tomorrow what the deal is, I can't believe it hasn't been leaked!

If it's not some form of independent regulation I will be amazed!  The press in the UK are in a complete lather over this,




but the reality is that their standards have been universally awful on matters of privacy and they can not be trusted to self regulate. 

So slap on the lippy and get back to the swill.


Protectionism under another name




NO TAXATION (OR FINES) WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

Another US regulator over penalizes a UK company. The FT has the story at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/28b226f4-3965-11e2-8881-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2DWzzzvmG.


The US Environmental Protection Agency has slapped yet another sanction on the UK oil company BP (not British Petroleum as Obama would have it).  Corporate hostage taking by a variety of US regulators is becoming a big and damaging story in the UK.  Coupled with the local UK tax avoidance of several large US businesses its starting to feel like we need to re-think the special relationship as it seems to be a one way deal at the moment - we give US takes!

No taxation without ...................

UKIP Party or Hangover


As a rule I am in favour of clear thinking, quick decision making and decisive action, give me Patton rather than Montgomery every time.  Great commanders know that it’s always better to act, indecision is the opening blast of ‘the Retreat’.  As my mother used to say ‘don’t just stand there – do something’
In public life it’s also become fashionable to want our leaders to be straight talking conviction types, bring on Thatcher, Foot, and countless other fundamentalist.  The ire of the right and hard left is reserved for flip-floppers who want to skipper the ship but aren’t interested in the course – out with Blair, Wilson, Heath, Obama and all.  I can support this view, but only to some degree as rigidly held views can be very damaging, witness George W on Iraq, Maggie and the poll tax and Charles 1 on everything.

The risk of damage is heightened when this conviction is focused on a single issue.  UKIP presents us with a case in point.  The Party has a well-defined course and probably good convictions.  The problem is that by simplifying the problems we face into a single issue they provide a focus for people who are too lazy to grapple with the complexity of our Island’s challenges. 

UKIP provide a home and voice for intellectually lazy people who, apart from getting the Europe issue wrong, are able to command a sizable share of voice on issues where they should have no credible opinion.  We are treated to Nige on Question Time answering questions on Schooling and Health – this makes me ill.  I feel patronised by the existence of this single issue Party and irritated that their carping and scratching around on the fringes of what is important, is likely to make good debate and decision making more difficult. 

So what to do?  Well, its over to you Dave, you need to step up and put them out of their misery, if you don’t it’s quite possible that Miliband will, as he is proving to be one of the most opportunistic politicians in living memory.  You don’t need to do a deal with UKIP, you just need to have a clear and well executed plan for our continued membership of the EU on improved terms.
UKIP not so much a Party - more of a Hangover!






Monday 26 November 2012

Mark Carney named as new Bank of England Governor - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

Mark Carney named as new Bank of England Governor - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

Delighted to see that we have gone for the best candidate rather than dead man's shoes - sorry for Paul Tucker, I am sure lucrative job offers will be on there way if he decides to leave the Bof E.

The selection of Mr Carney is in stark contract to the old boy routine at the BBC where Tony Hall has been plucked out of the Royal opera House to return to the Beeb.  So well done little George.

Sunday 18 November 2012

Was Fransis Bacon the first Tory / Republican

MAKING BACON
I got this from the Economist today great series of quotations-
Francis Bacon, philosopher (1561–1626), Of Riches
“Believe not much them that seem to despise riches, for they despise them that despair of them.”

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