WORK ETHIC – BLAME CULTURE

So Chris Philip, a tory MP thinks the UK needs a better work ethic. He is just dumb! Create good working conditions and pay and the problem is solved. As ever I would preach being clever is the answer. Limited studies have shown that reduced hours increases productivity. Better pay would also attract more people off benefits. The huge growth in disparity between workers and FTSE100 directors tells a story of its own. How can e.g.Tesco pay out dividends and huge salaries whilst full time workers do not receive enough to get off benefits.

As ever it is the rich and privileged who cast the blame. Yes I am sure they work hard in their own way – but with their nice cars and homes and holidays, they should be careful of casting accusations. Zero hours contracts and minimum wage with no prospects is not the way to increase work ethic. The social contract for the young is broken. Work hard at school and succeed and then go to University and get £50 grand of debt, but then find that the jobs available are poorly paid, or even if reasonably paid, the cost of housing is extortionate. So big debt, shit job and shit housing -so Chris Philip you are awarded knob of the day!

John Lewis style packages should be mandatory. Why would an employer not want to encourage an inclusive work ethic. As a teacher I experienced a variety of management types. I will also add that maybe I was not the most subservient employee! However I was allowed to enjoy my job, most of the time, and never threw a sickie. DrWratten was awful and imposed a dictorial rule which alienated staff and kids (but the arse lickers got on!). At least with education the teacher is in control of their work space most of the time.

BACK IN THE UK!

Reeves is trying to kick start the economy, I am not being hypocritical here – the economy needs attention but not necessarily growth! RyanAir boss O’Leary complains that runway for Heathrow would not be complete for 15-20 years (good reason to start now AND impose pollution restrictions. On EV’s the government is considering a guarantee scheme for EV loans. Until second hand EV’s become widely available and affordable the market will stagnate. More rapid charging points will help.

Labour is still shackled by Brexit. Farage still dominates the politics of leave. There is no environmental sense in developing ties with the rest of the world and ignoring Europe. Europe is a very diverse area, culturally, economically, politically, socially, etc. – the UK should welcome the challenge. Diversity is good for the environment. The USA might appear to be a homogenous whole, but the cracks that are there are likely to widen with the OMC!

I am not suggesting that we tell the rest of the world to fuck itself, just find markets and production that makes sense. Africa and South America does not need to fuck its environment just because we did! Our rampageous MNC’s are causing havoc and should be reined in.

Pension funds – I have my own which has been paid for over 40 years. But is not huge. It allows me to retire (to early in my opinion there should be a staggered retirement for people like me). But there should be regulation on who they invest in, and ….. sustainability? Perhaps more later!

DOMINATING

USA dominates the news in the UK. Firstly the hurricanes in Florida and Carolinas, then the Presidential election, then fires in LA followed by guff from the orange man child and minions and Muskrat, and now the plane crash in Washington. How military planes are allowed to fly with impunity in civil airspace is rather confusing to me – I am fairly sure it is not allowed in the UK. Air traffic control. just asks whether the military see civil planes! I suppose with the White House, Congress and Pentagon in close proximity ….. – but modern technology? The video I saw – the helicopter either did not see/ was aware of the plane – or it was deliberate?

GROWTH

The buzz word for this government is growth. I think tthey are SOO wrong! Britains population is greater than France for the first time ever. I know we have an ageing population and thus will have a rapid drop in working aged people. However we just need to get cleverer. Yesterday I posted about housing for the elderly. I guess that whilst migration is a favorite topic for those on the right, they do not want to deal with the consequences of a falling population.

However, the planet requires it. Insect populations and thus those organisms higher up the food chain (apart from humans) have suffered too. So not growth but cleverer should be the mantra of government. Only new roads allowed should be where efficiency is enhanced. Use AIto control access to motorways and cities at sustainable levels. Only non-electric flights would be those where the technology for long distances does not exist yet. Solar and wind power increased, and heat pumps made mandatory on all new builds and where gas boilers are being replaced.

Farming – ban harmful chemicals but subsidise sustainable crops. Of course a balance is needed between imported foods and locally grown – no polishing of UK apples in Kenya, or imported flowers from there.

On a social front a move to a shorter working week is desirable, emphasis on quality of life not profit. Longevity of electrical appliances and furniture should be priced in with variable vat!

I think you get the drift of my thinking. Move from a society based on wealth creation and growth to one where happiness is the main objective. Happy clappy nonsense or just pragmatic common sense? You decide!

US TECH STOCKS

So a $trillion wiped off stocks! No doubt Trump will put trade barriers up but it is about time! The tech giants will have to get used to smaller profit margins if the competition really hots up! The US embargo on exporting top quality chips to China apparantly led to them producing a much more efficient version of AI, one which does all the important things that ChatGPT can do, and for a cheaper price. Quite why US giants have got away with a cartel situation for so long is strange. Their purchasing power has meant that competition has been bought out quickly. The open laissez faire policies of European nations has allowed this with firms such as ARM being sold abroad.

The huge investments firms are making in developing ‘thinking’ AI may be optimistic – just as the development of the motor car saw the main profits in the mass produced ‘available to all versions’, so AI may be similar?

As for the moguls of the tech era – we have/arewatching the Murdoch dynasty fight it out in court, wit at least 12 children the word can look farward to the Musk empire imploding. Tessla is already suffering from competition whilst the space industry is getting crowded out with satellites (Amazon now entering the competition).

The Planet will also see increassing environmental disasters as the natural systems adapt to the changes – there is usually a time lag with climatic change. I fear that we ‘haven’t seen nothing yet!

Conflicts over resources continue with the latest escalation being DRCongo where Rwandan supported rebels have taken over a major city (Goma) in the mineral rich area of the country. The world has too many people in the context of the current economic system. Countries like Britain should ensure that multi-culturalism and equality are embedded in the system whilst also reducing migration and thus the population. In my lifetime the population of the world has trebled and the UK has continued its growth from 50 million to 70 million.

A thought – I am having these, and some are appalling (e.g. Why are all Auchwitz survivors QPR supporters? I know, I Know – very, very bad and poor taste). But in the UK we have an ageing population – maybe it is not new housing for all that is required but retirement estates with facilities for all – gardens, sports, meeting rooms, communal dining areas? I know many old people are set in their ways and obnoxious but it would free up lots of housing. £10000 per bedroom grant to move out (on top of value of house or just is for rented). Thus freeing up houses in the suburbs for families. Cost-benefit would be amazing! No new builds and infrastructure improvements. Increased efficiency in health care for the old. Just thoughts!

DISAPPOINTING

Chat with Andy this morning. We agreed 100% that the Labour government has been disappointing to say the least! Winter fuel payments and the farmers inheritance tax could both have been avoided with a little nous! They had at least 2 years in which to prepare for government – but have done nothing! Water company debacle was known about and yet the government is unprepared. They have also allowed themselves to be diverted into discussions about grooming!

Setting the agenda with the RWPress should not be difficult. People want, nay demand some radical policies to give optimism for the future. If Labour do not provide, then from a different angle Reform will! The Tories seem doomed with Badenoch – she appears witless whilst Jenrick is worse! Whilst I debate whether the only good Tory is a dead Tory, I do wonder what has happened to the sensible Conservative Party, the one which purported to propose that a bigger cake equalled more money for the poor?

All we have now is the pursuit of money. The RWP are unashamedly fixated on the USA and the orange man child. here again Lefties like me need to be careful – Trump cannot be wrong on everything, so we need to be discerning and selective.

On Europe the papers are trying to make the govt. tread carefully – but opinion polls show that the populist view is closer alignment (if they will have us). And Europe, at least western Europe needs us! The former Soviet dominated states are veering to the right – is our terminology wrong here? Was the USSR wrongly identified as being left wing when the reality was that it was a totalitarian dictatorship of the right. Marxist ideology was only applied when it suited the regimes.

SHIT

The orange man baby Luddite is pushing for more drilling of fossil fuels. Climate deniers have a good argument in that alternatives are more expensive! Who wants to pay more for fuel and thus everything else? This wehere economics is totally fucked up. We factor in insurance as a cost of transport – so why not factor in the environmental cost. The public needs to have the details – future predicted cost of temperature rising -versus the cost of taking action now. there will always be numbskulls who put personal welfare above societies, this is becoming increasingly common as individuals exist in their own echo chambers. The frog in boiling water analagy is a good one, except these people will be the ones demanding action to help them when disaster occurs. A strong line needs to be taken – cough up or shut te fuck up!

The same is true of our food. The use of pesticides and chemicals on our food is disgusting. The average cost of takeaways per person in the UK is £641p.a. – that is over £11 per week per person. the average spend on food per week is £42. Quick calculation – that is approx 25% of food budget goes on takeaways – and that is without the proportion spent of over processed foods. Society is fucked …….up! 75% of supermarket food sales are processed. With both parents needing an income to pay a mortgage it is no wonder the NHS suffers!

OK I have stopped moaning! What we need is an anti-growth coalition. I am quite open that we need fewer immigrants – not for reasons of colour or religeon, but because we have enough people for te room available. We need better use of our resources. Less chemicals on food, less transport, greater community.

And I just made a gumbo https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/feb/13/how-to-cook-perfect-gumbo. excellent – next up is lemon meringue pie!

NEWS

I do not understand how Thames Water can pay dividends and bonus’ when it is in so much debt. Capitalism is supposed to weed out failing companies? I have some sympathy for the government not wishing to nationalise it when so many foreign companies and pension funds are invested – but they have had their chance to sell up! So nationalise.

Neoncotinoid poison is to be banned in the uk. A pesticide that protects sugar beet is extremely fatal to bees – “honey – it’s a no brainer”! But the NFU was against the ban!

Storm Eowin – more havoc predicted. At least we have the brilliant Met.Office to warn us, and even send out text messages. However I think that we are seeing more and stronger storms than in the past. For sure we have had bad events, but they are becoming regular. I guess our farmers are struggling to cope with the changes?

Trump – I fear that we have not seen the worst yet. I sort of get why Musk, and Co. want lower taxes to increase their profits – no wait a minute I FUCKING DO NOT! Why should these obscenely rich priveldged cunts receive more money?

CULTURAL HISTORY

I have a quiz thing going with the local shop – Today’s was when was Robinson Crusoe written – I was surprised that the shop manager had never heard of it (Kate got it 100%). Being 71 and an ex-teacher should I have been surprised by this? My knowledge of celbrities is almost totally absent and my lack of film knowledge is legendary

However it did made me think about the shared culture that is becoming fragmented with the internet. So a list of famous Brits that I would consider important.

In no particular order Turing, Bernier’s-Lee, Shakespeare, F. Nightingale, C.Dickens, J.Austin, Bronte sisters, RLStevenson author and the George Stevenson inventor, James Watt, IK Brunel, James Cook, Francis Drake, Wellington, C.Darwin, A.Fleming, R.Dhal, B.Potter, R.Hargreaves, L.Carrol, S.Peyps, J.Wren, Capability Brown,A.A.Milne, J.Constable, JR Turner, Shelley, Tennyson, Byron, Robin Hood, Robert the Bruce,D.Attenbrough?Horatio Nelson, Beatles, R.Branson, David Livingstone. Robert Clive (bastard!), Cabot, Mary Quant,

Politicians – Gladstone, Disraeli, Churchill, Thatcher, Lloyd-George, Peel younger and elder, Bevan Ernest and Aneurin, Marx and Engles.

Events – Tolpuddle Martyr’s, Armarda, D-Day, Dunkirk, Agincourt, Culluden,

Rulers – Arthur,Alfred, William 1, Richard 1, Henry 5,7 +8, Edward 1, Charles 1, Victoria. Cromwell

Sports -Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Andrew Murray, WCGrace, Murray Walker, Hamilton, Jim Clarke,

Music – this will be dated – Cliff Richard (unfortunately) makes the list, Adam Faith, Cilla Black, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Spice Girls, Blur, Oasis,

AMERICA

What have you done? Oh my, are you going to regret it!

the orange man baby has acted with both speed and spite. The rioters have been pardoned, he has quit the WHO, opened up the USA for further fossil fuel exploitation, renaming The Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali, declaring a state of emergency on the southern borders, withdrawing from Paris Agreement, declaring that there are only 2 genders. Americans will come to learn what it is to live in a fascist state.

Of further concern was the guest list for his inauguration – the mega rich, the inhumane, the bigots were all out in force. The British contingent were obviously not rich enough, not inhumane enough and not bigotted enough to get an invite and were left fawning outside.

He has already impregnated the Supreme Court with his minions, now he has passed a schedule to allow dismissal of any civil servant at his whim. Promoting the macho image augers ill for women – rape charges have not been disproved against him; anti-abortion laws have been enforced by some states even in cases of paternal rape. The man is a disgrace to the human race. Planet Earth is unlikely to submit without a fight! Unfortunately she does not have the ability to be selective in the disasters she can wreak. But we can be sure that the USA will not be spared from drought, flood, fire, earthquakes, tornado and even tsunami.

God spared him (according to himself) – I am definitly a confirmed atheist!