Category: Politics

At last the Guardian had a front page spread on Yaqeen Hammad, aged 11, who was killed in an Israeli genocide mission. At last they are putting a face to the slaughter of the innocents rather than just reporting numbers. Other papers have been quick to report in detail about the hostages and Israeli deaths – but Palestinian deaths are reported as just numbers. The photo of Yaqeen and her lovely smile brought the horror of the slaughter home.

916 infants under one have been killed.

4365 aged 1-5 murdered.

6101 aged 6-12 slaughtered by Israel.

5124 aged 13-17 slain by the state of Israel.

And Trump is passing laws making it illegal to boycott Israeli goods. Ireland has moved to ban goods produced in Occupied Palestinian Territories, about time; The rest of Europe may follow their lead (well the western countries anyway). Netanyahu has surrounded himself with arse licking thugs who do not deserve to be treated as human! Basically FUCK ISRAEL.

The neglected section of British society. Sure Start was abandoned by the last government despite returning £2 for every£1 invested in it. Britain also puts most money into university education, and less into pre-school and first years than other developed countries. Scandinavian countries tend to invest more in the early years – it makes sense that investment goes in when children are learning how to learn! University students should have those skills already – lectures should be like TED talks – 20 minutes and thought provoking. This is especially true with the internet and Google available for factual verification. Well taught children should need less financial input as they develop learning skills.

Ever been out and found children behaving without understanding the social rules of the situation? Children in many families are naturally taught this skill. Often this is because parents do not have the finance to eat out regularly enough, are too harassed by job demands to instil behavioural patterns in children. “Seen and not heard” is still a mantra for parents – as opposed to contintal children. Just sayin’!

I have lots more rants about children! But not now.

Trump has revealed that he may be able to conduct a good trade deal with threats of tariffs, but is useless as a negotiator in a conflict. Ukraine has seen more raids by Russian Drones recently; Israel continues to slaughter innocent Palestinian children; His threats and posturing mean jack shit to Putin and Netanyahu – they are confident in their nationalist bases and do not care about international condemnation – not that Trump would dream of such a thing!

An elderly lady asked me yesterday what I thought about Starmer and the firesbat his properties. She said it was because he was having an affair with Lord Ali and the accused were rent boys who had not been paid. She said it ws all over the internet! Well not the bit I use. None of the RWP have approached the story – with the headlines being that the accused were set up by Russia. So what sites are the aged and deluded on?

Trump makes a fool of himself – again. Why is the buffoon still tolerated? This time he talked about white african genocide whilst holding up photos of a masacre in the Congo and a photo of crosses claiming them to be graves whaen they were not. How the fuck can he accuse the South African government of genocide whilst supporting the facist government in Israel? Then he has got his pawns to vote in a law that basically fucks any semblence that America had as a caring democracy. He is also threatening the EU with 50% tarrifs on all goods. I hope that anyone thinking of going to the states will cancel immediately. His comments about Biden are beyond disgraceful. I would wish hurtful things on him, but Vance is equally vile and there seems to be a succession of zombies who will make the nightmare worse!

Of course mandatory chemical castration of paedophiles should be introduced. On the face of it there seems to be little to warrant doubts. The potential future victims would be protected. I am not so sure. Maybe it is because I am a woke, wishy washy leftist liberal, or I would like to believe it is because I have a brain and am not swayed by populist crap spewing from the media. Firstly some paedophiles are driven not by sexual desire but by power and the joy at humiliating the victim. So there is a danger of reducing our vigilance in looking out for these monsters or believing that CC will be a deterrent. Secondly and most importantly – where do you draw the line? Is sex between a 14 year old and a 19 year old paedophilia? Is rape a case for CC? Rape cases are notoriously complicated, but once in law it would be easy to envisage a populist demand for cc to be applied to rape cases, to homosexuals (as in the past). Public outrage and the ease with which social media can spread rumours (Last summers riots caused by misinformation) could lead to serious miscarriages of justice.

So whilst I believe it is great to have the debate, government should not be hasty in its implication. The media will create it as a simple issue (I was going to say black and white – but that scenario is just too horrific!) but there is much to be debated. Would paedophiles get reduced sentences if CC’d? Could serious offeneders avoid long sentences by agreeing to CC, but then continue as the drive is power not sexuality.

As ever I do not know!

It must be a brilliant deal for the trash press to make such a fuss. Surrender and betrayal (DExpress), Surrender (Mail), bye bye to Brexit (Telegraph), Done up like a kipper (Sun). Other papers were more perceptive Reset (Times), win win (Mirror). When emotive language is used it usually means that they cannot dispute the facts. Telegraph is read by the over 70’s anyway. Brexit has been a disaster however you look at it. Maybe it could have been differently – but the only suggestion is to take us out of the ECJ and other institutions – can I ask which rulings of the ECJ have been so horrendous to warrant leaving an organisation we helped to form!

Yet again I don’t get it! 18-30 year olds are what we want, especially in construction and care, etc. They are not going to come to sign on! Net migration between us and the EU is negative. Europeans have a similar culture and history to ourselves and thus integrate better? Most who come have excellent English and qualifications. And most want to return home when they have made some savings. What is there not to like? The EU also wants UK fees applied to EU citizens at UK Universities – makes absolute sense if reciprocal. Also can we have the E111 back?

Die hard Brexiteers are, what ever they tell you, not concerned about taking back control (that is just a convenient argument that has not been vilified like their racism). They are never going to vote Labour again whilst there is a party for bigots available. So basically Keir – just ignore the fuckers. On control – we have seen with water companies who has actual control – foreign investors, who own 57.7% of UK listed companies. Whether we like it or not – we live in a globalised world. Trump is finding this out as he roles back his absurd tariffs. So the taking back control bit was giving even more power to the multinationals – at least the EU was prepared to take them on.

Research by the Centre for European Reform suggests the UK economy is 2.5% smaller than it would have been if Remain had won the referendum. Public finances fell by £26 billion a year. This amounts to £500 million a week and is growing.

Lastly the positives about the EU. A few years back and Spain was a dictatorship and relatively poor – migrants from Spain came to the UK (Fawlty Towers!), – now Spain is a democracy and migration is the other way. Eastern Europe may be more difficult due to the ingrained autocracy of its history – but recent signs are good with Poland and Romania both showing a strong central path.

With migration there are push and pull factors both from the home and the destination. I would maintain that the pull factor for staying at home is the greatest by a long way. So the push factor has to be immense – persecution or environmental disaster (starvation), whilst pull factors such as economics and safety, freedom are secondary. Why is no analysis done on this? Oh and I have wrongly omitted love! Perhaps the strongest factor of all!

But really to leave your home environs and family, friends must take a special type of person. Or lack of options? The end result of my random thoughts are that if we increased the flow of wealth from the rich to the poor we would have no migration crisis or problem!

As ever I am fascinated by all forms of geography. The latest is the reported fall out over negotiations with the EU. The south seems to be ok with it but Farage is trying to rally the old labour seats in the north against it, as headlined in the S.Mail and S.Express. What is it about poverty that makes people vote for Brexit and Reform? Both would make them poorer. Is it the pseudo nationalism that appeals (as with Trump in the USA)? What is the mind set of these people? Taking back control =’d massive financial hit for country. Is there some pschology here – you are poor and feel that society does not value you, but you can join a club which values you (or purports too) under a flag? Is this the mind set that sent 744000 to their deaths in WW1 – what were they actually fighting for? Is this the difference between football hooligans and rugby fans. Rugby fans support a team, and might be passionate about it, but have other aspects to their lives. Football hooligans however have only the team – its their religion, their salvation against the perceived injustice that society visits upon them. Occasionally a smooth talking prat comes along to manipulate this hoard of resentment – a Johnson or Farage – both rich fuckers, but with enough charisma to convince the numbskulls and knuckle draggers that they offer a reason to believe – the flag, nationalism, patriotism, misogyny, racism. They encourage the bigoted, facts are for the educated. It is like an upmarket version of PolPots killing fields in Cambodia.

Stop playing silly games and get us closer to Europe. There are at least 2 sticking points – one is fisheries policy. Johnson negotiated the current one which runs out soon, A lot of the fish caught goes to the EU anyway. Youth mobility is seen as a problem – I am not sure how? Young people travelling and living in each others countries is surely a great thing? America is for the next 31/2 years at least, unreliable and fickle. It also a long way over the ocean – transport costs should surely start to soar as the climate crisis deepens. Get ready for a ridiculous outpouring of rage from the RW Media and Reform. The majority of people in this country accepts that Brexit was a disaster – some might argue that it was because of the general incompetence of the Tories who did not take advantage as they should! If I was negotiating for the EU I would demand payments towards the cost – we used to pay £xxx per month towards the costs of the EU. Why should we get the benefits of deals without paying into the system. This may become more important as parts of Eastern Europe lurch to te right and Moscow – Poland, Romania, Hungary, Serbia. Back to your people travelling – I sometimes wonder how Jelena from Subotica has lived her life? I met her in Brighton for a brief time (I was stoned) in 1970.

In the paper today – one story got my full attention! A tin of crisps for £26! and a bag printed like a crisp packet for £1450! The article was stunning but saved by the head chef at Toklas who admitted liking Pickled Onion Monster Munch the best!

Other items – Israel continues to slaughter innocent people – including children – without facing the wrath of politicians, the press or just everyone! And Trump has made it illegal to boycott Israeli products. Wanker!

There are 156 billionaires in the UK – tax the bastards. Good to see Ratcliffes wealth diminishing as he screws ManU. The king (not Elvis silly) has increased his wealth bu a few hundred million. The list says this is his personal wealth rather than the state bit and the 14 castles/houses we provide for him and his family. What do any of these very rich fuckers do to help others? Absolutely fucking nothing of note.

I mourn the death of a great leader Jose Mujica, former President of Uruguay. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/uruguays-former-president-mujica-dead-89-2025-05-13/ A truly humble man, whereare the politicians like that in the UK.