The stats are horrific. All statistics are suspect but between 25% and 30% seems average for what a woman receives as annual income compared to men. And also the top 50 richest individuals received 8.51%. Fucking madness! Who does most of child rearing – our future – women.
USA
The USA, or at least Trump and MAGA seem very hostile to the EU. I guess this is to be expected as at least western Europe tends to be centre-right wing most of the time with liberal social tendencies. The EU is twice the size of the USA population wise and has a far greater diversity of people and environments. The USA has forever used migrant labour to increase its power. However Europe has the brains, manpower and market to compete. Europe will eventually compete with US companies and will stop the drain of profits. Maybe we should encourage more links with China and India and the Arab World, and also South America and the hispanic world. America was great at exporting democracy – until it wasn’t. I think that many have realised that the USA was a dormant malicious tumour for some time. Trumps bromance with Putin comes and goes – but Russias impact on Europe is what Trump encourages. Paying our own way on NATO is fine – especially if we can tax the techno firms. Why does Trump lust after Putin? – to undermine the EU. China is too large for Trump to cosy upto to get any benefits; the EU too diverse; India is a possibility with Modri: Africa is too late and Trump’s brmance with Musk has soared the continents pallette.
NOT READ YET
The papers – was preparing a list of the most important (or do I mean influential) womaen in history! Suggestions please.
Then I opened the paper and Starmer was there! His headline was hypocritical crap – Greens are anti-NATO and think it is all right to sell drugs. Thats nuts”. Forstt off the drugs – the governenment makes millions from a tax on alcohol and tobacco; and probably more from unpublicised drugs. So the pseudo-honest man talks bollox. Second – Nato has blood on its hands. It has been used as a political tool by many a POTUS. Now Trump is using it to try and control the narrative in Europe. Polanski is correct in the statement that Europe needs its own non-nuclear force. We do not need the USA to be our paternalistic patrons. Have we paid off the last war yet? And tec companies are repatriating billions $ every year.
I guess I need to read the second line!
I have and it is all OK – just looks a bit spin doctor’ish! Walks in the countryside and family events.
It made me think of the demographics of voters. Die hard old on all 3 traditional parties. Then those concerned about their finances will possibly lean to the right. The bigots are all for Reform whatever the facts and reality. I feel that everyone else is a floating voter now! The last government were so awful that the traditions of the past are gone. Reform offers an angry response for the – basically angry! and those who feel dispossessed due to their own incompetence. The Greens who I would love to support in a coalition (where their more outlandish views are brought to account) appeal to the young – especially since Zac Polanski has taken the argument to the front line. The Lib.Dems – I think Ed. Davey is a lovely man, but with aggresive postering dominating politics his lovely persona, he will need his full team of local activists to maintain his position. Last comment was interesting – local activists will I think win the next election. Who will go door to door saying “I am a bigoted racist and misogynist – vote for me’! I think the greens could become a significant force – and if a three way coalition arises, then we will have PR – at long last.
Now to read the rest of the paper!
EMBARRASSING
Not me – although my children might disagree! No, the World Cup Draw. The obnoxious obsequiousness (2 long words in a row!!! YES!) by Gianni Infantino towards the Orange Man Baby who wore a medal like a 4 year old at play school who got a sticker for not poohing themselves. 2 hours of nonsense, and often no translators when the speaker was speaking using Portuguese. The we had stars from other sports doing the draw itself (eventually) – who thought that a good idea? All in all it makes the FIFA World Cup much less attractive. i also love the FA Cup for allowing teams like Chelmsford City their day in the limelight – but a World Cup with Curacao and Cabo Verdi is ridiculous, as is playing games in dangerous heat, and also 7 games in 21 days at top level?
Also most fans in England, Spain and Germany would probably rather watch the Champions League final and leave support of the national team to drunken, racist, nationalistic bigots!
Whilst enjoying schadenfreude at others expense – Farage made a fool of himself and his gurning face. He kept saying “Bernard Manning” as some obscure excuse for his racist and nasty comments. He has denied saying them but we do not believe him (and his supporters will love him for it!). I too was brought up in the same era and earlier (and worse). As a teenager I may have made racist comments with the bravado and confidence and ignorance of a teen, but I was also aware of it being offensive – and Ireally cannot remember any instance, and I would certainly not have insulted anyone in their hearing – but then I was brought up properly! Gurning Farage has obviously not advanced mentally since puberty – bad mouthing less fortunate people is the territory of the bully and pervert – please can he just go away.
BUDGET
Why the fuss? RWPress getting knickers in twist as they say the Chancellor changed her mind, or pre-budget staements were false? Whatever – why the huge fuss? Did someone lose money on a dodgy bet? Or is their ire due to Misogyny? Which woman will they pick on next? They also seem not to have finished with Angela Rayner and Badenoch is too useless to bother about.
Attacks on the judiciary by Jenprick should lead to a prosecution for attacking our basic democracy. He should fuck off and join the rancid racist low life in Reform. Although Labour are now imposing cruel right wing policies themselves, namely not allowing disabled people to supplement mobility allowances themselves to get better models – Lee half-wit Anderson suggested a return to blue 3 wheelers.
Enough griping! I put up the christmas lights on the bay tree outside – I might have to rearrange them as I was frustrated that they had managed to get tangled all by themselves in the last 11 months. Still effort made! If it warms up a bit without raining I might prune the Mulberry trees.
On weather is the Met Office scared or a BBC style attack? Its weather forecasts have been overly pessimistic recently? I guess that issueing a warning is better than not, but not at the expence of crying ‘wolf’ with every shower! Oh god – I am still sounding miserable! And I am not! maybe a little hung over though! Sunderland came back from 0-2 to win 3-2, next up is Liverpool!. A win at Anfield would be a great early Xmas pressie. The bottom 5 look like they will scrap out to avoid relegation. Frank Lampard seems to be making a miracle in Coventry.
Trees – why do people not plant a fruit tree on their unused front and back lawns – if they have kids to run around them ok, but many are just green deserts and often sprayed with herbicide. My lawn now has an apple tree and an apricot with an undergrowth of raspberries at the back – the front has Abby tree and 2 mulberries with rosemary, thyme and sage thriving along with roses, lavender and hot lips.
VILE RACIST
So Farage attempts to deny comments he made in his youth. I am sure that we all made errors of judgement and made foolish comments in our youth – however for most these were occasional mishaps on our way to maturity rather than prolonged character defects. Farage has shown that his his racist comments as a youth were just a precusor to a life sustained by by bigotry and racism. He has refused to apologise and maintains that he never made such comments, only banter. What a prick he is – I am sure that growing up with the ‘Black and white minsters Show” and “Till death us do part” most of my generation will have made racist obnoxist comments without realising their harmful context, however on my part these would have been immature lapses rather than prolonged bullying – which is what Farage is accused of. Should he resign – that would be expected of a respectable person – but his electorate love him for being and obnoxious, racist, bigoted little cunt.
PRESS
Made me laugh! The ridiculous headline in the Sun “Britain’s being fleeced by my niece”. – they found a relative of Reeves to slag her off – my brother would do a better job of criticising my political views! Front page headlines by a possibly deranged relative – journalism it is not and a new low for the Sun. Meanwhile the Mail had to be put out upside down due to yet more crap headlines; as predicted the Daily Crap had a headline of a brain drain (numbers of nationals leaving has been constant for last 10 years) and record number of asylum seekers (45% of whom are turned down), and little mention of the 70% fall in migration. And in shameless hypocracy the Telegraph has front page headlines of young leaving the UK due to high tax Britain (we are below the average for Europe) – did they interview everyone leaving the UK – of course not – many will have left due to the bigotry and hatred promoted by the press. If Britain is a haven for the 50+thousand asylum seekers that are fleeing from opression and personal danger we should be PROUD! AND NOT ONE positive anything on front pages – lets make Britain miserable seems to be a theme.
BUDGET REFLECTION
Overall nothing to shout about. I did see someone complaining about the surcharge on £2000000 houses; cry on baby! He had 5 bedrooms – if really hard up the house would be good security for a £2500 loan? And with house price rises he would not be out of pocket – he can Off!
What else – tax on sugared drinks is essential in meeting the obesity problem. The 2 children rule – again no problem if it lifts children out of poverty.However I do wonder if child benefit should be given in food vouchers. The EV mileage tax was essential for government income but I wonder how effective its implementation would be. As I said yesterday, a mileage tax ic counter ingenuous. Freezing tax levels makes sense when they are trying to raise money. And I do not understand the pension change!
I would have liked to see more devolution although with the caveat that Reform councils seem a disaster. On which “Man of the people” Farage has been hiding from criticisms from his old cronies at Dulwich College who confirm that he was a vindictive little racist whilst a pupil there. Why do people vote for privileged little snots like him and his fellow MP’s (80% privately educated).
Will we see headlines celebrating the 245000 fall in net migration – I very much doubt it! The bigotry will concentrate on channel crossings (marginal up) and emigration (with no evidence of where they were going!
BUDGET DAY
I wonder what it will be like? The RWPress have already trashed every possibility so she can’t win, whatever. The last budget was to clean up the mess left by the incompetent tories, however it did seem to create a new mess! Taxes take money out of the economy, borrowing just feeds the fat bankers and Labour cannot go down the austerity path. The Tories have sold off our assets so there is basically little room to manoeuvre. Taxing the very rich and actually stopping offshore investments to avoid tax, and multinatinal companies using Luxembourg or Ireland to avoid tax would be a start. Traditional tax grabs like petrol, tobacco and alcohol are no longer cash cows. The international situation offers little scope for growth of the economy. A rent freeze would enable more spending and may result in more properties on the market and thus lower prices?
Oil companies are still exploiting fossil fuel reserves and making massive profits so a windfall tax would be good and decoupling energy prices from gas would help.
Although disappointed with Starmer, the last government were awful, alternatives at present are also potentially a whole lot worse. Reform have screwed just about every council they have won, and seem to led by a racist bigot (however that is an attraction to many!). Sorry for being pessimistic – not my normal attitude.
The clamour for growth of the economy is in my view stupid. Basic fact – we live on a finite planet, despite tech mega rich idiots going to Mars!! – fuckwits). What is needed is not growth but a cleverer, smarter and more sustainable economy. However under our present democracy with a 5 year cycle this is difficult. PR would probably lead to greater co-ordination after elections as many parties would remain (albeit with changes of emphasis). But no MP is likely to vote for PR – turkeys voting for Xmas! With PR about 50% would become unemployed!
EDUCATION
Another attempt to understand! With Employment: There were 34.19 million people aged 16 and over in employment during July to September 2025. The employment rate for 16 to 64-year-olds was 75.0%. Unemployment is about 5%. As there always needs to be unemployment for the job market to work, this figure is not overly great. However the overall figure means that about 50% of the population is not working! or paying meaningful tax. With the demographic facts of an ageing population something needs to change. I think we can excuse the 14.4 million under 18’s from the discussion for now. So 48.59 m are excused – for now. I also realise that of the 13.1m pensioners, many are working, often full time. So 62 million have an excuse. I have missed out those on sickness benefits. Apparently up to 3 million. And here is a harsh reality – are we pandering to those who really should just get a backbone and get on with it? I suspect that austerity hit the services that could help people back to work. And I would guess that the majority of the 3 million would love the independance that an earned income would provide. This is of course controversial. A living payment to all adults at a living wage level would encourage the unemployed to gain more money and get jobs. How many of those on sickness benefit and other benefits would get additional income?
Pensioners in Germany have just been given a tax free allowance to continue working. This makes sense – as a teacher I am not sure that an 70 should have 30 students to control, but as a teaching assistant part time their experiance would be beneficial. Old people have paid for their pensions and should have a choice, but employment opportunities that benefit children and society should not be spurned.
Then education as promised. I can name every USA state, every country in the world, most capital cities, the former names of colonial countries – hoo fucking ray! The world has moved on, faster than me, but certainly faster than those in Westminster. Education needs to be brought into the 21st century – it is in many ways still in the 19th century.