The Jam Jam

I have no sympathy for Iran – a state where religious fervour is more important than basic human rights. The basic question is whether the world would be safer if the country had nuclear weapons – and the answer must be a wholehearted NO. So was Israel justified in its overnight attack? The answer I have ais a maybe! I am no lover of Israel, but the targeted attack may be escalation, or may put back the nuclear weapons programme. However there is another angle; If Israel can carry out targeted attacks like this one, why is it bombing the fuck out of Gaza and killing so many innocents?

What is certain is a escalation of attacks on Israel by Iran. Where will China and India and Russia position themselves? Even America. trump has already said that the USA was not involved in the attack, apart, that is, from funding the country and supplying weapons and jets. I think I read that Iran had breached nuclear conditions laid down by the UN? Russia presumably has enough on its plate with Ukraine. China and India are broadly supportive of Iran as it irritates America? As a fundamentalist muslim states none of the countries will be over keen to get involved. That then leaves the wealthy Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Neither can be seen to be too vested in Israel as Islamic countries. The EU has an influential pro-Israel lobby but will be hesitant in offering diplomatic support. The same goes for UK,Canada, Norway and Australia whom all condemned Israels actions in Gaza recently.

So the situation is confused and as blurred as ever. Israel can expect more drone and missile attacks but their shield seems to be effective at stopping most (at present). However as Ukraine recently showed – innovation can overcome even a military superpower in attacks. For instance; Israel is dependent on the Sea of Galilee to feed the acquifers that provide water to farms and settlements in the south.

Hamas must be struggling to survive but Hezbollah has a wide range and seems well armed? A concerted attack from Lebanon would probably be repulsed by Israel, but renewal of hostilities from an unstable Syria in the Golan Heights might be difficult. I am envisaging a Battle of Hastings scenario where Israel tries to take Damascus, whilst Lebanon/Hezbollah fights a war of attrition in Labanon and the West Bank receives arms and rises up? Ridiculous – yes-but?!

Whilst much of California is in mourning due to the death of Brian Wilson, ICE have been conducting immigration raids. An estimated 255000 workers in agriculture in the state are undocumented (about half of the workforce). Yet another policy not thought through! The states ag.produce is valued at $59 billion and whilst Trump might not know it – the produce does not pick itself. 13% of Americas food comes from California including 19 crops not grown elsewhere in the states. Over 12% of tax revenue comes from California; 25% higher than any other state – Texas and New York are next.

A couple of sayings come to mind here – ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you’ and “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face”. Trump is doing both!

BALLYMENA

Riots and blatant racist riots following an alleged sex attack. Is this a microcosm of Reform Britain. The predominantly protestant town is seen as a dumping ground for migrants. Protestants have been losing ground politically and demographically. Tory austerity punished the working and often unemployed population. (unemploment is 11% compared to NI at 1.8%). Whether the sexual attack happened or not is largely irrelevant to those thirsting for a chance to show their frustration! and anger. As ever lets pick on migrants and minorities. The alleged sexual (attemted rape) attack was by two 14 year old Romanian boys – hardly an act of community aggression. Comments by protestors confirmed their lack of education and knowledge of facts, but that does not undermine the basic grievance.

What that grievance is is probably very complicated! Sectarianism, pre-Friday Agreement hostilities, unemployment, frustration with governments, austerity, racism, ignorance, all have a part to play and then add in the media that promotes racism and hostilities, and Trump and the who, there goes the leisure centre that was build for the people by the people, in a fireball.

In the UK we have 30 hours of exams to test pupils, in Canada the total is 10. Too many exams – its a no brainer.

But we need a system to test children – I would counter by suggesting that we look at what we are testing for? Employers will all require a basic level of English and Maths – this can be achieved with one 1 hour test, taken at any age. This could be at the basic GCSE level 4. I repeat the mantra that 30% of the jobs that our 12 year olds will do, do not exist at present. The curriculum would be released from the dreadful grind. Students could access a variety of subjects without facing a test at the end – purely a teachers analysis. Maybe have a pass system to record their attendance? Those who wish to pursue an academic career can have a one hour test paper which enables them to analysis materials – maybe a verbal discussion where appropriate. Non-academic subjects could be introduced like electricians and plumbing, and topics like coding introduced.

The vested interests of the exam system would be outraged, along with the geriatric party members. GCSE’s are not fit for purpose, and A Levels only appropriate in choosing academic courses. AND here is a thought – reduce university attendance by encouraging more apprenticeships and voila – the housing crisis is massively reduced. University towns would suddenly have several thousand rooms available to rent. University’s should concentrate on providing degrees which lead to employment. Student loans should be reduced.

The film and entertainment industry is worth billions in the UK – what effort is made by the educational system/ establishment to encourage this development of talent?

Of course this will mean a massive upheaval – teachers (of which there is a shortage anyway) could be split between those full time with enough take up for traditional subjects – and a part time sector where experts/professionals are brought in part time (after some initial training). Universities would probably regress to the traditional and academic, and the former poly’s offering courses leading to/part of apprenticeships with integral work experience. Or they could offer short course degrees – one or two years.

What needs to be avoided is things like personal finance – most people can work this out for themselves, as and when needed. Basic numeracy and english would suffice for most. Again offer as an evening course or correspondance course if the demand is there?

The government’s review will I fear, be stymied by the vested interests of exam boards and academics related to public schools and Oxbridge and Russell Universities. Employers want a change (until it comes to their own spoilt brats coming out from Eton, etc. All views are my own and subject to change as I become better informed!

TACO – he is not brave or stupid enough to use the Insurrection Act of 1807. So the deployment of Marines means that they cannot be used to supress civil disturbance – just protect federal property and personal like ICE members. He talks bollocks, looks like a dried pumpkin and acts like a child. And he is perhaps the most powerful man in the world. FFS – world is a mess. Farage talks about reviving South Wales coalmines and steelworks without a clue of the cost – latent populism. Who wants to work in a fucking mine anyway? Life expectancy is reduced, and the wages not great. At the same time scientists (i.e. the people who deal with facts!) have revealed that the acidity of the oceans has increased to the extent that its ability to absorb CO2 and thus counter the pollution of the atmosphere,

Insevts disappearing and a more acid ocean maynot concern the likes of Farage and Trump – but I care about my grandchildren and the future of Earth. Sizewell C nuclear power station – I might not be ecstatic about it but it seems we have little option at the present.

So the orange madman has deployed active Marines in LA. This would imply a major insurrection is taking place rather than a frightened population venting their anger. LA is a city of immigrants, many illegal but most working. ICE are not renowned for using kid gloves and their deployment in large numbers may have been a deliberate provocation. The deployment of Marines certainly seems so. It will be interesting to see how the police react to demonstrations planned in other US cities. The LAPD apparently have been less aggresive than the Nat.Guard and the Sherrifs dept. Trump also said that protestors should not wear masks like ICE members regularly do. Is it a plot by Trump to further divide the country; spreading lies and hatred is the tool of dictators and racism. So I did some fact checking:

there are over 11 million estimated illegal migrants in the USA. Whilst this sounds bad they are essential to the economy (hence Trump targetting those in blue states). About half are Mexicanbut also 557000 Indians and 440000 European by birth (and I would be interested to see how many Europeans have been arrested by ICE). I guess ICE have been targeting the Latin American element. 79% have been resident in the US for more than 5 years, and 66% for more than 10. I can understand the need to control immigration but citizenship should be quickly offered to those who have proven their worth to American society. The same should apply in the UK if the government follows advice and introduces ID cards.

If it is a law and orderon the streets of LA that is an issue, as Trump claims, then why is he not providing the state with funds to combat the gangs that undoubtably infest parts of LA. The internet had a clip of a woman being arrested by ICE on her way to collect her child from school – this may have been a one off, but she was an easy target and a lot simpler than targeting armed gang members?

35% of the pop of LA was born abroad. LA recently suffered from widespread fires and destruction. As 1/3rd of labourers on the building sites are undocumented I would assume that LA NEEDS these guys to rebuild? Governor Newsom seems prepared to stand up and be counted. And to use the legal system. I am aware of how the Supreme Court is manipulated to ensure a right wing libertarian bias, but these people are ultimately custodians of the American Constitution – let us hope they take their job seriously.

LA has the troops on the street against the wishes of the governor. San Francisco has also seen outbreaks of violence against the masked intrusion of ICE operatives in some areas. Could this spread to other blue states (red ones seem to have had less ICE activity!). The red neck morons love the violence and maybe itching to join in. So almost 50% of Americans will continue to support Trump, despite the economic downturn. If the violence spreads to the cities of the east and mid west like Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, and even Washington we may see widespread deployment of troops. Trump is already planning a gratuotous display of military hardware and troops akin to Red Square. The knuckle draggers will love that. Whether we will reach a situation when Starmer feels it necessary to comment is unlikely. But whether Trump can continue to undermine the US Constitution with impunity is yet to be seen. Irony would have to be written in capital letters if California applied to join Canada! Just a dream of mine!

However Trump is unstable enough to consider invading Mexico if he can concoct a story for himself that Mexico is the source of the unrest and then invade? Is this a result of my fantastic imagination? I can only hope so. More likely is invasions of Greenland and Panama to assuage the bloodlust he is incubating.

I am not sure how his rich backers will react – spending on arms is always popular with the military-industrial complex, especially if combined with tax cuts and hyper nationalism. A civil war would be different as it could endanger their assets. Also would China and Russia take advantage of a weakened USA to expand their territory and influence. It is unlikely to come to this – as Trump is also known as TACO! However the nation is becoming more divisive. I found it interesting that when I visited schools in the USA they had the flag on the teachers desk and even the home I stayed in had the American constitution on the bedside table. It must have been for show, but what would I put there for an American visitor? (answer – a glass of water? – certainly nothing like that!).

Hopefully all will settle down and abnormal reality continue.

Can the UK take a greater share of soft power? The BBC has a reputation (despite its many recent blunders under RW leadership) for impartial reporting. The Voice of America is being curtailed by the orange monster so there is an opportunity for the UK. Many people worldwide speak English and the world service broadcasts in 42 languages.

Are we witnessing the death knells of the Conservative Party? The polls would suggest so, the ineptitude of the last government and its current leadership would suggest so. If not the end of the Party it heralds a need for a very real rethink. I think the rot began with their blind adoration of the lying buffoon Johnson. Whilst he used his undoubted charisma to gain power, is lying incompetence was plain for all to see. Then we had Truss – voted in by geriatric members of the party – her extreme ideology was rejected; not by the public but by the financial institutions of the City of London! Sunak was seen temporarily as a safe pair of hands with virtually no charisma and only a massive bank balance to keep rich Tories happy. Then – if anyone was seen to be out of their depth in a puddle it is Kemi! Her ideology is to be anti-labour and she is freaked out by Reform and Farage. Actaully I have had a rethink – Thatcher was the perpetrator in the crime of undermining the basic values of our country.

So the party has neither rushed, nor crept into its present stasis, rather it has ambled along quite happily until it found itself in an alleyway with Farage and Tice and the ditherer. I am left wing with a very green patina (moss is growing on my car with a tinge of algae across the paintwork!), but …. I am trying not to choke here – Labour needs a moderate opposition that has its basis in fiscal policy and social conservatism.

The tories made much about raising the minimum wage and were not all racist misogynist basards and their obedient wives! Just as Labour are aware of the need to promote business and investment, the Conservative Party were aware of the need to maintain wages and social welfare. This status quo ended with Brexit which basically fucked the UK in so many ways. The right wing realised that there was a future in promoting ideologically and financially unsound policies if they were popular – the gutter press went along with this (as did the BBC). No longer did there have to be a balance between labour and capital – just scream about some populist crap and the voters would fall for it. Farage is to my mind an abominal human being, like Jeremy Clarkson he is very wealthy but appeals to the angry nature of the white geriatric population of the uk, and the angry youth (who have the right to be angry – even if they do not know the reason!).

I think I can handle extremism from political parties if we have Proportional Representation, but if Farage can mobilise financial heft like Trump, then if the Shit Media come into support and the BBC maintains its crap policy of a maintenance of balance, the country is doomed to unrest.

Are people too fixated on the potential takeover by AI controlled robots? I have no idea, but of more concern is their energy consumption – 2.3% of USA energy is used by AI. Here in the UK a new data centre is being proposed for Lincolnshire, cost £10 billion, consuming 3.7bn kWh of power producing 857.000 tonnes of CO2. That is a very present and current danger! Green energy is impractical in Lincolnshire, although they estimate that 10 tonnes of tomatoes could be produced with the heat each day. As ever there is no easy answer. I remember reading at least 10 years ago the potential for using the tides between Orkney and Shetland islands to produce energy and it is also cooler! Common sense is long gone from economic debate – but hey-ho!

The odds were against a Labour win – 11-1 which is greater than the odds on Aberdeen beating Celtic in the cup final! But win they did with the SNP 2nd and Reform 3rd. I wonder whether reform has hit a limit at about 26% – some places will be more racist and disillusioned than Renfrew. But all the media shit about Farage being the next PM seems to be a long way off. Especially as his chair has just resigned; basically due to racism. So whilst the Reform vote is high, but not high enough, Labour can take some solace from the result. The Conservatives must wonder what to do next. Badenoch has been useless, especially when being questioned forensically. 6% is an unmitigated disaster but the torie members who vote on their leader should be wary of Jenrick; good at being combative and controversial but honesty is not his thing, and I believe we want honesty from our politicians after Johnson and Truss.