Wildfires in France and Spain and other countries are news – human suffering is always good news, especially if they are British tourists! But the serious bit is that this situation is potentially cataclysmic. The RW Press will still bang on about immigrants (potential numbers could spiral) and other trivia. We need to take action in a big way, like a war footing. Yes tax the rich to pay for it – Britain can be a world leader again – this country is too nice to leave!
NHS
Our personal records have been acquired by a US private equity firm. Motivated by profit not patients, and from a country with an unstable leader I guess we should be concerned. There are all sorts of ways that the company, TPG, could monetise our data and sell it on to insurance companies and employers? At the same time a deal Starmer made with Trump is estimated could cost over 200000 lexcess deaths in the UK and cost the NHS $billions. There has to be a line between totally free foreign investment and what is best for Britain. The water companies are an excellent example – A large amount of Thames Water debt was created by an Australian company whilst at the same time failing to make investments to stop pollution. Incidentally with low flow in rivers it is highly likely that water firms will be discharging dangerous amounts of sewage (especially if we have storms before the river flows recover.
Evacuations across Europe due to devastating wild fires that continue to rage near Madrid and Bordeaux, are being matched by similar evauations across Asia due to devastating typhoons and flooding.; and we have not seen the worst of El Niño until next year. Incidentally – why can we still buy disposable bbqs in the UK – for as little as £2! At the very least they should come with a fire extinguisher. And lets see some punishment fitting the crime measures here – fines and prison are inappropriate when confiscation of vehicles or as an alternative 100’s of hours of cleaning up the mess they caused. Cigarette companies should be forced to provide free butt boxes to shops to give away 9free advertising?
My front drive has chicory and evening primrose and a couple of other plants growing in it – it would not be rocket science to stipulate that all driveways and paving over of lawns should involve a lattice that allows infiltration of rain, and can be a haven for wildlife (it needs all the help it can get!). It could still be mown, it would cut flooding risk in cities where of street parking ahs become endemic with former gardens concreted.
So the prediction is, and I hope I am so wrong, A wet autumn, followed in the New Year by a very cold spell, then a summer of heat waves – hopefully as we are an island the temperatures will be moderated. Britains housing also needs massive refurbishment – even houses built this year! Insulation, windows with shutters, that open inwards? Oh _ I am sure others have better ideas!
Meanwhile – Trump is playing Hokey Cokey with the world again on a destructive level – bombing Iran/being friends; tariffs on/off. I think it goes beyond business, we all like an element of stability – he is single handily destroying the worlds economy. And many Amricans still support the pervert!
WILDFIRES
An unbelievable number of people are evacuated in Spain and France – where do they go? It might be for a short while, but for others whose houses burn it means change on a massive scale, childrens schools, pets, and all the junk we accumulate through the years. I really feel for these people; and the wildlife whose escape maybe more perilous.
And so the police are investigating Tice and the dodgy finances of Reform, and finally the presss are awakening to the bloody obvious realsisation that what policies Reform has are crap! What else to report? Nothing really – a burning fucked up world is more than enough for today!
WILDFIRES
It is something that affects others – not me – is a dangerous notion. I have done my own risk assessment on my home. I am approximately 200m north of an unmanaged wood. 70m is a field then “the other side of the road and their gardens”. So with a s-w wind I could be vulnerable. We have also had a limited amount of overnight rain so everything is not tinder, thebwoods are not much used either, so less likelyhood of portable bbqs or cigarette ends starting it. So I think I will be ok? That in itself is a dangerous thought! Even in cities the once lauded open spaces are vulnerable – I think I remember a incidence last year where a couple of houses were burnt,
Only a tiny percent of fires are started by lightning, most are started accidentally, or maliciously by human beings with small brains. However we are now building more houses in potentially vulnerable areas, the fires in California demonstrated that the fires do not respect wealth and power! Education would seem to be essential (including the deaths by drowning in warm weather) – but here the government has a problem. Many people have no access to the BBC, a traditional source of, now amusing, educational warnings. Schools are basically the last chance to educate the whole population. This situation is made worse by the impacts of Reform, Badenoch’s tories and the other lot, basically research shows that wildfires are likely to increase in danger and become 10X more common across Europe. Stop bleating on about Net Zero ad back it. Even if we stopped polluting the atmosphere tomorrow (I wish), it would take decades to return to a ‘normal’, the oceans (70% of earth’s surface) are warming and storing heat that will take eons to dissipate, And here I have a question – What if I am wrong and Badenoch, Trump, Farage and whoever are correct? Then I guess I would be happy with small benefits like cleaner air, despite the cost of Net Zero. If I am correct – not doing anything and drilling for more oil is treason and should be punishable by the sequistration of assets – both personal and corporate.
COST OF LIVING CRISIS
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TARIFFS
So the rapist idiot in charge of the USA is imposing his beloved tariffs again – despite most being illegal, this time he cites forced labour as a reason. So says the man who oversees a system whereby many in their 70’s and 80’s are forced to work due to medical bills. We know the war with Iran is not going well – oil price above $100 a barrel again, and what is happening regarding the Epstein files (or is the Judicial System in the states as corrupt as its President).
Meanwhile Andy Burnham has moved swiftly; VAT on fuel bills cut, state pensions protected from tax; prisoner release protocol reviewed; 20% cut in business rates for pubs and clubs, etc. OK so all fairly minor, but a step in the right direction. And all in a few days – and a new No.10 opened in Manchester – we wait to see the impact of this.
Meanwhile Wales has reported the driest July on record (200 years), Wildfires have caused the evacuation of thousands in France – including many tourists. All worryingly important, especially as the MSM reports that Burnham is keen to drill in the N.Sea. a recognition that the impact on oil prices would be non-existent, that any income would be offset by grants, and an acknowledgement that climate change is man made and occuring now would seem to be crucial to any story published – but no – they report the heat wave, and even deaths, without a mention of climate change! Latest wildfires are reported as probably caused by disposable bbq’s – I thought they had stopped selling them due to the cost of morons – an IQ test before purchase would seem to be essential. Why are some people such dirty slobs. ; there is a parking space for 5/6 cars outside my village shop. It has 2 large litter bins. It sells hot food with sachets of sauce. Why do the lazy fuckers just chuck the empty sachets out of their car windows. Shitbags!
GET SMART
Typical furore over early release prison sentences. The RWPress are wetting themselves trying to humiliate Burnham. I would point out that it takes 7 years to build a prison – who was in power for the first 5 years of the last 7? Dumbass stupidity to complain about it now. And then has the crime rate increased with austerity (under the Tories). Letting prioners out early has long been a policy followed by successive governments. Re-offending rates are much too high, over half of all inmates have learning difficulties. None of my comments will take away the very real trauma of victims of crime. Over 10% are foreign nationals – deport them once they have served a commensurate amount of time for their offences. Prison should be a punishment, but is it commensurate with the offence – a retired lady holding up a poster saying “I support Palestinian Action, stop the genocide” has not commited an act of terrorism (what ever the law says) and should not be taking up space intended for real criminals. Also many people are convicted of offences induced by circumstance – surely in the 21st century we can develop a form of tagging to keep offenders away from vulnerable spots. Society also needs to highlight the cost of crimes like shoplifting; can shops have alarms that are activated when a convicted shoplifter enters, or attempts to enter. Domestic violence and violence towards women needs careful examination of how to counter – the internet needs and demands some governmental control. Perhsps we should follow the Dutch example where prison spaces are not filled!
Climate change – France estimates that 5700 people died due to the heat wave in June. 9 million tonnes of grain crops have been lost due to the heatwave in Western Europe worth £1.7 billion – this will have an impact on food prices. Trump’s war with Iran is escalating again, oil prices are up at the pumps in the UK, going past £1.50 a litre for petrol. The guy is a fucking maniac – his latest is to help Saudi Arabia develop nuclear weapons – how can that make the world a safer place? Could Trump be rehabilitated? Unlikely – he is too rich and emboldened by his wealth and power!
MOANING
My turn, I put the radio on, only to hear people complaining abut the poor bus service and how unfair it was. They have to be fucking joking, Firstly most areas with poor bus services are rich areas with high car ownership and with a low rental population – so people chose to live there despite the poor bus service (or I could go further and suggest it is beacuase of the low non-car ownership that attracts people). Often there is a regular bus service, just not one they can summon at will. With capitalism it is all about demand and supply – fewer cars on the roads should mean cleaner air, less noise and fewer accidents. With a nationalised bus service it would also mean higher income and less subsidy. With the cost of a car being between £4 and 5 grand per year without parking charges, a saving of £2000 per year would go a long way to decreasing the so called ‘cost of living crisis’. So that’s it for my moan about moaning.
£16666 per term is the cost of sending a child (boy) to Eton College. I would suggest a new council tax base it on a revised net worth housing assessment with the average cost being the same, but the introduction of higher bands at £200000 for each one and an increase of 10% per band. The rich fuckers can afford it! They could sell up and leave the country – good riddance. But I would also increase, impose a tax on private air flights, maybe through aviation fuel, so it they decide to come and go it costs them! Local authorities ould fund schools better, and care homes. 24% of Burnhams new cabinet attended private schools, compared to 8% under Starmer; I have no quibble about the number who went to Oxbridge being 55%, up from 38% they are supposed to be the best Universities in the country, and score well internationally. I am not against private education per se, maybe I am! but I hate the privilege that goes along with their £16.666 per term. Many schools are close to competing on results, despite the disparity in class sizes, where the divergence occurs is in the displays of arrogance/confidence and ability to project themselves. Sorry Maz!
And a me me me moment. I have maybe 100 plants in my garden that need watering – I have 3 waterbutts totalling 350 ltrs, but it may not be enough. I have paid for, and cherished these plants that bring pleasure to some. Various water companies have been negligent in managing new demands such as data centres, why should I be fined if I use a hose pipe, or a mother lets her children play under a sprinkler – do golf courses have a similar ban? And how is a maximum ban of £1000 fait – I send my kids to Eton and stopped worrying about 6 figure sums – why should they care?
MIXTURE
Todays post covers everything and nothing!
First my last comment on the World Cup. Not for the performances on the pitch – Spain could and should of scored a hatfull, it would then have been applauded as a great final, instead the pundits who, in their day, generally underperformed, had to have their critical BS noted. The fnal was a debacle for the half times and hydration breaks. Then we had the Argies living uptown their name in a disgraceful show of petulance after the full time whistle, then the Trump had to be ushered away by Rodri as he tried to get some reflected glory – even Lamine Yamal showed contempt for the POTUS. High points for the series were Cabo Verde and Curacao generally holding their own, generally great stadiums, and the competion for the golden boot. low points – the cost of tickets and transport and hotels (some suckers paid $1million for a pitchside seat at the final!); and the kick off times were unfriendly to the European market who provided 75% of quarter finalists. It is all over now!
Second – my tomatoes are coming in at a rate, I have picked basil and garlic with olive oil as a basis for a salad, new potatoes with a mint dressing – and I am waiting for my Chaya tree to arrive – do I pot it or plant it out? I have bags of herbs drying in the GHouse.
Third – Trump, again! has lost patience with Iran and is bombing their infrastructure – nice man! Petrol is creeping up in price as, again the Straits of Hormuz seem to be blocked, and Iran is asking its proxies to do the same with the Houthis blockading the entrance to the Red Sea. Trump did not think this one through – or for that matter the Gaza plan, which is virtually none existent (despite rich boy Tony Blair’s input)!.
Fourth – Burnham is playing a cagey game with his main appointments to the Cabinet, no left wing revolution but still some hope? Israel will be a key denominator for me, moving the UK away from world gas prices will also be important and nationalising Thames Water and others.
Fifth – the weather, its still getting hot, but lovely at dawn! Record ice melt in the Arctic, Donald is a ‘twat’.
STUPID AND/OR VERY GULLIBLE
Or maybe they are illiterate and cannot count. These are the only conclusions to be drawn from a survey in the USA. Only 61% of Americans beleive that extreme climatic have increased in the USA, amongst Republican voters the figure is below half! Oh well Trump likes hyperbole, maybe he will be boasting about the biggest heatwave, hailstones, floods. In fairness to Americans they do suffer from the frog in a pot syndrome (heat it slowly and the frog will not notice until it is too late) they have tornadoes, hurricanes and floods/heatwaves regularly; and a frontier mentality of survival against the odds. How many would risk their lives, and those of their children by crossing a road with an 80% chance of survival? But the odds on climate change caused by human activity is creating odds that are moving from the possibility to the certainty. Of course there are natural cycles and there have been severe events in the past, but what is incontrovertible is that human activity is enhancing the impacts and frequency. El Niño may result in fewer hurricanes in the Caribbean this year, but should not be used as evidence of a human benign influence – it is anything but!
Whilst on global issues, it is commendable that we lift people out of absolute poverty and increase life expectancy – BUT – we also need to aid birth control so the survivors can have an enhanced standard of living without impinging on the ability of the natural world to survive. That would be a common sense approach but fundamental christians (and possibly other religions too) believe it is gods will to … whatever …. be a complete bastard and destroy nature – they are also against birth control and abortion (even when it is incestous). So the population of an area will increase naturally until people are again dying of starvation (more likely with flood/drought). And the so called “Aid Agencies” then cut their funding due to a war they instigated on false grounds. So, continuing with the projection – the population increases, people are dying of starvation or maybe a disease like ebola – surely a responsible parent would try to move to a safer more prosperous area – its called migration, Oh the irony of people in the rich west trying to stir hatred against the poor and suffering masses; who caused the climate change? Not a poor farmer tilling the land with an oxen. Move to a country that has supermarkets stuffed with products from around the world (without a care of the human or environmental cost of their production).