“BLISS WAS IT IN THAT DAWN TO BE ALIVE- BUT TO BE YOUNG WAS VERY HEAVEN” (WILLIAM WORDSWORTH ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION)

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Another day of huge student protests passes and the ruin of society predicted by the Sun, Telegraph and Daily Mail did not seem to happen. Instead what we got was a display of anger tempered with self restraint and determination to be heard, this time there were far more young students from schools rather than universities. Attempts by the right wing media to portray all of this as violent anarchy are failing: they are failing because of increasing technology, it is harder now for the police to lie about numbers present as well as using excessive force against protesters because it is a fact that in a large crowd nowadays perhaps 90% of those present will have a mobile phone/camera, even the most diligent and brutal police group find it difficult to seize tens of thousands of cameras and smash them. Even then they used mounted police to charge demonstrators who were perfectly well behaved, a fact that the Chief of Police knew nothing about when interviewed later, there is a pattern here, like the Brazilian electrician shot dead and the newspaper seller whose manhandling by police led to his death. The police issue several versions of events changing them as quickly as they are exposed as lies, we await with patience to hear why it was thought necessary to charge the crowd with horses, perhaps while they are at it they will explain why it was also necessary to keep thousands of young people under collective arrest without charge or evidence of crime; some as young as 13 for nine and a half hours in freezing conditions without water or access to toilet facilities. We may have to wait a long while, meanwhile can we not dispense with our hypocritical babbling about our precious democracy and freedom. When police can: with impunity hold thousands in captivity and prevent people from walking down a street peacefully, boasts about democracy and freedom etc. are flawed and hollow, it's about time we admitted it.

Finding amidst the demonstration a police van unattended slap bang in the middle of the oncoming crowd struck me as being very suspicious; am I alone in finding this rather bizarre? It was the type of vehicle which we see carrying officers to various locations where they are deemed to be needed, where were they? Did the "Mets. Finest" turn and flee abandoning their van in the face of the baying hordes intent on violence and havoc? Some of those 13 year olds can be particularly vicious you know: I suppose you can't be too careful. I have searched in vain to find an explanation for a police van abandoned; not parked remember but abandoned to the mercies of the vicious hordes of nasty 13 year olds and even worse 17 and 18 year old female students whose violence is legendary. Unfortunately for the vicious press liars and for whoever thought up the idea of leaving the van in the hope that it would provide bad coverage of the demonstrators the technology I mentioned kicked in. We got some stunning photos of a very dignified and determined group of teenage schoolgirls who had formed a cordon around the van to prevent it being vandalised, well done to those girls. Perhaps we will get an explanation for that, maybe some of the press photographers who were right on the spot at exactly the right time to catch some youngsters climbing on to the roof and kicking the van. Some of the crowd were so vicious that they could plainly be seen cooperating with the press photographers who asked them to kick the van again so they could get a better picture, perhaps it is just the case that British rioters are so much more better behaved than our European colleagues "after you Cecil with the iron bar" "no no you first old chap" it's British breeding probably.

The students continue to lead the way and the Unions are making the right noises about massive resistance to the Tory/Fibdem Govt. Some Govt. people BTW in offering a solution for the economic situation have hit on the not so innovative idea of blaming the lower orders for breeding so much, we have been here before and they serve to remind us of the utter viciousness of the Tory Party and the pathetic obsequiousness of the spineless Fibdems who stand for nothing absolutely nothing, no political anchor and no lie they would not tell to get a taste of power, no cause they would not ditch, they are crooks and crawlers everyone of them.

I congratulate the students again and I also encourage the unions and every other person and or organisation that believes in justice and fairness to do everything we can to rid us of these parasites once and for all and don/t forget we are not just talking here about Tories we now have a cabal of backstabbing liars and traitors propping them up, the Liberal Democrats who will if there is any justice never be forgiven or forgotten, they have gone the same way as the treacherous SNP when they brought us Margaret Thatcher and they, like the SNP will have to wear that badge of shame for a long long time, in my case for ever. Direct action is the way forward; don't make the mistake of thinking that we are dealing with an honourable enemy. Think back to Thatcher and before her as well. The enemy are the self seeking supporters of Capitalism whether they are prominent and bullish Tories or underhand crawlers like the Liberal Democrats and the Tartan Tories of the SNP we must be determined to take them on and the place to do it is not the late night TV studios, the place to do it is the streets.

Posted by Cllr Terry Kelly at Sunday, November 28, 2010
0 comments
Links to this post

THE WORLD SURVIVED REAGAN AND BUSH, CAN WE SURVIVE PALIN?

When 'Spitting Image' ran a sketch years ago showing President Ronald Reagan answering one of his aides by saying "Nicaragua? that's the big guy with the beard aint it?" we all laughed uneasily, we knew the biggest military and economic country in the history of the planet was being lead by a congenital idiot and the world was a less safe place because of it but: Corporate America was willing to risk it because they would get seriously rich, so what! that's Capitalism right!

Fast forward on a nightmare journey and we find another congenital idiot George Bush as president of America he once said ''Our politically correct society is acting like some giant insult's taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards, retards...There's going to be a retard summit at the White House.''
We laughed and showed a rictus grin as the Bush years held the world in an uneasy embrace: we had stopped asking by then how such people could become so powerful. Corporate America smiled from the sidelines as it's pockets bulged with green, that's Capitalism right!

Right now we watch horrified as the never ending Korean conflict flares up again with nuclear capability on both sides; we should all be reflecting uneasily that one of the apparently plausible presidential candidates for 2012 is Sarah Palin: believer in witchcraft; slaughterer of animals for fun and congenital idiot. When asked what newspapers and magazines she reads on a political talk show she couldn't name a single one and said
"All of 'em, any of 'em that have been in front of me over all these years. Two days ago when asked about the Korean flare up she said "But obviously, we've got to stand with our North Korean allies."

North Korea backed by China are the communist enemies of South Korea who are backed by America. I sometimes think that I remember this stuff as part of a nightmare. This woman could conceivably become the most powerful person on the planet: the world looks on aghast and says "surely even Americans can't be that stupid" but: we said that before with Reagan and Bush did we not? Corporate American crooks continue to win while placing idiots in positions of great power and they thus ensure that their wealth continues to grow. Here is a nice thought as we approach Christmas, cherish the season of Peace & Goodwill and try not to think 2 years ahead try not to think that in Reagan, Bush and Palin we could have lived under the world leadership of the third congenital idiot American President, all of whom had and still have access to the Nuclear Codes.

POSITIVE ACTION IN HOUSING [home@paih.org] ACTIVELY STANDING UP FOR JUSTICE AND PROTECTING OUR GOOD NAME.

The British Government have been thwarted from carrying out appalling policies against Asylum Seekers in Glasgow, vigilance is required against any further attempts to persecute people who are very vulnerable and living in our midst. Let's make it clear that we will oppose any further attempts to disperse these people who are now our neighbours, read the following statement by the agency protecting them.

STATEMENT REGARDING CANCELLING OF UNITED KINGDOM BORDER AGENCY (UKBA) LETTER TO 600 GLASGOW FAMILIES BY DAMIAN GREEN, IMMIGRATION MINISTER + URGENT FUNDING APPEAL FROM POSITIVE ACTION IN HOUSING
Glasgow MPs Have stated that immigration minister Damien Green has cancelled a letter forcing asylum seekers out of their home with 3 days notice. We understand from Glasgow City Council sources that the UKBA now recognise the timetable is unachievable. Negotiations between them and the Council, GHA and Y people are to continue. Council officers are trying to point out the merits of the existing contract and the risks of terminating it. More information will be provided by Friday 26 November.

A Council source today informed Positive Action in Housing that:
"It is important to remember that this is not just about accommodation. Glasgow Council has a dedicated and well qualified/trained team who act as gateway to whole range of services from council and other bodies - social work, education, translation, medical services. Ypeople (YMCA) are not equipped to handle the larger numbers and already rely on council services and support. Angel Group cannot get even the accommodation right far less provide any support."

Robina Qureshi, Director, Positive Action in Housing, said:
"We welcome the fact that the Immigration Minister has cancelled the UK Borders Agency's potential eviction letter to 600 Glasgow refugee families which threatened to put them out of their homes inside three days. The February 2011 deadline is effectively dead. We now hope that he will also consider whether it is right and proper to put families into accommodation provided by private landlords when there are growing concerns about these agencies' ability to provide accommodation and support similar to the Council.

"The Council, similar to the city's refugee support groups, clearly has concerns about the ability and competence of private landlords contracted to the UKBA, to handle a contract involving vulnerable families.

"Positive Action in Housing remains concerned about the health and safety of vulnerable families and the sick, elderly and disabled people if they are transferred to poorly regulated and substandard accommodation run by unscrupulous private landlords whose sole motivation is profit. We believe that Glasgow City Council is the best housing and support service for the refugee families.

"However, if the contract is not going to be reinstated with the Council, then we believe that Glasgow's registered social Landlords are safer, more reliable and better regulated alternatives. Certainly their health and safety record in housing vulnerable people is impeccable.

"We remain committed that if any families are moved against their will or even one child is forced to move school then we, alongside our extensive networks of supporters, will publicly support and advocate for each and every family, and have the resources ready to do so.

"The UK Borders Agency has underestimated the strength of feeling about the agency's actions on Scottish soil. From the hundreds of emails and letters we are getting from the public, people are disgusted. Members within the Jewish community have also raised comparisons with what happened to Jews in Poland and Nazi Germany.

"Asylum policy in the UK remains a torture test for would be refugees. The psychological torture lies in a UK asylum policy that claims to offer sanctuary then systematically treats vulnerable people like criminals and liars. Their most basic human rights are violated. People seeking asylum are amongst the poorest of the poor, they are forbidden to work; they humiliated by being forced to take benefits that are up to 45% below what UK citizens get, they are marked out in shops when the use the "Azure card", they must 'spend' the card as soon as they get it, they are forbidden to save up for things like their children's school uniforms because the money on the card is invalidated after a matter of days, they risk falling into destitution at any point in the asylum process and no homeless unit or soup kitchen is allowed to help them. They live in the housing no one else wants. Those houses will lie empty again if they are forced to vacate now. Throughout their asylum claim they face the threat of destitution, detention or deportation. They can languish in such a system for seven years without reprieve. Their mental health is often severely affected as a result – something that rarely happened before they arrived in this country.

"The asylum system attacks human dignity. Many people seeking asylum escaped and survived torture, multiple rape or seeing their loved ones killed, and endured the pain of separation from their young children in order to find peace, democracy and liberty - words that regularly ring out to countries around the world from the BBC World Service no less. The mental torture is the realisation that they risked their lives and left their family, home and country, for nothing, only to find themselves vilified as social parasites by the country and to find anything but peace, democracy and liberty. Those words must seem so hollow given the treatment they received at the hands of the UK borders Agency and its privately contracted cohorts.

"We urge everyone who supports this campaign to please keep up the pressure and keep sending in your messages of support to home@paih.org. We will pass them on".

Write to your MSP, MP and MEP. To find out who your local representative is, just enter your postcode in http://www.writetothem.com/ and email them from the website.

The following should be included, Alex Salmond, the firstminister@scotland.gsi.gov.uk - Scotland Secretary michaelmooremp@parliament.uk - Damien green, immigration minister,greend@parliament.uk; - Phil Taylor, Head of UKBA Scotlandphil.taylor@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk - David Crawford, Head of Social Work, Glasgow City Council: david.crawford@sw.glasgow.gov.uk - Theresa May, Home Secretary at mayt@parliament.uk - Or: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

( Positive Action in Housing) - Please support our work and donate what you can. You can send a cheque made out to PAIH Ltd and post to Positive Action in Housing, 98 West George Street Glasgow. Alternatively give an online single or monthly donation at http://www.justgiving.com/paih/donate. Just Giving reclaims Gift Aid automatically and pays donations to us directly at the end of every week. The site is 100% secure. Donate securely online at http://www.justgiving.com/paih/donate

To get the very latest info on our campaigns and more, follow Positive Action in Housing on: Twitter: http://twitter.com/PAIHLTD Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paihltd Website: www.paih.org

"FEED THE WORLD" "CHILDREN IN NEED" "REMEMBRANCE DAY" "PRINCE WILLIAMS WEDDING" ALL THE WORTHY CAUSES EH?

If the tax payer has to foot the bill or part of the bill for "big Willie's" wedding would it be in order to insist that the whole Ruritanian circus be put out to tender to ensure that the tax payer gets value for money? Or since we are being assailed on all sides by the professional serfs of the media telling us how pleased the country is at the news and how we are beside ourselves with glee at being given the honour of paying for it, why not put it to the test?

Instead of taking tax payer's money to pay for the wedding of the son of one of the world's richest families why not give people the option of voluntary contributions. Get the expert royal flunkies to estimate the cost and then make a public appeal, I'm thinking children in need here and I'm on a roll, think of Remembrance day and Feed the World, surely Prince William is at least as deserving as them. A pound donation gets you a red white & blue paper dunce's cap, a fiver gets you 5 red white and blue dunce's caps, to be worn with pride by all patriotic Britons. The Royals would make a mint not only are they so gracious and generous to us subjects that they let us fund their castles, stately homes and lavish life styles but they would be letting us help with the wedding, priceless! They must love us; their subjects so much!

This could be a win, win situation; if the sum donated exceeds the cost of the wedding and we are able in some way to prise it from their grasp it could go to charity, who could disagree with that? "OK Philip that doesn't include you" we could have Terry Wogan on a Saturday night slot with the running total and a wee spot for patriotic entertainers who will of course donate their time for the common good "oops perhaps not Wogan" he insisted on a fee for children in need remember, the Irish need the money right?

BTW has anyone else noticed how quiet the Nationalists have gone over this farce, these are the independence warriors who sing to the tune of "The Sash My Father Wore"

"Oh Scotland hiznae goat a king an hiznae goat a queen,

How can there be a second Liz when the first wans never been.

Now they sing -

"Oh it's all gone quite over there,

Oh it's all gone quite over there"

The only thing which could upset this splendid patriotic idea would be if the great British public were to say "hey you pal, see that idea to donate to the Royal Wedding, go and shove it ** *** ***** ya b******s" but there is surely no chance of that happening is there?

SLEEKIT SCOTTISH PATRIOTS LOSE THE LEAD FROM THEIR PENCILS.

My post on the cowardly cybernats 22/11/10 who accuse people of committing crimes from anonymous positions was I hope self explanatory. It seems however that the Secret patriotic writers have rather quickly bottled it. None of these "Bravehearts" has managed to muster the courage to make their accusations in public and identify themselves.

These are the people who want you to believe they can stick up for Scotland, they are afraid to show themselves in public, what kind of leadership does cowards like that produce. They don't have the guts to say something to someone's face, they have to say it from under their rock, what did the people of Scotland ever do to deserve this mob living amongst them?

The offer still stands Bravehearts, have you got the 'smeddum'?

A MESSAGE FOR THE WEE SLEEKIT COWERING SNP POSTERS.

I learned a long time ago that the average attention span of the "common or garden" SNP member was akin to that of a goldfish. Yet again I am being sent posts which contain libellous allegations against people who if I printed them might take action against me, the senders have chosen to hide while indulging in this rather pathetic behaviour. If I print what they say without identifying them then it's me who is held to account.

For those SNP clowns who are doing this there might be two problems, one is that they are genuinely so thick that they don't understand what they are doing, always a distinct possibility with our tartan teuchter fellow Scots. or they are simply too limp of wrist and lacking in bottle to defend themselves so, let me tell them again.

If you want to attack someone personally by way of accusing them of some misdemeanour or other then you must identify yourself, I know what I am now about to say will be completely alien to you but that is the 'fair' way to do these things, make your accusations and have the smeddum to stand by them, think of that poor wee Mel Gibson and the sacrifices he made for Scotland when you remember that he got executed for 'bonnie Scotland' it's the least you can do. I know that recent events have left you bereft but that is no excuse for allowing standards to slip is it? think of Braveheart Scotland: ID yersel, or Oor Wullie: ID yersel, or Moira Anderson: ID yersel,

.

RENFREWSHIRE PEOPLE ARE NOT AS DAFT AS THE SNP/LIBDEMS THINK!

Perhaps this might be a good time to clarify why there has been severe criticism of the SNP/Libdem cabal running the council over their cavalier spending on pet projects like Gaelic Choirs, Christmas Lights and Fireworks displays. Not many people dislike music, fireworks or Christmas decorations so why the controversy? The SNP/Libdem mob have milked the fireworks/Lights etc. for every ounce of propaganda they can get, designed to make Holyrood candidates Mackay SNP and McCartin Libdem look good. As an exercise in political chicanery and stomach churning opportunism it is par for the course for such people.

They would have been hoping and praying that no one would look at this more closely but they have been rumbled. They have managed up to now to hide their true intentions but their recent budget gives the game away, pensioners, schoolchildren, people with learning difficulties and many more will pay the price of having an SNP/Libdem council with their vicious cuts. They have taken their lead from the Tory/Libdem Govt. at Westminster which the SNP here support as well (remember SNP council leader Derek Mackay saying "the Tory/Libdem Govt. cuts are about right" we won't forget that, nor will we forget the SNP/Libdem decision to award senior council officers on £70,000, 80,000, some over £100,000 a rise of 23% while introducing a £20 charge for disabled people to park their vehicles and removing death insurance from their lowest paid employees.

Let me try to explain this using a concept which is clearly alien to the SNP/Libdem let's try truthful questions and answers, SNP Cllr. Mackay and Libdem Cllr. McCartin could ask these questions and try to imagine the answers they would get from us the people of Renfrewshire. Derek and Eileen will be referred to as D&E I will give just a couple of examples and perhaps they will join in.

D&E – "We the council coalition give you a choice" people, "go on then"

A 23% wage rise for senior officers or more teachers?

A Gaelic sing song costing £30,000 or free transport for adult disabled people to their centres?

More Fireworks or do we keep halls open for the elderly and needy ?

More money on Christmas decorations or safe transport to school for our children ?

Good people what you see ABOVE is what an honest council administration would have done, this administration have chosen mendacity. I invite anyone particularly SNP/Libdem members, Cllrs. or supporters to write to me and say if they would be prepared to ask these questions of the people of Renfrewshire. Are any of them willing to let the people choose between Christmas decorations and massive rises for wealthy people; and safe transport to school for young children on dark cold and dangerous winter days? It's not complicated is it; why are they hiding from it. The people are now seeing the cost of this SNP/Libdem coalition, a group who would rather pose with pop singers than look after the people of the area who they were elected to serve and who need looking after.

Cllr's Mackay and McCartin have to be congratulated on their ability to keep a straight face while singing the praises of their farcical so called consultation "Difficult Choices for Difficult Times" nowhere in this carefully worded exercise in manipulation do you see a single question using the above format used by me, reason? They are afraid of the answers, can you guess at the response to a perfectly straight forward question from a senior officer put in an honest way such as "Do you agree that my salary should rise from £100,000 to £123,000 while we the council remove elderly centres and cut safe transport for school children" ? You won't find questions like this in the wee conjurers book from this SNP/Libdem coalition because they don't have the courage or the integrity to ask it.

.

CHILDREN, ELDERLY AND DISADVANTAGED PAY FOR SNP’S MACKAY & LIBDEM MC CARTIN’S HOLYROOD BIDS.

Like McCaig's folly in Oban we here in Renfrewshire have our own version courtesy of the SNP/Libdem administration. Stood there looking out over the Paisley skyline is what I would like to suggest should be called "Mackay's Folly" I refer of course to the huge and spectacularly ugly scaffold tower put there at huge expense to accommodate a 17 minute firework display. This would be a suitable monument to the conceit and lack of common sense of SNP Council leader Derek Mackay and the massive ego and self-importance of his puppet master the truly awful Libdem leader Cllr. McCartin. Sadly we have to reflect that McCaig in Oban paid for his folly out of his own pocket while the SNP/Libdem cabal picked our pockets, yes yours and mine, to pay for their delusions of grandeur here in Renfrewshire. It's short sighted, gratuitously ugly and over priced and as such it's not difficult to see why the SNP/Libdem coalition found it attractive.

Hot on the heels of this ignominy we had more embarrassment for the scattercash administration with huge amounts of our money being paid to entertainers to switch on Christmas lights, a job which used to be done just as well by local schoolchildren. All of this comes on top of a Bill of £30,000 to bring the Mod to Paisley. These are what we call vanity projects by the administration designed to give a quick boost to their support and their ego, they rely on people not complaining because no one wants to seem like a scrooge or a killjoy: it is about as contemptuous as you can get but it doesn't wash with me.

Running a council administration is like running a household budget: unless you are very rich indeed it is a matter of priorities. Put simply when money is tight do you buy a nice big decorated cake which all the family will enjoy or do you buy "tatties n mince" which is what they need, this administration metaphorically have bought the nice big cake and let the family go hungry. We all like Music, Fireworks and Christmas Lights but here is the important question, do we have more important priorities? The answer to that is a thunderous yes; we have more than enough to make the council spending border on the criminal and a shameful buying of votes.

The SNP?Libdem council have made it plain that Gaelic Choirs are more important than elderly wardens and music tuition in our schools, fireworks are more important than Classroom assistants and teachers and Christmas lights are more of a priority than providing safe transport to school for our children or centres for our elderly population and those citizens with learning difficulties. This is the reality of electing an SNP council or one aided by the Libdems who sit in power at Westminster while sharing power with the SNP here in Renfrewshire, these people have no shame and no conscience, they are a disgrace to the people of Renfrewshire.

When a fragile and vulnerable old person complains about losing their warden the coalition will say "what are you on about; you can hear a Gaelic choir; if you can afford it of course, if you don't speak Gaelic you can always learn right" or a parent complains about a lack of teachers they will say "you don't know how lucky you are you got a fireworks display for a full 17 minutes" (£2,941 per minute) and to the worried parent who fears for their child's safety when walking in cold dark weather to school they say "you have never had it so good didn't you see Olly Murs switch on the Christmas lights, what do you mean whose Olly Murs? "

The real question for all you voters out there is, does this SNP/Libdem administration share your priorities? well does it?

I think that anyone who has the priorities of this SNP?Libdem council should not be sanctioned to run a whelk stall, you the citizens who have paid for this scandal should go along to your Councillor's surgeries' and tell them what you think of them or; you could put your thoughts down in writing and send them to SNP Council Leader Derek Mackay and his 'minder' Libdem deputy council leader Eileen McCartin. Both these chancers are standing for election to the Scottish Parliament that's what the extravagant fireworks etc. were really about, they are treating you with contempt, don't let them away with it!

 

 

A BIT OF A ROYAL DO! PAID FOR BY ME AND YOU!

Dear fellow beleaguered citizens, just when you think that there are no further insults which the rich can throw at the poor in Britain today we are about to see a cracker. Prince William or "big Willie" as his fiancée Kate Middleton calls him (yes I know, I think we can start worrying about her already) have announced their intention to marry. By the time this takes place we will have a great many disabled people who have had their paltry benefits cut by this Tory/Libdem cabal at Westminster likewise the unemployed and we will have forced Labour introduced for those who are out of work as well if they turn down a job, they can have benefit stopped for 3 years and no one has mentioned their children yet! now is the time for a new Charles Dickens to emerge. These things and a whole lot worse will form the backdrop to the obscene extravagance and hoopla of a Royal Wedding still, out of the kindness of their hearts the Govt. and the Royals will seek to have you feel part of it all by allowing you "the tax payer" to pay for it, a kind of national bonding exercise if you will, they just never stop thinking about us their subjects do they?

I bear no ill will toward the young couple "big Willie" is of course known to us and seems pleasant and rather well balanced for a Windsor and I know very little of Kate except of course that she is not a Catholic but I do object to paying or even part paying for a wedding between two families who are multi millionaires, it actually amazes me that I still feel obliged to say that. 30 years ago the cost of his Parent's big day was £30 million, worth what today I wonder, nor did we get a refund when it went pear shaped, still it sold a shed load of tea towels right? Such is the magnitude and success of the con trick perpetrated on the British public by the monarchy that the reason for and cost of such minor details as 27 wedding cakes? 10,000 pearls hand sown on Diana's dress and 6,000 police officers lining the route of the wedding party has never been questioned, a monumental triumph of what our Jewish friends call Chutzpah.

Today's papers tell us that the recent wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden cost £1.6 Million and the taxpayers paid half, even then it lead to an upsurge of support for republicanism. It is a never ending source of amazement to me that many people including newspapers in this country who would quite gladly imprison someone for fiddling a few pounds from benefits are prepared to fork out for this farce, they will tolerate the Queen applying for grants to erect fencing around her Balmoral Estate to keep her subjects out while advocating strict punishment for others much less well off.

Before a penny of taxpayers' money is spent on this circus could we not at least pursue the debt of around £6 Million left by the late Queen Mother, that went awful quite didn't it? It should be a great mystery how this woman described by her biographer (I paraphrase) as a "hard drinking old snob and racist bigot" ever got to accumulate such debt but it's not, and an even greater mystery as to what happened to the debt but it's not: the answer to all of our shames is she was a Royal, a dreadful snob and racist who never paid for anything thus exploiting her status but still a Royal and in our society of serfs that makes her Teflon.

ALL HAIL THE DIRECT ACTION OF OUR BRAVE STUDENTS, LETS SUPPORT THEM NOW!

At first glance I thought it was coverage of events from Greece or perhaps France or Spain. Massive crowds ferociously attacking grand city centre buildings; protestors putting on a show of strength and defiance in a huge anti establishment demonstration. Then the strap line across the bottom of the screen caught my eye and I slowly realized what I was watching, the building being attacked was the Tory Party Headquarters in central London and the attackers were British students who have been brutally targeted by the Tories and grossly lied to and betrayed by the wretched Libdems, what joy! what a relief! someone has said enough is enough and decided to act and they rose "like lions from their slumbers in unconquerable numbers" as Shelley once said. All praise to them and I hope this is just the start.

While politicians of the left stand by and say we must protest peacefully for fear of the Murdoch disease afflicting us the students with all the impudence and confidence of youth strengthened by the justice of their cause and the revolting nature of the politicians they were attacking simply grasped the nettle. This is where we were in the sixties, seventies and eighties, prepared to mobilise and fight back against injustice, students were to the fore then and as someone of that past generation it makes me feel proud to see them taking that roll again. The future chances of university education for a generation is the prize, nothing less, a prize worth fighting for and the hope that it will lead on to further action.

We are about to hear a lot about violence and anarchy in the next week or so but take note, we will not see any comparison with the violence and destruction that the coalition Govt. is unleashing on the poor of our country the destruction of lives and communities that they have set out on; that will not be reported, the Murdoch cancer will again be directed through TV and Press to undermine genuine protest, that means it's time to stand firm and fight back.

My congratulations to a Mr. Richard Smith who sent a short letter to the Guardian Newspaper today saying the following "Students trashing property? Must bring back golden memories of the Bullingdon Club for Dave, George et al. Happy days"

Time to demand that our politicians, Union Leaders community activists, churches etc. act and don't let this brave initiative by the students slip away, time to join in with our fellow workers and students across Europe and make a difference. We have stood back long enough and watched horrified as the most vulnerable in society are deliberately targeted by the Tory/Libdem Govt. if you need reminding about the injustice of it all remember the Tories friends are still avoiding paying hundreds of billions of pounds in tax while the Govt. builds a fatuous and bogus campaign against so called dole scroungers. As they sometimes shout from the football terraces its "time tae get right intaerum" we will have nothing left if this Govt. survives a full term.

SUNDAY, A DAY FOR SOME SERIOUS THINKING.

I make no apology for raising this matter now so close to Remembrance Sunday because the timing has been dictated by P.M. David Cameron. I refer to his hypocritical decision to lecture the Chinese on Human Rights during his visit to that fascinating and mighty country. His haughty and arrogant behaviour has forced a debate on whether "people (Britain) who live in glass houses should throw stones" His vaunted proposals to tell them off about democracy and people's rights was always mendacious and built on sand but, not an unusual pose to strike considering the upbringing enjoyed by him and the nefarious mob there with him. People like Cameron, Osborne, Clegg etc. were not brought up to see Chinese people or many others for that matter as their equals, they were schooled to believe that they had won first prize in the lottery of life by being born British. The Chinese though will see through them with ease and perhaps humour them a bit or possibly tell them to stop talking nonsense; they might even throw in a few examples of which there are many as to why they are talking nonsense.

There is a saying which goes "The sun never set on the British Empire because the good Lord would never trust the British in the dark" This could have been said by many including India, Ireland, Palestine, Iraq, The Falklands Etc. Etc. The cretin Bush now tells us that he was right, he has no regrets, torture was O.K. Blair concurs by his silence, neither of whom and I make the assumption here that Blair knew and said nothing, spoke about America's intention to bomb Iran at the behest of the Lunatic State of Israel, we find out about it now and are left to gaze in awe at these two "bringers of death" and tremble at their crazy certainty.

So: many people now who used to think of Remembrance Sunday as a day of peace and thought about past losses are thinking about the behaviour and character of our own country. Cameron has perhaps inadvertently done the country a good turn by highlighting such matters. It is right to honour the dead and that means the dead of every country and those of every colour and religion. The best way to do this and also the best way of reminding people about the terror, cruelty and utter stupidity of war would be to have a universal day of remembrance which reaches every corner of the world allowing the whole "family of man" to reflect that we stand continually on the precipice and that that is no way for civilized people to live.

I will leave the last word with the last veteran of the trenches to die; Harry Patch, who had had a long time to consider his feelings dying at the age of 111.

"War isn't worth one life," "it is calculated and condoned slaughter of human beings." - "politicians who took us to war should have been given the guns and told to settle their differences themselves, instead of organising nothing better than legalised murder."

In the last years of his life, Patch warned some young naval recruits that they shouldn't join.

I think that he rather than the useless generals knew what he was talking about.

"It's Tommy this and Tommy that and kick im out the brute - But it's saviour of his country when the guns begin to shoot" (Kipling)

"Now every April I sit on my porch And I watch the parade pass before me
I see my old comrades, how proudly they march Renewing their dreams of past glories
I see the old men all tired, stiff and worn Those weary old heroes of a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?" and I ask myself the same question"

(Anti War Song - The Band played Waltzing Matilda – Eric Bogle)

The older I get the more disenchanted I become with Remembrance Sunday and the military circus which has overtaken it. This Sunday we will see pictures of thousands of ex Service men and women marching to military bands, they will march past dignitaries festooned with medals, gongs, fierce looking toy swords and uniforms which owe more to Ruritanian farce than anything resembling the truth, they will salute these people many of whom have never heard a real gun go off. Most prominent among them of course will be our absurd Royal Family dressed up like a Gilbert and Sullivan chorus line and just about as useful in a fight. I always feel obliged to say at some point when discussing such matters that I am not a pacifist I believe that it is sometimes necessary to fight wars as in WW2 which was a "good war" if you will, it was good guy against bad guy and quite straight forward, so straight forward in fact that recent adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer greatly by comparison.

I have tried over the years with increasing lack of success to try to consider Remembrance Day without my mind going through the utter stupidity and waste of what it reminds us of, the slaughter, the mind boggling number of dead and injured, the lost generation and the other lost generation who were their friends and loved ones whose lives were also shattered. Most of all I think of the Politicians and the Generals, the officer class, mostly pampered clowns to whom the Army was a second choice because they were too stupid for the city. Consider the following; I can't find the words to express or make clear my feelings about it. Both sides in the trenches were aware that hostilities were to cease from early in the morning of the 11^Th. and some of these officers still insisted on sending men out to fight and depart this life right up to 11 A.M. the scheduled time for cease fire. It is a matter of record that men were dying right up to 11 A.M. because they were ordered to continue, despite knowing for several hours that the war was effectively over. As I say I can't find the words to describe those responsible for such folly, let's just say it makes me rather angry but: at least those responsible got medals so that' O.K. then right? We even have statues to some of them for God's sake. Remembrance Sunday stopped being about the war dead a long time ago and is now a jingoistic military circus which glorifies war and is more to do with supporting present wars than remembering previous ones.

More than anything else the so called "Great War" should be remembered first and foremost by all countries involved as a matter of shame, utter burning shame that millions died because people could not come to an agreement, shame that Politicians and the rulers of societies around the world allowed this to happen. I do not wear a poppy and have no intention of doing so for two main reasons, the first I have talked about above and the second is because of the huge betrayal of the whole notion of the day and what it has become in terms of raising money through charity for families and wounded servicemen and women. Those who made sacrifices and paid the price of war, we eulogize them and tell them they are heroes and they will never be forgotten so; why do we make them rely on charity? Why is it that the biggest group of people with parallel backgrounds in our prisons today are ex servicemen and women? Approx. 10,000. Who knows how many are homeless; addicted to drink or drugs or locked away in mental institutions; how many live lives of quiet desperation in a single accommodation surviving on benefits and emotionally crippled: how many have simply been abandoned because they were unable to cope after life in the services? Someone is not telling the truth about this whole business.

This Remembrance Sunday takes place against a chorus of accusations of murder and torture against our forces. Our Ally; the Cretin Bush; has admitted that torture was used against civilians, he reckons that's O.K. The young man from next door who waved goodbye to you as he left resplendent in his uniform could 'God forbid' be one of those who went on to commit torture or murder, that is the reality of war! that's what it does to people. We need to tell that truth, why did German soldiers make suicide pacts with each other in the nightmarish French trenches rather than be captured by Scottish Regiments? A sobering thought and no mistake but; that is war. A great many of our servicemen and women did not join the forces to kill people, many were bored and wanted to travel, some were unemployed and some fancied learning to Ski, scuba dive or parachute from a plane.

We owe it to them and the others who are thinking about stepping into harm's way to at least tell them the truth about the whole sordid business. I have no wish to stop remembering the war dead they have my respect no matter the side but I think we should try to restore some dignity to the whole business and start giving our servicemen and women a proper fair deal; telling them how wonderful they are and then cutting them adrift is simply not good enough, this is what happened to the wounded from the Great War and 92 years later it is still going on we as a nation should be ashamed of that.