site map
C O L O U R K E 'Y

news and comment
politics

  ‘new’ labour crooks, after undermining private pensions, now threaten to renege on government pensions

While Brown the Clown postures and tries to distract attention, and the leftist fossil media concentrates on the bluster and blather, what is the Clown doing behind closed doors?

“Lord Mandelson said: "If the taxpayer is going to pay for the pension fund deficit, the taxpayer must get back a full, improved letters service in return. The Government cannot do one without the other.

“The Royal Mail's workforce will have a secure pension if the other changes are made. That is the deal on offer and I hope the CWU will think carefully before rejecting it." ” [Quoted from telegraph.co.uk]

the UK government already owes these pensions. The government is now threatening the Post Office employees that if they do not accept the Clown selling off 36% of the Post Office, the government will not honour their pension commitments.

Is this preparation for government reneging on their vast pension ‘promises’.

It is widely believed that these pension ‘promises’ are simply unsustainable.

It is strange that the government starts with a section of the public sector that have paid at least £5 million to the Labour Party.

There is no limit to the government sharp practice, as the Clown searches high and low for still more taxes.

£5 million in party ‘donations’, god knows how much will be stolen from pension rights this time, and how much revenue the Clown hopes to get from selling off (this time) more than a third of the Post Office.

And then what? The steady erosion of all government pension ‘promises’? That is, of course, what inflation does. What now? Simply refuse to pay any of them?

Meanwhile, ‘new’ Labour reduce police numbers as the recession advances.

“Large numbers of police forces are planning to cut thousands of officers despite the threat of a recession-driven surge in crime and disorder.” [Quoted from timesonline.co.uk]

But UK taxpayers are to pay £650,000 a year for life to an HBOS failed banker, and on that also he is now trying to backslide:

“Authoritative sources have told me that Sir Fred Goodwin, the former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland - who is widely blamed for the colossal mess it's in - is already drawing a pension of £650,000 a year.” [Quoted from bbc.co.uk]

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#uk_ pensions_270209

advertising
disclaimer

advertising
disclaimer

advertising
disclaimer

economic depression: consequence of innumeracy, incompetence and moral turpitude

The notion that the current economic situation “could be a depression” is about as useful as the claim that Twinkle Toes could win the three o’clock.

In my view, the central problems advanced nations have to face is that an increasing percentage of the population are economically unable to earn enough to feed, clothe and house themselves. Work is running out as the factory system becomes ever more efficient. We don’t have a shortage of goods and services, but a shortage of people with an ability to pay for them.

Until modern societies can shuck puritanism and the cult of socialism, they cannot adjust to the modern situation. A citizen’s wage is an essential to limit the power of government.

A great deal of the present problem is also attributable to low ethical standards. As long as you allow those of little honesty to live in an environment where ‘more’ is a greater motivator that ‘right’, then business is bound to attract incompetent strivers and fools like Brown the Clown, Madeoff, Crosby and Stanford.

This is a situation where it is impossible to separate incompetence from moral turpitude. To leave ignorant innumerates in charge of banks and the economy is obvious foolishness, but our present society encourages just that. It is where the loudest voice gets ‘promotion’, and manipulating others is seen as a sign of ‘leadership’.

In a political system where ignorance and lack of education is so widespread that any politician that tells the unvarnished truth will fail, any panderer to the idiocracy will reap the votes of the unthinking.

Clearly, we need franchise by examination, not franchise by attaining an arbitrary age.

This is not the 1930s. It is not a matter of shortage of resources in a fairly backward society. This is a lack of imagination and a lack of efficiency. Even worse, it is the contrary of efficiency, like for example, socialism.

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#depression_official_210209

just how badly have the clown and ‘new’ labour damaged the british economy?

Some seem to be questioning why I am so concerned about the UK economy.

Image: creditloan.com

Is it getting worse?

“20 Feb. 2009
Bailouts add £1.5 trillion to Britain's public debt

“...the Office for National Statistics raised the prospect of Britain's national debt rising to 150% of national income from its current 48%.” [Quoted from guardian.co.uk]

And this is even with Brown the Clown’s Enron accounting!

Please note that the results of calculations like this depend upon the assumptions made.

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#uk_debt_200209

obama’s crisis speech

0:51 min

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#obama_crisis_190209

on the banning of dutch film director geert wilders from entering the uk - the auroran sunset

"Our long and proud tradition of tolerance and free speech is in tatters. It’s doubtful that many of the ministers and officials involved in the decision to ban Wilders have even seen Fitna, the Internet film that shot him to notoriety. Foreign Secretary David Miliband, wheeling out the trope that “the right to free speech doesn’t include the right to yell ‘Fire!’ in a crowded theater,” claimed the film contained “extreme anti-Muslim hate.” If Miliband has seen the film, then he’s lying; if he hasn’t seen it, he’s guessing. There’s extreme hate, for sure, but it’s all coming from Muslims. Fitna uses the words of Muslims themselves, in the form of verses from the Koran and video clips of extremist preachers, juxtaposed with footage of terrorist attacks."

I've just watched the Fitna film. It is as described in the article linked above.

Part 1: 7:39 mins
[Note, you may be required by YouTube to sign in and confirm your age as over 18 years]

Civilised Muslims do themselves a great disservice by identifying themselves with the barbarians who use Islam to justify sick behaviour and sick ambitions.

Civilised Muslims do themselves further disservice by attacking the likes of Wilders and making wild claims of Islamophobia. The Muslim barbarians, documented by the likes of Wilders, are trying to destroy liberty and democracy. This liberty and democracy allows the great wealth and choice which enables everyone, including all civilised Muslims, to live reasonably peaceful and fulfilled lives.

Claims of Islamophobia made by civilised Muslims in response to attacks on Muslim barbarians, can only lead others under threat from these obvious barbarians to make the logical inference that the civilised Muslims identify more with the barbarians, than with the victims of their attacks..

This inference is one that nobody sane would want to make, as its logical conclusion is real Islamophobia. Real Islamophobia means responding to the Muslim barbarians all-out war with our own all-out war on Islam. It means “the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim”. Nobody sane wants this. However, that is where these ridiculous claims of Islamophobia and ‘insult’ from civilised Muslims may well lead.

The idiocy of these claims is made even clearer by the facts that:

• most Muslims who are killed are killed by Muslim barbarians, and
• most people who Muslim barbarians kill are Muslims.
• Muslims are escaping the hell-holes built by these Muslim barbarians in record numbers, and coming to the countries whose societies these barbarians are trying to destroy.

What possible reason can a civilised Muslim have to identify themselves with these barbarians?

What possible reason can a civilised Muslim have to be offended by, or feel threatened by, attacks on these barbarians?

Part 2: 9:09 mins
[Note, you may be required by YouTube to sign in and confirm your age as over 18 years]

A couple of video commentaries:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW6PRABq4HM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJKRF2uB8xU

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#wilders_fitna_150209

man who tried to save hbos used as patsy by the incompetent clown - it gets worse

The man who put in place the foolish HBOS [Halifax Bank of Scotland] ‘plans’ is chosen by the incompetent Gordon Brown the Clown as an advisor on banking, and given a knighthood!

How did the Clown ever get to be an MP, let alone usurp the UK premiership?

Sir James Crosby has been awarded a £9 million pension. He is appointed to sell the ID card scam. The Clown picked the right one for that!

This is the depth of incompetence of Brown the Clown, promoted way above his level of competence.

“Sir James Crosby was Banquo’s ghost at the Treasury Select Committee - he wasn’t there physically and nor was he mentioned directly by name.

“However, he is almost certainly the biggest casualty from yesterday’s session, having been fingered in written evidence - extracts of which were dramatically read out by one of the committee members, Andrew Tyrie - for having personally sacked the former head of risk at HBOS when he dared to speak out about the way the bank was being run.

“The unmasking of Sir James, one of Gordon Brown’s top City advisers, for his culpability in Britain’s banking meltdown is long overdue. There is still amazement in the City at the miracle of timing that had Sir James step down from HBOS in July 2006 in favour of the much maligned Andy Hornby - a hospital pass if ever there was one. For it was the Yorkshireman Sir James - whose knighthood in 2006 is thought to have been on Mr Brown’s recommendation - who devised the business model that brought HBOS to his knees.

“Furthermore, from the creation of HBOS in September 2001 from the merger of Halifax and Bank of Scotland, it was he who implemented that strategy until he stepped down.

“Mr Hornby, by contrast, ran the bank only for its final two years - during which time, as he pointed out yesterday, most of his energies were being devoted to preventing Sir James’s runaway juggernaut from running off the road.

“Skilfully blaming Sir James, without once naming him, Mr Hornby recalled to the committee how, on taking over at HBOS, he had immediately halted a share buyback programme to preserve capital, slammed the brakes on new mortgage lending - cutting the bank’s net share of new lending from 25 per cent to 8 per cent - began cutting its exposure to the short-term wholesale markets and put more emphasis on attracting more deposits. He added: "Over many years the reliance on wholesale funding left us in a vulnerable position." ”

And plenty more, for instance here.

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#hbos_patsy_150209

human rights are just party politics - the auroran sunset

“Under Bush, the Human Rights Watch had this to say, "The US government should:

“Repudiate the use of rendition to torture as a counterterrorism tactic and permanently discontinue the CIA's rendition program.”
—
“Under Obama, the Human Rights Watch say this:

“ Under limited circumstances, there is a legitimate placefor renditions, said Tom Malinowski, the Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch.”

I still find it amazing that Americans think they voted for ‘change’ when the reality is clearly the opposite - just more Washington sleaze as usual, mixed with socialist destruction of language. 800 billion dollars of corruption as usual, torture program to expand, Washington insiders for every position (including the continuation of Bush appointees and policy supports in the most important foreign policy roles) and all this is the first couple of weeks.

In contrast, the two main issues of McCain, rejected by the US electorate, are fighting congressional corruption and an end to US torture programs.

People deserve the government they choose. The amazing thing is that given the choice between business as usual and change, they chose business as usual, but have convinced themselves that it is change. Humans are truly weird.

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#obama_human_rights_100209

the real socialist policy - “never waste a crisis” (rahm emanuel, 24.11.2008)

Rahm Emanuel is Obama’s bagman.

It is highly likely much of the worst of this banking clag-up is already easing.

“[On the US economy, 06/02/2009] Mustard seeds planted a while back are now pointing to economic recovery. The huge energy tax cut is one such mustard seed. The related inflation collapse is another. By the way, in today’s jobs report, wages rose again, and now stand nearly 4 percent higher than a year ago. With zero inflation, that’s a real increase in worker purchasing power for the 92.4 percent, or 135 million workers, still employed.” [Quoted from nationalreview.com]

“House prices rose by 1.9% in January, Halifax said today, putting an
end to months of falls and taking many commentators by surprise.” [Quoted from guardian.co.uk]

As far as socialists are concerned, this is an opportunity to attack the free society and grab still more power for the state. That is why they are in fear mongering overdrive.

A major new problem with banking is mark to market.

Most of the present problems emanate from government.

The great desperation of socialist governments is to spin their way into greater power before the tide begins to turn. The great desperation of Brown the Clown is to get his pork barrel special-interest grab through before the problems ease.

And then claim it was his actions that corrected the mess.

And then get an election in place before the mass population catches on.

worst since the great depression? utterly ludicrous

image: nationalreview.com

The 1930s depression ran for many years towards 25% unemployment with a much smaller and extremely less complex economy.

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#socialist_policy_crisis_090209

where’s the outrage? - the auroran sunset

“Mayor Richard Daley said today Chicago has compiled a wish list of "shovel-ready projects" to spend federal economic stimulus funds on should Congress approve a plan.

“Unlike hundreds of other cities, however, Daley said Chicago won't make its list public.

“ "Yes, we do, we have our list, we've been talking to people. We did not put that out publicly because once you start putting it out publicly, you know, the newspapers, the media is going to be ripping it apart," Daley said.”

Just another day of politics as usual in Obama’s home town. Sunshine is the one things that these thieving politicians really fear.

Obama promised transparency and sunshine, then tries to push through a trillion dollars of pork before anyone has time to even read the bill in which this latest pork is included.

Obama promised transparency and sunshine, and then does not publish the bill on his site for the purpose, but gives a message saying you can read all about it after it has passed.

Obama promised an end to lobbyists and influence peddling in government, then appoints four Recording Industry Association of America [RIAA lawyers to top positions in the Department of Justice.

Obama promised change and honest government, then tries to appoints four tax defrauders to top positions.

Obama rails against those fat cats who cheat the “ordinary Americans”, then protects wealthy tax cheats and tries to bully through a trillion dollars of graft to his rich industry buddies.

Obama harangues America for supporting torture under Bush, then expands the use of extraordinary rendition.

Obama says “we have chosen hope over fear”, then tries to use fear and bullying to obtain his graft:

“A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe.”

Obama claims to wish to help struggling Americans, then proposes to steal more money from them and waste on corrupt programmes that have a record of not working:

“Japan’s rural areas have been paved over and filled in with roads, dams and other big infrastructure projects, the legacy of trillions of dollars spent to lift the economy from a severe downturn caused by the bursting of a real estate bubble in the late 1980s. During those nearly two decades, Japan accumulated the largest public debt in the developed world — totaling 180 percent of its $5.5 trillion economy — while failing to generate a convincing recovery. Now, as the Obama administration embarks on a similar path, proposing to spend more than $820 billion to stimulate the sagging American economy, many economists are taking a fresh look at Japan’s troubled experience. . . . Among ordinary Japanese, the spending is widely disparaged for having turned the nation into a public-works-based welfare state and making regional economies dependent on Tokyo for jobs. Much of the blame has fallen on the Liberal Democratic Party, which has long used government spending to grease rural vote-buying machines that help keep the party in power.” [Quoted from nytimes.com]

(See also government corruption and postal privatisation in Japan.)

Obama has managed all this in just two weeks. He has more than 200 weeks to go. What other towering achievements will this great man bring us?

Obama is a corrupt fool, a two-bit street hustler who has managed to con the majority of the most advanced nation in history with pretty lights and empty cliches.

These political snakes think they are above the law, and thanks to the idiotic complacency of the US public, they are right!
As Dick Morris might say, “Where’s the outrage?”

This mass apathy in the face of blatant corruption, hypocrisy and contempt for law by their highest politicians is a mark of shame on every American. The founding fathers would turn in their graves.

related material
who is obama?
obama - judgment and experience

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/politics022009.php#obama_outrage_080209

email email_abelard [at] abelard.org

© abelard, 2009, 08 february
all rights reserved

variable words
prints as increasing A4 pages (on my printer and set-up)