Consideration of the Future [Article]

There is much to be said for the current economic climate and the present state of the nation. People continue to act in disdain, opposing the Labour Government's approach to the 'crisis' and there is little sign of salvation. Few people are willing to state the Conservatives would do much better.

I believe that there is a rising sense of anger amongst the general public in regards to politics at the moment. Few can distinguish between the policies of each group and we are reminded of the consistent battles that have now become known as 'party politics'.

Members of Parliament are no longer concerned with the affairs and interest of the general public. Jack Straw refused to publicize documents under the Freedom of Information Act. Gordon Brown and David Cameron continue to battle to their wit's end.

It is a frustrating time, especially for those people who have been cast into difficult circumstances as a result. Once more, we see that the Government has not acted upon the demands of the public, rather their actions suggest a theatrical 'gesture approach' which is nothing more than a scandal, a web of lies.

Tony Blair was, essentially, the master of 'gesture politics'. He threw incentive after incentive into the public forum and soon became overwhelmed by the policies which he created, including the controversial Terrorism Act and the dubious 'twenty-eight day detention'.

What can be said for a government that is presenting itself as mere puppets on a stage?

Nothing.

Their actions cannot be defended.

Gordon Brown's promise to help people with mortgage repayments was nothing more than a gesture, a peace offering that helped the few. Much rather than defer the payments for a few months, the interest would be deferred. How is that going to help people?

They still have to pay the mortgage!

Listen closely, Mr. Brown!

He claimed that jobs would be created. On a news programme relating to the jobs market in the current economic climate, the jobs he created were based on seven hours per week at minimum wage. People could still claim benefits and so create a state dependent upon the welfare state.

Buck up your ideas!

The public is not impressed.

This is not the future I, or anyone else, I would hope, wishes to see. I want to see a future that is promising, a future that promises help to families, a future that offers a strong market and a good economy. So far, I've seen nothing more than a state falling into disrepair.

On Liberties and Freedom [Article]

What has become of our nation?

Civil liberties have become nothing more than simple luxuries that can be stolen at the whim of those at the wheel. What was once a crucial feature of a political manifesto has become a mere inconvenience. Taxation, crime and global influence has become the focus of all.

It seems that, for much of the nation, there is little to be said of civil liberties. These were ideas that were considered in the past tense. It is argued that we must 'sacrifice our liberties in order to protect the majority', as was once seen in the publication of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The Government is violating our liberties and manipulating the English judicial system to make it fit values which are hidden behind closed doors. A prime example of this is seen in the House of Lords, unelected representatives of a deceptive government. Lords are nothing more than items to be sold at auction at the expense of the British public.

Members of Parliament, and indeed the Governing body of the United Kingdom, continues to steal our freedom from beneath our feet. It no longer acts in the interests of the British public. It acts in the interests of the European Union, an organisation that is set to dissolve national identities.

We are heading in the direction of a 'One World Government'.

It seems that the British Government is creating a manifestation of George Orwell's 'Big Brother world' seen in 1984. One man, Ian Parker-Joseph, leader of the Libertarian Party United Kingdom (who can also be found on Twitter), has seen this become a reality and took action against it. Read all about it here: Libertarian Party UK 1984 Campaign

Some might argue that these are the words of a conspirator, that he is much the same as all other politicians, manipulating the truth for personal gain. Although it is possible, I prefer to liken him to a modern George Orwell.

His ideas and words are attempts at the subversion of the accepted political structure of the nation and observes problems through comic wit and satire, an example is seen here. He discusses a recent advertisement campaign and satirises much of the article.

He is a voice of change in his own right.

Ian Parker-Joseph has coined the term 'regionalisation', an idea that relates to the members of the European Union as being 'regions without identities' and he sees that much of the United Kingdom has become 'regionalised', particularly in Wales (See here).

One can imagine that there can be few surprises as to the intentions of the European Union but it is more frightening to consider that this is a global campaign. There are intentions to create an 'Asian-Australian Union', an African Union exists at the moment. There is no stopping the global campaign for a united world government, global economy and global surveillance society.

Recent examples of the influence of the British government and their intentions can be seen in the continued fight against 'internet pirates', essentially undermining privacy law through legal loopholes and strategic prosecutions. The Freedom of Information Act continues to be undermined. The prime example is that of the postponement of the Northern Ireland local elections, explained here.

It is frightening to imagine the implications of the current intentions by the government. What we must remember is that the government is elected by the people, for the people.

They represent our views.

'We should not be afraid of our governments. Governments should be afraid of their people'.

References:
Liberal Democrats call for elective House of Lords
Lords Fiasco: Lords reported for alleged 'cash for amendments' scandal
The Idiot's Guide to the New World Order
Twitter
Abolition of Freedom Act 2009

Economics of the Crisis [Debate]

It is difficult to comprehend the true nature of the economic downturn, as it has been so phrased by my many of the large media corporations. There are those who state that it is nothing more than a 'bump in the road', so to speak. Others have argued that it is a representation of the consequence of corporate greed and an international ambition to develop a constantly developing economy.

For the most part, I agree with both statements, although for different reasons. I have often noted that, when suffering troubled times, communities fall together as though to stand united in the fight against that which is opposed to them. In both world wars, communities stood together to fight against the tyranny of another nation. Indeed, I would hope that, in times of economic difficulty, communities will come together to support one another as a good neighbour should.

Alas, onto the matters of economic failure. For all that it is worth, I am not one to state that I have a wealth of information in regards to the economic climate but the sheer visual nature of the downturn represents a problem within this nation, and indeed in many other nations.

I have seen crowds standing in JobCentre Plus, constantly seeking labour in a time when the government is claiming to create tens of thousands of jobs for those who have been made redundant. Prices continue to fluctuate in most supermarkets and it has become a battle of the brands to become 'top dog' in a market where people are constantly seeking the lowest price.

It's a sad sight, knowing that there are those who could have prevented this consequence. The Times, a respected newspaper, published a list of those responsible for the economic downturn and I must admit that I agree with most, if not all.

It's of little surprise that Gordon Brown was listed, following the economic ideals of a man who, in later years, agreed that the end result of his economic approach would be a 'boom and bust' economy. In a world where phrases are being thrown around with such great ease and the finger is being pointed, it seems that things will only get worse.

Predictably, government initiatives have done little to resolve the problem, especially some of the more controversial policies which were introduced. The 2.5% VAT reduction, for example, has done little to motivate spending and most people would agree that it is not worthwhile. What use is a reduction that, when spending £400, the consumer saves £10.

Having said that, we cannot expect the government to wave a wand and the world will be right once more. Sadly, neither the government nor Gordon Brown has the power to do that. It is within our power to change the state of our nation from one that seems to be growing to represent 1984 (George Orwell) to a nation that represents communities, freedom and liberty.

I cannot imagine that the economic climate will return to normality in the next year. In the legal profession, where 2,200 redundancies have been made so far, claims of a return to normality have been predicted for 2011/2012. We must wait for the time when we can stand again and be proud of our nation.

The question is; how long will we have to wait?

Economies of Political Struggle [Article]

As the consortium of world powers meet once more in the hopes that their influence upon world banking will deter the crises of economic disaster, we must once more consider several questions, all of which are of crucial importance. First, we must consider who is to blame for this sudden shift in economics when, mere months ago, we were at an economic high. In the United Kingdom, it is stated that the regulations and rules of the 'economic genius' Gordon Brown are held to blame, considering the fact that it was during his period of rule that we were granted economic stardom, however, his shift from one position to the other has meant that guidelines which were once considered the framework of economic growth are now considered the foundation of our downfall. Others look towards the banks with high-risk investments and the attainment of power being to blame. According to some, the banks invested in some of the riskier loan agreements and mortgages which therefore influences the downfall of the world's economy. In truth, both responses are correct, however, we failed to point the finger at one other person to blame - ourselves.

One of the problems that we have is that we continue to desire short-term prospects and discard the long-term disadvantages. In fact, it is this statement which was our downfall. As the economic crises fell upon us, we deemed it appropriate to blame Gordon Brown when, in fact, we are to blame. We desired low-rate bank loans which resulted in inflation. As the cost of food rose, we found it appropriate to blame the banks because their refusal to raise interest rates meant that investments were not reaping the rewards. As the commercial cost of oil rose to its highest recorded figure, we could not help but blame the world. In fact, all these problems are rooted in our demands. We demanded low taxes and as a result, the concept of universal benefits was reconsidered. Investment in failing state responsibilities such as education and hospitals meant that the budget could not allow for interest increases. The cost of living rose because we have become a commercial society.

That being said, it is not the only question to ask. We must also ask what it means for us. The nationalisation of three banks in England has a huge impact in terms of our finances and the economic status of this country. It is quite frightening to learn that Lloyds TSB are purchasing HBOS - bank takeovers are not a promising sign for the economy. What we must understand is that we are all shareholders in the nationalised banks. Gordon Brown declared that he desired that banks to return to their '2007 state', which is the root of the problem. He desires to implement low-rate mortgages in order to protect the public and also increase the turnover of their investment in housing. As the property market crashed in the early months of 2008, Gordon Brown desires to see first-time buyers and investors making their voices heard in the property market.

In terms of the long term impact, there is little that can be said, except that our budget is now focused upon the ownership and control of the English banking system. We have invested approximately £20 billion into the economy, at the cost of other important industries. The Royal Mail, for example, continues to fail to meet its targets and is a nationalised corporation, although there has been talk of privatisation. The NHS, the English health-care system, is in billions of pounds of debt and yet the government has failed to invest the same amount of money which it has invested in the economy. Of course, the investment in the economy may delay the shift from recession to depression but there is clear evidence that this investment will cost us in the future. There will be the prospect of an increase in taxation, disproportionate budgeting and the concept of a 'one world bank' once more being raised and considered.

Having said that, the investment does have its advantages. Gordon Brown is now said to be improving in his character, due to being in his 'element' during the economic crises, which helps to promote national morale. Gordon Brown has also declared that the decrease in the cost of oil should be reflected in the commercial price. The investment is set to decrease the cost of living, however, the prospect of unsecured loans remains uncertain and the approach to banking and housing will never be same. Repossession and increased rates does seem a possibility but only time will tell.