AN EVOLVING GLOBE?

Welcome dear friends,

 I write this grovelling with apologies whilst crawling along the floor offering to polish your shoes. Life has as always taken me by something of a surprise these last two months.

   I shan't bore you with personal adventures, none can compare to the events in our globe.

   Out in the far-flung-shores of the globe we read, listen and view at a daily rate of knots the horrific plights of our global comrades. Ten people have been killed across the ocean in Egypt by a car-bomb explosion targeted at Egyptian soldiers. Yet another twenty nine people killed in a similar car-bomb attack in the Shia districts of the Iraq Capital, Baghdad. Meanwhile the as ever chirpy news from Iran that they will not back down 'one iota' from their nuclear rights.

   'Ooh Betty' dear old Frank would say in the long since departed BBC sitcom 'Some Mothers Do Ave Em'.

   'Across the pond' in Toronto Canada, Mayor Rob Ford freely admitted to trying Crack Cocaine, then charged about his chamber directly at a women, knocking her over during a public meeting Tuesday 19th November 2013 evening, claiming he thought his brother 'had become involved in an altercation'.
Yes we believe you Rob, thousands, millions wouldn't.

 Back here in Blighty. Out of thirty nine months Cameron had been in power at the time this statistic was taken, for thirty eight of them people's standard of living has got poorer.
This falls-in-line as the (TPA) Taxpayers Allowance calls this week for a stamp duty cut in the Autumn statement due out next month. Matthew Sinclair, Head of the Taxpayers Allowance claims the levy on house sales raising 1% of taxes collected could be cut 'with little impact on the public finances'.  Well Mr Cameron, take heed dear man and listen to the professionals, after all it was you that said:

"I don't want to be the Prime Minister that say's you can only buy a house or a flat if you have rich parents...I am determined as Britain recovers all parts of the country benefit from that..."

   Ok 'Just call me Dave', we shall take you at your word. For now. Now let's see some action 'for the many not the few' dear man. The globe is changing as always and ever, only now it appears to be somewhat on the back-foot. So, action dear man, action is needed, and no, this doesn't automatically mean opening-up the flood gates to the entire globe to come and settle on our once green and lushes land known affectionately as England! We are one very small Island. Already over populated, under housed, seemingly under secured what with the closures of key Naval shipping yards, outsourced to some far-flung shore, thus adding to our 'un-employment crisis' as we now have more of our own boys out of work! But it is fine, you know, have a cup of tea and all that jazz. As long as we are seen globally as a key power. Or a soft-touch I would passionately argue. Look after our own first, then worry about inviting the globe to sip tea with us perched in one of the few remaining trees in a last remaining field by a dried-up stream because we have over-housed, over-populated, under-educated as a direct result of over population, over increased an already gastronomically obese debt, placing ourselves well and truly 'up the swanny'. But it's ok, as long as we still look good on the fake global stage of pomposity.

 It was leaked to the press  last week that the now ex- Chairman of Co-op bank, Paul Flowers, a man I hasten to write with no banking experience, sums-it-all-up one may be forgiven for seeing the irony and asserting, coupled with his consummate ability with Word Excel spreadsheets with pre-installed formulas no doubt, has been seen by a reporter immediately after leaving a Treasury Select Committee interview ordering Cocaine whilst boasting on another occasion about his use of other drugs.
Now, privacy and behind closed doors is arguably one thing. This written someone holding a key globally recognised position at a time of continuing sensitivity within the financial sector, opens the window on an evolving society, battening down the hatches amidst these times of austerity and perpetual 'we're all in it together' misery sprung at us from all angles. Can it really be that shocking to us that Flowers takes solace in this?

   For me personally it is in words, solace always wraps it's arms around me through words.

   For others solace is found in a pub, yet for others still perhaps solace is found in the gym.

   What may I ask is happening to our globe, to blighty?  Is this indicative of 'one big society' - 'One Nation' stepping back to the by-gone day's of grow your own vegetables, know your Bank Manager and their family, eat smaller, less 'robust' food? Simply, re-connect with what is important rather than what 'we must have' -bigger, better, faster than our neighbours. Winding the clock back one hundred years, as Blighties Government  prepared to send 'our boy's to battle in'The Great War', nothing great about it in my view. Delete the word 'Great', insert 'Horrific' and we may be some-way closer to capturing the depths of nightmares strewn across the globe as a direct result of this war for generations to follow.

   In other news:

   Kelvin McKenzie, the ever out-spoken and forthright ex-red top editor say's London and the South East 'props up the British Economy'. Coming from a man himself from South London this is quite a self-deprecatory statement. This written, one can be forgiven for understanding his point has some weight to it.

   Conversely, Yorkshire's Humber Estuary city of Hull has been named the next nations capital for culture due to take centre stage in 2017. Indicative of my suggested reversal back to 'traditional' values? I argue yes. You see, the north of England was at one time not so many generations ago, the capital of growth in Industries such as coal-mining, textiles, shipping and agriculture. I do of course allude to the Industrial Revolution during the 1800's. Since this time I put it to you society has shifted its' system of values to encompass technologies, trains, planes and auto-mobiles, more recently in communication technologies. App, app did someone say app? Tablet, I what? Leading us as a globe to realise we could have more! Then came the money. Class divides arguably enhanced, you know, the old-line about those that have, still have, those that have-not, never will. Well, I write in ardent humble passion this leads to greed, the banks got greedy, we jo public's became ensnared within our own mis-representations of ourselves, of the globe as being our's for the taking at no cost to ourselves. Go on you deserve it, never mind about the day the bill comes through your letter box. Leading to pomposity within the financial sector ultimately to our all encompassing down-fall. Back to reality. Back to true values of family and community importance. Is that really so bad? I argue it is somewhat of a god-send.

   In other more sprightly news:

   Harriet 'I've been ball girl on this tennis court too long' Harman stated back in October: ' we have come-up with the framework' when asked by Andrew Marr what she believed would be the outcome of the Privy Councils decision on the Royal Charter in to Press Regulations and standards might be. Harman of course referencing levels of controls being potentially imposed upon the press . . . by government. . . I mean, really.

   Is this a step-too far?

   Is this a political nanny state? Increasing expeditiously from the existing one we already reside within.

   Is it right politicians should come-up with a framework for a 'free' press?

   Is our press indeed 'free' as it is anyway?

   Enough written. I can hear the rebukes coming through already.

   It is only me, a technology frustrated Yorkshireman residing in London writing, posing hopefully a position stimulating thought, questions and giving in some small way, a moments solace.

   As ever and always, it is my primary concern this inspires, engages and stimulates your mind one way or another. Offering some small pleasure to any who care to read.

Truly your's

R J Wardle