POVERTY WAGES - THE CHALLENGE OF HISTORY

Don Franks

The 25 cent government increase in the minimum wage from 1 April was denounced by union leaders as “a cheap shot’ and “mean.”

The increase to $12.75 from 1 April is an annual increase of only 2 per cent. The NZ Institute of Economic Research inflation forecast is 2.3 per cent for the year to March 2010 and the average wage rose 2.8 per cent in the six months to September 2009 alone.
 That suggests the lowest paid workers are going to be relatively worse off than they are already. 

Unsurprisingly, there’s increasing public concern about poverty wages. The January 18th New Zealand Herald reported :

“Sixty-one per cent of people want the minimum wage lifted to $15 an hour, a Herald Summer Survey has found, weeks before the Government is to set the wage for this year.”

Grabbing his chance to score points, Labour’s Trevor Mallard blogged on January 20th:

“I think it is time for the government to commit to $15 an hour from either 1 April this year, or 1 April next year at the latest.

>From the safety of opposition Trevor talks tough. The real value of his words can be assessed by recalling Labour’s last election policy on wages: 

“We acknowledge that there have been calls from a number of quarters to lift the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour. Labour would like to meet this target if possible, but in the current economic circumstances we are not able to commit to doing so”.

Following his hypocritical opposition call for a minimum rise, Trevor Mallard set out a recipe for fixing the problem altogether, claiming: 

“Most employers know that lifting wage rates encourages investment in capital equipment and training to make their labour force more productive. It is all part of themovement to a high skill, high wage economy”.

Is Trevor right? Are “most employers” down with a combined programme of wage rises and training, so that eventually we all finish up happily ever after in a “high skill, high wage economy”?

If you suspect the answer to universal prosperity is not as simple as that, you’re probably not alone. In fact, Trevor Mallard’s politicking on wages is just self serving bollocks. His high skill/high wage formula is necessarily a fairytale, because exploitation is built right into the wages system of capitalism. Out of what fund does capital pay workers’ wages? Out of capital, of course. But capital by itself produces no value. Workers’ labour power is, besides the earth, the only source of wealth; capital itself is nothing but the stored-up produce of labour. So that the wages of Labour are paid out of labour, and workers are paid out of their own produce. According to what might seem common sense  fairness, the wages of the labourer ought to be the value of his or her efforts. But labour power has the special quality of producing more value than it takes to maintain itself. A worker selling 40 hours of labour time to a capitalist for a 

As the famous German socialist Fredrick Engels put it:

“the end of this uncommonly “fair” race of competition is that the produce of the labour of those who do work, gets unavoidably accumulated in the hands of those that do not work, and becomes in their hands the most powerful means to enslave the very men who produced it.”

Engels proposed as a solution:

“Possession of the Means of Work —
 Raw Material, Factories, Machinery — 
By the Working People Themselves.”

A sensible and logical solution, although obviously we can’t go out and take that possession tomorrow. Such an action would require the conscious militant unity of the majority of the working class. The achievement of a socialist solution to poverty wages is a monumentally huge struggle. The unavoidable truth is that a socialist solution, though difficult, is actually possible, unlike Trevor Mallard’s implied high wage for all under capitalism, which is completely impossible.

In the weeks and months ahead workers will continue to struggle for higher wages by means of the Unite union $15 minimum wage campaign ,contract  negotiation and strikes. These struggles deserve the support of all workers and will benefit some sections of the class, but cannot solve our overall problem. Growing poverty continues to haunt New Zealand and, as indicated in the beginning of this article, the trend for the lowest paid is ominously downwards.

Workers owe it to coming generations to face the challenge that history has left us – the need for a socialist solution to poverty. The alternative is the certainty of our children’s children’s children’s ragged children impotently bewailing the government of their day as “cheap shot” and “mean”. 

[Via http://workersparty.org.nz]

Where Is Your Church Membership?

Some people ask me about church membership. These people aren’t trying to cause a problem but they don’t know much of anything. My family took me to a Missionary Baptist Church until I was 17. Then I realized that church wasn’t the answer to our problems and was only causing us more problems. So I left the Missionary Baptist Church and want nothing to do with Church Denominations.

I have come to the same conclusion about organizations and political parties. They have the same problems as the church. They are social clubs to keep people happy and give them a sense of belonging. It is nice to have a place to belong in the church and politics but it isn’t required to make a difference. I don’t know of a single church or organization that has done anything productive in society. All you need to do is look at society and come to that conclusion. Churches are everywhere and a hand full of political groups are around but society is in a downward spiral. A few nut jobs think it is the end of the world and they are beyond stupid. I don’t know how they even get up in the morning and live their lives. What a bunch of insane people!

My opinion on churches and political organizations could change but it wont be very easy to make me change my mind. I don’t need a church or organization to voice my opinion about what is right and wrong. Churches do nothing to promote Christianity and then neutralize their own people with the rapture lie. It is like becoming a millionaire and then giving it all to your wost enemy. Church is the opposite of what it is supposed to be. It is neutralized instead of on the march in society.

I have spent a lot of time researching Christianity and Politics. One of the things I found out is that the modern church has no impact on society. I like to call it the neutralized church. Now lots of preachers are immoral savages who have girlfriends on the side or maybe even a boyfriend on the side! These degenerates have to be excused because of their mental retardation and of course they will burn in hell with all the other sinners in the World. My point is to focus on those “good” Christians who attend Church every Sunday and Wednesday.

Most people attend a church because it is close to home. My family is living proof of that statement. They attend church down the street from their home and wouldn’t drive much more to go to a worship service. This is common with old people and lazy people of all ages. They attend these churches for convenience. These might have been Positive Christianity churches in the past. However their particular church is very neutralized and neo conservative. They will talk all day about hobbies and the State of Israel but nothing about Border Security and Economic Nationalism. They don’t see that as important or even a moral issue. These churches are drunk on their own stupid man made beliefs that have no impact on society. You will notice that these churches avoid issues in their communities because they don’t wont to get involved. They stick with their new found religion to cover up their laziness.

What is the role of a church? Each church should answer that question. What is your role in society? You have a building and members but no purpose? I think churches need to write their own purpose driven life! Most of these churches are ignorant of everything historic and religious. So they don’t know anything about Christian Nationalism and Christian Reconstruction Theology! Christian Nationalism means that Christians should have loyalty to the nation and society. They should be involved in all aspects of the system and work to make things better. This work should be based on family values and morals. Christian Reconstruction means that society is the opposite of Christian and needs to be reconstructed. This is done through business, government, and society. We are to work to reform our entire society and reconstruct it according to Christian family values and morals.

You wont find a church that believes in Christian Nationalism and Christian Reconstruction. These churches and members are brainwashed into the most liberal and lazy lifestyle in the history of the World. Older people are the most brainwashed of them all. They have been told for years to put all faith and trust in Jesus Christ and he will solve our problems. They have spent their entire lives going to church and praying that God will fix the World or for Jesus Christ to return. They spend their day trying to make sure “they’ are right with the Lord because he might “return at any time” as they have been told. This is nonsense. They have literally spent their entire lives watching the World decline because they left the battlefield.

Our society has declined and has become majority immoral because churches aren’t doing their job. Church has become a building for lazy people to gather together and pray that somebody else will fix their problems! It wont happen and it never will happen in 10,000 years. We The People can solve our problem with God’s direction and favor. God only helps those who help themselves!

I have spent the past 9 years sharing Christianity with the public and never once got into an argument with a atheist or secular humanist. Only with church members who have spent their entire lives making the church a neutralized building of weak minded people. They can’t stand me because I am a Christian Nationalist and Christian Reconstructionist. I find a bit of amusement in the fact that these “Baptist Preachers” think they are the heart and soul of Conservatism and the Republican Party. They are more like the heart and soul of the movement to neutralize Christian Conservative Voters!

We The People must become Christian Conservative Nationalists and reconstruct our society. We must fight for nationalism and social order in our nation. We can’t let liberals in and out of the church destroy Western Civilization. I encourage my fellow Christians to expose these fake Christians and remove them from the church and our communities. They don’t have any right preaching their liberal neutralized religion in our nation. Take these churches over or say to hell with them and become an Independent Christian like myself and hundreds of thousands of others!

[Via http://southpopulist.wordpress.com]

Of Economies & Loop-the-Loops

I once saw a plane crash at an airshow.  The pilot made a vertical loop – in layman’s terms, a loop-the-loop – and though he completed the loop and had the nose of his plane pointed in the right direction at the bottom of the thing, he had not gotten enough height at the top of the maneuver, so the aircraft continued sinking rapidly downward, slammed into the ground belly-first, and exploded.  You can not change the laws of physics, and gravity will have its say.

So it is with the current economy.  Precipitated by NAFTA, outsourcing, shoddy and deceitful lending practices, deregulation, unrealistically low interest rates, rising health care costs, an ever-increasing dependence on ever-more-expensive sources of energy, unrealistic cuts in taxes and a deficit hemorrhaging cash into  Iraq and Afghanistan, our economy spent the last 15 years pulling a giant, slow-moving vertical loop, and when we got to the bottom of it, no stimulus package in the world was enough to pull us out.  Economics, like physics, has strict rules, and no amount of stimulus can stave off the inevitable – reality, like gravity, will have its say.

The problem with the recent “stimulus” packages are that they did too little, too late, and failed to address the continued downward motion of our economy.  Jobs continue to fall away at an alarming rate while prices continue to climb and banks continue to operate unchecked under the same deregulation that finally shoved us over the edge a year and a half ago.  We are headed for a huge and very long depression, but no one wants to acknowledge the fact, as if by ignoring the gorilla in the room, we can make it go away.  I don’t know about you, but in my experience, gorillas tend to bash the Samsonite around and stomp on it a while much more so than they do to pack their belongings nicely and neatly inside and sedately catch a train for home.  We are headed for a depression.  I doubt anything can be done to stop it, at this point.  But politicians continue to yank our chains and screw around with petty disagreements and power trips, threatening filibusters over non-existent issues like “death panels,” and doing everything but the job they are paid to do.  And their constituents continue to enable them, in part because it’s easier to ignore it, and in part because to do something about it would require actually having to take a good, hard look at the conditions things are in.  And frankly, conditions are terrifying.

If most of us took the necessary steps to inform ourselves as to exactly how FUBAR the situation is, I think we’d probably panic.  Certainly there’s a marked portion of the populace incapable of acknowledging the reality, because to do so would threaten their sense of safety and that of their families.  No one wants to think about losing his job or his bank going under and taking his savings or his house with it.  No one wants to imagine dying for lack of affordable medical care or sending a child to war for an unwinnable action or with defective body armor.  Unfortunately, we humans have a long history of sticking our heads in the sand in order to ignore reality.  How else do you explain the thousands of people each year who kill themselves or someone else by drinking and driving?  We are an idiotic lot, and the looming specter of depression does nothing at all to change that.  It’s easier to blame Washington for our problems than it is to take responsibility for them and an active role in their resolution.  It’s much less scary to tell ourselves things will get better, unemployment will fall, the market will improve, or the rise in the cost of living is only temporary, than it is to face the fact that things are not improving, that the jobless rate either continues to grow or fails to show real improvement, the market continues to waver as banks continue their deceitful practices, and the last time I checked, the cost of goods and services has steadily continued to climb while my paycheck stayed more or less the same – or shrank.

So no, my friends, we are not on our way out of this recession, no matter how many times you hear Ben Bernanke claim that the recession is over and 2010 is “a year of recovery.”  We are NOT recovering.  Not yet, anyway.  Gravity is a bitch, my friends.  And the economy is pulling a loop-the-loop.

[Via http://mmeritocracy.wordpress.com]

Obama Holds Firm on Climate Bill, but Most Senators Shrug -DARREN SAMUELSOHN, NYT

Whether Obama’s remarks will bear any fruit remains a wide-open question. Both Democrats and Republicans shouted and gave the president a standing ovation when he called for “building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country.” And a few Democrats, including Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, stood up alongside most Republicans when he said, “It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development.”

But there is little hope Obama will win over longtime Republican opponents. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), a prominent global warming skeptic and the ranking member of House Energy and Commerce Committee, stood and waved to Obama when he mentioned the lawmakers who doubt the evidence on climate change. And several Republicans around Barton did not hold back in their laughter either.

Click here to read more…

[Via http://rightlinks.wordpress.com]

Congress Went To Copenhagen... You Picked Up The Million Dollar Tab

Congress Went to Denmark, You Got the Bill By Sharyl Attkisson CBSNews.com CBS News Investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports official filings and our own investigation show at least 106 people from the House and Senate attended – spouses, a doctor, a protocol expert and even a photographer. For 15 Democratic and 6 Republican Congressmen, food and rooms for two nights cost $4,406 tax dollars each. That’s $2,200 a day – more than most Americans spend on their monthly mortgage payment.

CBS News asked members of Congress and staff about whether they’re mindful that it’s public tax dollars they’re spending. Many said they had never even seen the bills or the expense reports.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is a key climate change player. He went to Copenhagen last year. Last week, we asked him about the $2,200-a-day bill for room and food.

“I can’t believe that,” Rep. Waxman said. “I can’t believe it, but I don’t know.”

But his name is in black and white in the expense reports. The group expense report was filed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She wouldn’t talk about it when our producer tried to ask.

Pelosi’s office did offer an explanation for the high room charges. Those who stayed just two nights were charged a six-night minimum at the five-star Marriott. One staffer said, they strongly objected to no avail. You may ask how they’ll negotiate a climate treaty, if they can’t get a better deal on hotel rooms.

Total hotel, meeting rooms and “a couple” of $1,000-a-night hospitality suites topped $400,000.

Flights weren’t cheap, either. Fifty-nine House and Senate staff flew commercial during the Copenhagen rush. They paid government rates — $5-10,000 each – totaling $408,064. Add three military jets — $168,351 just for flight time — and the bill tops $1.1 million dollars — not including all the Obama administration officials who attended: well over 60.

In fairness, many attendees told us they did a lot of hard work, and the laid groundwork for a future global treaty.

“It was cold… I was there because I thought it was important for me to be there,” Rep. Waxman said. “I didn’t look at it as a pleasure trip.”

But considering the size of the deficit, and the fact that that no global deal would be reached — critics question the super-sized U.S. delegation — more than 165 — leaving the impression there’s dollars to burn. In this case, more than a million.

CLICK FOR FULL LIST They spent over $1.1 Million for a 2 night stay!!! Did they really need to take their spouses along? Doctor? And this $1.1 Mil doesn’t include the Presidents crew of over 60! These guys are not only throwing us overboard… they’re tying weights to our feet!

[Via http://iquestionauthority.wordpress.com]

Random Opinions

Scapegoating Bernanke

So for whatever reason, after a year of the Obama administration democrats want Ben Bernanke out.  Only a few democrats have come out in support while others are either opposed or not taking a place.  The economy would have been ten times worse without him.  Democrats and republicans need to put forth better policies to help the economy.  Of course, since 2010 elections are approaching, no one wants to admit their shortcomings.

What The Hell Is Wrong With A Spending Freeze…

…on certain unnecessary (at least for now) things.  The far left seems to be up and arms about a spending freeze that Pres. Obama plans to implement.  The Maddows and Olbermanns of the world seem to not like balancing the budget.  Granted, a spending freeze won’t solve our problems, but it will help save money that can be best used in other places.  I truly don’t get it.  Maybe you (reader) can explain the problem here.  Especially seeing as how we have little details yet on what spending our be frozen.

Conservatives v. Conservatives

Glenn Beck called out conservative activist James O’Keefe for wiretapping Landrieu’s office.  He called insanely stupid and illegal.  Hopefully more conservatives will speak out against such actions but I doubt it.  I’d like to make a prediction that conspiracy theories will start to fly.  I mean, conservatives love to place blame on anyone else that isn’t conservative.  Case in point, Rep. King,

Ahhh…the hypocrisy…  Meanwhile, Fox News, the biased conservative “news” network, is sticking up for O’Keefe.

Crist

Will he ever get with the times and switch to the democratic party?  The speculation is up since Crist plans on joining Pres. Obama during his Tampa visit, even though he’s in a tough race for the Senate primary and it looks like he won’t be the republican to win it.  Crist is like Schwarzenegger…..politician with an identity crisis.

Well, that’s it and don’t forget to watch the State of the Union address.  Oh and I’ll get back to regularly blogging when I’m not being so busy

Bookmark or Share this post

[Via http://sensico.wordpress.com]

UK economy emerges from recession

The UK economy has come out of recession, after figures showed the economy had grown by 0.1% in the last three months of 2009.

The economy had previously contracted for six consecutive quarters – the longest period since quarterly figures were first recorded in 1955.

There have been recent recovery signs – last week UK unemployment fell for the first time in 18 months.

The UK’s had been one of the last major economies still in recession.

Europe’s two biggest economies – Germany and France – came out of recession last summer. Japan and the US also exited recession last year.

The UK recession began in the April-to-June quarter of 2008.

During 18 months of recession, public borrowing increased to an estimated £178bn, while output slumped by 6%.

First estimates of how the economy has performed are made with about 40% of the data available, and Investec economist David Page has warned there is “plenty of room for surprises” in the figures.

sourced from the BBC

[Via http://recession2010.wordpress.com]

Grind, grind, grind at that grindstone: Shane MacGowan vs. Lester Bangs

LESTER BANGS: Who says it’s a big old complicated world? I’ll tell ya what it comes down to, buddy: one word: JOB. You got one, you’re okay, scot free, a prince in fact in your own hard-won domain! You don’t got one, you’re a miserable slug and a drag on this great nation’s economically rusting drainpipes. You might as well go drown yourself in mud. We need the water to conserve for honest upright workin’ foks! Folks with the godsod sense to treat that job like GOLD. ‘Cause that’s just what it stands for and WHY ELSE DO YOU THINK I KEEP TELLING YOU IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE UNIVERSE? Your ticket to human citizenship. One man, one job. One dog, one stool.

SHANE MACGOWAN: I don’t believe in the fuckin’ work ethic. This “work is what life’s all about” shit is just a bunch of bollocks, it’s just a fuckin’ English bourgeois guilt trip invented by the fuckin’ English bourgeoisie to keep people in line, y’know like a bunch of happy fuckin’ slaves. Bourgeois guilt means fuckin’ nothin’ to me.

As for me, I have to agree with MacGowan. When it comes to the economy, I think Leonard Cohen said it best: Everybody knows the fight was fixed. The poor stay poor, the rich get rich.

[Via http://pulsemarkowski.wordpress.com]

Watch George Galloway’s Comment Show on 21 Jan 2010

Watch George Galloway’s Comment Show on 21 Jan 2010:

—

George Galloway page on SpideredNews : http://www.spiderednews.com/GeorgeGalloway.htm

George Galloway official web site : http://www.GeorgeGalloway.com

George Galloway videos can be seen on SpideredNews’ channel on Vodpod : http://vodpod.com/spiderednews

SpideredNews.com TV : http://www.spiderednews.com/index.htm?vid=155746

You can share your opinion on our blogs:

“The Real Deal show” : http://worldpressnetwork.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=473

“The Comment show” : http://worldpressnetwork.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=418

“TalkSPORT radio show” : http://worldpressnetwork.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=356

[Via http://spiderednews.wordpress.com]

Hitting the fan

All of my stocks plummeted on the last day of trading before the weekend, and XRTX stopped out at 15. Rats! I lost $174 on that deal. Everything else is down, and I am worrying that Friday’s slide will continue on Monday, a phenomenon that is not uncommon.

Adding to my frustration is the fact that my car of 7.5 years just died, and I will have to replace it, meaning that I will need to make an emergency withdrawal directly from my stock funds. That sets me back in my quest for $2,000,000, and it sets me back in my plan to pay a sizeable portion of my credit card debt.

Just when I’m getting ahead, things like this happen! Shame on life! Well, I can’t let this get me down too much. There is simply too much at stake here.

Meanwhile, doomsday predictions about the stock market; articles with titles like “Has the Stock Market Party Come to an End?”

http://www.smartmoney.com/investing/stocks/has-the-stock-market-party-come-to-an-end/

Is this a cruel joke being played on me by an unforgiving universe? Am I doomed to be poor for the rest of my life?

Can Nicolas Darvas’s stock-picking method work even in a stagnant market?

For me, it all seems to be hitting the fan.

[Via http://streetstothemansion.wordpress.com]

Optimism dissipates

Markets have been highly fickle so far this year. Optimism about strong recovery led by China – recall the fact that disappointment from the surprisingly weak US non-farm payrolls report in December was outweighed by strong Chinese trade data – has dissipated. Instead of rejoicing at China’s robust GDP report last week, which revealed a 10.7% rise in the fourth quarter of 2009, investors began to fret about whether China would have to move more aggressively to tighten monetary policy. Fuelling these fears was the release of Consumer price data which showed inflation rising above expectations to 1.9% YoY in China.

If such fears were not sufficient to hit risk appetite, US President Obama’s plan to limit the size and trading activities of financial institutions dealt another blow to financial stocks. The plan followed quickly after the Democrats lost the state of Massachusetts to the Republicans and managed to shake confidence in bank stocks whilst fuelling increased risk aversion. Meanwhile, rumblings about Greece continue to weigh on markets and Greek debt spreads continued to widen even as global bond markets rallied.

Following the US administration’s plans to restrict banks’ activities the fact that the rise in risk aversion was US led rather than broad based led to an eventual pull back in the dollar which helped EUR/USD to avoid a break below 1.40. Risk trades including the AUD came under pressure as risk appetite pulled back. A drop in commodity prices did not help. The AUD was also hit by news that Australia’s Henry Tax Review would look to tax miners in the country. As a result AUD/USD dropped below 0.90 though this level is likely to provide good buying levels for those wanted to take medium term AUD long positions. The one currency that did benefit was the JPY which managed to drop below sub 90 levels.

The aftermath of the “Volker Plan” will reverberate around markets this week keeping a lid on equity sentiment. Meanwhile Greece will be in the spotlight especially its bond syndication. A bad outcome could be the trigger for EUR/USD to sustain a move below 1.40 though it looks as though it may find a bottom around current levels, with strong support seen around 1.4029. The German IFO business survey for January will be important to provide some direction for EUR and could be a factor that weighs on the currency if as expected it reveals some loss of momentum in the economy.

Aside from the Fed the other G3 central bank to meet this week is the Bank of Japan but unless the Bank is seen to be serious about fighting deflation, USD/JPY may remain under downward pressure against the background of elevated risk aversion. Below 90.0 there does appear to be plenty of USD/JPY buyers however, suggesting that further upside for the JPY will be limited. USD/JPY will find strong support around 88.84.

Much will depend on the key events in the US this week including the Fed FOMC meeting and the President’s State of the Union speech. USD bulls will look for some indication that the US government is serious about cutting the burgeoning budget deficit. Also watch out for the confirmation vote on the renomination of Bernanke as Fed Chairman which could end up being close. There is a heavy slate of data to contend with including new and existing home sales, consumer confidence, durable goods orders, the first glance at Q4 GDP and Chicago PMI.

[Via http://econometer.org]

N.C. Unemployment Hits 11.2%

The News and Record reported more bad news on the economic front today as the unemployment rate in North Carolina rose to an “historic high” in December of 11.2%.  The previous high was last May’s 11.1%.

In his blog yesterday, economist Paul Krugman echoed his familiar refrain, warning that the “recovery [for the national economy] isn’t looking very good” and that “this recovery is going to be jobless for quite a while.” 

And this AP article from late last month was downright scary.  It suggests that Americans may be in for a full decade of high unemployment.

Meanwhile, Wall Street’s 4.1% drop this week was its worst showing since last March.  Investors are getting jittery about the Obama Administration’s plans to adopt former FED Chief Paul Volcker’s recommendations for the reform of big banks, as well as deteriorating Senate support for current FED Chief Ben Bernanke.        

As always, if you’re unemployed and looking for work, please take a look at Greensboro Public Library’s Job and Career Information page.

[Via http://greensborolibrary.wordpress.com]

Cold Facts, Freezing Pay

The weather may have thawed (a little) but a pay freeze is on the cards for council workers in Wales. This is hard medicine for anyone, but at a time when many are losing their jobs, perhaps it is the lesser of evils. ”No medicine is pleasant at the time” is the old proverb.

So I don’t understand when Peter Allenson, National Officer for the Unite Union, is quoted in the same piece (Wales Online) as saying:

“There is no justification for what I would call a pay freeze, and our members would be angry and outraged to say the least.”

Has he missed the fact that we are in a recession? Surely he knows that jobs are being lost across the public sector as costs are cut and – too late – the public sector realises it is not immune from the squeeze on public finances?

Not everyone agrees. When draft local government settlements for Welsh councils were announced in October, Steve Thomas, Chief Executive of the WLGA had this to say:

“In the end there is a feeling we are all in this together. We will either swim together or we sink together.”

Sadly, this did not seem to influence the decision of Cyngor Gwynedd to give senior officers a pay rise.

Have we forgotten so quickly the mess we are in?

I have written before that at least one independent report says the UK needs to reduce public spending by about 15% by the year 2020 in order to balance the books.

As a nation, we currently have a total debt equal to 65% (not a mistype – sixty five percent) of our “income” (known as Gross Domestic Product or GDP). The paper from Feburary 2009 went on to say, that if we continued public spending at the same rate, by 2020, we would owe 156% of our income (GDP) and most of our debt would have been incurred since 2009.

These are big numbers so to put it in perspective, just stop and ask yourself: if I am earning £20,000 can I afford to borrow £13,000 (not including a mortgage)? How sensible would it be to borrow more than £30,000?

The ten year bubble of cheap debt and rising house prices is over. But the habit of high public spending and paying for massive debts will take much longer to overcome. We are in new territory. We are the last country out of recession and as the report points out:

“No country with a fully mature welfare state has ever been tested by a full-blown economic depression. The welfare state materialised after the last depression in the 1930’s followed by the Second World War.”

And now inflation is on the rise. It may be a false alarm, but a one per cent rise last month is cause for concern none-the-less. The report again says, that inflation “is bad for growth, discourages savings and investment and once unleashed, it is very hard to tame”.

In Wales we have an economy and jobs that depend heavily on the public sector. Our politicians do not seem to understand business, profit and the engines of growth (perhaps that is why they have asked their advice). Nowhere is that worse than in Arfon.

Bangor University, Cyngor Gwynedd and Ysbyty Gwynedd are great institutions, important employers and capable of excellence. If I am elected I will fight hard for them and their interests in Westminster (and knock hard on the door in Cardiff too).

I will be a strong and effective Conservative voice in a Conservative government. But we must build a stronger private sector. Until then Arfon will remain weak – dependent, remote and reliant on the gifts bestowed by Cardiff and London.

[Via http://arfonaction.wordpress.com]

Rewind: A Look Back at January 20, 2010

We share a lot of information each day! We are going to capture some of our favorites here each day and highlight our favorite interactions each day with the hope that you’ll find great new people on twitter to connect with.

Here are some of our favorite tweets from today.

Headlines

The Times to Charge for Frequent Access to Its Web Site http://ow.ly/Yzfg

Battle for A Senate Seat Determined by a GOP Tweet http://ow.ly/Ys80

Ad Campaigns

How To Look Good Naked From The W Network http://ow.ly/YLNz (new Zig ad campaign) via @SaraSocialMedia

Scott’s Miracle-Gro Seeds Major League Baseball http://ow.ly/YLFz

Unlike IRS, H&R Block’s Tax Statement in Plain Englishhttp://ow.ly/YLwS

White Castle Taking Reservations for Valentine’s Dayhttp://ow.ly/YK2d

Get a Mac: 5 of Our Favorite Ads [VIDEO] - http://ow.ly/YtmO

Marketing, Branding & Advertising

Why Brands Should Embrace Technological Changehttp://ow.ly/YMsh

Marketing and Procurement Don’t Have to Be Oil and Waterhttp://ow.ly/YLxO

Target Offers ‘Wii Fit Plus Experience’ http://ow.ly/YEaE

Ad Spending to Drop This Quarter, Then Finally Reboundhttp://ow.ly/YK6B

How Focus on the Family Bought a Super Bowl Spothttp://ow.ly/YJSB

Tech

RT @tweetmeme UK Launches Open Data Site: Puts Data.gov to Shame http://retwt.me/1LDTl (via @Dustin_Schmidt)

Analyst: Verizon To Get iPhone In Q3 2010 http://ow.ly/16nOuR

5 Social Sharing Extensions For Firefox: http://ow.ly/YBEv

Create Your Own iPhone or Android App in Minutes With iSites - http://ow.ly/YBbS

Online Marketing, SEO, SEM, PPC

RT @EyeTraffic: Chinese search engine Baidu sues US company over hacking attack | http://j.mp/5DYJlN | #seo | Turning the tables.

Bill Gates Uses Twitter Account to Unveil New Website - http://ow.ly/YKY6

More About Search In The Web Design Process http://ow.ly/YHZu

Apple In Talks to Make Bing the Deafult iPhone Search Engine? - http://ow.ly/YBjO

Social Media News

Online Media Online Media Daily: Twitter Fail Whale Greets Morning Visitors http://ow.ly/16nEAK

Twitter’s Growth Slows Dramatically http://ow.ly/YtrP

RT @foundationmedia: YouTube Debuts Movie Rentals -http://ow.ly/YKVZ #youtube

Twitter Exec: No IPO in 2010 – http://ow.ly/YMTM

Facebook App Notifications Moving to Your Email Inbox -http://ow.ly/YL0R

RT @katharnavas: MySpace Cuts Three Senior Tech VPshttp://ow.ly/YKT9

RT @richquigley @jwharris Cision study on use of SM by journalists in reporting, impact on #PR pros, http://ow.ly/YClT/via @EvansMediaGroup

Twitter Land Grab Coming Soon? http://ow.ly/Ytkf

If You Printed Twitter It Would Cover 350 Million Sheets of Paper [Infographic] - http://ow.ly/YtjT

Hey Chatterbox: Report Sets Sites On Social Media Mavenshttp://ow.ly/YLE1

5 Social Media Lessons From the Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort -http://ow.ly/YL1r

Mobile Marketing & Apps

State of the Union Address to Be Streamed Live on White House iPhone App (via @mashable) http://ow.ly/YKUp

Viral Videos

Anderson Cooper Dives in to Rescue Injured Haitian Boy [VIDEO] - http://ow.ly/YtiY

“Happiness Machine” video from Coca-Cola goes viral (MediaPost):http://ow.ly/YC2w

No Pants Subway Rides Again in 2010 [Video] - http://ow.ly/YtlK

eCommerce, Comparison Shopping

Pants on the Ground Shirts Hit eBay (via @mashable) http://ow.ly/YKRt

Kindle Offers 70% Royalty to Book Publishers and Authorshttp://ow.ly/YJWn

TV, Broadcast & Movies

What the Conan O’Brien Imbroglio Should Teach Him About His Next Gig http://ow.ly/YKnQ via @adage #socialmediainsider #conan

Social Good

RT @secretdaniela How the Hope for Haiti Now Telethon Came Together: MTV’s CEO tells PEOPLE.. http://ow.ly/YKr3

Bowling for Breast Cancer http://ow.ly/YJXO

Support The Locals

RT @TheaterLeague Stay updated on all Theater League news on our main Facebook page: http://bit.ly/66WuAQ

Just Plain Funny

deannsmithkc @EvansMediaGroup Presidents should learn: NEVER MOCK A GUY’S PICKUP TRUCK.

Stats & Case Studies

Kids Spend Every Waking Minute in Front of a Screen [STUDY] -http://ow.ly/YKZm

RT Recognition for our Favorite Twitter Rockstars

Thank you to the follow for following @EvansMediaGroup and RT’ing our content.

chipperd KrisKetz nitinkohlivk merryterry clarinette02 EyeTraffic

markvanbaale AdvertisingLaw christine_tulsa MsBlueswoman

pam_brandpointe billsvision HowellMarketing kdwinnell pamdyer

GlobalVA theSwimBack bailann clarinette02 BroadcastKC rlconrad7

[Via http://evansmediagroup.wordpress.com]

It's Just Movies - Trailer Talk: ‘Africa Light / Gray Zone’

Trailer Talk: ‘Africa Light / Gray Zone’

source: itsjustmovies.com

– by ALLISON HIGGINBOTHAM –

The trailer below for “Africa Light / Gray Zone” looks beautiful. That’s probably because I’m just used to seeing a lot of dust and beige when looking at footage taken from Africa. The trailer below, however, is sharp with rich colors. But all the beauty in Africa cannot distract from the problem of industrialization.

For Africa, industrialization means getting new technology: trains, paved roads, and barbed wire fences. The technological advances have a downside, however. With more technology, the African culture is becoming diminished. Old customs stop being practiced and traditions start vanishing. On the other hand, new technology can greatly improve the lives of Africans with water filters and medical equipment. It’s not a new problem, but for those of us in America it’s a hard one to understand.

“Africa Light / Gray Zone” is a short film that explores social, economic and political development in the Third World. It discusses “lost identities of African communities, overwhelming progression and related changes in the environment.” With an important social message and what looks like some great cinematography, “Africa Lights / Gray Zone” could be a very good short documentary.

“Africa Light / Gray Zone” is directed by Tino Schwanemann and will be released January 30.

[Via http://africalight.wordpress.com]

The real unemployment rate - it isn't pretty

The Douglas County unemployment rate is high, 14.9% according to the November report. I have contended it is higher than that due to the way unemployment and underemployment is counted, or not. Here is an interesting column by George Will in Newsweek where he makes the case that the national rate at 10% is under-reported and would more accurately be counted at more than 17%.

You decided. Whatever your answer the rate is too high.

[Via http://nrmarketwatch.com]

Up in the Air

Up in the Air (2009)

★★★★ / ★★★★

Jason Reitman directed this tale about Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) whose job is to fly to various cities across America and fire people who work for different corporations. Ryan enjoys being constantly on the move, collecting frequent flyer miles, and values the isolation and sense of pride that comes with his work. His way of life and mindset are challenged on two fronts: when he met a woman version of himself named Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) and a plucky twentysomething named Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) who wants to revolutionize the way the company works. That is, instead of firing people face-to-face, she argues the corporation can save a lot of money by firing people via a computer. Ryan then has to balance his budding romance with Alex as well as helping Natalie realize that there is a real value in having the courage and putting in the time to actually face the people to tell them that they have lost their jobs. In a grim American economy, I thought this film could not have arrived at a more perfect time because not only did it have a real sense of drama, it had a sense of humor, intelligence, and heart when it comes to the lead characters as well as to those who are recently unemployed.

I thought the director’s decision to actually put real-life people in front of the camera to express how they felt when they got fired was a wonderful idea. It felt that much more real and heartbreaking. Instead of a movie featuring a corporate person (the bully) and the person being fired (the bullied), which is one-dimensional, there was a certain sense of understanding between the two camps even though the people who were being fired were angry and sad when they heard the terrible news. I enjoyed the conversations between Clooney and Kendrick because they were so different. There was real humor when it came to the generational gap, their outlook on marriage and how to deal with people. I’m very happy with the fact that the movie did not result to Clooney being the teacher and Kendrick being the student. They actually learned from each other even though neither of them was a picture of perfection. Even though they were very different, I felt a certain level of respect between them. I also loved the one conversion that Farmiga and Kendrick had concerning what they wanted in a man. That conversation has got to be one of my favorite scenes in the entire film because, in essence, it’s the same kind of question that my friends and I try to answer. It got me thinking about what I really want in a partner ten years from now instead of just focusing on my wants for the present. It also got me thinking about whether I really want to be married. Before watching the film, I thought I knew my answer but now I’m more unsure. I don’t consider that a bad thing at all because the picture really challenged the way I saw certain aspects in being a committed relationship. I saw myself in each of the characters so I was invested throughout.

“Up in the Air” is an ambitious film with great writing and heartfelt performances. Even though the film is essentially a comedy (some unfairly label it as a romantic comedy), it really is about the big questions we have about our life, where it was, where it is now and where it is going. It’s not the kind of movie that tries to be quirky just to feel different. In fact, it follows some of the same structured formula of Hollywood filmmaking. But the material is so rich to the point where it didn’t matter. It felt natural so I thought the characters didn’t feel like they were just characters in a movie. When I look back on the movies that came out in 2009, “Up in the Air” is really one of those pictures that really got it right in terms of reflecting real life.

[Via http://franzpatrick.com]

INDIA BUSINESS NEWS RSS IS HERE!

It’s here!

Business, economic, market, and financial news from Inida, updated 24/7!

And with far more information than is included in any section of this webpage!

Try it, it’s free.  Just click on the icon above or below, or even the one on the sidebar of this webpage.  Opportunity awaits!

[Via http://xindai.wordpress.com]

Let's Hope These 4 Things Don't Happen

Good news that a scathing article like this appears in the mainstream.  Although, that really shows how bad things are.  I think the question is not about hoping these 4 things don’t happen, but where we should be when they do happen.  I think that self-sufficiency is the only way.  Support your local community and help each other out.

By Rick Newman , On Wednesday January 13, 2010, 5:43 pm EST

In the cast of corporate characters, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are A-list villains, thanks to the central role they played in the 2008 financial meltdown. The two mortgage-finance firms failed as spectacularly as AIG, the poster child for finance-gone-wrong, with the combined Fannie-Freddie rescue totaling about $111 billion so far–the biggest bailout of all. Both firms are effectively nationalized, and the government would probably wind them down except for one thing: They underwrite about three quarters of all the mortgages issued in the United States.

[See how the government is swallowing the economy.]

You’ve probably heard that the economy is recovering, that consumers are more optimistic, and that companies might soon begin hiring more workers than they’re firing. Hooray. We’ll all be thrilled when the economy stops quivering. The only problem with an upbeat prognosis is that large chunks of the U.S. economy remain addicted to financial painkillers or dependent upon dysfunctional institutions like Fannie and Freddie, and we’ve never gone through the kind of withdrawal that’s set to take place this year. If all goes well, we’ll avoid messy complications, such as these:

Housing tanks all over again. It’s hard to believe the housing market could get any worse, with prices already down by more than 30 percent from their 2007 peak. On the other hand, it’s astounding that housing is as bad as it is, considering the massive amounts of government aid that have been transfused into this comatose market. In addition to subsidizing the entire mortgage market via Fannie and Freddie, the government has also stepped in to buy billions in mortgage-backed securities–replacing private investors who are sitting on the sidelines–to keep money flowing to consumers. Then there are the tax breaks meant to spur demand for homes and other programs to reduce foreclosures and arrest the plunge in prices.

[See how to live happily on 75 percent less.]

The tax breaks expire this year, and the government probably can’t afford to extend them (again). The Federal Reserve and other agencies have also said they’ll begin an orderly withdrawal from housing finance in 2010. Most forecasts call for a spike in foreclosures and further price declines in the first half of the year, with a possible bottom and tepid recovery in the second half. But it’s far from clear what will happen when the government aid dissipates. Will that remove one leg from the chair? Two? Three? If the private markets don’t fill the void left when the government backs out, it could trigger a fresh crisis that inflicts more collateral damage on the rest of the economy.

Stocks crash. An epic bull rally since the lows of March 2009 has probably been the single biggest contributor to the so-called recovery. Though stocks are still down from their October 2007 peak, the rebound has eased a sense of panic and helped restore some of the household wealth lost in the housing bust (for those lucky enough to have stock-market investments and to have stuck with them through the bottom). And that’s probably been a big factor helping consumer spending to recover. But while stocks have been surging, jobs have continued to disappear, and this divergence between Wall Street and Main Street must end. The conventional view is that stocks foretell a pickup in the “real economy,” which will follow the market’s recovery after a lag of some length. But what if it’s the moribund job market that exerts the stronger gravitational pull, dragging down stocks? If so, buckle in for a double-dip.

[See how to tell if you're saving enough.]

There’s a U.S. debt crisis. Assuming the economy stabilizes, this is also the year that President Obama will start to talk tough about reducing America’s $8 trillion public debt, which amounts to more than half of our total economic output. There will be careful efforts to make sure that no deserving American feels any pain (the rich don’t count as deserving) and that Congress passes no unpopular measures that would get anybody unelected. The financial markets might buy this, allowing our government to keep borrowing and keep spending beyond its means. Or the markets might decide that America is heading toward bankruptcy and dump the dollar, forcing the world’s biggest debtor nation to pay higher rates on its securities, slash spending, and hike taxes. We should probably just relax, confident that Washington politicians always rally to head off devastating problems before they explode.

Consumers become rational. Given the painful transformation of the U.S. economy, Americans ought to be saving like crazy and buying nothing they don’t need. Some are, but it’s not clear yet if Americans as a whole will save more over the long term or go back to spending nearly everything they have. The savings rate has crept up to about 5 percent, but that’s still lower than the long-term average and far lower than you might expect after a collapse like the one we’ve endured. If savings continue to go up–a prudent move for most households–consumer spending will come down, leaving a hole in the growth of our gross domestic product, with little else to fill it. So hopes for a vigorous rebound rest on spendthrift consumers being as materialistic as ever. Now there’s a strong foundation for success.

SOURCE

[Via http://rulersofusall.wordpress.com]

Business America & Politics

It is no doubt in my mind, given the current state of American politics and economy, the most powerful set of institutions in this country are corporations. Refer to them as “Big Business” or “Corporate America” or whatever you want to call these juggernauts, they wield an enormous amount of influence upon our lives. One illustration of such, is through political contributions. GoodGuide.com did a wonderful job with their Company Political Contributions application, that lets you visualize the political leanings of some of the most recognizable American brands.

Do your favorites match your personal political alignment?

Click the picture for the full highly interactive application. And remember, it’s an election year!

Vote With Your Dollars

[Via http://kymbays.wordpress.com]

A84783-210 Intel Motherboard Desktop Board Socket 478

A84783-210 Intel Motherboard Desktop Board Socket 478 Review

Check Price Now! A84783-210 Intel Motherboard Desktop Board Socket 478 Feature A84783-210 Intel Motherboard Desktop Board Socket 478 Overview

Intel – D845glad Micro Atx Motherboard Socket 478 400fsb Sdram Audio Video (a84783-210). Refurbished. In Stock.

A84783-210 Intel Motherboard Desktop Board Socket 478 Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 14, 2010 03:41:30

[Via http://servermotherboard.wordpress.com]

The Six Stages of Awareness

I’ve had a hard time lately getting motivated to write.  Then I ran across this article today by Chris Martenson.  I just discovered Chris’s site today and I have to say it’s well worth visiting.  Chris Martenson is a self-described “obsessive financial observer… (who) has made profound changes in his lifestyle because of what he sees coming”.  The article discusses what Chris calls the six stages of awareness, much like the five stages of grief.  The six stages are as follows:

STAGE 1: You might begin with a series of statements to yourself, such as, “No way can this be true.  There must be alternative explanations.  This simply can’t be; I would have heard about it.”  To help speed you through this stage of denial, I offer you access to the source data so that you can check it for yourself.  Further, I only draw upon sources that I believe most reasonable people would consider to be highly credible.  If you can view all of the data that I will present and find some alternative set of explanations as to why and how all of these things will not matter, I need you to share this with me, pronto.

STAGE 2: Next, you might find yourself full of anger, saying to yourself (and possibly your loved ones and anybody else who will listen), “Aaaaarghh!!! Those bastards at the Fed, in the government, in media, have been hiding things from me, lying, and serving their own interests at my expense. How dare they!!!“  While anger is a perfectly normal and even healthy stage to pass though, it is also counterproductive, in the sense that anger often serves to inhibit action…and as you’ll see later, we don’t really have a lot of time to spend in the non-solution stage. So for everybody’s sake, you need to move through this phase as rapidly as possible.  This is also why you will not find me assigning blame and pointing fingers.   Blame leads to anger and often a sense of victimization – both of which serve to inhibit taking action.  Further, the “blame game” only serves to polarize people into opposing teams – and we’re all on the same team in the end.

STAGE 3: The next stage is bargaining. Here you might find yourself thinking such thoughts as, “If I simply change a few things in my life, perhaps that will be sufficient and I won’t have to really change.  I’ll use efficient light bulbs, buy a Prius, and save more each year.” You will find yourself bargaining with the data for more time, a different outcome, perhaps for a miracle to emerge.  Perhaps some new technology will arise that will give us abundant and limitless energy, or we’ll elect a new president capable of speaking the truth and marshaling the considerable talents and energy of this country.  This, too, is a stage, and I’ve assembled a framework for understanding in such a way as to help you understand the critical difference between wishful thinking and realistic solutions.  Please understand that I am not going to purposely step on your hopes – I am as hopeful as anybody you will ever meet – it’s just that I want our collective hopes to be placed in the right places, where they can do us some good.  My hopes center on the tremendous reservoirs of talent, energy, and problem-solving that reside in this country, this community, and this room.  I am confident that we will pull through all of the problems that we are about to discuss and that we can do it with joy, verve, and excitement.  Misplaced hopes and defective strategies, on the other hand, will only let us down in the future, as they fail to deliver.

STAGE 4: The next stage is fear, and it can take many shapes. “I’m going to die broke.  People will come out of the cities and eat all my food and harm my family.  The future is going to be unbearably bleak.   I might die.  I might starve.   I’m not built for a world that mirrors the dystopian nightmare of Mad Max.” It is important to name these fears and confront them directly.  Trying to ignore or stuff them away is simply a recipe to assure that they linger deep down, infecting your dreams and fostering paralysis.  Fears are debilitating.  They will prevent you from acting and they will ultimately erode your physical well-being.  Most of these fears are grounded in the knowledge that our social, energy, and food networks are, for the most part, unnecessarily complicated and often wafer-thin.  How will they operate in a more challenging environment?   We don’t really know, and it’s that uncertainty which creates a deep sense of unease.  Our food supply is both robust and fragile.  If the continuous parade of trucks ever stopped rolling, for any reason, nearly all communities would find their store shelves stripped bare within 2-3 days.  In fact, when we peel back the covers and examine each aspect of our various support systems, we find that they are nearly all built upon the implicit assumption that the future will be pretty much exactly like today.  But what if it’s not?   For myself, the only answer was to actively take steps to address each of my most basic fears.  Imagine that you live in a maze made out of some flammable material and you have a fear of being caught in a fire in the maze.   How could you reduce your fear?  One way would be to familiarize yourself with the way out.  Another might be to leave the maze and live somewhere else.  Attempting to ignore the fear is not a strategy, because you would still know, on some level, that even though you are ignoring the fear, the risk remains…and so will the fear.   The easiest way to reduce fear is to take concrete actions to reduce risk.

STAGE 5: The most critical stage to navigate is depression.  With a realistic assessment of our predicament, it is extremely common for people to begin to harbor such thoughts as, “Crap, we’re screwed. What’s the point?  I am powerless to do anything about this.  There’s nothing that any of us can do, anyway.” At this stage, dark fantasies of the future begin to creep into our thoughts, and fear paralyzes our ability to think, let alone act. It is my goal to help you limit this stage to the absolute shortest possible time – perhaps we can find a way to bypass it altogether.

STAGE 6: The final stage is acceptance.  You will know you are here when you begin to think, “However we got here is unimportant – it is what it is.  Let’s figure out how to navigate the future with the tools and advantages we’ve got, not what we wish we had.” With acceptance comes peace, a sense of calm, and the ability to think clearly and take actions.  However, acceptance and urgency can co-exist, and I do not mean to imply otherwise.

I recognize these stages from my own experience, but would not have been able to express them.  Personally, I’m still in stage 5.  I know that I need to move on to acceptance, but I have found myself lethargic, unable to get myself to do what I need to do.  The fact that it hasn’t been above freezing since the beginning of the year doesn’t help any either.  But just knowing that what I’m going through is “normal” and that others have gone through it before helps a great deal.  Why is it we always feel like we’re the only ones?  Even when we know there are millions more like us out there?  I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure the progressives are counting on using it against us.  That’s why it’s so important to stay connected, to stay in touch with each other.  We are NOT a minority!  And we (you) are not alone.

Even if things go really well, rough times are coming.  And if things don’t go well, it will probably get really ugly.  Educate yourself.  Learn how to get along with less or without.  Learn how to grow some of your own food, if possible.  Check out some the following websites for more information:  Survivalblog.com, Captain Dave’s Survival Guide, and the Sufficient Self Forum.

Carry on fellow patriots, and God bless.

[Via http://patriotspen.wordpress.com]

2010-the year of living uncertainly

Welcome to 2010, a year which is pregnant with doubt and uncertainty. The western world has moved from the certainty of recession to a fear and acceptance of stagnation, the ‘flat is the new up’ mentality derided by Martin Sorrell. In the UK we have a general election contested by three parties which is shaping up like a contest between weak boxers. Every time they land a punch on each other they weaken their opponent without strengthening themselves.

There is a general mood of cynicism and disgust towards the political process which means that whichever party or parties win the election then nothing can really change. Mick Hume has accurately summed up the state of modern politics as dominated by;

..the politics of fear, with many apocalyptic warnings, but little analysis of the underlying causes; the politics of behaviour, with attempts to blame the crisis of the system on the greed of individuals; and the politics of low expectations, with efforts to persuade us that the most we can hope for in the future is no/low growth in a stable/stagnant capitalism on a life-support machine of state intervention.

We  have reached the end of a political cycle which began with the collapse of communism in 1989. Just to remind ourselves, the collapse of the Soviet Union created an initial surge of optimism that history had ended with the triumph of western liberal democracy.  In the East new democracies arose. In the west the third way concensus politics of Bill Clinton, adopted by Blair and others, replaced class based politics. It is very hard now to remember the enthusiasm which accompanied the election of Blair’ s New Labour in 1997. Many people welcomed what they saw as a decisive break with the past and the opening of a new chapter in history. We can now see that the idea of a new era of peaceful and stable capitalism which dominated the twenty years since the end of communism has come to a political dead end.

The upcoming defeat of Gordon Brown in the general election here will mark the final eclipse of New Labourism in the UK. What we are left with is a severely confused and disoriented western elite which is struggling to tackle the major changes taking place in the world. During the credit fuelled  boom years of the noughties the absence of any clear economic and political blueprint for the future did not matter so much as it does now. The best that any politician can do now is to try to navigate the future without a map. On the economic front there is just as much confusion. While there are some commentators who wish to paint a rosy picture the general view is one of foreboding. The underlying problems facing western capitalism, which have been extensively debated in this blog over the past year, have not even begun to be addressed. The lack of a plan means they will fall back on restraint and cutbacks in public spending rather than bold policies for economic growth.

Elsewhere the triumph of liberal democracy is looking very hollow. The most dynamic economies in the world now pay lip service to democracy in general if at all. The recession has played its part in deepening the crisis of western politics by accelerating  both a shift in global power eastwards and by undermining the western model of (supposedly) free markets plus democracy.

All of this means that the stakes are even higher for anybody who can come up with a better idea of how to run things. The depths of cynicism amongst the elite and the general populace will prove a huge barrier to any ideas of change, but there are always some people who will not want to give in to these  widespread negative sentiments. Uncertainty can be a good thing if it leads to broader questioning and wider debate. there are those, such as Martin Wolf, who accept that we have reached a ‘hinge in history’. Whether this leads to a turn for the better or the worse is up to us.

[Via http://postrecession.wordpress.com]

You can't take it with you...

Inheritance is a sticky issue. Even the happiest of families will fall out over a will. Avarice will often drive people to the most heinous crimes, theft, fraud or even murder. Inheritance has long been a staple in murder mysteries. (And I’m fairly sure that a large number of real murders have something to do with money.)

Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of The Speckled Band incorporates the themes of money and greed into a Gothic Murder-Mystery. The crumbling mansion and the rich, eccentric family create a great Gothic atmosphere for the story. I won’t spoil it, but the method of the murder is very inventive. I also came across another, much earlier Murder-Mystery The Poisoner of Montremos by Richard Cumberland, published in 1791, this is a short but complex story of a family. Their tangled relationships, financial ruin and greed drive them to murder. The conclusion is tragic and unexpected. The protagonist’s home is an eerie, melancholy castle, where he lives alone for many years before being brought to trial. This Murder-Mystery also uses the theme of inheritance, but in a more complex fashion.

Wealth is an important theme in many Gothic stories. The decayed aristocratic families clinging onto their titles and land, or the ambitious, greedy villain seeking his immoral fortune. Gothic tales became popular at a time when society was changing, more people were self-made, so attitudes towards the aristocracy and the notion of inherited wealth may have been less sympathetic.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Olalla, depicts the aristocracy as inbred and degenerate, but maintaining their secluded castles and airs of superiority. Bram Stoker in Dracula and Dracula’s Guest, portrays them as inhumane and sadistic. The vampire is perhaps a very loose metaphor for the nobleman who displays a general lack of regard for human life.

Perhaps it is the money itself that has cursed these families. The fixation with wealth and holding onto wealth is enough to turn any happy family into a nest of monsters.

~~~

I enjoyed the new Sherlock Holmes film, it was a fairly liberal adaptation from the books. But it was a really strong action film, the characters were very entertaining. Holmes is portrayed as twitchy and eccentric, which I liked. (I love Basil Rathbone, but the older versions of Holmes are a lot more respectable and a little too staid for my liking.) The police are depicted as stupid, Rachel McAdams is lovely, and the psychotic nature of London comes across well. Lots of gratuitous BritPorn for anyone who likes that stuff, old buildings, period costumes, old-fashioned gadgets, posh actors etc.

All in all well worth seeing.

[Via http://catherinedigman.wordpress.com]

21/365 . Early Christmas

21/365 . 1/2/2010

Characters:

Employees

Customer

Setting:

Large chain store.

Employees are all about the department, putting up wreathes and christmas lights,     singing Christmas songs in Santa hats.

A customer enters their department.

Emp1:    Happy New Years!

All Emp:    Happy New Years!

Customer:    Happy New Year.

Customer looks around as employees continue putting up decorations and     singing.

Customer:    Uhhh, excuse me.

Emp1:    Yes?  Can I help you find something?

Customer:    Not really.  I’m just curious; wasn’t Christmas a week ago.

Emp1:    Yes.

Customer:    Okay.  Well, then shouldn’t you be taking down the decorations, not         putting more up?

Emp1:    Wellll, since the economy’s going to get so much worse this year than it         has been, we’re giving it a little pinch in the arm to wake it up by starting         the Christmas season early.

Customer:    I can understand earlier, but this seems a little ridiculous.

Emp1:    Haven’t you noticed the season starting earlier and earlier every year         anyway?  December 1st… Thanksgiving… Halloween… Columbus Day… it         was only inevitable.

Customer:    Huh.

Emp1:    So you better be nice this year and spend your money… or else.

Customer:    Or else?

All Emp: Or else.

[Via http://amerikana365.wordpress.com]

Lower Incomes and Loss of Employment

Many of the writers of the blogs I’ve been reading as well as many of my readers are facing uncertain times.  Many are facing lower incomes or loss of employment.  It is frightening.  We ladies like our security.  We like our comforts, whatever they may be.  We like knowing that the bills will be paid, that we can buy groceries, shoes for the kids, whatever we need, and a few extras. 

Over the last five years my husband went from $60 K job to now working part-time for less than $300 a week.  He’s looking for full-time work and has been for months.  Our reality has changed dramatically.  Life doesn’t look like I thought it would or even like I’d like it to; but, I’m getting so much closer to God through this.   God has provided in amazing ways.  We were able to move to a caretaker’s cottage and take care of a country estate four the absentee owner in return for rent.  Money has come from unexpected sources with perfect timing.  Just yesterday I was thinking of some things that our children need.  I have no way of providing those things.  Today, an envelope arrived with no return address.  It was filled with cash.  Yes, cash.  There was an envelope with the children’s names and an envelope with Lowell and Laura on it.  Praise God!  We can buy wood so we can keep warm!  The children need shoes.  We can buy them!  Praise God!  God is so faithful to take care of us.  God bless the sender, who obviously sent it in faith.

My point in sharing this is that you can survive.  You’ll have to learn some new skills, learn to be content, learn to make do; but, you can do this.  You have to lean into God and get that Word hidden in your heart.  Talk to Him.  He is great at showing you every bargain if you talk to Him all the way through the store and ask Him to show them to you.  God bless you through this!

I’ve written a lot about what God’s done over the last couple of years.  Although I write on WordPress now, I have a list of my best writings on the top of my old blog, http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com .  You might take a look.

Blessings upon blessings to you!

Laura

[Via http://lauraofharvestlane.wordpress.com]

So How DO We Create Jobs Mr. President?

Is anyone else as sick as I am about all this talk from this administration with no substance, no sign of ambition and total disregard for this country? You can talk all you want about creating jobs but it doesn’t do a damned thing. We have been waiting for results ever since you took the helm. You attacked Bush and McCain on the campaign trail about it during a time when the unemployment rate was much lower! Yet, somehow more and more people are still getting laid off every month nearly a year into your administration.

They can keep coming out in public saying that job creation is a top priority. Unfortunately thats not going to cut it any more because you’ve told us that since the campaign for the first stimulus package last February. That was supposedly going to create jobs and give the economy the emergency jump-start it needed. You were going to be transparent about it and even went through the trouble of creating a website, recovery.gov, to prove it. What we got was nothing but 700 billion dollars in wasted money. If your going to make jobs a priority, Don’t you think is might be a little important to understand how the job market works?

The healthiest market is one that is self-sustaining. For those of you who don’t know what that means, It’s one without government interference. Businesses don’t hire because they’ve been given extra money to spend because that not a self-sustaining job. When the funds run out whoever was temporarily hired will get laid off again. It’s just the way the market works. That is all the stimulus has done, though. Any growth that we saw was artificial and therefore temporary.

Employers look for work when they need it. That is when it is profitable for them to do so. In order for most retail businesses to be profitable, people have to be buying their product. When you raise taxes on the people they have less money that can go towards spending. As a result, business goes down and layoffs are the next step and it becomes a vicious circle.

The other way government hurts business is when you have a product that is in high demand. In other words people need to live to standards here in America. Arguably, oil and automotives can be considered a good example of this. These are businesses that are regulated and pounded by standards in every step of production. Whether is be the extracting and refining of oil which is becoming more and more prohibitively expensive not because the labor is that intensive, but rather the government weighs everything down like a parasite. In addition, the reason the auto industry has been so hard hit is because they are pounded with EPA requirements every step of the way. If it’s not the government interfering, it’s the unions. These are issues that could all be easily resolved in the free market, which has worked everywhere it’s tried yet we still trash it.

So having said this what does this mean for our economy?

This economic situation our government has catapulted us into cannot be sugar coated. This administration in many ways has put this country on a collision course for disaster. Just look at the historical examples. This country will continued to be weighed down and I’d be very surprised if we saw any improvement in the jobs market over the next year. This is why the importance of the 2010 election cannot be stressed enough. The dynamics of the government right now unfortunately is incapable of fixing this economy because it won’t consider anything that will repair this economy. They have created a reality that does not exist and it could have substantial consequences on the future of this nation.

[Via http://conservativetalker.wordpress.com]

McCain: Obama is Leading Extreme-Left Crusade to Bankrupt America

I’ve had my differences with Senator John McCain. I always considered him to be a RINO. I even held my nose and voted for him in November of 2008. I felt he was too willing to kiss the ring of the Democrats in the name of bipartisanship, so I was blown away when McCain came out and blatantly stated that Obama was on a crusade to bankrupt America.

I could go and say, “ya think?” pointing out what to conservatives are just obvious.  A tripled national deficit and double digit unemployment would be like the guy grabbing a bottle of V-8, slapping his forehead and saying, “I could have had a V-8!” But when RINOs get a revelation, it means the rest could possibly fall in line as well.

Hopefully that will translate into conversions among the Blue Dogs for the final healthcare vote.

[Via http://anationincrisis.wordpress.com]

Pooping In Our Own Backyard....

You wanna know why our country’s in such a shit hole? 

. 

Why despite the billions…no, trillions supposedly spent on improving our lives, we’re still stuck in the rut? 

. 

Why the rich gets richer and the middle class and poor gets poorer? 

. 

Why so many Malaysians have opted to move overseas as a desperate resort for the good of their children’s future? 

. 

I’ll tell u why…. 

. 

IT’s US!!! WE BROUGHT THIS UPON OURSELVES!!!! 

. 

We practically defecated in our own backyard and couldn’t be bothered at all to clean up until it was too late…..now that it’s full of shit, we start jumping around like jelly beans, asking “WHY“!!!!??? 

. 

Our current shitty government continues to play on racial and religious sentiments to gain popularity, despite all the crap about creating a 1Malaysia……..and despite being in charge of a nation that is supposed quite weathy because of our oil reserves, has failed to improve our lifelihood in anyway. 

. 

Yes, we have the “super rich” but there are definitely a lot more who slog through their fulltime jobs to survive. 

. 

While we continure to pay taxes  thru our noses, we see billions leak through the civil service, never to be recovered…….and who pays for these leakages ultiately? WE ALL-lor!!! That’s why the GST, the withdrawal of subsidies of essential items and what nots, have been implemented this year…..country no money mah. 

. 

And who voted them into power!!?? MALAYSIANS!! (of course got some “Malaysianised” illegal immigrants too lah) 

. 

Then there are those complaining about the state of “cleanliness” of our country……yes, it’s also the local council’s fault for not providing suffiocient dustbins……but then again, there are those of us who wouldn’t think twice about vandalising or even worst, making off with those bins!? For what lah! 

. 

And as for the rest of us, how many of us would hold onto that piece of used tissue paper until we’ve found a bin to discard it? I can say, majority would just throw it onto the streets. 

. 

Same thing with our public toilets!!! No one seems to know how to aim when they’re using one…..WHY LAH!!! 

. 

And why the need to wash the bottom and drown the entire toilet!!?? Can’t that wait till you get home? Nothing’s going to grow in there  just yet, you know? Don’t say it’s one’s culture…..because if one is to go overseas where there’s no bidet, I can bet that “culturally-inclined” person will just make do. 

. 

And the road accidents…….if only those motorists and motorcyclists would stop treating the roads as their grandfather’s road, and respect every other road users……there would be so much less deaths……..same thing with the buses that ply the highways……..why are the drivers always sleepy and therefore always getting involved in accidents? Why are dingy and old buses still being used? Because we the consumers think nothing of it, close one eye and support these bus companies anyway. 

. 

And now, there’s this stupid stupid issue about who has the rights to the term “Allah”………COME ON LAH!!! Just because the heat is on the ruling party’s president for all his incompetences (in just about every other area), do they really have to create such a fiasco to divert our attention? Christians depending on the Bahasa bibles have since goodness know when been referring to God as “Allah” and that was never an issue…….. 

. 

Where do we stupid gullible Malaysians come in, in all this stupidity? Everyone (well, almost everyone) falls for it, hook, line and sinker and heated arguments ensues!! It’s everywhere……online, MSMs….even a mass protest has been organised (But I bet my last two cents that the certain racist party is the responsible organising team). Are these people aware that while they are arguing over such matters, a greater national threat is sitting on his/her plushy throne, smilling in glee while being surrounded by all the weath that has been plundered!!?? 

. 

We need to clean up folks……..clean up real good…….clean up all these mess before we can ever hope to sow new seeds in hope for a bountiful harvest for our future generation…….because there’s no way anything will thrive in all the shit that is taking place right now!!! 

  

  

Be Careful...For Shit May Find It's Way Back To You.....

[Via http://msdaff.wordpress.com]

Ceramic Arts Daily Announces the Release of a New Free Resource for Ceramic Artists and Educators

Ceramic Arts Daily, a blog and website serving active potters, ceramists, ceramic arts educators around the world, announces the release of an exciting free resource: Ceramic Carving Tool Techniques: Bringing the ceramic surface to life nursing education online.

Ceramics sculptural techniques

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Log-PR (Press Release) – Jan 06, 2010 – Ceramic Arts Daily, a blog and website serving active potters, ceramists, ceramic arts educators around the world, announces the release of an exciting free resource: Ceramic Carving Tool Techniques: Bringing the Ceramic Surface to Life. This free download is an excellent resource for educators ceramic art and artists interested in learning new techniques to boost the ceramic surface.One best ways to make a piece of clay work of your own is to literally your fingerprint.Ceramic Carving Tool Techniques: Bringing the ceramic surface to life, you learn to go further, bringing the shape and surface of your work together in a signature style using a variety of carving tools in combination with techniques such as sgraffito carving, engraving, wire cutting, relief and more.Ceramic Carving Tool Techniques: Bringing the ceramic surface to life may be downloaded here: … http://ceramicartsdaily.org/free-gifts/ceramic-carving-t Ceramic Carving Tool Techniques: Bringing the ceramic surface to life includes the following: advice on the best tools for carving, cutting, scraping, and Slashing Clayby Robin HopperNo matter how you want to approach the surface of your clay work, knowing that work best tool for each task – or even what tools are available – is a great way to get started.Scratching surface: Carving Intricate Designs for Color and Sgraffito Depthby Wayne BatesEven the simplest techniques of clay sculpture can give complex results with a little planning and ingenuity. Adding and changing layers of information will help to build a surface that will broaden your visual vocabulary. The sculpture in bas-reli

[Via http://tvidter.wordpress.com]

Queens gold medal awarded to Scottish poet

A Scottish poet has been awarded the Queen’s gold medal for Poetry, which has been described as "poetry of bravery and conviction", according to reports.Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who was the chair of the judging panel for the award, went on to commend winner Don Paterson for his acclaimed anthology Rain. She said that Paterson had achieved in just two decades what few poets manage in a lifetime. The gold medal does not come alongside any monetary prize, instead the Queen pays for the item which is struck in gold by the Royal Mint wood burning fireplace. Duffy explained that poets can not personally put themselves forward for the award but instead it is given to a writer who excels in a poetry collection or a single body of work over the course of the year. According to the official website of the British Monarchy, the gold medal bears the image of the Queen and is designed to portray truth.

 

Queen’s gold medal awarded to Scottish poet

[Via http://alldiamondsa.wordpress.com]

Why Don't We Know What is Really Happening?

Why don’t we know any of this is happening?  Every single fucking company that surrounds  us lives only to take our money, not to take care of us.  The dumber we are, the more money we give them.  That’s part of the whole plan – to take advantage of our ignorance.  And we have been stupidized for forty years – so now our own parents and grandparents cant warn us.   These companies are sharks, they only live to eat.  Not to take care of you, the earth, or hell, even themselves.    When we are broke, they will die.  But, there are small few people who will be rich off of you between now and then.

[Via http://steveaustinlex.wordpress.com]

Tengku Razaleigh: I will stick with UMNO

January 3, 2009

Tengku Razaleigh: “…maybe I disagree with most things. It does not mean that I should not be a Member of UMNO”

by Aidila Razak

As a vocal critic of UMNO, veteran politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, as some believe, should  again turn his back on the grand old party and join the opposition. But according to the Gua Musang MP, his disagreements with UMNO are not enough to take him across the political divide.

“Certain things I agree with, but maybe I disagree with most things. It does not mean that I should not be a member of UMNO,” said Razaleigh, who described himself as a “free thinker” in the party.

In an interview with Malaysiakini last week, Razaleigh also explained why the recent constitutional amendments would do little to free UMNO of its corrupt image, which caused the ruling BN coalition to suffer an unprecedented setback in the March 2008 elections.

He said that any meaningful change that is to take place in the country’s most powerful political party can only happen if its members can wean themselves off patronage politics.

“(The) attitude and the mindset of those UMNO chaps must change. They cannot be dependent on patronage all the time … and they must get rid of old bad habits,” he said.

The amendment also meant that the abolishment of the quota system in party elections, allowing Razaleigh the opportunity to contest for the top position. But this did not mean much to the man who in 1987 came close to ousting then UMNO president Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the party leadership.

“It doesn’t meet half of what I have proposed. I had proposed that every member should be given the right to select their leaders through a fair election,” he said.

Excerpts of the interview follow, with contents edited for the purpose of brevity.



Malaysiakini: After (opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim) invited you to join the (oil royalty) caucus, people are wondering what’s next. Have you been invited to join Pakatan?

Razaleigh: Why should I join Pakatan? I’m very happy where I am. (Laughs) I think Pakatan does not have enough places even for their own people.

Have they talked to you about it?

No, never.

But you have heard people talking about it?

Actually (Pakatan Rakyat coalition advisor Zaid Ibrahim) did make an overture once in his blog, but that’s about all. Zaid said all sorts of things, anyway.



What is your opinion about the Common Policy Framework (CPF) which they launched recently?

I’ve not even seen it.



So you’re not interested in it.

Not that I’m not interested. I’ve just not seen it.

Last week Pakatan had a convention and they presented a joint policy which looked very like a manifesto.

So because of that I should join Pakatan?



No, we just wanted to know your views on it. So the presumption is that you will remain with UMNO.

You can never tell the future. I may be dead tomorrow. (Laughs)

How do you see your place in UMNO today?

Let’s put it this way, I am a free thinker. I like to take the middle road in UMNO. Certain things I agree with, but maybe I disagree with most things. It does not mean that I should not be a member of UMNO.

About the next party elections, all this while the quota system has stopped you from contesting, but it has now been abolished.

I’m not influenced by that. I had offered myself even with the quota system in place. It does not bother me the least. The problem is money politics. If people don’t use money and corrupt the delegates, probably I may have a chance.

Do you plan to run (for president in the party elections) again?

It’s too far ahead to know, isn’t it?



Some people plan far ahead.

Ah, they are lucky people. (Laughs)



Will all these amendments to the UMNO constitution revive the party and help regain the people’s support?

It doesn’t meet half of what I have proposed. I had proposed that every member should be given the right to select their leaders through a fair election. But on top of all that, I think the attitude and the mindset of those UMNO chaps must change. They cannot be dependent on patronage all the time. They cannot be dependent on handouts and get rid of the old bad habits. The leaders must also buck up and change in a positive way.

They should read the signals sent by the people in the 2008 general elections if they want to stay in power. I’m not saying they will lose power but if they continue on the trend in which they have been conducting themselves, if they are not careful, they may be thrown out of office.

It’s not just about tinkering with the party constitution here, there and everywhere. It does not meet the expectations of a lot of people. Even the attitude and the lifestyles of the leadership ought to change. It ought to change and be responsive to the feelings of the people on the ground.

The opposition is in disarray anyway at the moment, and you want me to join Pakatan?

Maybe they will unite under you.

Oh, my God.

Some people have said that with the way the country is going, we are heading the way of Zimbabwe. Do you think that’s true?



The difference (between the two countries is) that in Zimbabwe they have (Robert) Mugabe. (Laughs).

Is that the only difference?



Oh definitely. He is dark compared to the leaders here.

People say we are like Zimbabwe because of the way the Court of Appeal has judged. The Kota Seputeh, Perak and a number of other issues lately has seen the appellate court overruling the High Court.

Yes, it’s unfortunate. I don’t agree with those decisions anyway. I think they have not interpreted the constitution, or the law, in the spirit in which it was written.

Everyone is waiting for the Federal Court to make its decision on the Perak issue (on who is the rightful menteri besar). What’s your prognosis on that?

I think they have no right to get rid of the (Pakatan) menteri besar without the formal vote of no confidence.

They should reinstate (ousted Perak Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin)?

I’m not saying anything about reinstating. Why should he be thrown out in the first place? He shouldn’t be thrown out because it is common knowledge that constitutionally an assembly like Perak should not get rid of their menteri besar without due regard to the feeling of the elected councillors. These people should have a say.



Have you talked to the Perak Sultan about this?

The conversations between the Perak Sultan and I are private.

THE RAZALEIGH INTERVIEW

Part 1: Razaleigh dismisses KPIs as a waste of time

Part 2: For Ku Li, striking oil has turned into a curse

Part 3: To GST or not to GST?

Part 4: Despite his views, Ku Li still loyal to Umno

should once again turn his back on the grand old party and join the opposition.

But according to the Gua Musang MP, his disagreements with Umno are not enough to take him across the political divide.

“Certain things I agree with, but maybe I disagree with most things. It does not mean that I should not be a member of Umno,” said Razaleigh, who described himself as a “free thinker” in the party.

In an interview with Malaysiakini last week, Razaleigh also explained why the recent constitutional amendments would do little to free Umno of its corrupt image, which caused the ruling BN coalition to suffer an unprecedented setback in the March 2008 elections.

He said that any meaningful change that is to take place in the country’s most powerful political party can only happen if its members can wean themselves off patronage politics.

“(The) attitude and the mindset of those Umno chaps must change. They cannot be dependent on patronage all the time … and they must get rid of old bad habits,” he said.

The amendment also meant that the abolishment of the quota system in party elections, allowing Razaleigh the opportunity to contest for the top position.

But this did not mean much to the man who in 1987 came close to ousting then Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the party leadership.

“It doesn’t meet half of what I have proposed. I had proposed that every member should be given the right to select their leaders through a fair election,” he said.

Excerpts of the interview follow, with contents edited for the purpose of brevity.



Malaysiakini: After (opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim) invited you to join the (oil royalty) caucus, people are wondering what’s next. Have you been invited to join Pakatan?

Razaleigh: Why should I join Pakatan? I’m very happy where I am. (Laughs) I think Pakatan does not have enough places even for their own people.

Have they talked to you about it?

No, never.

But you have heard people talking about it?

Actually (Pakatan Rakyat coalition advisor Zaid Ibrahim) did make an overture once in his blog, but that’s about all. Zaid said all sorts of things, anyway.



What is your opinion about the Common Policy Framework which they launched recently?

I’ve not even seen it.



So you’re not interested in it.

Not that I’m not interested. I’ve just not seen it.

Last week Pakatan had a convention and they presented a joint policy which looked very like a manifesto.

So because of that I should join Pakatan?



No, we just wanted to know your views on it. So the presumption is that you will remain with Umno.

You can never tell the future. I may be dead tomorrow. (Laughs)

How do you see your place in Umno today?

Let’s put it this way, I am a free thinker. I like to take the middle road in Umno. Certain things I agree with, but maybe I disagree with most things. It does not mean that I should not be a member of Umno.

About the next party elections, all this while the quota system has stopped you from contesting, but it has now been abolished.

I’m not influenced by that. I had offered myself even with the quota system in place. It does not bother me the least. The problem is money politics. If people don’t use money and corrupt the delegates, probably I may have a chance.

Do you plan to run (for president in the party elections) again?

It’s too far ahead to know, isn’t it?



Some people plan far ahead.

Ah, they are lucky people. (Laughs)



Will all these amendments to the Umno constitution revive the party and help regain the people’s support?

There’s an easy way to plan for retirement. Find out how.

It doesn’t meet half of what I have proposed. I had proposed that every member should be given the right to select their leaders through a fair election.

But on top of all that, I think the attitude and the mindset of those Umno chaps must change. They cannot be dependent on patronage all the time. They cannot be dependent on handouts and get rid of the old bad habits. The leaders must also buck up and change in a positive way.

They should read the signals sent by the people in the 2008 general elections if they want to stay in power. I’m not saying they will lose power but if they continue on the trend in which they have been conducting themselves, if they are not careful, they may be thrown out of office.

It’s not just about tinkering with the party constitution here, there and everywhere. It does not meet the expectations of a lot of people. Even the attitude and the lifestyles of the leadership ought to change. It ought to change and be responsive to the feelings of the people on the ground.

The opposition is in disarray anyway at the moment, and you want me to join Pakatan?

Maybe they will unite under you.

Oh, my God.

Some people have said that with the way the country is going, we are heading the way of Zimbabwe. Do you think that’s true?



The difference (between the two countries is) that in Zimbabwe they have (Robert) Mugabe. (Laughs).

Is that the only difference?



Oh definitely. He is dark compared to the leaders here.

People say we are like Zimbabwe because of the way the Court of Appeal has judged. The Kota Seputeh, Perak and a number of other issues lately has seen the appellate court overruling the High Court.

Yes, it’s unfortunate. I don’t agree with those decisions anyway. I think they have not interpreted the constitution, or the law, in the spirit in which it was written.

Everyone is waiting for the Federal Court to make its decision on the Perak issue (on who is the rightful menteri besar). What’s your prognosis on that?

I think they have no right to get rid of the (Pakatan) menteri besar without the formal vote of no confidence.

They should reinstate (ousted Perak Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin)?

I’m not saying anything about reinstating. Why should he be thrown out in the first place? He shouldn’t be thrown out because it is common knowledge that constitutionally an assembly like Perak should not get rid of their menteri besar without due regard to the feeling of the elected councillors. These people should have a say.



Have you talked to the Perak sultan about this?

The conversations between the Perak sultan and I are private.

THE RAZALEIGH INTERVIEW

Part 1: Razaleigh dismisses KPIs as a waste of time

Part 2: For Ku Li, striking oil has turned into a curse

Part 3: To GST or not to GST?

Part 4: Despite his views, Ku Li still loyal to Umno

[Via http://dinmerican.wordpress.com]