positive party

Whitney Houston and The American Dream

2012-02-13T07:01:00.001-08:00

With the sort of money that pop, film and sports stars reportedly earn, it can be difficult for ordinary people to feel sympathetic to their situations. Yet for the famous, quite removed from the superficial pampering they receive, there are many challenges and dangers that the non-celebrity does not have to cope with.
Consider the career of a bank worker. They may well start as a trainee cashier and over a whole career gradually climb the ladder of their organisation, maybe reaching branch or district manager before retiring. For those in entertainment or sport, their career height is often reached before the age of thirty. After that can be a slow and agonising process seeing one's looks, health and talent gradually decline, especially when compared to newcomers on the scene. Those chronicling their rise like a rocket will have their work cut out writing about their descent like a stick, with a dose of playground jealousy thrown in for good measure.
The finances of the famous are little different from the typical family either- just with extra zeros on their bank statements. This does not however stop others wanting a share of the perceived fortune- it must be heartbreaking not to know who your real friends are. Also, those in the public eye tend to attract the emotionally unstable as well as the paparazzi, robbing the celebrity of privacy and security. I can walk into town alone to do my shopping unmolested- could the Beckhams do the same?
The lucky ones may find religion, charity or a related career as a manager, commentator or mentor. The less fortunate get to see the now global "American Dream" turn into a waking nightmare that eventually takes their life. There are uncanny parallels between the lives of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. This latest tragedy should make us all consider what "success" really means.

ACTA and free speech

2012-02-03T12:59:00.001-08:00

Some worries about the ACTA laws going through the European Union institutions at the moment. Not my opinions or words, just passed on for information. With thanks to "DVH" and "Bullwinkle"

ACTA - the latest threat to internet freedom, just signed by the EU
Pirate Party UK

Yesterday the European Union, the UK and over 20 other countries signed the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). ACTA is an international treaty, disguised as a trade agreement, whose purpose is to increase and harmonise copyright and trademark enforcement. Many of the goals of ACTA are similar to SOPA and PIPA - proposed laws which the US congress recently abandoned following a huge outcry. ACTA is, if anything, even more objectionable.

It is objectionable because of the process it has followed - secret negotiations, conducted without democratic oversight, a process so underhand it led to official criticism from the European Parliament [1] and the resignation of the Parliament's rapporteur in disgust [2]. It is yet another example of the power of corporate lobby groups, who buy influence starting with the laughably corrupt US political body, and then foist extremist laws on the rest of the world.

It is objectionable in its content, as an assault on civil liberties. It is likely to require unprecedented levels of surveillance of ordinary Internet users by ISPs [3][4]. It insists that copyright infringement become a criminal offence in a worryingly wide range of situations.[5] It provides for massively disproportionate penalties, including mandatory imprisonment. Anyone who has followed settlements in copyright lawsuits over the past 10 years will find this hard to believe, but it allows rights-holders to make up even more astronomical figures when demanding "compensation" [6].

The extremist position of ACTA will make the Internet fraught with danger for ordinary users. For example, if a blogger innocently links to another website, and that website, without their knowledge, infringes copyright in some way, they may well face criminal charges and prison time for "aiding and abetting" copyright infringement. For a link.

The provisions on Digital Rights Management ("DRM") are so extreme as to be laughable. ACTA continues to demand that attempts to circumvent DRM be criminal offences, meaning that blind people could face jail time for attempting to read e-books using text-to-speech, for example [7]. But new provisions mean that any tampering with information that identifies "the work, its author(s), producer(s) or right owners" also becomes an offence, so merely renaming a file could become illegal.

Enough is enough. The music, film and fashion industries make more money every year. Even if you assume that copyright must be enforced in all cases, that Something Must Be Done -- just because ACTA is "something" does not mean we should do it. The way it was created is unacceptable, its content is destructive and it is against the public interest. The pirate party and I will do everything we can to stop it, and we urge others to join the campaign against ACTA [8][9]. We do not have to stand for this.

ACTA is a treaty that will eventually introduce a law with important effects on the internet and how we use it.

ACTA has been formulated by technocrats behind closed doors. Attempts to gain access to the process and the documentation accompanying it have been resisted and frequently rejected. Parliaments are being asked to approve it without proper scrutiny or understanding of its implications.

Here's how the Slovenian ambassadress to Japan managed to sign the treaty on behalf of her country:

"On Thursday, 26th January, 2012, I signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia, following the directive and authorisation of the Slovenian government. A somewhat longer clarification of the signature can be found on the Media section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, which explains the role of the Ministry and my role as the Slovenian Ambassador to Japan. This explanation states that I signed the agreement because I was instructed to do so by the government, and because it is a part of my job.

And yet, why did I sign ACTA. Every day there is a barrage of questions in my inbox and on Facebook from mostly kind and somewhat baffled people, who cannot understand how it occurred to me to sign an agreement so damaging to the state and citizens. With this reply, which is of a purely personal nature and expresses only my personal views, I wish to respond to all those people, all my friends and acquaintances who have remained quiet, all Anonymous, and not least also to myself and to my children.

I signed ACTA out of civic carelessness, because I did not pay enough attention. Quite simply, I did not clearly connect the agreement I had been instructed to sign with the agreement that, according to my own civic conviction, limits and withholds the freedom of engagement on the largest and most significant network in human history, and thus limits particularly the future of our children. I allowed myself a period of civic complacency, for a short time I unplugged myself from media reports from Slovenia, I took a break from Avaaz and its inflation of petitions, quite simply I allowed myself a rest. In my defence, I want to add that I very much needed this
rest and that I am still having trouble gaining enough energy for the upcoming dragon year. At the same time, I am tackling a workload that increased, not lessened, with the advent of the current year. All in line with a motto that has become familiar to us all, likely not only diplomats: less for more. Less money and fewer people for more work. And then you overlook the significance of what you are signing. And you wake up the following morning with the weight of the unbearable lightness of some
signature.

First I apologised to my children. Then I tried to reply to those acquaintances and strangers who expressed their surprise and horror. Because there are more and more of them, I am responding to them publicly. I want to apologise because I carried out my official duty, but not my civic duty. I don't know how many options I had with regard to not signing, but I could have tried. I did not. I missed an opportunity to fight for the right of conscientious objection on the part of us bureaucrats."

http://metinalista.si/why-i-signed-acta/

Human Rights Do Not Help Criminals But Prevent Bullying Of Decent Citizens

2012-02-02T11:25:00.001-08:00

Of all the legislation passed by the previous government, the Human Rights Act is often portrayed as being amongst the most contentious. I find it hard to understand why the terms "Human Rights" and "Soft Justice" are routinely equated by sections of the media. No legal process is perfect and whatever is stated by the law, some unsavoury individuals will escape the punishment that in moral terms alone they deserve. But the truth is that human rights and law and order are one and the same. It does not matter if our lives, liberties and property are taken from us by another person or the government- we would still be victims of crime. States with the best human rights records are among the safest. Exceptions to this rule almost invariably have a government whose regard for truth and transparency is such that its statistics are unreliable at best.
This is why human rights matters to you. Supposed you were to take exception to a new supermarket opening in your town. You write to your MP and local newspapers, and maybe join a campaign group, which you become a leader of. Imagine if you found yourself arrested for shoplifting in another branch of the store. Security provide lies and false evidence and you end up being convicted by a paid-off court. You lose your job, home and family and spend several months in prison for a crime you didn't commit.
This is what happens in countries where human rights are ignored. There is potentially big money in allowing this to happen here, and one can only wonder about the sort of people who are sponsoring this so-called "tough" talk.

Why prisons and asylums continue to fill up.

2012-01-18T14:42:00.001-08:00

For almost a whole generation the population of prisons, and other forms of detention such as psychiatric wards, has continued to grow. In most cases, the institutionalised are neither evil or even dangerous- they are inside simply because they can't cope with the stress of modern life in the community.
For my parents and grandparents generation, choices were fewer but less demanding. The typical school leaver would find work in a local business and have a job for life. For those of greater academic ability, colleges offered full grants and full board. Credit was only available under very strict circumstances, and plentiful, affordable rental property meant mortgages were only for those who could easily afford the repayments. The high price of transport and communication meant most were unlikely to meet foreign cultures, with the extra sensitivity that dealing with such people requires. For women, glossy fashion magazines showing "ideal" figures were few and far between- and balancing a career with raising children the exception rather than the rule.
This was not, however, a perfect world with any less injustice than today- but the the ordinary citizen it was a simpler, if less exciting lifestyle. Those who obeyed the rules and worked hard could be assured a reasonable, if no-frills, living.
Turning the clock back is neither practical or even desirable- but there is a lot that could be done to make survival in the modern world a simpler experience. A lot of complex and often arbitrary legislation and workplace rules could be replaced by relaxed but logical law. This would tackle any real nuisance or risk but would only need common sense as opposed to a law degree to understand and follow. For example, a radical simplification of the tax and welfare system would reduce fraud at the same time as promoting a work and saving ethic.
I sincerely believe that reducing the complexity required for living and running a business should be the immediate aim of all political parties

Essex Social Services - A Snob's Club?

2011-12-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

It is with great sadness that I feel compelled to draw readers attention to a cruel culture of malpractice that I believe has become ingrained in Essex Social Services. At the time that we are celebrating the birth of a Messiah born into poverty two thousand years ago, we have a situation locally where parental capability is being crudely assessed based purely upon social class. Just as the majority of Germans in the last war were unaware of the cruelty inflicted by their leadership, the population of Essex has been kept in the dark about acts of cruelty committed by the very people entrusted with our care. Children are being taken from families because they do not measure up to middle class values.
Unfortunately, child abuse is an issue that covers all sections of the population, from aristocrats to benefit claimants. In the name of "child protection", children are routinely being removed from low income and low educational standard backgrounds, at the same time better off families where children are being harmed are to all intents and purposes ignored. Particularly saddening is how certain parents can fill their child's heart with ethnic or religious hate, and this behaviour does not constitute "bad parenting" in the eyes of the law.
Should in this difficult times, Essex County Council be looking to save money, I would be prepared to take on the work of the head of social services and, do the job properly, with an open mind, for half the pay. Small minded attitudes in today's diverse world both cost money and deeply hurt many people. Public bodies need to employ and promote those who see the bigger picture.

Cameron and Williams

2011-12-17T17:15:00.001-08:00

It is somewhat ironic in to hear comments in the media accusing primate Dr Rowan Williams of left wing bias. This is because the term "left wing" came from a time where the nobility sat to the right of the king in royal courts, whilst the church delegation would sit to the left. It is worth remembering that before modern ideas such as elected parliaments and the welfare state came about, the church would be responsible for educating, feeding and giving a voice to the poor. Today, the Christian ministry of all denominations is largely a high skill, low pay career chosen by those with a strong social conscience. Whilst public support for and membership of political parties amongst clergy is generally frowned upon, Christianity compels its believers to, like Jesus, take a stand on the issues that concern them. This will inevitably bring them into conflict with politicians.
Where the politicians do have a valid point, is that the kingdom of heaven is a somewhat simpler place than the harsh reality of earth. There is also the issue of tough love, i.e. kickstarting a person's life by shocking them. It can be argued, as David Cameron has recently, that a moral crisis has arisen because people have become insulated from their actions.
A great shame has been the fact that there is a lot of common ground between the Church and all sides of the political spectrum. There remains a mountain of injustice, and a widespread public perception that the same people always cheat and always win.
In the recent Euro vote, Mr Cameron was widely applauded for standing his ground, despite being unpopular. He should realise that Dr Williams is bound by duty to do the same.

Europe's recession - the story you won't hear.

2011-12-07T17:19:00.001-08:00

In the second world war most people had to go and fight. However if you had a business that was useful to the war effort, you didn't and got rich.

The effect of this was the creation of a new class, who were neither aristocratic or meritocratic. They formed their own little circle and keep "outsiders" at bay. Nepotism stopped management talent rising up through merit.

It's a very true saying that the freed slave can be the cruelist master. A major reason for the collapse of the British Empire was a shortage of nobility in the colonies. The "upstarts" draughted in, not used to being in a ruling class position, offended the natives they were meant to be overseeing through sheer arrogance.

The situation we are witnessing in Europe today is that of a handful of families, of no specific ethnicity or religion, are hanging on jealously to their power and status gained in the post war period. When people behave defensively, out goes intelligence and imagination. Who wants progress when the status quo, however ineffective it might be, serves people addicted to their power and wealth?

Andy Coulson and Gary McKinnon - a tale of two Britains?

2011-12-05T15:52:00.001-08:00

Burglary is against the law. The identities of the victim or the perpetrator do not matter- rich, poor, black, white, those convicted will face comparable punishments.
It would be logical to assume the same about computer crime. How wrong could I be?
Consider the cases of Gary McKinnon and Andy Coulson. McKinnon, a young man with a disability making it hard to find employment has been accused of illegally trying to gain entrance to government computer systems in the United States. He is not connected to any business or political organisation, and his alleged offending was motivated by nothing more than curiosity. He remains in detention facing extradition to America. Coulson was in command at the now defunct newspaper, the News Of The World, at a time that journalists working there were routinely breaking into electronic systems belonging to those of potential news interest. He went on to become a senior aide to the current Prime Minister, and despite having to stand down because of the scandal, he remains a free man.
As someone who has worked in network security, I find this situation difficult to comprehend. The lone bedroom hacker constitutes an irritation, whilst those hacking for commercial gain are potentially organisation threatening. The level of security does not matter- an open door is no legal defence for a burglar.
To me, this disparity sums up everything that is wrong with Britain today- with our actions having pitifully little effect on the rewards or punishments we may expect to receive.

Capitalism has no future. Sustainable Enterprise does!

2011-11-19T14:51:00.001-08:00

What has caused the current economic problems?

I believe a market economy can be likened to an engine. The raw fuel for this engine consists of environmental and human resources. This engine is stalling because in the quest for "today" profit, those reserves have become depleted.

In a perfect competition economy, the price and cost of such resources are roughly equated. However, when you factor in restrictive practises and the politics that drive state intervention, this situation becomes distorted. The result is goods which are cheap becoming expensive and vice versa, seeing a general divorce between price and value. This situation by it's very nature cannot continue long term, and the result can often be rapid price changes, inflationary or deflationary as the "rigged" market catches up with the reality of resources.

An example of unsustainable economics can be found in the typical high street store. A customer goes in to buy a product, and ends up buying something more than he wants or needs, because the salesperson is on a commission. This is fine when money is aplenty, but in tighter times will mean that customer will have less to spend on repeat business.

The same thing has happened with credit- a banker has encouraged a larger loan than the customer needed, again to earn a sales bonus on the loan. Eventually, it's a case of the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

Every time a customer is short changed, an employee downtrodden, conversely an employer taken advantage of, a loan not paid back etc, this eats into human resources. Economics is based on trust- unless I can trust someone enough to part with my money, nothing will be bought or sold.

The environment is a similar story. It's an ugly truth that the industrialised world has propped up various appalling third world governments to maintain a supply of cheap raw materials. As these are being brought in at below the cost involved in obtaining them ethically, the money has not been used to properly pay the workers involved or ensure the safety of human life or wildlife. Eventually humans and Mother Nature alike will say "enough" and this supply chain collapses. The result is rapid price inflation.

So what are the alternatives? State run economies have plenty of their own issues, not to mention the repression that is needed to keep the state in control. Perhaps the biggest problem of all with socialist regimes is the lack of clear information about what is actually working and what is not. This is clearly not the answer.

Sustainable Enterprise comes into it's own here. This means no objection whatsoever to profit, as long as that profit doesn't involve killing the human and natural resources that create it. Not Communism, but common sense.

In the UK, the Liberal Democrats were the first mainstream party to suggest that taxes on business should not be based on profitability but on their "green" credentials. The logical end of this is that a business that puts in more to the environment and community than it takes out should pay no tax.
Whereas there is a lot of potential debate on how this could be made workable, the ethos behind it should be adopted by all.

MigrationWatch and reality

2011-11-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

MigrationWatch and reality

Recent attempts to modernise British democracy have included the online e-Petition. The first such petition to gain 100,000 signatures was from think tank Migrationwatch, voicing an objection to the ever growing population, of which immigration has played the largest part.
Whilst like many others, I have some sympathy with this viewpoint, from a realistic angle there is a major flaw. Whilst the world population is increasing, and the UK remains relatively affluent in a world of extreme poverty, net immigration will remain high. There are only so many border guards and immigration officials to deal with a lot of people, which limits the leverage on the situation a government is effectively able to exert. There is no point for example in cutting legal migration if this will lead to greater illegal activity, only benefiting the likes of people smugglers. This is therefore a global issue which can only be dealt with by a global solution.
It is education that provides the only workable solution to both population and poverty. Learning requires a lawful environment, and ignorance is promoted by the anarchy a corrupt government creates. It is the lack of coherent global foreign policy initiatives that have allowed bad leaders to run their countries into the ground. If there is an area which needs toughening up, it is this one.
There are some things that good immigration law itself can achieve. This includes exhaustive checks on the character and commitment of potential migrants and orderly queuing whilst such vetting takes place. It is indeed the duty of the government to discourage criminals from settling here and demand of new citizens that they put more in to the community than they take out.

Sacking lazy, incompetent workers? Why not dismiss the FSTE 100 directors?

2011-10-28T10:32:00.001-07:00

"Made in Britain" was once a common site on the products that we use every day. Today, it is a much rarer sight. One of the main reasons has been poor industrial relations, which has meant many working days lost through strikes and shoddy workmanship caused by a disinterested labour force. Our homegrown motor industry was wiped out by mismanagement, stoppages and lack of build quality.
It is with dismay I read that in this climate of austerity and cutbacks, pay rises amongst the executives of the top 100 companies are averaging almost 50%. Whilst the proportion of a company's money used for paying the directors may be small, it is simply appalling manners. It will be music to the ears of radical socialist politicians, and encourages the job-destroying union militancy that decimated Britain's manufacturing sector.
The question I would like to ask is, that if our economy is barely growing, are these the right people to be running business, whether private or public sector? Do we need legislation to allow shareholders and taxpayers to oust greedy and incompetent managers? Accountability is the key. Whatever the grade of worker, whilst needing to earn a living, the best staff are primarily motivated not by money but pride in their company. The government has pledged to make it easier to sack poor performing staff. Bosses whose main concern is acquiring personal wealth, above the welfare of the industries they control, are surely those that if jobs have to be cut should be first in line.

Schizophrenia Is The New Black

2011-10-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

Schizophrenia Is The New Black

I can vividly remember it now. I was driving my wife back from her therapist when we stopped at the services for a coffee- I picked up a newspaper by pure chance and found myself drawn into a column lambasting the "political correctness" of the film A Beautiful Mind. Schizophrenics, according the the columnist who shall remain nameless, were quite deserving of the stigma attached to them, and to say otherwise was actually dangerous.
Now, not long ago the very same columnist claimed that us schizophrenics- yes I am one of the very same - did not have a real illness and were not deserving of state benefit. Call me mental, but if this stigma was indeed justified, who's going to employ us? And without benefit were we supposed to starve? Visions of Kristelnacht and Auchwitz filled my mind, which frankly could do without such paranoia.
So what exactly is schizophrenia. I'm no doctor, but I can describe the condition well from a patient's perspective, which is rarely heard in the mainstream media. We all have emotions- happy, sad, excited, bored, loving, hateful etc. For us schizophrenics these feelings affect us deeper- we will feel higher highs, lower lows and so on. What distinguishes it from bipolar- these symptoms on their own- is that when we are at these emotional extremes, we can sometimes see, hear, sense and believe things that other people don't. When the emotion concerned is fear, this becomes paranoia- we might think that we are going to die of cancer or that MI5 are about to take us away to be tortured.
Does this make us dangerous? At the end of the day, people are animals and cornered animals can indeed attack. If someone believes that their life is under threat, self defence kicks in, even if the perceived threat is purely in the mind. The real problem is that so few people are trained to calm a person hallucinating down and take them to safety. Many will supposedly "well" people will respond with panic, fear or aggression if they encounter somebody living in such a waking dream- this is akin to attempting to extinguish a fire with petrol. The waking dream can turn into a waking nightmare as the patient senses danger and self preservation kicks in.
It's a sad indictment of society that if an attractive teenage promising student is killed by a mentally ill homeless person, it is likely to make front page news- whilst the far more common case of that same mentally ill homeless person being kicked to death by drunken louts is relegated to the bowels of the publication.
Whilst the causes of schizophrenia are not fully understood, there's certainly factors which are known to have some bearing on the chances of developing the condition. Firstly there is genetics. Unfortunately, in the public image conscious world in which we live, shame encourages families to play this down- and sometimes seek to gag the affected. For instance, some parents may want their offspring over-medicated or detained not because of a safety risk, but that of embarrassment. It could be argued in some quarters that psychiatric wards are the equivalent of Jeremy Kyle for the middle class. Another common factor is frustration caused by a disability, particularly mental ones- the autistic and learning disabled are at particular risk of developing severe mental illness. For the record, I have Asperger's myself. Substance abuse is often involved as both a cause and a symptom, the schizophrenia and alcohol or street drugs form an itch-scratch cycle- with the patient desperately trying to get themselves "comfortable in their heads" and often making matters worse in the process.
Finally, there is the issue of trauma- as might affect a battle-scarred soldier or an abused child. Child abuse is a very complex subject. We tend to hear about beatings, rapes and neglect committed by the criminal and irresponsible, but many loving and devoted parents can cause serious emotional problems for their child too. Such is the unpredictable nature of human reproduction and varied life experiences, that it can be common to have a child who develops a very different set of values and world-view to it's parents. It's important to highlight the big difference between boundaries and norms- it is possible to teach a child respect others but quite often damaging to teach that same child to be like others. This can lead to problems such as a catholic-oriented child growing up through no fault of it's own in a protestant-oriented household.
Prescription medication can bring great relief to many sufferers. The problem is that all medication has side effects, and for some people these side effects are unbearable. With mine, I don't have the luxury of waking up in the morning without being blurred by some form of chemical "hangover"- I can live with this, but I have seen much more unpleasant symptoms in others, so much the case that I stopped- wrongly- taking my own medication and ended up hospitalised. Another such time was when I heard a rumour, broadcast on the radio, that taking medication would be made legally compulsory - for the paranoid minded with visions of mind control, this is just about the worse thing that can be done. At the end of the day no real progress can be made on mental health rehabilitation without the will of the patient.
It's worth noting that however good a pill is, it won't cure a broken heart. What antipsychotics and antidepressants can do extremely well is lift some of the weight from the mind whilst the patient comes to terms with reality, and maintain to some extent that neutral space. But like antibiotics, they are not miracle cures, and likewise run the same risks of becoming less effective through over-use. As well as psychiatry, there are psychological and spiritual that concern the mind, and sometimes a counsellor or even a priest can be more appropriate than a doctor.
In the words of the mental health charity, Rethink , the biggest barriers to beating mental illness are fear, prejudice and stigma. If I can convert just one person to a more positive view about the mentally ill, I'll feel this article was well worth writing.

"Big Society" vs Vested Interests

2011-10-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

I applaud the ethos behind David Cameron's "Big Society". That voluntary private enterprises can achieve more in some areas than the state is something I strongly agree with. Unfortunately, in recent years, attitudes have become strongly ingrained against many forms of "do it yourself". Volunteers and hobbyists, whilst contributing hugely to the community, are neither producing or consuming. Big business, and the government and media that it controls, does not see it as a form of revenue, and consequently anything to be encouraged.
The not-for-profit entrepreneur can expect anything from disinterest to outright hostility from the governmental and commercial worlds- worlds ruled by vested interests and "jobs for the boys". Those trying to help the community can often find themselves stepping on the toes of those who guard their position and power jealously. The result is being made to jump through hoops, seemingly in the hope that the volunteer will give up and watch TV or go shopping instead!
Consider a long term unemployed person, maybe with a disability or other hindrance to paid employment. They decide to take a voluntary post for a variety of reasons. Firstly, for the experience of work. Secondly, to improve their CV and gain references. Thirdly, because they'd rather work than feel that they are living on the back of someone else. You would imagine that the state would be very encouraging towards such efforts. In reality, they would be faced with a multitude of forms and told their benefit was at risk.
The irony is that wealth is not created through the desire to make as much money as possible for the smallest effort as we are often told. It is created by people who go the extra mile beyond that demanded by their job description. A major problem today is that success is equated with large profits as opposed to actual achievement. This is a state which belittles the effort of the vast majority of artists and inventors, for whom it is usual for others to receive the bulk of the profit raised.

Three Millionaires

2011-10-04T17:20:00.001-07:00

Consider three millionaires living in a wealthy suburb.

All three have a mansion set in grounds, a swimming pool and a fleet of luxury cars.

However, the first is a bank robber, the second a lottery winner and the third a self made businessman.

Materially they might be equal, but metaphysically they are not.

When the first man looks at his wealth, he's reminded of the teller he shot. He knows his money is tainted with blood. He knows that one day police might turn up at his door and cart him off to a prison cell- and even if he avoids justice in life, he will fear it in death.

The lottery winner will look at his fortune, then switch on the TV and see starving orphans. He'll wonder to himself what gives him the right to the lifestyle he enjoys- and know that the only thing separating himself from the desperate is pure and simply luck. And he knows luck can run out.

The businessman, on the contrary, can look around and see the long hours of work he has put in, the risks he has taken, the lessons he has learned. He can see around him the contented staff he has given work to and the many satisfied customers. He knows that even should things go badly wrong and him end up penniless, nothing can take away the credit of his achievement.

One problem with the modern world is it can too often portray these three as equals, because after all, visibly they might appear just the same. This can encourage the seeking of "success" at any cost. But the truth is that success is a victory- if you cheat or are just plain lucky, what is your victory over? How can you boast when you have done nothing worth boasting about?

This demonstrates the difference between ownership and possession. One only owns something in the true sense if it has been paid for- by some form of sacrifice- and that includes money itself.

Religion vs Science = Compass vs Map

2011-09-26T15:41:00.001-07:00

I find it almost unbelievable that several highly respected scientists have expressed the opinion that we need to make a choice between science and religion. To me, this is like telling a sailor that he has to choose between his map and his compass.
I would like to point out a sane and rational reason why faith remains popular. Our property can be destroyed or stolen. Our loved ones can desert us or die. Our bodies and even our minds can fail. Is there anything delusional in putting our highest trust in something that may be intangible but is at the same time guaranteed to be safe from the fleeting nature of earthly existence. Whilst the media are keen on portraying the terrorism committed by a tiny minority of religious extremists, it is far more often the case that faith provides the mental discipline needed for learning advanced subjects such as engineering and medicine. This is because the material world is one of uncertainty, and the obsession with it prevalent today promotes a climate hostile to undertaking long term endeavours.
You can't always see electricity, nor touch, taste, hear or smell it-yet it can be powerful enough to kill you. What makes the spiritual world any different?

Why Eugenics Can't Improve The Human Race

2011-09-24T01:21:00.001-07:00

The problem with so much of genetic science is that it ignores the tri-partate nature of the human being- mind body and soul. When all three are taken into account, most inequalities between individuals are all but eliminated.

Take the man born without the use of his legs. To live a full life he has to make more use of his brain, as well as his hands. Is is a similar story with the deaf and the blind. In particular, managing a disability is a character building experience.

The brain is a particularly interesting organ as it contains the mind and the soul. A mind can make one clever, but only a soul can make one wise.

I have personally met learning disabled people who are more open minded than certain high ranking academics. These people find it hard to learn, but are willing to learn because they are humble, whilst others could learn but choose not to as it undermines the prejudices that they find comfortable.

It is worth pointing out that the loyalty and loving nature of family pets puts the character of many humans to shame .

Physical appearance is another issue. A man or women not fitting the generally held views of physical attractiveness might find it a lot harder to meet a marriage partner. However, they are likely to find a higher quality of relationship in the person they eventually meet.

A schizophrenic may never be able to hold a position of high responsibility, but without these people there would have been little progress in art , philosophy and culture.

Cut out all the autistic people and you'd be stuffed if your computer went wrong!

Suppose we were to devise a breeding system that only produced offspring free of all physical and mental genetic defects. There would be a real danger that those people would be less human in nature- those with perfect bodies, perfect minds, but a gaping hole where the soul should be. Ever met a fit, attractive kid from a wealthy home, heading for a first class degree from a top college and found them to have the sort of attitude you'd expect from a street yob? This does indeed happen!

The Matriarchal Society - Has It's Time Come?

2011-09-17T16:05:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has driven a vehicle will be aware of the transmission. This allows the driver to chose between power and efficiency- low gears allow for a rapid acceleration from standstill, whilst high gears give a greater speed from less fuel.
This analogy can also fit the development of the human race. In the past we have needed the development of technology, and the large labour force necessary to facilitate this. The physical strength, aggression and adventurous of the male sex have been perfectly suited to this phase of history- and resultantly our industrial and political leaders have tended to be men. But the burning issues concerning the modern human are those of environmental damage and overpopulation. Just as driving continuously in a low gear wastes fuel and shortens the life of the engine, mankind's continued emphasis on raw power is going beyond it's usefulness. The feminine qualities of human intuition and empathy, I believe, offer just such a "higher gear" for reaching new levels of human achievement whilst efficiently using the Earth's resources. On a very visible level, in those societies where woman's rights are highly developed, the birth rate is significantly lower, and such communities also tend to place a higher value on wildlife too.
This is not a case of putting my own sex down, the male world has made huge contributions. However it is a sign of wisdom to hand over the baton of progress gracefully as opposed to digging in for reasons of selfish pride. Discrimination against men and masculinity is by no means necessary or in any way desirable- what does need to happen though is for true femininity to be allowed to blossom in the world of management. Ironically, real men would benefit from this too.

Debt. What divides Heaven and Earth.

2011-09-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Heaven is state without any form of debt, material, emotional or spiritual. No-one owes anything and no-one is owed anything. Because of this there is no guilt, and no need for apology, and no-one can hurt or feel hurt.

This contrasts starkly with Earthy existence, where debt is all around. If the debt does not concern the children, then the debt is owed by and to their ancestors.

In theological terms, this debt began when Adam and Eve took the fruit of the tree of knowledge from God. Since then, Mankind has owed God, and the generations that followed have passed this debt around between each other.

For God and Mankind to be reunited, all debts must be paid in full. This does not just mean monetary debt, but the spiritual and emotion debts which we have accrued. When it comes to our ancestors, we must pay them back in the form of honouring their memory with the way we live our lives. We must also pay back those debts that they themselves amassed through their taking of what did not belong to them. For example, citizens of richer countries often owe their standard of living to the past and present exploitation of the less wealthy and powerful peoples of the world. This is one such debt that must be paid back in full.

Another type of debt comes from what the human race has forcibly taken from the animal and plant kingdoms. We must pay this debt back by repairing the damage done to the environment by mankind. We must pay back the debt to our bodies that we have abused though unhealthy living.

The free man is neither a slave or a slave owner. Debt of any kind creates slavery, and strips the human being, rich and poor alike, of their freedom. The poor are enslaved by the rich, and the rich enslaved by their conscience.

It is only by the complete repayment of all forms of debt, that the human race can finally be truly free. When all such debts have been paid off, we can finally return the forbidden fruit to it's rightful owner, and return to Eden where we can live a life of innocence without ignorance.

9/11 - ten years on, one question remains unanswered

2011-09-12T10:09:00.001-07:00

Did al-Qaida recieve covert assistance from a rogue element within western security services?

Now that anti-western regimes have been toppled in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, and Osama bin Laden is dead, should attention now be focused on criminal and criminally negligent personel within the very institutions responsible for preventing terror attacks?

If all staff within security services had been doing their job properly, a plot of this magnitude would have never got off the drawing board. To destroy the WTC, a large number of highly skilled operatives must have been recruited, and it is difficult to think that this could of happened without arousing the suspicion of western or allied powers' agents. Selective corrupting or leaking of intelligence for a political agenda, most likely behind the back of the President and his cabinet, may have occured.

I am not attempting to justify or exhonerate al-Qaida in any way- but I do believe that it is now time, with the military action completed , for any "Judas" within the establishment to brought to proper account.

Disability itself is a lesser handicap than prejudice!

2011-09-09T07:41:00.001-07:00

Any scholar of the Second World War will know that the Nazis did not murder six million innocent civilians overnight. Those undesirable to the regime were firstly stigmatised, then discriminated against, then openly persecuted and finally eliminated.
It is with deep distress that I hear of an increasing number of hate crimes committed against the disabled. Official statistics show the reported number of such crimes is up a fifth on the previous year's figure. Against this backdrop, columnists in several popular newspapers have made comments, that like the Nazis before them, dehumanize those with physical and particularly mental handicaps.
The issue seems to be that 50% of those affected are unemployed and claiming benefits. The aforementioned section of the media plays on the fact that working people are struggling economically, and that the unemployed, able or not, are a burden. Whilst it is certainly true that many unemployed disabled could work, these people require jobs with the flexibility to accommodate their special needs. In more prosperous times, businesses could afford to take on such workers- but when times are tight they will be at the back of the queue for vacancies.
Social security might not be a lot of money, but it is at least a regular income. For the disabled person, taking a job can mean literally gambling with the roof over their heads. Should their health problems worsen or a short term contract expires, the delay in getting back on benefit could lead to large debts and even homelessness.
A particularly disturbing development has been in the insurance sector- where those who have had disputed state benefit claims are refused insurance. It is the probably the rule rather than the exception that a disabled person will appeal at some stage on a benefit issue.
Disabilities are a handicap that can be overcome.There are many, many talented people who are unable to contribute fully to society and the economy- not because of their health issues, but mindless prejudice.

Dale Farm Travellers Site - is a new approach needed?

2011-08-28T15:06:00.001-07:00

Basildon Borough Council has recently won a court case permitting the eviction of travellers from an illegal site at Dale Farm. Whilst many local residents will be happy with the result, the legal process has been incredibly expensive, and many fear the situation will simply be shifted to another location.
Why does the settled community fear travellers setting up in their neighbourhood? The big problems are that of litter, rowdiness and petty crime. It is a situation repeated in the cases of illegal raves and squatting.
If a landowner wishes to use property that is occupied illegally, eviction is indeed the only answer. In other cases though, the efforts of the authorities would be better spent on ensuring the good behaviour of the people concerned. For example, how many extra police officers in the Dale Farm area could have been paid for with the estimated £9.5 million cost of clearing the site?
It is surely time for the government to recognise the difference between alternative lifestyles, providing those people keep themselves to themselves, and those who use such lifestyles as an excuse to commit criminal offences against others.

Why part of me remains a socialist, despite losing the baggage of leftwing dogma.

2011-08-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

Some people work harder and have more skills, some people have parents who have worked hard and saved so their children could have a better quality of life. Material/Financial inequality is not therefore on its own a moral concern- being rich does not by any means equate to being evil.

What we do know however, is that civilised society depends crucially upon legal equality, or the "rule of law" . This states that no person is above the law, and each person has equal access to and equal protection from the law.

Extremes of wealth and poverty compromise the equal treatment of persons and businesses under the law. A game where those ahead can change the rules to prevent competitors catching up is neither enjoyable or fulfilling.

Where I disagree with many on the left wing is in the limits I believe the state has to improve this situation. More resources spent on "hand outs" can often mean less on "hand ups". High taxes are very often avoided by the richest persons and corporations, and instead the burden is shifted to those lower down the ladder, hampering the progress of the up and coming, particularly those making the effort themselves to escape poverty. In addition, a socialist government can insulate the well to do from their responsibilities towards poorer sections of the community- i.e. the state is providing, so we don't have to.

To conclude, the socialist ideal of a reduction in the gap between the richest and poorest is an honourable and ethical one. However, persecution of the successful members of society and businesses is quite the opposite.

Many traditional socialist parties suffer from a large element of jealousy- making their political capital out of what is essentially "kangaroo court" social justice.

Conservative parties tend to fair better at supporting a poverty-beating "enterprise culture". Unfortunately they share some of the leftwing opposition's jealousy, simply replacing the socialist's "rich" with their own term, "different to ourselves". This often manifests itself as a "tough" attitude towards petty criminals and those who fall short of their moral scruples - combined with a very tolerent approach towards large scale abuses of the marketplace and the laws that govern it.

Instead of replacing Trident, why not offer a guaranteed Armed Forces apprenticeship to every school leaver?

2011-08-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Instead of replacing Trident, why not offer a guaranteed Armed Forces apprenticeship to every school leaver?

Two recent events of note include the inner city riots, and the debate concerning replacement of the Trident nuclear submarine. Nuclear weapons, I believe, are a relic from the Cold War era and irrelevant to the modern security concern that is international terrorism. The Ministry of Defence could save a lot of money by scrapping them.
Imagine if defence resources were instead used to create a guaranteed Armed Forces apprenticeship for every school leaver. This could be made compulsory for young offenders who could benefit from military discipline, and in addition provide an alternative to deportation for illegal immigrants.
In times of crisis and fear, it is all to easy for authorities to act out of panic and make matters worse. A good government by contrast, will act rather than react.

"On Your Bike" and the Tottenham Riots

2011-08-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

The former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Tebbit famously spoke words to the effect of "When my father was without work, he didn't riot, but got on his bike and found work.".
Despite being of a left-wing disposition, I believe I have the intelligence not to argue with the above.
Let us examine however, the words "bike" and "job"- how could we be more specific? I need to be able to arrive healthy, smart and qualified for a job which is more interesting, and pays better, than the meagre existence to be found on benefits.
Many of the residents of Tottenham will not have had the luxury of this.

letter to press - legal aid and CAB cut- the services most necessary in tough times

2011-08-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

legal aid and CAB cut- the services most necessary in tough times

Sir,
I can fully understand the necessity for cuts in public spending. Whatever area is targeted by HM Goverment's axeman, some people will be upset. I am frankly appalled however, by the decision to hit funding for legal aid and the Citizen's Advice Bureau. Why? Both of these are services that in tough times are more important than ever. It is interesting to note that the richest members of society have been least affected by this recession, and in fact the top 1% of earners are better off. I do not believe in punitive tax regimes for the successful, but it is a matter of common decency that should sacrifices be necessary, those who can actually afford to make them do so, rather than those on the breadline already. As it happens, the burden of the global economic downturn has , worldwide as in the UK, fallen unfairly on the poor.
David Cameron's administration had the perfect opportunity to show that the Conservative party is the party of the whole nation not just the rich. I welcomed the new government with an open mind, but sadly it appears that the sceptics were right.

Letter to press : Public figures of competence and integrity are few and far between. Do their private lives matter?

2011-07-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Sir,
Of the billions of people who have lived on this earth, very few get to be canonised as saints. Some of us may be gamblers, drunks, addicts or adulterers. Some of us may be lazy, others may be intolerant or ill-mannered.
I believe the recent controversy over how journalists get their stories raises a deeper issue- we all have faults, including public figures. Is it not more important that such people perform their civil duty with competence and integrity than have a private life that is whiter than white? After all, in many cases the only difference between the shamed and the decent is merely the misfortune of getting caught.
The great storyteller Aesop remarked "we hang the petty criminals and appoint the great ones to public office". Some things are painfully slow to change!

The 666 gate and the tribulations of man

2011-07-17T16:24:00.001-07:00

Recently, walking back to my house, I found the numbers 666 painted in large lettering on the street.

Why is 666 synonymous with Satan and hell? I believe it is because 777 is the number of Biblical completion. There are many pathways to heaven, but all will take us through hell. Only when we have faced our worst fears and overcome them are our souls sufficiently free to enter the realm of God.

A real heaven is a heaven for everyone. This contrasts with a "hollow heaven" - an earthly "paradise" reserved for the "chosen people", bound by arbitrary earthly laws. In contrast the real heaven is completely free. There is no need for laws or rules, because every citizen is a martyred saint, crucified and resurrected. All moral debts attached to the soul in the form of Karma have been absolutely cleared- it is impossible to sin as the price of sin has been fully paid. This kingdom is open to every soul in God's own time. We must therefore show our moral fibre by demonstrating this patience. After all patience, is what makes the difference between sinner and saint.

There is a time and a place for everything under the sun. If it hasn't happened it will happen, or is happening now.

Many of us will already be feeling an impending cataclysm. Science is concurring with religion in the belief that mankind can no longer continue in our path of sin. We have been running away from our own selves, and attempting to hide from the eye of our creator. We have tried to build a fence of prejudice, ignorance and self-righteousness to keep us insulated from the reality that we have created - to exonerate ourselves from blame and push the burden elsewhere. This behaviour may buy a little time but will not save us from the inevitable.

What is strong will remain. The mess and junk will be washed away. Like spoilt children having their favourite toy confiscated, their will be many tears as we have to part with the earthly entities closest to our hearts. As addicts, we will have to face the cold turkey. We will have to give back everything we have stolen and everything that we have borrowed. What belongs truly to us, our love and personal integrity will provide us with an ark to survive the flood.

The greedy and the lazy will be exposed. Those who have used evil to give themselves an advantage in the game of life will witness the destruction of their cartels and cliques. Those who live their lives on the back of other people will see their income stopped dead. Those who are cheating will find their behaviour becoming increasingly obvious, and their credibility and authority declining rapidly. The black magicians who hold court with a spell of fear will be rendered impotent. Alliances built on anything other than love will founder.

666 represents the tribulation- the tempering of the human spirit. Like beating the impurities out of pig iron to make steal, what will emerge will be stronger than before. The liberty of being without debt, whether physical or spiritual will result in a level of freedom never before seen. We will be able to enjoy relationships without underhand agendas. There will at last be peace and understanding between the sexes, and between science and religion. A golden age of humanity beckons.

So how can we prepare? The answer is courage. Courage to admit our mistakes. Courage to tell the truth. Courage to make the effort to improve our behaviour. Courage to face up to our debts to others and to God.

I've spent most of my life being a coward. I know that I can continue to run away from what is essentially my own reflection, but I will never escape. It's time for me to show some guts!

Medical science debate

2011-06-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

Two of the charitable causes closest to the nation's heart are animal welfare and medical science. The issue of vivisection, the science of experimenting on animals, is therefore going to be a highly emotional and divisive one.
It is often argued that restricting such experiments would set the progress towards better medicines back many years. However, I believe there is a deeper problem that is stifling research. Pharmaceutical companies are commercial concerns, and unfortunately what's best for business isn't always what's best for the patient.
For example, a drug or surgical procedure that is technically sophisticated offers the potential for higher profit margins and easier to enforce intellectual property rights. Such areas of science can offer better returns for investors than cheaper remedies, even if the latter proves to be more effective in real-world use. There is some evidence to suggest that certain branches of medical science are overlooked or even discredited simply because the use of such would take custom away from more profitable medicines.
Whilst I do not begrudge pioneers of life-saving treatments a fair profit, maybe it's time to look at whether the current business model is the right one. In my opinion, a more co-operative approach bringing closer together the patient, doctor and pharmaceutical company could save or improve life- both human and animal.

To Jail Or Not To Jail?

2011-06-10T18:14:00.001-07:00

It is a depressing sight to once again see sensible proposals for tackling crime shot down by an emotionally immature media. There are two problems with jail that always get overlooked: Firstly, it's one inmate in , one inmate out. Secondly, one more prison, one less hospital.
The issue is that those who need to be punished and those who need to be detained are not necessarily the same set of people. The people who need to be in jail are those who would represent a danger or nuisance to the public if free. Putting inside those who don't meet this criteria will mean those who do pose a risk have to be let out to make room.
It would not be difficult to remove the "soft" image of community service- simply get the military to run it.

"Super Injunctions" and The Rule Of Law

2011-05-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Any civilised society has as it's cornerstone a principle known as the "Rule Of Law". This states that no person is above the law, every person has equal access to the law, and every person has equal protection from the law. It should not therefore matter if that person is a single parent on benefits or a millionaire celebrity. Similarly, a village shop should be bound by the very same rules that a multinational corporation is. If a case comes to court, the size or wealth of the party should be irrelevant , the outcome being determined purely by who is legally in the right.
The recent controversy surrounding the so called "super-injunctions" highlights a worrying trend to what is best described as "cheque book justice". I am not the least interested in the love lives of the rich and famous, but I find it abhorrent that the individuals and businesses who can afford top lawyers, and have friends in high places, should be able bully ordinary people in the way we have seen. Many, as demonstrated by the popularity of consumer rights programmes such as "Watchdog", will find themselves in a legal battle with a large company. Do our children not deserve better legal protection from the bullying that can unfortunately be found on most social networking websites- is their welfare less important than that of a celebrity? Whilst we will always have a social class system, we do not want a return to the dark ages of different classes of citizenship with different rights in law.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke makes it his top priority to bring the Rule Of Law back to the heart of the English legal system.

Care in the community can work, but only if properly resourced.

2011-05-17T09:39:00.001-07:00

Sir,
Many readers will have horrified by this weeks news regarding the brutal killing of British grandmother Jennifer Mills-Westley in Tenerife. Whilst local laws may be different, this case does raise serious questions of how offenders and psychiatric patients are looked after in the community. The assailant Deyan Deyanov was released from custody without a fixed address which meant that police, who had serious concerns that he was about to offend, were unable to find him. The care of offenders and those with psychiatric problems in the community where possible is both more effective and more humane- but such treatment is too often seen as a cheap option, and the necessary resources are not always in place. In the UK too, people are still released from the institutional care of prisons and hospitals onto the street. Someone without a job or a home is going to struggle in society and is very likely to re-offend. Probation does work , but it costs money- skimping on this, such as not drug-testing addicts or ensuring that those who require medication take it puts the public at risk and can mean a swift return to the far more expensive option of detention.
Has life outside of institutions become so unnecessarily complicated and stressful that those with mental illnesses and handicaps find it difficult to cope?

Have Conservatives won the argument, or just bludgeoned their way in to power with big money?

2011-05-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

To be honest, towards the end of the last government, Labour had run out of ideas , courage and integrity. However, I'm not sure that the right's revival has actually added anything new to politics either in the UK or Europe- it seems to be swapping one lot of career politicians with little principle for another.
I can accept the limitations of what little remained of socialism in the Labour party, there was definitely a strong whiff of Animal Farm to Blair etc. But winning by a mixture default and corporate cash is a pretty damn hollow victory.
I was actually very hopeful for the Tory/Liberal coalition - there is certainly enough of a common sense overlap between the two parties to actually make this work, but instead of taking this centre path forwards, the LibDems have been marginalised and for want of a better word, used. Despite police cuts, we still have moralistic control-freak crap like the war on drugs, and the extension rather than removal of means-testing, which punishes those who work hard and save. We were offered a vote on AV, but not on the simpler and farer Additional Member System , the preferred choice of most LibDem supporters. Witness the "castrating" of Vince Cable for opposing monopoly of the media by foreign billionaires.
Cameron has the chance to put this right. It's not an issue of right versus left but of right versus wrong , principles versus puppetry. Any fool can blame the previous administration, the imaginative, brave and principled leaders have ideas of their own.

Cameron right to talk about immigration,wrong to play politics with it.

2011-04-17T04:44:00.000-07:00

When David Cameron recently raised concerns about the effects of large scale migration on Britain's communities, I believe he spoke for the vast majority. Such a shame, therefore, that he chose to bring cheap party politics into his address. Vince Cable's criticism is justified, as he obviously didn't run the speech past his own coalition partners. The previous government did not invent the internet or bring us more affordable flights- the world has become a much smaller place. I believe the Conservative party indeed backed the eastward expansion of the European Union, the source of many migrants. If the Labour government dithered on reforms, this one has clearly yet to even agree a policy.
So why do we have immigration controls? We all know that introducing a new family member or even pet to an established household takes time and patience. We naturally find new faces and voices a little scary at first. Property is now at such a premium that there are families who can't afford to live in the towns they were born in. The British are internationally renowned for our orderly queueing, and there can be resentment to perceived "pushing in" by immigrants. Labour and Liberal Democrat supporters are perfectly aware of this- and as such neither party advocates abolition of all immigration law.
What much of the press seem to overlook is the Home Office has to undertake a delicate balancing act. Red tape restrictions on freedom of movement costs businesses and can lead to stress or hurt in personal relationships. Our lives belong to us as individual people and if we chose to cross borders with our life choices a government has no right to stop us. It is as such of the utmost importance that applications to live and work in the UK are seen on a case-by-case basis. Words such as "tough" are meaningless as they don't illustrate that there is such a balance to be struck, and this sort of language in politics usually just leads to new laws that remain ignored by those in breach of them.

Of fuel prices and dictators- Some thoughts

2011-03-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

I believe this question was asked in the Irish Republic's parliament at the time the coalition forces was building up to the idea of "regime change" in Iraq. That was, should the state formerly offer Saddam Hussein political asylum , whereby he would retain his freedom, security services protection, and get to keep some of his money?
This is actual deadly serious moral point. A deposed dictator is likely to be killed, jailed or bankrupted, often all three, by the population he repressed. More personally, family members are often found guilty, tortured and executed purely through association. This is going to have the obvious psychological effect of being cornered. Just like animals, humans lash out when they are scared.
Compare that situation with another conflict and leader , World War Two and Emperor Hirohito. In a world usually bleak for losers, Hirohito was offered the chance to remain as a figurehead on condition he transferred his powers to a democratically elected government. The heroic actions and good patience of the Japanese is being shown in the face of the recent disaster. I think that says something.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa allowed that country to move on from the grudges of the past. To be capable of hosting such a major international sporting event was to those people too, a national triumph.
Every day the conflict in Libya goes on, more lives are lost - the two sides need to talk. This brings us back to freedom from reprisals. We like to think of Col. Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein before him as one person, but in fact their regime includes police, military , civil service and government contractors. All of these have a lot to fear from a change of government, including that of losing their lives. It is important that their viewpoint too is represented fairly under the new state.It is less painful for both a leader and their people if they stand aside as opposed to being toppled. This is what NATO should attempt to impress on the Gaddafi regime.

Nobody likes fuel price rises, and many, including myself, will be relieved that the Chancellor has seen fit not to raise the duty level. But there's a few taboos that neither the politicians or much of the media don't like to mention.
Every recent government has used fuel taxes to price people off the road, and to be fair, they have little choice in the matter. The roads are full up. People in traffic jams can neither earn money or be at leisure, they are simply being held prisoner in their own cars. Upgrading the road network is not only expensive, but often unacceptable to the local environment. In a country as built up as England, we place a great value on our remaining quiet wilderness - opinion is strong, witness the camps of protesters at major road building sites.
The other issue is the price of the fuel itself. Cheap fuel to an economy is much like cheap heroin to an addict- if the price was to suddenly and rapidly increase, the "habit" acquired at the lower price would become increasingly hard to fund.
Increasing trade with Asia has created a burgeoning family car owning middle class there. China and India are bidding for the very same fuel as western countries. The high fuel price policy has forced car makers to focus their technical efforts on economy. Also, as the price inevitably rises, the state has a buffer that can be used, via tax cuts as the Chancellor has at least acknowledged in his budget , to ease the burden on the motorist.
What I'd like to ask, is how much would it cost on a litre of petrol to provide every citizen with a free bus pass? Were this to remove a significant amount of cars from the road, would it partially pay for itself via less congestion and traffic-wear road repairs?
What is important is that people who need to use cars can continue to be able to do so. This is the issue that concerns the vast majority.

Breaking the age of consent taboo- our need to discriminate between young lovers and paedophiles.

2011-01-20T15:18:00.001-08:00

I am fully aware of the controversy around this subject , but I believe strongly that the welfare of people is more important than any taboo. This concerns the “age of consent” law. The problem with existing legislation is threefold.
Firstly it is a reality that a sizeable minority of those in their early teens are sexually active. They need to be sure that they can get essential help avoiding pregnancy and disease without fear of punishment.
Next, is it right that a man can be legally labelled as a child sex offender when the age gap of the partners is no greater than in the average marriage?
Finally, sixteen is too young when there is any form of trust relationship in place, for example a teacher , youth leader, carer or family friend/relative. This is especially true in cases of learning disability.
Reducing the age of consent to twelve, combined with a new criminal offence of “abusing an adult-child relationship for sexual gratification” would ensure that paedophiles would be dealt with severely and young lovers encouraged to practise safe sex if abstinence was not attainable.

If our religious,scientific and political leaders could agree publicly agree on just one thing....

2011-01-07T11:02:00.001-08:00

Many people choose to follow a religion. They find this a genuinely useful tool to achieve a dedicated, benevolent and decent life. Other people find other ways of doing the same, maybe through careers, science, sport or the arts. There is no right or wrong way to lead a better life, what works for one won't necessarily work for another.
Religion has coloured the high and low points in civilisations since the birth of mankind, great good and great evil, tolerance and repression, progress or decline. The two things that emerge is that in peaceful and prosperous times there exists the right to both practise or not practise any religion without persecution from the state or other citizens. It is our right to hold opinions of our own , because our minds are our property, without harassment from others who take a different viewpoint.
Is it not time for eminent names in religion , politics and science to get together and improve our world by stating something to this effect jointly? People of all faiths or none deserve better.

Love England but not rightwing politics? The need for a centrist English Nationalist movement.

2010-12-29T04:27:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to be English. Of all the countries I've visited or heard of it's probably my favourite. But the main reason is is that the country is so geographically small yet so diverse- each city, town and village is very different. Even the language, although a cockney and a geordie have the same written language, vocal communication between the two can be as difficult as between foreign languages. The English have never been comprised of one tribe, though there is a common element - a very down to earth attitude that sees people as people.
Commonwealth and EU immigration have added to the number of tribes but hasn't materially changed the make up of the country. The thing that bugs me is foreign business interests trying to adapt our culture purely in the interest of sales- corporate colonisation. Should we become more like America just so we can buy their TV? America is a larger country than ours, resultingly what will work for one doesn't
always work for another.
I had high hopes for the English Democrats becoming a pro-English force within the UK and EU in the same way that Plaid Cymru or SNP have done for Wales and Scotland, but sadly seems to have got wedged in somewhere between UKIP and BNP, both essentially conservative outfits. On the EDP website, there's a hell of a lot of quotes from
the right side of the media, Mail , Express etc. If you believed essentially in English independence and protection of our culture , but were more a follower of the Guardian, Mirror or Indie , you just wouldn't feel at home there, and that's a real shame...
A lot of power has been stripped from English people and given to the EU and other parts of the UK. Leftwingers are as concerned about this as the right- we want the seat of power close to us, in local government as well as national. The problem is that the rightwing domination of the anti-EU and English nationalist bodies has
significantly weakened these causes, which I believe are actually quite sensible in many cases. I've added a link on this page to another blogger who tries to tackle this subject.

Reflections, Shadows and the 777 gate.

2010-12-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

I like to think that our reflections and shadows are characters in their own right. They might have got the job we missed , or maybe were hurt in the accident which we survived unscathed. They may have been brave when we were cowardly, or drunk when we were sober. Laughing when we were crying, or mourning when we were rejoicing. The thing is though that all these people are merely an alternative us. They feel the same way - it's just that when we have walked left, they have walked right.

Just as it is possible to touch our own reflection and shadows, there are points in space and time where all our different lives meet. A point where one has taken the left road , and one has taken the right, yet those roads have ultimately led to the same destination.

The existence of these alternative selves, provide us spiritual beings with a backup plan, a space to escape into if we find our path blocked. I believe, also, the possibility of escaping death- where one of our lives ends, but our selves live on in the alternative reality of reflection and shadow.

This raises the issue is whether human beings are true biological entities in their own right or merely the fruiting body or a larger entity, which is represented in various positions of space, time and parallel dimensions. Returning to the reflection and the shadow, they both move at differing rates and angles to ourselves but yet are perfectly synchronised with our body.

What is worth remembering is happiness doesn't depend on which alternative reality we live in. If we had a bad day as a billionaire in one existence it would feel much worse than a good day as a beggar in another. Sometimes I like to meditate on the old saying "happy as a pig in sh*t", and imagine myself as a pig rolling around the muck in its sty and simply enjoying being a pig.

There's an interesting change that I've noticed in my life over the last few years, that I'd refer to as the 777 gate. This is a realisation that anything that I could ever do I have done already, are doing now or will do in the future , and births and deaths are part of this greater life. This is a great personal relief as I no longer have to live with any fear of failure- if something doesn't work out, the time and place for it simply wasn't then but lies somewhere else. The number 777 is symbolic because it signifies completion - the best way I could explain it was taking a step back from an uncompleted jigsaw puzzle and studying the picture on the box.

Last year for me was a great time of emotional turmoil, and I had to face up to my greatest fears. I ended up being admitted to psychiatric care due to my level of paranoia. I introduced myself at a group meeting as an in-patient. And noticed how much it sounded like impatient. There's a line from Working Class Hero by John Lennon that goes "from the moment you're born, they make you feel small, by giving you no time instead of it all." A ski lift might get you to the top of a mountain quicker than climbing it, but that's not the point of mountaineering. When you realise that time is essentially an artificial construction, it is possible to start making long term plans and actually achieve something worthwhile rather than just trying to survive the day. There is ALWAYS a "plan b", and with than in mind we are free to conceive our own "plan a".

Raising in our Spiritual IQ needed to further human development

2010-12-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

Putting Hobbes (author of "Leviathan") at the lowest (survivalist) end and Buddha at the highest (spiritualist) , most humans occupy the middle ground, which makes sense as we are spiritual entities within animal bodies. What's kind of weird is that quite a lot of academics score quite low on this scale- perhaps it's along the same lines as blind men being good at tuning pianos i.e. less distracted by spiritual calling".. Those with better academic aptitude i.e. IQ and a very spiritual mind often end up with mental health issues which hamper their progress. If you want a serious discussion on philosophy, the local mental health clinic is usually the best venue. There seems to be a similar relationship between spiritual and academic intelligence to clock speed and bit depth in computer science.
In terms of politics, the far left and far right are most concerned with the material world - the sort of things like how much money we should have or what we should look like. Centrists tend to accept material differences as inevitable and not necessarily immoral , but do not take the view that some people are genuinely more important than any others. This is in line with the teachings of practically all mainstream religions.
Being clever and being wise are two different things. You can be bright and yet stupid. There's some wonderful bits in the Christian Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes. One of my favourites is "master and slave will both be judged, and the LORD will show no favours".- it doesn't matter how high or low our background is, everyone is held ultimately accountable for their actions. Leftwing and Rightwing
politics demonstrate and engender jealousy. The left despise the rich, and the right despise the poor. Jealousy is perhaps the biggest sign of immaturity. Overcoming jealousy releases us from so many life-restricting prejudices.

Letter to press : Federal Republic Of Israel and Palestine?

2010-11-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

Letter to press : Federal Republic Of Israel and Palestine?

Sir,
Throughout the discussions on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and international peace efforts, the phrase "Two State Solution" seems to be a dominant theme. I'd like to question the wisdom of this approach, because since Biblical times the tribes of that region have been at near consistent loggerheads over exactly which pieces of land belongs rightfully to which. The Jewish and Muslim conflict , I believe , is merely an extension of those ancient tribal rivalries. So dividing up the territory in a fashion that the opposing parties could agree on is going to be pretty much impossible, and worse can lead to accusations of "apartheid" , with this beautiful area criss-crossed with walls and barbed wire.
Israel as a Jewish homeland is a noble cause, but Israel as a Jewish state is going to cause problems - the holy lands are sacred to Christians and Muslims as well, many who have remained there through long historic ties.
Would it not be a better idea to create a secular Federal Republic Of Israel and Palestine, consisting of states where each local population, Jewish or Muslim could have there own local government. This would grant real autonomy for each province to protect their unique traditional cultural values whilst allowing full citizens rights for everyone throughout the country. The incorporation of an Islamic crescent , alongside the Star Of David on the national flag, would show Palestinians that Israel is their country too, and therefore not one to fight against.
I believe the Holy Lands should provide a focus for the faithful, rather than a division. And I believe that the vast majority of those of all faiths feel that way too.

Student Income not Student Riots!

2010-11-10T14:59:00.001-08:00

Student financing will always be a contentious issue. Education and training opens doors to the higher salaried career opportunities, yet it is by no means a guarantee of a higher income. When any fee paying is involved, it raises moral and legal issues , especially when the student is not legally a child. Also there is the need to finance day to day living, which for a three to five year course could be substantial.
Who benefits from better education? The community and business can benefit from the skills of graduates as much as those graduates themselves. And who bears the cost? The student, their parents, their bank, a business, the state?
The case against public funding for higher education comes from a perception of students that they are "copping out" of working, and as those who have turned on the TV in the last few days will have seen, prone to childish antisocial behaviour including that involving alcohol misuse.The case for is to provide "hand ups" rather than "hand outs" for those who wish to escape the shackles of poverty, and the chance for talented students to excel in their chosen field.
Mature students bring real world adult lives into the labs and lecture theatres. Sadly, for those with families or disabilities , many cannot afford to sacrifice their social security benefits because the cost of living becomes too great. It is these people who find it hardest to gain work, so would benefit most by obtaining qualifications.
I believe the government, particularly the Liberal Democrats who have previously campaigned for this, should provide a student income at the same level as that awarded a job seeker. Because studying is trying to get a job, and a lasting one!
No one should be cheated out of a university place for financial reasons, but a lot of money could be saved by discouraging time wasters, those who are too immature to benefit from higher education and drop out. One way this could be achieved is by the student paying the full price of a course up front, and receive a refund on graduation. A student prepared to work hard and pass first time would be able to leave college with no debt other than the interest on the loan. Having to convince a lender that finance a course would be a safe bet would test the commitment of prospective students.
Could students live on less? In most cases, no. Could students put more effort into their studies? Yes.

UK Defence cuts?

2010-10-17T11:30:00.001-07:00

As a pacifist, I never imagined that I would ever be concerned about defence cuts. However, like most people from the Colchester area, I have had good friendships with current and former service personnel. It is well known how shortage of equipment has contributed to the deaths and injuries of soldiers.
With hindsight, it is easy to see the problems that have resulted from the Iraq and Afghanistan. Put simply, any conquering power has to provide government to replace the one deposed, and the logistics and price of doing so were almost completely overlooked. Most Western citizens have grown up with multi-party elections, a free press, and a legal system that prosecutes criminals rather than political dissidents and ethnic minorities. Afghans and Iraqis have not had that luxury Incompetence, corruption and weak leadership is something a new government is going to find hard to avoid in a country where there are few set standards for political behaviour. In addition, the conflict has soured relationships with Europe's Muslim population , creating domestic security problems.
So how can we avoid getting into these situations in the first place. I believe the problem stems from the fact the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office are separate departments. This was sensible enough when Britain faced hostile nation states, such as during WW2 and the Cold War. But modern enemies are very different. International terrorism, trade wars and cybercrime are targets that no bomb can effectively destroy.
As a high technology, urban nation which earns its living from foreign trade, our fragile interests are with effective international law as opposed to military might as in the past. It is just that international law which warrants a single government department, to ensure that British interests get fair treatment under that law, and to ensure such law protects our legal interests from hostile forces. We need a military that exists to bring legality and infrastructure to regions where local authorities are unable to provide it, as opposed to destroying it and replacing authority with anarchy. We need to ensure that nations with high regard for human rights and lawful government get best position at the table of trade. This requires a joined up policy.
It should be remembered that it takes heroes to finish a war. Anyone can start one.

Problems of Humanity

2010-10-02T06:21:00.000-07:00

ALICE A. BAILEY & DJWHAL KHUL

Problems of Humanity PP 32 - 40

Published in 1947

(The authors of this post have no connection to this blog. It was received from a mail-list (multidimensionalman@yahoogroups.com, and I feel it is relevant to reprint on this site)

Problems of Humanity - Chapter II - The Problem of the Children of the World
CHAPTER II
The Problem of the Children of the World

This problem is, without exception, the most urgent confronting humanity today. The future of the race lies in the hands of the young people everywhere. They are the parents of the coming generations and the engineers who must implement the new civilization. What we do with them and for them is momentous in its implications; our responsibility is great and our opportunity unique.

This chapter deals with the children and adolescents, under sixteen years old. These two groups are the most hopeful element in a world which has fallen to pieces before our eyes. They are the guarantee that our world can be rebuilt and - if we have learned anything from past history and its dire consequences in our lifetime - rebuilt along different lines, with different objectives and incentives and with well-defined goals and carefully considered ideals.

Let us remember, however, that visionary, mystical hopes and dreams, wishful thinking and the formulation of highly organized plans upon paper are useful as far as they indicate interest, a sense of responsibility and possible objectives but they are of small importance in any effective, transitional enterprise unless there is a grasp of the immediate problem and of the immediate possibilities, plus a willingness to effect those compromises which will lay the ground for later successful work. This work is largely that of education. Hitherto, there has been little effort to bring about a bridging between the needs of the future and the present forms of education. These forms have apparently failed to equip [33] humanity for successful and cooperative living and the newer aspects of mental training; no scientific bridging has been done and little attempt has been made to correlate the best of the present methods (and not all are bad) with future ways of developing the youth of the world so that it can cope with a new civilization which is inevitably upon its way. The visionary idealist has hitherto held the field against the established modes of teaching; his impracticality and his refusal to compromise has thus slowed up the process and humanity has paid the price. The day has now come when the practical mystic and the man of high mental development as well as of spiritual vision will take his place, thus providing a training which will enable the youth of any nation to integrate successfully into the world picture.

We start with the realization that our educational systems have not been adequate; they have failed to train children for right living; they have not inculcated those methods of thinking and acting which will lead to right human relations - those relations which are so essential to happiness, to success and to a full experience in any chosen sphere of human enterprise.

The best minds and the clearest thinkers in the educational field are constantly endorsing these ideas; the progressive movements in education have done something to remove old abuses and to instill new techniques, but they still constitute so small a minority that they are relatively ineffectual. It is well to bear in mind that had the teaching given to the young during the past few hundred years been of a different nature, the world war might never have happened.

Many and differing reasons have been given for the total war which engulfed us. This has raised the question whether the failure of our educational systems or the ineptitude of the churches may not be the basic [34] causes behind the others. But - the war happened. Our old civilization has been swept away. There are those who would like to see that civilization return and the old structure again rebuilt; they yearn for a peaceful return to the situation before the war. They must not be allowed to rebuild along the old lines or to use the old blueprints, even though necessarily we must build upon the old foundations. It is the task of the educators to prevent this.

Let us be willing to recognize that those countries in which the old mode of education is still peacefully practiced may be not only dangerous to themselves because they are perpetuating the bad old ways, but that they also constitute a menace to those countries which are in the happy position of being able to change their educational institutions and thus inaugurate a better way of preparing their youth for total living. Education is a deeply spiritual enterprise. It concerns the whole man and that includes his divine spirit.

Education in the hands of any church would spell disaster. It would feed the sectarian spirit, foster the conservative, reactionary attitudes so strongly endorsed, for instance, by the Catholic Church and the fundamentalists in the Protestant churches. It would train bigots, build barriers between man and man and eventually lead to a powerful and inevitable swing away from all religion on the part of those who would finally learn to think as they reach adult manhood. This is not an indictment of religion. It is an indictment of the past methods of the churches and of the old theologies which have failed to present Christ as He essentially is, which have worked for riches, prestige, and political power and which have striven with all available means to increase their membership and to imprison the free spirit in man. There are wise and good churchmen today who realize this and who are [35] steadfastly working for the new age approach to God, but they are relatively few in number. Nevertheless, they are waging war against theological crystallization and academic pronouncements. They will inevitably succeed and thus salvage the religious spirit.

Then let us endeavor to see what the goal of the new educational movement should be and what are the signposts on the way to that goal. Let us try to formulate a long range plan which will meet with no hindrance from the methods immediately employed, which will link the past and the future by using all that is true, beautiful and good (inherited from the past) but which will emphasize certain basic objectives which have hitherto been largely ignored. These newer techniques and methods must be developed gradually and will hasten the process of integrating the whole man.

There is no hope for the future world except in a humanity which accepts the fact of divinity, even whilst repudiating theology, which recognizes the presence of the living Christ, whilst rejecting man-made interpretations of Him and of His message, and which emphasizes the authority of the human soul.

The future which lies ahead is full of promise. Let us base our optimism upon humanity itself. Let us recognize the self-proven fact that there is a peculiar quality in every man, an innate, inherent characteristic to which one may give the name "mystical perception". This characteristic connotes an undying, though oft unrecognized, sense of divinity; it involves the constant possibility to vision and contact the soul and to grasp (with increasing aptitude) the nature of the universe. It enables the philosopher to appreciate the world of meaning and - through that perception - to touch Reality. It is, above all else, the power to love and to go out towards that which is other than the self. It confers the ability to grasp ideas. The history of mankind is [36] fundamentally the history of the growth of ideas, progressively realized and of man's determination to live by them; with this power goes the capacity to sense the unknown, to believe in the unproveable, to seek, search and demand the revelation of that which is hidden and undiscovered and which - century after century owing to this demanding spirit of investigation - is revealed. It is the power to recognize the beautiful, the true and the good and by means of the creative arts to prove their existence. It is this inherent, spiritual faculty which has produced all the great Sons of God, all truly spiritual people, all artists, scientists, humanitarians and philosophers and all who, with sacrifice, love their fellowmen.

Here lie the grounds for optimism and courage on the part of all true educators and here is the true incentive to all their efforts.

The Present Problem of Youth
The world, as known to people over forty years of age, has crumbled and is fast disappearing The old values are fading out and what we call "civilization" (that civilization we have thought so wonderful) is vanishing. Some of us are thankful it is so. Others regard it as a disaster. All of us are distressed that the means of its dissolution have brought so much agony and suffering to humanity everywhere.

Civilization might be defined as the reaction of humanity to the purpose and the activities of a particular world period and its type of thinking. In each age, some idea functions and expresses itself in both racial and national idealisms. Its basic trend down the centuries has produced our modem world and this has been materialistic. The aim has been physical comfort; science and the arts have been prostituted to the task of giving man a comfortable and if possible a beautiful [37] environment; all the products of nature have been subordinated to giving humanity things. The aim of education, generally speaking, has been to equip the child to compete with his fellow citizens in "making a living", in accumulating possessions and in being as comfortable and successful as possible.

This education has also been primarily competitive, nationalistic and, therefore, separative. It has trained the child to regard the material values as of major importance, to believe that his particular nation is also of major importance and that every other nation is secondary; it has fed pride and fostered the belief that he, his group and his nation are infinitely superior to other people and peoples. He is taught consequently to be a one-sided person with his world values wrongly adjusted and his attitudes to life distinguished by bias and prejudice. The rudiments of the arts are taught him in order to enable him to function with the needed efficiency in a competitive setting and in his particular vocational environment. Reading, writing and elementary arithmetic are regarded as minimum requirements, plus some knowledge of historical and geographical events. Some of the literature of the world is also brought to his attention. The general level of civilized information is relatively high, but it is biased and influenced by religious and national prejudices which are instilled into the child from his earliest years, but which are not innate. World citizenship is not emphasized; his responsibility to his fellowmen is systematically ignored; his memory is developed through the impartation of uncorrelated facts - most of them unrelated to daily living.

Our present civilization will go down in history as grossly materialistic. There have been many material epochs in history but none so generally widespread as the present or which have involved such untold millions. [38] We are constantly told that the cause of this war is economic; that is surely so but the reason is that we have demanded so much of comfort and of "things" in order to live "reasonably well". We require so much more than our forefathers needed; we prefer a soft and relatively easy life; the pioneering spirit (which is the background of all nations) has faded, in most cases, into a soft civilization. This is particularly true of the Western hemisphere. Our standard of civilized living is far too high from the standpoint of possessions and far too low from the angle of the spiritual values, or when subjected to an intelligent sense of proportion. Our modern civilization will not stand up to the acid test of value. A nation is today regarded as civilized when it sets a value on mental development, when it puts a premium on analysis and criticism and when all its resources are directed towards the satisfying of physical desire, towards the production of material things and towards the implementing of material purposes as well as towards dominating competitively in the world, towards the amassing of riches, the acquiring of property, the achievement of a high standard of material living and towards the cornering of the produce of the earth - largely for the benefit of certain groups of ambitious and wealthy men.

This is a drastic generalization but it is basically correct in its main implications, though incorrect where individuals are concerned. For this sad and dire situation (entirely of humanity's own making) we pay the penalty of war. Neither the churches nor our educational systems have been sound enough in their presentation of truth to offset this materialistic tendency. The tragedy is that the children of the world have paid and are paying the price of our wrongdoing. War has its roots in greed; material ambition has motivated all the nations without exception; all our planning has been [39] directed to the organization of the national life so that material possession, competitive supremacy and individual and national selfish interests would control. All nations, in their own way and degree, have contributed to this; none has clean hands and hence war. Humanity has the habit of selfishness and an inherent love of material possessions. This has produced our modem civilization and, for this reason, it is being changed.
The cultural factor in any civilization is its preservation and consideration of all the best the past has given, and its evaluation and study of the arts, the literature, the music and the creative life of all nations - past and present. It concerns the refining influence of these factors upon a nation and upon those individuals in a nation who are so situated (usually financially) that they can profit from them and appreciate them. The knowledge and understanding thus gained enable the man of culture to relate the world of meaning (as inherited from the past) to the world of appearances in which he lives and to regard them as one world, but one existing primarily for his individual benefit. When, however, to an appreciation of our planetary and racial inheritance, both creative and historical, he adds an understanding of the spiritual and moral values, then we have an approximation to what the truly spiritual man is intended to be. In relation to the total population of the planet, such men are few and far between, but they guarantee to the rest of humanity a genuine possibility.

Will cultured people realize their opportunity? Will our civilized citizens embrace the chance to build afresh - not a material civilization this time but a world of beauty and of right human relations, a world in which children can indeed grow into the likeness of the One Father and in which man can return to the simplicity of the spiritual values of beauty, truth and goodness? [40]

Yet, facing the worldwide reconstruction demanded and the well-nigh impossible task of salvaging the children and youth of the world, them are those today who are engaged in raising funds to rebuild stone churches and restore ancient buildings, thus demanding money which is sorely needed to restore broken bodies, to heal psychological wounds and to produce the warmth of love and understanding among those who believe that such qualities do not exist!

Prohibition = Great Depression? Negative Effects Of Smoking Ban On The Economy

2010-09-22T10:42:00.001-07:00

Smoking can be the cause of many ills, from heart problems to cancer to house fires. Also, it is particularly unpleasant for a non-smoker to have to suffer a smoky work or leisure environment, and I believe the decision to put the welfare of non-smokers first is the right one.
However, around a quarter of adults smoke, most of them find the experience enjoyable, if only in a very short-term way. For shift workers, the cigarette breaks can add a bit of variety to a day spent watching a machine, and can make the work experience quite simply more fun. Robots don't smoke! I can't help feeling, that since the draconian ban on lighting up in public spaces, a rather starchy, sterile and humourless environment has been created. Smoking may be unhealthy, but unhappiness can be even more so. Many pubs are now boarded up, creating neighbourhoods which are more dormitory than community.
In America , the prohibition of alcohol, and the Great Depression occupy the same period history, and I believe that is no coincidence. Forcing people to be healthy can force people to be too serious, and too serious means less creative, and less creativity means less wealth. I smoke myself, but like many I'd like to quit, and feeling "persecuted" just means I reach for my lighter more often.

Letter to press -more on the poverty trap

2010-09-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

Sir,
Recent statistics suggest that there are four million homes where no-one works. Also, shamefully, around half of all disabled people are unemployed, with many finding ignorance towards them to be much worse than the condition itself.
Despite claims in certain sections of the media to the contrary, social security does not amount to a lot of money, and most in receipt of these benefits resort to family or bank loans just to make ends meet.
I would estimate that the majority of these people could and would take up the offer of work as long as it was practical and economically viable. It is incredibly frustrating to find out that taking work means gambling one's right to benefit, which in turn could mean amassing heavy debts or even becoming homeless should the job not work out. Many remain on social security because they are frightened of losing the meagre, but regular, income they receive from the state.
The government needs to guarantee to it's citizens that they will be better off and equally importantly, financially secure, should they take a job. A way this could be achieved is offering long-term claimants who find work the same benefits they would receive if out of work, who would then pay a higher rate of income tax to make it fair. This would provide a great incentive to get back to work, as there would be no financial risk and people would feel the result in their pocket immediately.

Letter to press. Blair on Brown - Two Faced?

2010-09-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

Sir,
As a former Labour party voter and member, I was saddened and disappointed to read of Tony Blair's comments regarding the competence of successor Gordon Brown. It is not his opinions that I find disturbing, but the fact that he did not feel the need to share these views with either his party or the general public at the time of his departure from Downing Street. To me, this shows a complete contempt for those who put him in a position of power in the first place, and we have to ask the question "If not Labour or the British electorate, where exactly did his interests lie?".
An error of judgement is one thing, after all, to make mistakes is only human. But insincerity is something that politics can do without. Previous generations fought hard to win us the right to vote. A good politician is one who is prepared to take a stand over matters of principle, even if this stance will cost them popularity, and without such men and women our vote becomes absolutely worthless as how we cast are votes will have little or no effect on the direction of government.
A swift return to power should not be a top priority for a new Labour leader. Instead, considerable effort should be spent on the question of what the party actually believes in and which people embody those principles with heart and soul as opposed to lip service.

The forbidden fruit wasn't ripe. Was it rape?

2010-09-02T20:34:00.001-07:00

Since the Bible was written, theologians have pondered over the significant of the "forbidden fruit". Why did God forbid Adam and Eve from eating from this tree. Could the answer be that the fruit was not ripe.
From my own experience of life , close to 100% of all human problems stem from one cause - impatience. The Bible tells us that "there is a time and a place for everything under the sun". What differentiates a saint from a sinner is that the former is prepared to wait.
Many of us have been young and in love, and eager to start a family. Yet we do so usually without careful thought about why we wish to create new life. We know that overpopulation has caused environmental catastrophe on a massive scale, and the destruction brought about by man dwarfs that of any other animal. A major problem is that children are too often thought of as status symbols, not just in the Third World but also in the West- for example parents raising children on welfare are very much frowned upon. Does where the income is coming from have any meaning on love, nurturing and devotion? A good parent is a good parent whatever the financial circumstances, the same is true of bad ones. It's almost as if children were a luxury to be bought in the same way as a car, a house or a yacht. Is this right? Instead, should a child only be born if a man and a woman can express their love in no other way. This is what I believe our creator intended.
It is a sad truth that those who wish to rule over their fellow men for short term (after all, earthly bodies are mortal) material gain achieve this by attempting to stunt the emotional growth of the population, by cheapening the relationship between the sexes. For example, whilst there are restrictions on showing nudity , adultery is a regular feature in almost all TV dramas - is this not the wrong way around? In the UK, fear and mistrust of women is seen as "natural" heterosexual behaviour, and being true friends with women being somewhat "abnormal" , homosexual or less than "manly".
A forbidden fruit that isn't ripe? Rape, perhaps? Was this the original sin?

Class Dilemma in Modern Britain

2010-08-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

As a lifelong socialist, like many , I spent my formative years denouncing the class system as unjust and repressive. A "classless" society was surely the future. But the word classless also has another meaning- mediocre!
A civilisation has never existed before free of a social pecking order. The better societies generally feature a ruling class leading with duty and philanthropy, a middle class driving intellect and culture , and a working class of brotherhood and humanity. In such cases there is little jealousy for either the rich or the poor. Nor is there any reason why such a society would not be meritocratic or allowing for social mobility.
The problem we have today is in our well-meaning but misguided attempt to rid ourselves of the shackles of class we've created a distorted system where there's class division but little true class.
People of such true class don't need to dominate, don't need to show off their wealth and don't need to feel envious of the successful or berate poor minorities, such as immigrants, the unemployed or single parents. Take a look at many national daily newspapers and the word “jealous” can often leap out of practically every page. Just about every world religion has pointed to feelings of jealousy being the leading cause of unhappiness.
The younger generation deserve to grow up in a country where there's more important things than our appearance and our wealth. Whether we are rich or poor, shouldn't we be treated as unique people to get to know, rather than livestock to be farmed?

New World Order - some thoughts?

2010-06-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

"The new world order is to redress the imbalance of the old one." ... Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown

I think this sums up the concept the best of any quote I've heard.

The last few centuries have seen global politics and economics dominated by Europe and North America. In the last decade, that has rapidly changed. Just seeing the economic growth (and the Western dependency on that growth) in the East, with India and China rapidly getting up to speed on hi-tech development, as opposed to just "monkey work" for Western manufacturers.

With any political change, some freedoms are won, others lost.

I do believe there is a genuine "Illuminati" but my understanding of this now is that this is of a benign and benevolent nature as these are beings who have complete achievement of material life, and are therefore not "in it" for money or power or other selfish cause.

Political/Economic cartels rise and fall - slavers, robber barons etc, but these are essentially "pigs in the trough" who reside on a low astral plane and feed of our carelessness and failure to take responsibility for own lives and ethics. The forces of Karma eventually force members and supporters of these bodies to abandon the material and seek the spiritual- the realization that their very existence has become one of a parasitic, not human, nature.

A great example of this the child who cheats at family board games- they will always grow out of this after becoming aware that their cheating is obvious and their is no longer any fun in winning in such a way.

Many political ideals that become tyranical start with the best intentions, the last century saw Communism do that.

What we NEED to know to keep sane is that a tyrant may win a battle but they will ALWAYS lose the war when confronted with the forces of freedom. Keeping people down is expensive, and the with passage of time, will always become prohibitively so. Fear wears out as a weapon, and the martyring of a dictators' enemies only gives his opponents more support. The oppressed will ALWAYS be freed given time.

How the new government could get people back to work by abandoning prejudices.

2010-06-06T05:12:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the most pressing issue for the new government to tackle is that of welfare dependency. The major problem is that the cost of living is so high , that to find a foothold in employment that pays more than the meager income of benefits can be practically impossible. This issue affects couples with children to an even greater extent.
As someone who has spent time on benefits due to health problems and knowing many others in the same boat, I would suggest allowing employers to pay the first £80 of a weekly wage in cash, which would not count against either tax or social security. This would provide a real incentive to find work, as the unemployed would see a direct result in their pockets, and would be spared the process of making a new claim should the part time job not work out. The sad truth today is that many are willing and able to work, but prevented from doing so by the tax and welfare systems which heavily discriminate against part time and low paid jobs. And for many people, life long careers actually start out in such positions. Vacancies do exist, and they are unemployed people who would be more than happy to take them- isn't it time we had a Department of Work and Pensions that assisted this aim rather than get in the way?

Gender-balanced voting?

2010-05-20T03:29:00.000-07:00

Following this year's election , it is very likely that the way we vote will be changed in some way, however minor. But there seems to be one flaw of the status quo that is rarely mentioned- consider this example: There are circumstances in medicine and law where a professional of one particular sex is seen as a basic requirement. Sadly, the same does not ring true for politics, as we are stuck with a local MP of a fixed gender. This is particularly relavent for cases such as women's safety and paternal access rights.
This problem could be rectified by replacing the single vote with two votes each- one for a male candidate and one for a female one. Thus being two seats for every constituency, the number of which would be reduced to half as a result. This would also have the effect of providing a backup access to the government should there be personality issues getting between MP and constituant.
Almost a century after women being granted the vote, I feel it is a shame that politics, especially the senior roles, remains male-dominated. This situation is actually as disadvantageous to men as it is to women- and I feel that gender-balanced elections could be the way forward. What do others feel about this issue?

A Royal Commission on Integrity In Politics and Finance?

2010-04-29T14:20:00.001-07:00

It is well known that one of the leading causes of Third World poverty is corruption. Investors are not attracted to economies governed by bribery as opposed to law.
Both this Labour and the previous Conservative administration have been dogged by the issue of “jobs for the boys” or “cronyism” , whereby the private business and social interests of ministers are potentially put before their responsibility to their country.
MPs and financiers are only human, and as such there will always be scams and gravytrains to a certain extent. What needs to be considered is whether the relationship between business and the state is one which benefits the many rather than the few. Has our legal system become so complicated as to assist rather than prevent monopolies, cartels and other abuses of power?
I believe that before we even start talking about policies, we need to know that our politicians are actually representing the voter. A great start for a new government would be to initiate a Royal Commission to fully investigate the relationship between politics and business. There is no need to name names – instead to clarify the boundary and ensure that private and public business arer kept distinct.

Atlantis- Our ingrained memory of Zion?

2010-04-20T03:45:00.000-07:00

At the end of time, when all biblical prophecy has been fulfilled, Adam and Eve lead their children , naked , pure of heart , guilt and debt free back to the garden of Eden where they build Zion. All have been crucified, and all have been resurrected. There is no sin as all have witnessed the consequence of their actions, and hence the futility of antisocial behaviour through understanding of Karma. The new human kingdom has no desire to dominate the world and lives at one with nature. There is no injustice, oppression or cruelty. Death itself has been defeated, and no-one ages or dies. The population, whilst totally human, are immortal and sterile , as every person ever to be born has already been born. The human race has complete understanding of science and technology, including astral and time travel , which are used by human conciousness to both further our skills as characters and for the purpose of entertainment. Would you like to lead Hannibal's amry against Rome? - you have the chance to do so.
Two science fiction films offer some insight into Zion - The Matrix , and Hitchhikers' Guide To The Galaxy - particularly the Restaurant At The End Of The Universe.
The size of the population is limited by the gene pool created out of two individuals, one created from the other- there is only a finite number of ways that the DNA can be combined. Thus every unique human soul is represented in Zion.
The higher echeleons of human knowledge are hermetically sealed- that means that those who don't have the necessary ethical background to use the knowlege are prevented by the forces of the universe from understanding it. Such knowlege is revealed to each and every one of us in its own time - not before.
Sci-fi often talks of "Men In Black" , and there are many people in real life who have witnessed such people- "officials" with a frighteningly inate and accurate knowlege of our personal lives. Are these "time police" whose job it is to ensure that those affecting the path of time, unaware of their actions through ignorance, are along with the human race, kept safe.
We know that emotion creates the greatest work of art - either love or hate. We know that battles and disasters make heros, mountains make mountaineers. Our lives are not the product of circumstance but ones of choice - the bigger fights we choose to take on, the bigger the prize we stand to win.
In the song "The Impossible Dream" it mentions the phrase "to be willing to pass in to hell for a heavenly cause". We create hells ourselves with our negative emotions, but as perfect humans we feel a need to rescue souls from hell, and achieve greatness in doing so. In our adventures we loose our way, but it is to be remembered that there is always a way back.
Most of us have been to heaven , in that we experience a day that is just perfect, with no worries, no fears and no frustration. Most of us have experience hell, from being locked in prison, becoming disabled , suffering the loss of a loved one etc.
Politics is a source of hell for many souls- the corrupt ruler who lets his subjects starve or become enslaved. But what is to be remembered is that whilst tyranny has won many a battle, freedom has been the ultimate winner of every war. Every tyrant is eventually defeated , ridiculed and humiliated, reduced to the mere pig in the trough that they have become, and having to then become human once more . And we also learn how we have created ourselves such monsters through our carelessness and ignorance.
Many choose to explore hell, sometimes enticed in by sex , drugs , money or fame. And we eventually realise that hell is a prison cell that we can walk out of by choice, and we can encourage others to follow. It is free will.
Our present day imperfect world is quite simply the product of free will- mistakes and folly. But here we can talk in the present and future tense as well as the past.
In Zion, like the restaraunt at the end of the universe, there is an emphasis on the past tense as all the human history that will ever happen aready has.
It is most interesting that Atlantis and Zion represent the opposite ends of the alphabet, and therefore the eternal nature of time. The perfect human civilization does exist, it is just invisible to us in the lower dimensions that we have found ourselves exploring. Thus the rumours of this paradise city will always exist, because as human beings it is ingrained in our subconciousness. It could be Jerusalem, it could be Clacton On Sea , just on the one day where everything was perfect. Just perfect.
When we talk about reality, what do we mean? A reality is just a collective of conscious souls in an environment where they can interact with each other. As in the Matrix films, what we sense around us is just another multi-player videogame. At the pinacle of this game is the "completed level" - that reality of Zion. The citizens of Zion know that there is a time and a place for everything under the sun. If somebody can dream it, it has happened, will happen or is going to happen. In Zion, everything dreamed or thought has already been converted into "reality".
A theme in "Men In Black" stories is "flash memory" - whereby these agents can wipe the memories of witnesses using special devices. As human beings, our memories ultimately reside in the immortal city of Zion, and lost memories can always - and suprisingly - be restored to present day earth inhabitants when the time is right.
Only through living in an imperfect world can we find our true selves. Our true selves are something that no-one can take from us. Our true selves are , in Gods own image , made of the strongest possible material. Anything this strong will always remain, whatever ammunition is aimed at us. Whereas the junk of ego and false pretences will be washed away, because it is no match for integrity.
This Easter led me to contemplate the following from an unknown source - A coward will die many a death, the brave only need die once. Jesus returned from the grave to demonstrate this to his disciples - that mortality is the illusion that we ourselves construct through our fear of judgement.

Return of Make-Do-And-Mend?

2010-03-22T23:56:00.001-07:00

Most of us remember a time when if our TV , hi-fi or vacuum cleaner broke down we would get it repaired. These days most of us would simply scrap it and buy a new one.
It's worth thinking about the fact that water samples taken from the middle of the world's oceans inevitably contain samples of plastic. And that a typical PC takes a similar amount of the earth's resources to produce as a car.
One reason for the short life span is the rapid advancement of technology, hence the product is not built to last. However , anyone who has used a computer for business will be aware of the frustrations of having to re-learn the software following a compulsory upgrade.
With any unsustainable situation, market forces will eventually reflect the need for humanity to pay the true cost of our plunder- prices will rise and incomes will fall. What we should remember is this does not have to represent a drop in the standard of living. To "make do and mend" can be fun and educational. To shop on a budget can be challenging.
We need to ask ourselves some very searching questions about our future lifestyles and particularly discuss it with our children. It is not a matter of the right or wrong choices, but choices that we will be prepared to live with.

Duality in faith

2010-03-18T01:32:00.000-07:00

A recent hospitalisation for insomina-led nervous breakdown allowed me to contemplate some religious concepts:

Jesus - the lamb of God - the bearer of the sins of mankind
Mohammed - the sword of Allah

These characters are represented in contemporary folklore as The Dynamic Duo - such as Batman and Robin or Robin Hood and Friar Tuck. One as the compassionate side of God to feel the injustice, and the other as the "muscle" to cleanse the world of the wicked.

Another interesting character is Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas is the patroon saint of children. In German culture he was originally dressed in green (as in green for go) but in America and England in red (as in danger) - this is possibly due to the Coca-Cola company's successful advertising campaign.

Saint Nick and Old Nick? Santa or Satan? Saint Nicholas refers to Lucifer , who is either absolute good OR absolute evil. For instance he represents material wealth for children as in toys, games and food, festivities i winter and drinking and making merry and interetainment for adults. But as the devil, represents greed, glutony , debt, drunkeness , hedonism , excess. Therefore Saint Nicholas represents the Buddhist concept of duality perfectly.

Finally, the Rabbi , or Judas Priest , represents the reality of human existance in that you don't get something for nothing. All debts have to be payed back in full - including debt to God. The kingdom of heaven can only be entered naked as the day we were born- nothing can be stolen in the true sence- only borrowed. The "men in black" in sci-fi culture represent orthodox Rabbis.

A sermon by Jesus about taxation exemplified this- we should pay our taxes to Caesar as the coins come from Caesar- what belongs to him should be returned to him, but our hearts belong to God and should be given to God.

The Rabbi knows that if there IS an idiot at the wheel, he'd rather be in the back seat laughing when they crash than trying to drive when they don't know what they're doing.

Election issue: Unity and Diversity through strong marriage and family

2010-03-16T00:46:00.000-07:00

Sir,
The great Indian leader Gandhi famously stated that India was not a lumpen, uniform mass of people but a collection of unique villages. The same is true of the UK, and even the Essex/Suffolk border; neighbouring market towns can be as culturally divided along ethnic and religious affairs as populations from different continents.
As we approach election time, let us remember this: there is not a "one size fits all" approach for the people of Britain, and though human beings are inherently tribal, respect and love can always build a bridge. Variety is the spice of life. Few families are exclusively of "indigenous" or "immigrant" descent , because truthfully there is no such thing. Many of the "newer" arrivals have championed the family business, customer service and sheer individuality that makes this wonderful country so special. Isn't it time we stopped seeing such people as guests but as the heart and soul of our nation- for example marriage laws discriminate against non-western cultures. Without strong marriages, including inter-ethnic and inter-faith ones, we lose the glue of trust that binds society together and allows enterprise to operate. When garnering and casting votes, please remember the family in all its forms- after all there is only one family of mankind.

On my late father Jon's birthday, thank you for all those who've prayed to reunite my family!

2010-01-15T02:46:00.000-08:00

Dedicated to Joe Zaidan and the Multidimentionalman Group

Thanks , Joe , and all those on the MDM group for shining their light on our family - we feel a lot more at ease now! Mother and Son reunited is the best gift my father could have wished for his birthday!

When a man's father dies, it's the day that he finally becomes a man and a lot of soul searching is required. Paranoia - hate - fear as well as tears and sorrow will all manifest themselves.

I have learned, so has my mum! And I'm looking forward to getting off prescription drugs and living sober and getting on with my life. Excessive drug use by myself has hurt members of my own family and caused them a lot of worry- experimentation is just fine, but reliance is not. We have to move on!

Now to get on with the **hard work**. We have to work at a goal to achieve it. And sometimes that *will* mean upsetting people because that's the only way to grow up.

As the Beatles famously said "All You Need Is Love"

Some might find this blog offensive. I genuinely apologise if that's the case. However, just like somebody who's battling cancer, those affected by severe mental health problems shouldn't suffer in silence! Fear and prejudice are the biggest obsticles to better mental health. And not my idea either - this is the official line of the MH charity Rethink.

Thank you especially to Swan Housing social worker Jane Westover and the North Essex Mental Health Foundation Trust who saved me from hospitalisation. Things really are improving in mental health treatment. Keep up the good work!

An Open Letter To Carla Bruni From Andrew Richard & Katherine Ann Wainwright

2010-01-15T01:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Ms Bruni,
We are folk musicians and songwriters / producers from Essex, England. We're practising Christians (though of Jewish descent) and believe in the power of music to heal broken hearts, fight injustice and oppression and make life that little more enjoyable to others. Sadly, because we aren't in it for money and follow the long folk, jazz and gospel tradion of writing public domain material we've quite a few enemies in the music business. We have rarely downloaded illegally (and only done so when the material has not been publicly available) and have just a small house and second hand car to our name.
Jamendo.com is the leading website that promotes Creative Commons music. I think the concept is very beneficial to the music and creative scene as it gives new writers and perfomers a chance to get their name out there, and gives the listener plenty to download legally whilst allowing full use of copyright laws against those who exploit the work for profit or gain without permission. As someone who's not the greatest musician or singer , it's great for allowing others to record their own (and maybe superior) version of a song they like and distribute it over the internet or as a demo for a label (or maybe remix or add a guitar solo or something) - and only worry about money once people are interested and real money is up for grabs.
The commercial music industry needs a thriving amateur scene from which to draw the talent of tommorrows stars. In the UK our miserly record industry , with government support , is killing that scene just for a bit more money, which lawyers , advertising agencies and marketing executives take the lions share of anyway. No scene is going to mean no sales tommorow
Please use your considerable influence to help save Jamendo.com, which is done so much for musicans such as myself who like free expression that isn't available in the mainstream commercial sector at present- it's in grave financial peril and had to lay off staff. I'm writing to you because I've read about you in the press because of your love life :) - I'll check out your talent and might even buy a CD.
Here's to the future of music, amateur , semi-pro and professional united!
Love music, Love life , and most of all Love Love!
Andy & Katie xxx

Save Jamendo!

2010-01-15T01:14:00.000-08:00

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savejamendo/

We, the Jamendo Community (musicians and listeners), are eager to see Jamendo continue as a resource for sharing music on the web. We love this site, and hope that some way is found to keep it going.

Nous, la communauté Jamendo (musiciens et auditeurs), sommes impatients de voir Jamendo continuer comme une ressource pour le partage de musique sur le web. Nous aimons ce site, et espérons que certaines solution seront trouvées pour le faire fonctionner.

Wir, die Gemeinschaft der Musiker und Hörer bei Jamendo, legen grossen Wert darauf, dass Jamendo als Ort der kostenlosen Verteilung creative commons lizensierter Musik erhalten bleibt. Wir lieben diese Website und hoffen, dass ein Weg gefunden wird, um sie zu erhalten.

Nam wszystkim, tworzacym grono muzykow i sluchaczy na platformie Jamendo, zalezy bardzo, aby to miejsce bezplatnej i wolnodostepnej muzyki nie przestalo istniec. My kochamy te strone internetowa i mamy wielka nadzieje, ze znajdzie sie droga i rozwiazanie, aby ja nadal zachowac.

Noi, la comunità di Jamendo (musicisti e ascoltatori), vogliamo che Jamendo continui ad esistere come importante risorsa per la condivisione di musica sul web. Amiamo questo sito e ci auguriamo che venga trovata una soluzione per la sua sopravvivenza.

Nosotros, la Comunidad de Jamendo (músicos y oyentes) deseamos que Jamendo sigue a ser un lugar por compartir la música en el web. Nosotros queremos esto sitio, y nosotrod deseamos que cada calle sea recorrida para que Jamendo continúe.

Nós, da Comunidade Jamendo (músicos e ouvintes), gostaríamos de ver o Jamendo continuar como um recurso de partilha de músicas na web. Adorámos este sitio, e esperamos que seja encontrada um forma para que este, se mantenha activo.

My, obwestvo muzykantov i slushateli Jamendo, ochen’ cenim i hotim, chtob Jamendo ostalos’ besplatnym mestom raspredelenija svobodnoj muzyki. My ljubim jetu stranicu i nadeemsja, chto najdjotsja vyhod, chtob ejo sohranit’.

In this age of environmental, moral and financial crisis -why aspects of feminism can be of genuine benefit to real men - if we let it!

2009-12-20T02:40:00.000-08:00

Feminism to me holds a lot of the solution to social issues, rather than the problem. Good male - female relationships without violence or adultery provide children with families and parents.

I'm against domestic violence and adultery for the simple reason that I think boys need dads. Had a wonderful father myself, and that allowed both me and my sister to enjoy happy marriages, even when the "chips are down".

Western society was improving until the "lad" culture came along. Loved a few beers myself and a good footie game (and particularly F1 racing) , but the constant rubbishing of femininity offended me.

Anyone who has experienced mental health problems will dispare at the fact that "female" knowledge and intellect is seen as "delusion" whereas male is "reality". The fear of witchcraft (in our local area black cats stock the Cats Protection homes because of superstition -

not making this up, honestly) . That's not psychiatry, but blatant sexism. And against most Jewish, some Muslim and many Christian religious groups whose social structure favours matriarch ism. "Racial" segregation is essentially protestant fundamentalism, as those of Middle Eastern , Arab and Moorish (including many French, Greeks, Spanish and Italian Europeans) have those in the same families who would be "white" and "non-white" to "Aryan" society.

Congrats to JK Rowling for bringing intelligence back to little kids - stories , books and stuff. Mariah Carey and the Spice Girls have had similar effects in music. Male guys trying to do this sort of thing these days have to face real problems from the "grumpy old man" element.

A couple of male politicians who have shown themselves to be gender enlightened are Mark Oaten and Michael Portillo , both London mayors Livingstone and Johnson have been good too. Can't condone Mark Oaten for cheating on his missus, but with a prostitute, particularly a male one is probably the least dangerous - provided protection is used - type of adultery. I mean, no illegitimate kids from a gay affair andonly his wife's heart broken (and at least in only a purely sexual way). I think , and hope, that the Oaten s' marriage has/will survived.

I like men who are in touch with their own femininity. I'm crap at football and thing the stars are over paid but I love David Beckham - with the same haircut bizarrely I've been mistaken for him. (largely due to our wives looking similar though). Beckham doesn't drink or

smoke (not like me) , but I have so much respect for a man who looks after his body and is a devoted father. The Beckham s don't have any girls , we do though. They have a lot of money and could afford sex selection - I believe they choose not to even though they would like a

girl. No family is perfect, and a family man will know this.

Feminism to me holds a lot of the solution to social issues rather than the problem. Good male female relationships without violence or adultery provide children with families and parents

Schizophrenia and Reality

2009-12-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

REALITY
is what you are happy with.

THE RULES
anything goes if you can live with it.

SUCCESS
there is no such thing as failure, just feedback

JUSTICE
some people see poetic and comedic justice in everything and are called deluded. others are just impatient and resultingly use the term out of jealousy.

DEPRESSION & FAITH
everybody has a faith. you have one, and others a different one. neither is right or wrong. if you are depressed you are feeling the thorns and spears of the martyr and saints. they cry tears in heaven for you. they are doing so through your face, as you yourself weep for the robbed, tortured and oppressed.

REDICULE
those who threaten and mock you are just projecting the cruel truth about themselves.

THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN
everything you ever think will have been done already, will be done , or is being done right now. pop along to the restaraunt at the end of the universe , where everybody uses past tense

PEFECTION MEANS IMMORTALITY. IMMORTALITY MEANS STERILITY. STERILITY MEANS DEATH
why did God forsake Jesus? remember Jesus was perfect , and therefore belonged in exclusively in the realm of the mental , as God himself does. perefect things belong in heaven , as heaven is just a collective term for everything that is perfect.

IMPERFECTION MEANS WORK
we love working, we're people. unemployment figures cause distress. the problem with heaven is be there wouldn't be any work at all for anyone, paid or unpaid.

MONEY IS FAT
too much fat will kill you. too little will kill you too. people who work out for sport need different diets and body masses to those who use their bodies in different ways. so some people need more money than you. and some need less. being rich will not make you happy long term, nor does beer. but beer means fun, enjoy fun if only short-term and will always make the week for many regular guys.

RESPECT THE SEWERS
none of us like crap. but we have to shit. and if we are too pristine white, we will be taken by many for a toilet and people will shit and piss on us. great civilisations all had great sewers, because they recognised the danger of not respecting refuse. this means we all have to tolerate and accept some things that we do not personally like.

WE ALL LIVE TO DIFFERENT AGES , WE ALL HAVE JUST ONE LIFE
there's never been a martyr to caution

REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION
nature and mans battle with it

SELL YOUR SOUL
if you like eating at all, that is

THE ULTIMATE CRIME
you were high when it happed and you don't know yourself if you're guilty. then sober up and forgive yourself because others have been far worse

SATIRE ARISES WHEN SACRED COWS COW ROTTEN
everyone will have to play judas and betray their fellow disciples. we all hate them and they'll all hate you. so mourn in passionate sorrow, and laugh your arse off as the treasured institution goes the way of an sandcastle on the beach. you lived to see the dream, you lived to see its destruction. that's life.

ATLANTIS WAS AN AMAZING COUNTRY BUT THE THING WAS...
atlantis is the political capital of heaven , or zion itself. being a perfect society, it now exists, with God and Jesus heaven- not on earth -, with all the rest of the perfect stuff.

THE WEIRDEST NATURAL PHENOMINON IS THE MIRROR
the face you see in the mirror , is not yours but that of your identical twin in the underworld , whose life is the exact and perfect opposite of your own.

THE HOLY TRINITY
the father, the son and the holy spirit, - actually "Holly Spirit" a women employed to keep the peace between father and son.

Let love lead the way , or let money lead the way. Anything else isn't much fun.

2009-12-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

Sex. Something that people need to think about.

mixed-religious sex is taboo
as is
same sex
mixed race
inter - class
inter - species
under age
incestuous
pre-marital sex
polygamy
arranged marriage, particulary involving family business

The problem with rules like this is quite simply , people can't fuck.

Let's consider

two parents
four grandparents
8 great grandparents
16
32
64
128
256

by which stage everyone on earth starts to be a relative.

for the sake of fun , love and money let anyone fuck anyone , per-lease

aliens , royals , whatever , even something that you would consider a different species yet is fully consenting
Some people's ideal partner looks like them
Some people's ideal partner might think like them

why not let LOVE lead the way?

well, bring back marriage and let anyone marry anyone or anything.

define marriage as an act of God , sealed either by physical consumation or something else if this is not possible.

encourage those who want one-night stands to use brothels and rent boys instead

and avoid animal abuse , ditto young children - i.e. things that aren't able to properly consent.

the physically/mental/learning disabled etc are people not things and should allowed to breed

if people wish to choose polygamy , why not let them

Isn't this a just sensible manifesto for love?

Let love lead the way , or let money lead the way. Anything else isn't much fun.

Parents, if your kid is of one mindset and you are another, please remember to keep a fatted calf so that when you are friends again, the door is still open for them to walk back in to it.

Two recent letters to the press, on why materialist principles cause the failure of both economy and morality

2009-11-26T15:46:00.000-08:00

Religion and sex: Those with puritanical outlooks to sex don't have MORALS. They have SECRETS!

I am a happily married Christian, and find it unbelievable that even after endless cases such as the recent child sex scandal in Ireland members of any congregation, protestant or catholic still cling to such incredibly outdated attitudes towards sexuality.

Put simply , yesterday's morality in today's world is of no help to anybody.

A marriage or whatever term is attached to a committed sexual relationship is a contract between the marriage partners and God. Not the priesthood , the state or lawyers. If this activity is not fully consensual, only then is it adultery, and wrong. Anybody who claims different almost certainly has something to hide.

Those who make homosexuality out to be sinful, for instance, have a clear and provable corrupting influence on boys. Scared of being singled out as “gay” by their peers, young men abuse, impregnate and even rape women. Wives are beaten by their husbands in order to prove their manhood. Boys grow up without a loving mother and father, and they become poor fathers to their own sons. All because some supposedly “moral” religious leader wants to show of his masculinity to his friends.

Whatever the sex or sexuality of the people involved, the love between lovers, along with the love for friends and relatives is a gift from God. Those mortals who believe they have duties that are more important than such love , reject love and reject the authority of God, replacing it with the authority of earthly ego, of which wealth and power is an expression.

Anti-gay is not pro-family. It is anti-Christ. Those who follow religious leaders who advocate repressive and hypocritical mating rituals do so because they recognise the same faults in such people as they possess themselves, and due to arrogance, neither are prepared to admit doing so.

There is work to be done, people willing to work. and others capable of organising it. And all they ask the state is "let us""!

Sir,

Part time work , home work and other flexible work systems can solve many problems for any community. Most of us will have family members who are old, sick , disabled , distressed or very young. We may be artists, entertainers, scientists or have other hobbies and interests, such as a desire to travel. Being able to have a free choice in the pay , including unpaid , the hours , the prospects for advancement and the working conditionals are all essential. Similarly, a good manager will know that staff of integrity and skill are not easy to recruit and hold, and like his team members needs choice. Business does not want mere profit, but sustainable growth and people do not want jobs, they deserve rewarding careers.
The problem we have locally is an employment culture that dates from the days of heavy industry shop floors and plush corporate boardrooms. Thus only a full time job is a "man's" job, unpaid volunteers "undermine" paid positions, and and jobs are "stolen" by immigrants rather than state red tape. The downside of "preserving" jobs through discouraging flexibility means ultimately people working less hard , giving up (or not taking up or looking for) working altogether, or becoming poor performing employees through sheer boredom.
Please listen, leaders of Britain. The population wants to work, there is work ready to be dones, and there are the imaginative managers just waiting to make things happen Look at the success of TV shows like "The Apprentice" and "Dragon's Den". A lot of people think of a great business, only to be put off after continually being slapped back with petty rules from officials, lawyers and financiers. The difference between and great referee and a mediocre one must surely be that the greatest allow great players to play great football.

Letter to press : Law and Order ... why LESS is MORE!

2009-11-11T01:50:00.000-08:00

Sir,
It is a known fact the excessive speed is one of the major causes of road traffic accidents. However, as any driver will be aware, particularly on motorways and trunk roads, it has become practically impossible to drive within the law. In fact those motorists who elect to drive within the speed limits are very often subjected to abuse from other drivers, a shame as for many having a driving license means having a livelihood.
The vast majority of people in Britain are of good character and would like to be law abiding. The problem is that, just like sticking to the speed limits, doing so has become incredibly difficult.
Most of us will be aware of the many stories of how some gentle pensioner has, due to growing up in a different age, fallen foul of “hate crime” laws after simply speaking their minds. Or how a youth leader has become entangled in trivial aspects of health and safety legislation.
A civilised society does indeed need laws. But what is known, is that the more rules, and more complicated rules any game has, the harder becomes to achieve fair play. To all intents and purposes, making everything illegal and making everything legal are no different at all, the end result is anarchy.
A large proportion of politicians, if not the majority, come from a legal background. This is not true of the general public. So, whilst they are very happy, with the support of the media, to talk about “tightening the law” on this, and “clamping down” on that, they tend to forget that there is only so many police officers, magistrates and judges, probation facilities and jails. To make matters far worse, government targets for those enforcing the law encourage officials to go for “easy” cases, rather than those who really shouldn't be allowed to continue their behaviour in the community. Burglars or pot smokers? Rapists or users of prostitutes? Billionaire tax evaders or those on unemployment benefit doing a seasonal cash job to pay for their children's Christmas presents? We need law that targets those who offend society, not those who offend petty social and economic etiquette.
Law and order are not the same thing. Just as communism failed to achieve true equality, a legalistic society does not produce a moral one.

Do We Live in the Matrix?

2009-11-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

The closer one moves to this new physics, as in the future shaking hands with the past, the closer one comes to the idea that "life, the universe, and everything" are part of a vast living simulation: the ultimate computer game.

By Gary S. Bekkum
Source: Starstream Research (the blog owner does not hold the copyright for this work, of which the author is unrelated to this project)

Does the future reach backwards to determine the past?

The reasonable answer is no, at least not in the material universe around us.

For conscious sentient intelligent beings, the answer isn't so simple. The CIA STAR GATE documents prove that the U.S. Government would like to know more about the day after tomorrow.

Now we may know why.

Many years ago I was thinking about the best way to explain weird metaphysical phenomenology and the psychology beneath our experience of the future, and concluded that a coherent explanation must involve a model of the physics of information. It also happened that around the same time period, a mini revolution was taking place in physics and information in the form of quantum information theory.

Traditional systems of applied metaphysics typically involve highly developed and complex landscapes of characters, forms, and emotions interacting under strictly controlled protocols. This is sometimes reduced in description to the word "ritual" with attendant meanings open to interpretation.

Information theorist Seth Lloyd, an MIT expert in quantum computing, in a recent discussion at www.edge.org , stated that, "Many of the systems we regard as processing information, particularly sophisticated ones, have a notion of correspondence of a message with something else ... I regard those as emergent features that we can only ascribe to objects like living things, or perhaps to life itself. Those emergent features are very important. However, it is possible for a system to register information without that information having some kind of semantic meaning."

Seth Lloyd has been exploring the ultimate limits of computation. Lloyd's explorations are extremely important for our understanding of the fundamental role of information and quantum mechanics in the operation of the universe, where everything that exists can be viewed as performing a computation, including atoms and their constituent particles. Such an approach fails to address the celebrated author Douglas Adams' famous "ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything."

Over the last several years the information revolution has been complemented by an increase in data about the construction of the universe. As a result there is now a general consensus that what was traditionally called the universe is only a member of an infinite set of all possible worlds collectively known as the multiverse. Recently physicist and string theorist Leonard Susskind added the word megaverse to refer to those worlds in the multiverse which are actualized.

Given this enormous set of worlds as fertile ground for the imagination of mankind, the metaphysical and the physical once again have embraced, at least briefly, and have perhaps made a temporary truce. The ground of being is no longer terra firma, it shifts and sways to the beatnik strains of the meta-mega-physicalist.

Dr. George Ryazanov is a Russian physicist with a strong interest in unifying a vision of physics and metaphysics in a grand synthesis he calls the syncretic science of the future. Ryazanov's ideas are rooted in the concept of the opposition of coincident objects, in particular the symmetry of two signs of time. Two signs of time refer to advanced information processing from the future, and retarded information processing from the past. Many years ago Ryazanov experienced a metaphysical visitation and was inspired to recreate an old idea originally attributed to the renowned physicist Richard Feynman, but with a twist.

In Ryazanov's version, two worlds, one reaching backwards in time from the future, and the other reaching forwards from the past, shake hands together and co-evolve the present moment. Welcome to your future self. The past is no longer fixed, but mutable.

For Seth Lloyd, the physical universe is the ultimate computer, performing at the limit of all possible computations.

In Lloyd's worldview, the quantum universe works like an enormously powerful computer. We live in a quantum universe, under absolute quantum rule. There is a small problem, one that Lloyd is still considering in the new light of his information revolution. Einstein's legacy, of space and time bending and curving, of black holes and wormholes cutting through vastly separated regions and times, has yet to fully yield to the quantum kingdom. There appears to be room, at the end of the universe, for a menu that derives ultimate meaning from the final thought of our future self.

The problem that Einstein struggled with in the last years of his life, has been known to give modern superstring theorists headaches: What connects the ultimate shape and motion of the largest and smallest things in the universe? Lloyd expects that this difficult problem may ultimately yield to the power of quantum information theory.

When we consider the whole shebang; when we ask the ultimate question of "life, the universe, and everything," the answer is not likely to be 42 (the answer supplied by Adam's fictional 'deep thought' computer).

As soon as we move beyond the merely computational realms of matter and energy, we find our existence to be strongly affected by what are called emergent properties. Emergent properties evolve into semantics, and semantics form the basis of the metaphysical language of which magical properties are most fond. There is a semantic barrier that determining the demarcation line between physics built upon ideas of matter and energy, and the next level of a more powerful and exotic physics of the mind.

The closer one moves to this new physics, as in the future shaking hands with the past, the closer one comes to the idea that "life, the universe, and everything" are part of a vast living simulation: the ultimate computer game.

Welcome home, you live in "The Matrix."

Are we living in a simulated world? MIT Professor Set Lloyd argues that there is no difference between a simulated world in a quantum computer, and the real thing, given enough computational resources. This is simple enough to understand at the basic level given that bits are bits (or qu-bits, in their quantum version) and that a universal computer (such as the universe, or multiverse of universes) can perfectly recreate any computation possible in any other computer (or universe!)

Somewhere, it is thought, there must be an interface between these very different levels of the world. How do we reconcile the fundamental computational power of the universe, based as it is on the interaction of matter and energy in motion, with the power of emergent phenomena: emotion, thought, and the semantics of life as the language of being?

There are suggestions, at different ends of the theoretical world, purely speculative but worthy of exploration.

One is born of the language of superstring theory; the world is swept out in various dimensions, and writes in what physicists call membranes, or just branes. These branes form brane worlds, and they may be floating in a higher dimensional space, side by side, as parallel universes.

Another is born of the language of biology; there are structures in the brain, called microtubules, and that these form tiny living quantum computing circuits that are coupled to the shape-structure of space and time.

For the physicist, the parallel sheets of the theoretical world-branes are layers of realities, and should exist independently of one another, apart from gravitons, particles of gravity, that escape into the higher dimensional bulk in which the brane-worlds are thought to be embedded. One may construct a plausible theory of inter-brane communication (presumably via gravity waves passing through the brane layers) in order to predict strange interactions between conscious observers.

Even Dr. Brian Greene, the highly visible physics theorist featured a few years ago in a PBS series on superstring theory, was willing to speculate on the idea of inter-brane 'telephone' communications with other intelligent entities. These extra-dimensional denizens might exist invisible to our world, living within some of the other branes.

Gravity has long been imagined to be related to the emergence of consciousness. One of the most recent appeals to a gravitational influence in conscious thought was championed by Sir Roger Penrose, the famous mathematical physicist, in collaboration with Dr. Stuart Hameroff, an anesthesiologist interested in brain function. The combination of a gravitational selection principle, guiding the protein conformations (the shape of these structures) in the brain's microtubules, together with the world-brane sheet construction, paints a picture of brains in other brane-worlds yielding the power to influence human thought.

Is this not the requirement for a theory of strong 'telepathic' influence, like the weird mind-bending effects reported by scientists studying phenomenology at Utah's Skinwalker Ranch?

I wrote to Dr. Hameroff an inquired if he knew of anyone exploring these possibilities. He replied, "... it is my impression that Penrose believes branes derive from more fundamental spacetime geometry which he is dealing with ... maybe a topic for Quantum Mind 3 in 2007."

If our universe is a brane to brain sandwich, then what are the ultimate implications? Consider the brane world layer. From existing experiments we know that each brane world must be less than one tenth of a millimeter from the next brane as they float in the higher dimensions. Gravity propagates at the speed of light. If the brane-world picture is correct, near the space of our planet a vast section of brane worlds exist.

Somewhere amongst the vast brane-world set, it is likely that a vast, planetary scale super-computing network exists.

As Nick Bostrom, a world-class philosopher at Oxford has pointed out, "Even a single planetary-sized computer, constructed with advanced molecular nanotechnology, could simulate the entire mental history of humankind by using less than one millionth of its computing power for one second; and this presupposes only already known computational mechanisms and engineering principles." This means that the universe might be expected to be populated by countless simulations of reality.

Information about our world travels into the bulk of the brane-worlds in the form of extremely weak gravity waves. However in the Penrose process that was invoked for consciousness selection, the conformation of the brain microtubules is determined by quantum superposition of different spacetime geometries. One would expect that nature makes a choice, and perhaps nature may be biased by brane-worlds coupled to the human brain matter that produces the emergent conscious thought of a living sentient being.

If this were true, then living systems would no longer be limited to the confines of a single universe, along with the computational limits calculated by Seth Lloyd. The ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything may be a lot bigger than was ever thought possible.

Welcome to the 21st century gone wild:

An imaginary but also very real world that exists inside a matrix; a vast living simulated existence, coupled directly into a semantic control network -- a layered net of multiple parallel universes simulating individual perceptions.

And we would not be alone for the ride. The control network is layered, and hierarchical. A certain ultra-terrestrial 'MAJIC' pervades this universe, one of interacting subsystems and emergent self-reflecting features.

There are several different ways of looking at this fundamental scenario.

Although they differ in essential details, they have the same basic simulation argument in common. The primary message that emerges from this line of reasoning is that the human species is not the ultimate arbiter of what happens to planet Earth, or even of human thought. There are other forces moving through the planet determining the fate of our race. They appear to be of such intelligence and act with such powerful anticipatory foresight as to simulate the appearance of working outside of space and time.

In fact, they appear for all practical purposes to be shaking hands with us from our future.

In exploring the many 'human-centric' simulation options, we find:

Those of a religious basis, forming an hierarchy of heavenly beings, of a non-material nature.
Psychological paraphysical options, with subconscious mental undercurrents clashing amongst various populations and their non-compatible belief systems.
The problem of interference from an advanced civilization, or multiple civilizations with vastly superior mental abilities.
The sub-anthropic idea of Gato-Rivera, that we are a protected species and Earth is a planet owned by a more advanced civilization.
Interference between parallel universes, alternative realities that for some reason have interacted with each other and continue to do so, if intermittently.
Conspiratorial models involving human beings and higher intelligence agents working hand in alien hand to direct human events for unearthly agendas.
So we must ask ourselves once again: Are we living in a simulated world?

Nick Bostrom says a single planetary-sized computer could simulate the entire mental history of humankind by using less than one millionth of its computing power for one second.

MIT Professor Set Lloyd argues that there is no difference between a simulated world in a quantum computer, and the real thing.

Gary S. Bekkum is an independent 'occasional' rogue journalist & web author, and researcher of material that blurs the distinction between fiction and reality. In 2004 Bekkum initiated Starstream Research, as an informal survey of exotic physics and consciousness concepts related to the survival or otherwise of the human race.

Should anti-fascists be thankful for Nick Griffin for at least being honestly and unashameably Nazi , thus bringing those who secretly share his views

2009-10-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

Politically speaking , Griffin and his followers don't really add anything constructive to the debate- in fact on some issues such as immigration the likes of him actually stifle free speech by linking perfectly legitimate concerns with jealousy and hatred.

If he actually DID speak up for poor white people , whose very real problems are often overlooked in this rather too PC world , I'd have considerable sympathy for him, but let's face it he's more concerned with those who feel that "coloured" neighbours devalue their houses. Whatever their skintone , poor whites are simply not "white" enough for the BNP - the words "white trash" , "chav" and "wigger" spring to mind. For those in real poverty and need , people can't afford to be choosy about what their friends and neighbours LOOK like , even what they call God, the fact that they are kind people willing to lend a hand is good enough. Working class and lower middle class people will all have ethnic minority friends, most will have relations , including blood relatives , from a different race or religion too.

The ocean liner and jet plane have affected the genetics of the local people - not an issue concerning politics but technology. It's interesting to know that Western science is based heavily upon the Arabic mathmatical system and their mediterreanian neighbours, the Greeks.

What Griffin does represent is those with ugly attitudes- the proverb that "Jealousy Is The Root Of All Evil" is a very true one. The BNP represent the jealous, it's as simple as that. Basically, "we are more deserving than them".

The chances of a BNP-led government are practically zilch , and even as a minor coalition partner would be very unlikely. Strip away the slogans , the fear and the hate and there's few policies which would be practical or even legal by generally accepted standards of international law.

Whilst a lot of people dislike the organisation for stirring up community tensions and blighting the lives of the ordinary people (damage to local amenities and jobs etc) , rather like the Irish sectarian groups , few regard such a fringe outfit as a real threat. What is a threat to the lives and livelyhoods of ordinary Brits are those who, whilst not members or supporters , share the Nazis' ideals and DO hold positions of power via nonelected yet "executive" posts.

In Roman times , it was quite common for senior Empire figures to employ children for the purposes of sexual gratification. Whilst today's population would look on this with horror, it wasn't considered immoral at the time. The practise of "Sodomy" mentioned and condemmed in the Bible and other religious texts concerned this type of behavour as opposed to consensual forms of homosexuality.

Linked in to the racism of modern day European far-right sympathisers is a barely disguised fear , distrust and contempt for women. Women are different to men, and that scares some of them. They see wives as either property or harlots trying to take property from them. It's back to the jealousy - we're talking about the materialistic people who regard wealth, social status and physical beauty as more important than friendship and family. Traditionally, and partly due to the biogical differences between the sexes, the men have been the "breadwinners". Men have excelled, for example in fields such as technology, whereas women have generally proved themselves better at managing inter-personal relationships. The best way I could describe this is "Men can read maps, Women can ask for directions". Of course no human is biologically all male or all female, Both sexes have faults - the main one with women is bitchyness , with men it's violence. One of my favourite "creation myths" is that God made man and woman so that only in union and harmony together could they rise to the level of godlyness.

Whether a society is matriarchal or patriarchal doesn't make that much difference- what does is that society is sexually balanced with neither sex dominating. From a business and economic point of view there are problems with either male OR female domination , because the input of both sexes are equally important for the holy grail of sustainable enterprise. The problem with the male domination of the Victorian era has been the lack of sustainability in economic growth- that is economic advancement with no environmental or human cost.

The major issue concerning far-right politics essentially concerns women's emancipation and the sexist male's wounded ego- the refusal to let the ladies take the wheel however bad the gentleman is driving. The more mature people know that some situations need the competitive spirit , technical know how and brute strength of the male, whilst others require the negotiating ability , compassion and spitituality of the female. On the latter, many men are scared of the spiritual abilities of the opposite sex, which was very much demonstrated by the Puritan persecution of "witches". It's not confined to Christianity either- sadly some supposedly Muslim countries continue that tradition. A male dominated society doesn't benefit men, just the few rich and powerful ones who are good at amassing wealth and weaponary but little else. The biggest losers from sexism are men.

One of the problems with this Victorian technology based society has been the issue of the theory of evolution. Whilst the works of Darwin have benefitted many areas of science , especially medicine, to me it's a case of a little knowledge is dangerous. What happened in the Germany of the 1930s , and the Russian communist society of the same era , was the "Darwinian" values being applied without the full picture being considered. Essentially, by breaking down human existance into purely materialistic terms of survival, morality is written out of the equasion. A lot of "credible" scientists make the mistake of ignoring the spirit and love - if these elephants in the living room are written out of the story , the evolutionary system is perverted and rather than evolving into more complex life forms, we become essentially viruses rather than sentient beings. A purely individualistic "survival of the fittest" model would , taken to the extreme , actually lead to lifeforms evolving into the highly robust but not particularly interesting single-celled organisms. There is no difference whatsoever between the intellect of a solitary human being and an ape - what differentiates us is our superior ability to work as a team. That being said, other forms of ape are a lot more in touch with nature than humans are. This again shows the danger of mankinds obsession with the masculine world of technology.

The jealousy aside, what the BNP also represent is nostalgia for this Victorian age of discovery and innovation. The problem is that in victorian times this worldview was new- it might not have been 100% correct- but was an improvement of what went before it.

There's no small c conservative martyrs. Whilst those with a conservative outlook can offer the human race much, sometimes helping us remember that modern is not always best and some timeless values are better than fashion fads, conservatism isn't anything worth dying for. King Canute, despite his protests couldn't stop the tide- nailing yourself to the values of the past results in death. The true survivors are those able to adapt to the ever changing world.

Sadly for Britain , our economic and cultural process is being hindered by members of the white male establishment who are stubbenly refusing to let go of the era when the white man was king of the world. I've nothing against white men whatsoever, being male and more caucasian than any other "racial" grouping. What I am not is arrogant about the achievements of white men, even Christian men. Just because large parts of the developing world are economically poorer than the EU or North America, certainly doesn't mean we should discount them. It is a hard lesson from history that pride really does come before a fall. Nor should we be hostile to all aspects of foreign religions such as Islam or Buddhism - certainly it is right to oppose barbaric and oppresive phony religious leaders, but it is to be remembered that "Christians" led the Spanish Inquesition and the witch hunts.

The bottom line is, that whilst I can't agree with the attitudes or policies of the likes of Nick Griffin and the BNP, I do feel that he represents an outlet for all the septic puss that has for many years festered under the surface of British politics. Political correctness has in many ways silenced these voices, but has been counter productive as it has driven those voices underground rather than defeated them.

There is no place for fascism or fascist style goverment in the modern world. The follow-the-leader approach only uses a tiny percentage of the available human brainpower, thus limiting cultural, scientific and economic advancement. Also, such a model is inherently unstable as the force needed to uphold order in such a society will inevitably exceed the force the authorities are able to supply in terms of police and militia. Perhaps the greatest challenge for the democratic world at present is to ensure that the transition from dictatorship to democracy in China is as bloodless as possible. Though the Chinese live on the other side of the world, the size of the population and economy in todays "global villiage" would mean a truly global catastrophe would result from any violent political fallout.

On the positive side, the human race stands temptingly close to a golden age of long lasting peace and progress. We know that the horrors of the two world wars DID result in a vast improvement for the ordinary citizens of western Europe. But in the same way as it could be argued that WW2 didn't finish until the Berlin wall fell, the job of ridding Europe- and the wider world - of oppression was never conclusively finished. Due to the imperfection of human nature, maybe the job will never be 100% complete, but there's still one hell of a lot of room for improvement. This can only come from looking FORWARD to a "new age" rather than backwards to a supposed paradise that never actually existed.

Letter to press: Disabled people have once again found themselves as second class citizens - let's end this!

2009-10-12T23:21:00.001-07:00

Sir,
As has happened many times before, the major parties have promised to "get tough" on those claiming sickness and disability benefits. Sadly, just like before , no-one has bothered to ask those on such benefits what they themselves would like to help them become more self sufficent. In fact whilst they're very happy to listen to what the tabloid editors have to say on this issue, the ministers at the DWP do not feel that either those affected or their advocates are important enought to merit a personal reply.
The issue of welfare dependency comes from two social pressures. One is the demand for individual personal economic responsibility. Disabled people are able to achieve as much as any member of society but not on their own- their success depends on a team effort, with other team members compensating for the "holes" in their abilities. A great example of this is the family- however to some politicians "family" only means a middle-class suburban couple with 2.4 children. The small business is another such of these- again governments have been too happy to let these be choked by large corporates which due to their size lack the crucial flexibility for full disabled employment.
The other social pressure is pressure to conform and be normal- take a look though the average supermarket magazine section and you'd be forgiven for thinking that only a handful of people lived in Britain, all with perfect bodies and minds. Disabled people can achieve both happiness and success, but many will never be anything approaching "normal" - it is very sad that today's world would rather see the disabled person as a "second class" normal than a "first class" individual.
As a child, one of my favourite pop singers was Stevie Wonder, who overcame a serious handicap to become a household name. Something that Stevie had was "soul" - the ability to speak or sing from the heart. A lot of supposedly "perfect" people, caged by their public image , lack this.

Victorian Values? Some burning issues concening England, America , China , Capitalism and Democracy

2009-10-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Can't help thinking that we in the West have not shown the best example to our Chinese cousins. A regime based on a "free market" economy can take two forms, the first being Christian Democracy, the second Fascism. Both the UK and USA have been known to favour regimes with more pro-Western big business economies over those which have promoted first and foremost the rule of law and human rights. From a purely business point of view the fascistic model will produce the largest amount of produce at the cheapest price, whereas the democratic model tends to produce higher quality and more genuinely useful products and services. Democracy is essential for high standards of trade due to the better workplace i.e. "trade pride" and market-friendly as opposed to cartel-friendly legal system.
If you are teaching a new player a sport, is it not best to demonstrate how the game can be both enjoyed and won by fair play, creativity and effort rather than by cheating and bullying. Maybe, in our rush to show the Chinese how to play the capitalist game, what we have shown this great nation is how to cheat!

From female inferiority to white supremacy to incredible sexual repression and hypocracy, some people really do believe that we're still in the 19th century.
Sure, many great thinks happened to Britain in Victorian times. But in those days such ideas were new and radical, now they are hopelessly outdated - our ancestors were THEN forward thinking , whilst those who share their outlook in modern times are BACKWARDS thinking.
Many love to slate the socialism and liberalism of the "postwar" society- the word to look at is "post". Due to the many flaws in our predecessors' theories concerning of sociology, economy and even biology the planet ended up trashed and millions of people, along with irreplaceable works of science and art, killed. Put simply , the reasons humanity gave up on pre-war values was because they lead to war, simple as that. Nostalgia is great fun, but it largely belongs in a museum. Keep the timeless values of humanity, yes, the academic fashion fads of yesteryear, no! Britain should remember that!

A permanent end to Boom And Bust?

2009-09-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

Sir,

Whilst there are promising signs that there may be light at the end of the economic tunnel, Labour have sadly failed on their promise to end "boom and bust". Actually government economic policy has improved considerably since the seventies. The problem is one of outdated management, and if this is not resolved, any recovery will be short lived.

Governments that try to run businesses usually make a hash of it. However there’s two major policy reforms that could strengthen good, sustainable, business practise.

Red tape is the bane of start-up and smaller businesses. Those involved don’t have the legal and accountancy facilities of the major players, which puts them at a severe disadvantage in the marketplace.

In 1995, software giant Microsoft launched Windows 95, a product which catapulted it to the top of its league. One feature introduced, and widely copied, was the “Wizard”. This provided a simple route for novice users getting to work with the software – by limiting the choices available to common options, many people could achieve instant but usable results with almost no training.

Imagine if the government provided “business wizards” in the form of government advisors who took care of all the burocracy for the smaller enterprise, providing a free audit of issues such as health and safety , tax ,trading standards, equal opportunities and insurance requirements. Unless the issues were dangerously critical, a period of grace could be offered where the firm would be have time to address the issues without additional penalty. Feedback from these advisors would help County Hall, Westminster and Brussels pass simplified, more business-friendly legislation.

Secondly, would it not be a good idea to change the voting system of public limited company meetings from a one share per vote to an “electoral college” system consisting of one vote per share and one vote per shareholder. This would shift the balance of power in favour of long term investors such as company staff and those with an interest in the running of business. After all, the involvement of more minds is always going to mean more brainpower.

Religious conflict and football

2009-09-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

Consider football. A pub dominated by violent hooligan supporters of your own team, versus a pub dominated by friendly supporters of your rival team. Which would you take you wife and kids to?

I think this sums up the Christian/Jew/Muslim conflict rather well. Those who hate each other- are they really supporters of any religion - or just followers of those who like starting trouble because it gives them status they wouldn't otherwise have?

I was raised a Christian though with Jewish roots- I don't see a conflict. There's many ways that you can achieve spiritual growth, including faiths that are yet undiscovered or generally unknown. Many different fairy stories (and shakespearean plays) have different characters but the same timeless moral to them..

The more that I have read about other faiths the more I acept the teachings of my own - because those other faiths reinforce my own beliefs..

Religious works such as the Bible and Koran DO have violent passages when taken in isolation, but not in the context of the whole picture. Some like to relive these violent parts but they're not following any God - just massaging the ego of someone who wishes to gain power - i.e. men stealers.

Men stealers seek power , wealth and domination, whereas those who believe in God seek spirtitual relief or non-existance - the opposite of dominance.

A lot of those who criticise Islam talk about Jihad - it's actually very much a concept of Christianity - to fight and be prepared die for your belief. Listen to the popular Hymn onward Christian soldiers -But for YOUR belief , not the belief of some rich and powerful leader.who likes giving orders to massage his ego and line his pocket. Belief in God , or the greter good , might make you unfashionable and even hated amongst your peers- and thus a battle for snaity might ensue

The "holy war" is not against other religions or even athiests but against those who are opposed to the Kingdom of Heaven - those who put material possession above spiritual enlightenment. And as they say, the pen is mightier than the sword!

Taken into care? An Open Letter

2009-09-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

Michael Narey, head of child welfare charity Barnardos , has suggested that more young children should be taken into care from unfit parents.
Consider this situation. Two old ladies meet up in an old peoples home. One is from a respectable background, had her child at the "proper age" , had a wealthy husband who provided well for his family, and gave her children the best education that she could afford. She tells how her son excelled in life and became a top lawyer and civil servant. The second lady is from a poor background. She got pregnant at the age of twelve , gave birth in dire poverty and educated her child herself , her husband being a lowly tradesman and unable to afford much for his offspring. Her son never had a proper job, hung around with beggars and prostitutes , and was executed as his country's worst ever terrorist. The rich pensioner is moved to tears by the story of her companion. Eventually they exchange names. "I'm Mrs Pilate" says the first. "Mrs Christ" the second.
Society might consider somebody too mentally retarded to be able to raise children. Others, such as those with drug problems or schizophrenia, too mentally unstable. But what about the "emotionally retarded" - those who are unable to treat others in the way they would like to be treated themselves? Those who pass on their prejudices, hatred and other forms of criminality to their children, thus ensuring yet another generation suffers. Why should the latter almost invariably avoid having their children taken into care, when it is they who no form of state aid (unlike the other cases) can improve their parenting ability?

Libertarian Alliance Essay

2009-08-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I’ve tried my hand at an essay-writing competition, having come across a link to the Libertarian Alliance page whilst googling. I’m not sure if what I have to say is 100% relevant, but I feel that raises some issues rarely discussed.

I believe in small government, low tax, personal responsibility and hard work. So, I’m a libertarian? A conservative? Actually, many on the right feel that I am a communist!

How did they work this out. Essentially they believe that Thomas Hobbes’ effort, The Leviathan, was an accurate work. I think it’s outright wrong!

Now, how did I reach this conclusion?

Have you ever entered any form of competition and eventually succeeded after much dedication, research and mistakes? Won after playing fair, in the true spirit of the game, maybe helping beginners along the way?

It’s absolutely great.

Now let’s say you cheated and fouled your way to the top. You raise the trophy whilst being booed on the podium. It’s not the same and even the most unpleasant character will eventually realise that the “award” no longer has any value to it. When a thief realises that everything he steals will eventually be stolen from him, he will stop stealing. What would happen if one person amassed practically all the gold and diamonds in the world? Maybe people would take the attitude “fuck gold and diamonds” , realising they had just enough for necessary industrial use, then derive bling from another source.

I often have the debate with others along the lines of “You believe in gravity but not karma? Why”. To me, there is nothing superstitious or irrational about saying that human nature is governed by the laws of reaction as with everything else in nature.

Take a look at the beautiful Cathedrals, Temples and Mosques around the world. Described to children as God’s house they tend to be the biggest building in the town. Why? Because God, or The Cosmos is big and us humans are small. Politics backs this up very well- where “God” is not placed at the top of the pecking order, a Hitler or Stalin will happily take this vacated position.

I believe creation requires evolution and evolution requires creation. That is- the human race can either gravitate towards an image of God – which those of fate would call Destiny or towards some fad of fashion. The problem with many conservatives and right-wingers is their obsession with Victorian social mores, as opposed to the Eternal values of the entity that created mankind, whether you consider that to be an intelligent force or a mathematical equation.

Let’s have a look at natural selection and evolution. I do not disagree with either of these principles. My quarrel lies with those who dramatically oversimplify this picture.

Why do people actually compete? Pure biological survival is often mooted- but here’s the problem. This assumes that being dead is actually worse than being alive. Some religions, notably Buddhism, consider true death to be Nirvana. It is not hard to see why some reach this conclusion- deeply sleep is after all highly relaxing. In my case it seems my life has been miraculously saved. Many others have renewed faith after near death such as an accident, illness or suicide bid.

We compete to raise standards. To demonstrate our ability to build on the skills of those who have played before us, and to raise the standards of honour, chivalry or fair play. We compete to learn from our success and failures and those of others. We compete to make friends and to enjoy ourselves. The great thing about all this is everyone can really be a winner in that they can take a positive experience away from the playing field.

Charles Darwin’s otherwise excellent works do suffer from the sexual repression of the Victorian era. True sexual attraction is a very positive thing, that is hijacked not by “sexual deviants” but individuals, sadly for us blokes usually male ones, who wish to usurp power.

Why do farmers wish to selectively breed animals? To increase meat yield- for his benefit, not the creatures’. Thus human beings who wish to control human breeding are inevitably out to breed humans for human consumption.

A man’s ideal partner is not an identical woman, but a balancing or compatible woman. Genetic science tends to back this up – to pass on a defective gene both parents usually have to be carriers- and the more similar the parents the higher the chances of sharing a faulty gene. To go back to religion, there is a wonderful myth than God divided mankind into male and female so that they would have to work together to reach the kingdom of heaven. I can’t really find a lot of things truer than this.

I’m a musician and play in a band, and the same principles are demonstrated there. The relative skill and experience levels of the musicians are not necessarily relevant. What is important is that they compliment each other rather than conflict. Every rhythm guitarist has a perfect bass guitarist and drummer out their somewhere!

Consider a human being raised alone on a deserted island- and a Chimpanzee. Would there be any practical difference? Should we not realise that concentration on the atom of the individual whilst neglecting the magnetic bond of marriage and business partnerships, family and friendships, seems rather pointless.

There’s a sharper divide than the traditional left/right grouping emerging. One tribe consists of those who have an optimistic view of mankind and the planet, and look forward to the future. These people have values, these people have ideas and these people have workable policies. The other consist of the grumpy old and angry young souls who hold a dystopian view of human nature and don’t seem to have anything positive they can offer to the world of politics. Do the latter deserve election, or would exorcism be more appropriate?

The title of this essay was supposed to be can a Libertarian also be a Conservative. You could paraphrase that as “Can a Moslem also be a Christian?”. The answer depends on if you’re the sort of person who looks for similarities or differences, and whether you are the sort of person who is frightened of the differences or who sees a challenge in building bridges.

"It's not me it's you" Anti-piracy campaigns without addressing the underlying issues will not save any industry but WILL be unjust and ineffective

2009-08-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

A subject rarely out of the news is the issue of illegal copying and sharing of film, music and computer software. We are constantly being informed of how much money the industries are losing due to piracy.
It is a great shame that the consumer’s point of view has been almost completely ignored. The consumer feels that the wrong products are on sale, for the wrong price, and that the quality and ethical standards of the service offered is also below par.
From an economics point of view, if not at least a moral one, there is a strong argument to suggest that illegal copying may be the result of a marketplace that is uncompetitive. That is, controlled by a handful of major players who wish to dictate their terms as opposed to fulfilling the clients’ and contractors’ needs.
Many, including those working in media and technology would like to see action against piracy linked to significant reforms of intellectual property and competition law, the bulk of which predates digital technology.
Current government anti-piracy moves are not. The suspicious amongst us are going to wonder what, particularly in terms of privacy and free speech, the content creation industry has surrendered behind closed doors to obtain such a blank cheque.
I find it sad that those in music who call for drastic changes in copyright law are often smeared as “pro-piracy”. History is painfully clear- laws considered unjust lead to both injustice and anarchy. Businesses who sneer at their customers go bankrupt. Groupies, hobbyists and geeks are just as important as stars, moguls and tycoons.

Thought experiment : Should all under-25s be reversibly sterilized?

2009-08-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

Should all under-25s be reversibly sterilized? Whilst the Chinese one-child-per-family law has been reasonably successful in controlling population growth, it has raised the problems of ethnic cleansing , sex selection and spoilt children through lack of siblings. Personally I believe every reasonably responsible / law-abiding woman and man has the right to have children- and nor should their be a limit on the size of family for responsible parents. But many young adults usually don't know why they actually want a family other than for purely hormonal reasons.
A (female) friend of mine - a superb mother but had her first child taken into care - suggested the fitting of contraceptive devices to all women under 25 (this could be waived with a good medical reason – such as progressive infertility etc of course)
As well as tackling the global population crisis, it could prevent the heartache of children being taken into care , reduce divorce caused by the stress of too early parenting , and improve child welfare as older parents are usually more responsible when it comes to caring for their children and family planning. Any thoughts?

Manningtree : Children should be not seen , not heard ... not exist?

2009-08-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

As a former Manningtree resident who still frequents the area, I have noticed the “dispersal order” signs that have sprung up around the town. I cannot blame the police or local authority for this. Gangs of youths, especially when drunk, can be very intimidating towards older people, including shamefully the elderly and disabled.
The problem is, what are young people supposed to do in small rural communities? Anyone who has tried volunteering their own time and money to organise a project involving sports, the arts or other hobbies will have found themselves battling small minded officialdom , nimbyism and media disinterest.
As a youngster, two of my own interests were sailing and radio-controlled car racing. At one stage we had to find another track because planners demanded we need permission for our “structure” which was just a dirt-track with no permanent buildings. At the same time, the owners of Mistley Quay seemed to require no such permission for the highly controversial “safety” fence despite massive opposition from the local yachting community.
Also raised in the media are the “stay-at-home” perils such as junk food / obesity and violent TV and videogames. Sometimes I wonder if it’s right to bring children into a world in which life seems only concerned with wealth-creation and death.

masculine feminine imbalance - a deeper truth behind the science of climate change?

2009-06-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

Recent history has seen the rise of many powerful and influential women, from Anita Roddick to Angela Merkel. The female of the species has left her mark on parliaments, boardrooms and even building sites. But herein lies the problem with feminism- the desire to succeed in a man’s world has maybe left society lacking in femininity. Essentially, this is where both the man and the woman are expected to “wear the trousers”.

A great example is the infamous automated telephone system. From a male viewpoint these machines are efficient, hi-tech and logical. From a female one, they don’t talk about TV and the weather. Being impersonal is very much a “man thing”.

Men can often be the biggest victims of this set-up. Trapped between a changing world and the outdated attitudes of our peers – the need to be seen as a “real man” prevents us from utilising our feminine side. The majority of homophobic bullying victims are straight.
A common theme found in many religions is the depicting of the sun as male and the earth as female- existing in eternal balance. Is there a deeper truth behind the science of climate change?

Why we must understand the difference between psychotic and psychopathic

2009-06-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

Those suffering from a Psychotic disorder live in an altered state of consciousness, a dream-like alternative reality. This can be brought on by drug abuse, insomnia , stress or genetics. Some people attempt to reach this state conciously as to recieve "messages" that the normal conscious mind filters out.

Psychotics are generally only a danger to themselves or others if they are provoked or otherwise stimulated, which can occur if those around the person become frightened by their state of mind. Though not unknown, deaths and serious injuries due to psychosis are actually quite rare. Psychiatrists believe an excess of dopamine can cause psychotic states, and those suffering psychosis usually have hightened emotions and sensitivities.

Psychopathic describes a state of mind where the sufferer has a contempt for human life or wildlife. Rather than an overkill of emotions, the psychopath lacks emotions and feelings- i.e. they are numb to their surroundings.

The problem with mental health care is that psychopaths do not appear as psychotic. Their thought pattern is rational and the delusion does not concern day to day matters but the core metaphysical beliefs upon which a person builds their worldview. Whilst you will likely find a psychotic in a psychiatric ward, you will find psychopathics in positions of political or industrial power- in fact their careers have been enhanced by their ability to shut off the part of their mind that would usually be concerned with ethics.

The bottom line is a psychotic lives in an alternative, semi-conscious reality, a psychopath lives with an alternative, semi-human morality.

Mental health MRSA? Medication has it's uses but can't replace couselling and faith.

2009-06-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is an “embarrassing issue” but one that effects a huge number of people and is a debate with very serious implications with regard to basic freedoms, quality of life and socio-economic advancement.. This does not involve conspiracy theory or exaggeration but is based around the very personal experiences and observations of myself , friends and family who have been afflicted by mental health problems. If you choose not to use or take other action as regards this letter, please help others by discussing these issues, even if amongst yourselves.

A subject rarely out of the news has been antibiotic resistant bacterial infections such as MRSA. Known as “hospital gangrene”, flesh eating superbugs that kill and maim are believed to have come into existence due to over-use and over-reliance on antibiotic medication.
A very significant minority of the population will be prescribed psychiatric prescriptions such as antidepressants , tranquilisers or antipsychotics, and their close relation mood stabilisers
Psychiatric medication has helped many people live fulfilling lives who would otherwise face a poor quality of life. The problem is that they are not miracle cures and can cause devastating, let alone embarrassing, side effects in some patients.
The human brain is perhaps the most advanced machine known to human science. It is a bodily organ containing both a mind capable of thought and a soul capable of feeling. Psychiatrists can effectively treat chemical imbalances in the brain with medication. What they cannot do is untangle and manage the trauma and related stress that has accelerated the patient’s mental decline, in the manner that a counsellor does. Neither can drugs give a person a meaning to live, only an inspirational figure, such as a person of faith, can achieve that. It is therefore of paramount importance that a holistic approach is taken to achieve maximum treatment with minimal disruption. The reality is that mental health patients are used as a political football between modern secular science and ancient religious belief systems.
Where does the line between dream, hallucination and delusion meet vision , revelation and prophecy. The concept of God and divinity is a universal or absolute , like the numbers zero and infinity, and proof of the existence or nature of such is beyond all forms of orthodox science.
Bob Geldof famously said about his charity work “Band Aid is like the plaster. It will not heal a severed arm”. If a mental health epidemic is to be avoided, medical science must accept that no pill or surgical practise will heal a broken heart.

vaccinating your child against alcohol and drugs

2009-06-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

Today, a government report was released which showed a worrying increase in the use of recreational drugs, particularly cocaine, and that drug treatment agencies were struggling to cope. Locally, drug rehabilitation charities in Colchester have long waiting lists for many services. Parents will be rightly concerned.

It is a virtual certainty that your child will try alcohol or illegal drugs. The good news is that the majority of those will bore quickly of artificial highs and do something more healthy and productive with their lives. Only you can help them be amongst the lucky ones. As a former addict I can recommend some dos and don'ts.

You need to realise that each child is an individual and has their own gifts and disabilities, strengths and weaknesses. Avoid comparing them to their siblings or peers, whether to their face or amongst your friends. Though books and other resources on parenting can be helpful, they will not necessarily be applicable to your own child. There are many physical and mental conditions which are currently undocumented and could well be relevant.

Promote the outdoors and physical activity even if your child is not "sporty". Take a car, train or bus ride to different places to add variety. Remember the saying "the family that prays together stays together" - whether or not you are a believer quiet contemplation as a family strengthens the bond.

Don't make choices regarding social and educational activity, instead get involved with your child about it. Talk about your work, their study, meet their friends. You can both learn. Tell them that if their friends find this embarassing, they are not real friends, because embarassment is not an issue in lasting relationships.

Remember to show your child unconditional love. Provided their life choices are ethical, give them your complete support even if these choices are not the choices you would make if you were them. Though your children are of you, they are not you, and they have the right to exist as independent people whether or not they depend on you financially.

What has this to do with drugs? Well, these are the building blocks of self esteem and level-headedness- and provide the best possible vaccination against addiction.

Why Is Attention Deficit Disorder Considered A Mental Condition And Medication Prescribed, Whislt Attention Surplus Disorder is not!

2009-06-06T06:31:00.001-07:00

Attention Surplus Disorder - the diametric opposite of ADD - possibly the cause of racism / snobbery / religious bigotry etc. Drugs such as ritalin are prescribed for ADD , why is the opposite mental state not regarded as an illness when it is potentially more dangerous?

before I start, I have been diagnosed myself with ADD and schizophrenia. I'd like to talk to psychiatrists as I believe I have an excellent ability to articulate my perspective of serious mental illness and medication / self medication. Rats do not....

I take Olanzapine and Citzalopram and am happy to take them- the only time I have deliberately abstained from medication is after witnessing horrific side affects in loved ones, and after complaints (too strong a word) to their doctor, my doctor and all appropriate authorities and absolutely nothing being done. In this situation you lose faith in the system that treats you.

consider this:

the man who runs naked, screaming through the high street would likely be arrested, possibly sectioned and given medication
he is showing a lack of regard about what other people might think of him.

the man who disowns his offspring for marrying someone of a different class or ethnicity is not arrested, sectioned or medicated
he is putting his concerns about what other people think of him above love for his family.

the opposite.

is this fair or moral?

scientifically correct? - to me this is the same as calling a giant "normal" yet a dwarf "abnormal"
socially beneficial? - for example would you consider nudity more detrimental to society than the break up of a family?
what are the long term effects of treating one condition but not the other? an imbalance of natural personality types?

Hyperactivity, or attention deficit disorder is a (fairly recently) recognized medical condition. It's a generally agreed to be an autistic spectrum disorder , which like Asperger's affects the social and communication functions of the brain, but not the intellect. Generally, Aspergers represents the more pronounced cases , whilst ADD is the less severe cases. Ritalin is prescribed as a medication to those affected, an amphetamine, which improves concentration. Those affected with the more "Asperger's" side of the condition however cannot use this due to problems with drug addiction and psychosis, or schizophrenic symptoms developing.

Some of those affected are lucky to find a niche in terms of social and career terms and managed to be productive members of society enjoying a full life, and can even reach above average conditions of general quality of life. Others respond well to medication, and allowing them to concentrate enough to study for advanced qualifications and work in a responsible job. Others, including myself have been beset by drug abuse, and the development of schizophrenia , largely arising from social frustrations encountered whilst meeting others with a more "conventional" mental make up and encountering rejection that they cannot comprehend.

Whilst midgets exist, so do giants, and practically all known medical conditions have an alternative condition where the problem is caused by the reverse being true. In the case of Attention Deficit Disorder, I would term this Attention Surplus Disorder.

These are some of the symptoms

A stronger than usual desire to "blend in with the crowd" and be "normal", even at the expense of pleasure or happiness.

An obsession with "outward" character features- physical appearance, gait and accent, and petty social etiquette...

An heightened fear of humiliation and embarrassment, above concerns about long term friendships, relationships and welfare of relatives including children

A problems with abstract visualizing of logic patterns which involve thinking beyond superficial terms- best described by the saying "You can't see the wood for the trees"

The problem with this condition is it is not regarded as a psychological or psychiatric illness. It is more regarded as a "character" issue

On its own, this does not matter. But when ONE "PERSONALITY DISORDER" is considered a disorder, and people are given TREATMENT AND MIND ALTERING MEDICATION yet its OPPOSITE is NOT considered a "PERSONALITY DISORDER" this is a very DANGEROUS situation.

Whilst ADD and Aspergers have been associated with PSYCHOTIC disorders, which generally only result in death or injury when extreme paranoia arises from fear of the patient's altered state of consciousness, the symptoms of "Attention Surplus Disorder" can result in PSYCHOPATHIC OR SOCIOPATHIC behaviour..

Perhaps the most striking example of this problem is the issue was the publication of the book “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins. Dawkins has every right to say what he wants about peoples’ belief in God, I am not God, and whether or not believe or not in God , I believe that only God himself has the right to judge him.

He has had a working relationship with Dr James Watson, who whilst a brilliant scieintist, a man who I would describe as exhibiting CLASSIC symptoms of Attention Surplus Disorder. In the current “industrial era” economic system where the ADD afflicted are generally at a disadvantage , those ASD with have an advantage in a materialistic society, because materialism is a worldview that closely follows that of those with ASD.

But “delusion” is an incredibly dangerous term to use, as people with “delusions” are given MIND ALTERING MEDICATION.

Let’s say Dawkins is wrong, which mathematically (not to mention metaphysically) neither I can prove or he can prove otherwise with absolute certainty.

This means we have a situation which people are actually punished for their beliefs, which might be actually CORRECT and LOGICAL with proven mind control techniques! Medication is proven to change the workings of the mind, otherwise they wouldn’t prescribe it…

UK Political Scene Analysis June 2009

2009-06-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

with regard to elections , June 4th, 2009

The recent elections have been possible the most interesting in a century for a number of reasons. Whilst there has been some short term advance in the “small c” conservative caucus , the ideological make up of the UK has been remained, and still remains unchanged since the introduction of universal franchise. If nothing else, this goes to prove that democracy still works as well as it ever has.
Like any other industry, politics is a market with shifting demographics and customer demands, and parties tend to mirror the fate of other consumer brands.
The Labour Party brand has largely suffered due to bad positioning over the Iraq war issue. Pure and simply the leadership took one side and the supporters took the other. Activists and voters regard this behaviour as treason. The Liberal Democrats may have a smaller ship, but it is one of a seaworthy design. A TUC defection to Nick Clegg would quite easily pass a members’ ballot.
The Green Party represents very well current radical-left philosophy. Such progressive ideas as the welfare state was in the early 1900s are potentially workable- but are uncharted territory and would be hard to sell in the foreseeable future.
On the right, the ideological divisions that emerged in the Conservative party, and voter dissatisfictation over perceived failure to promote the national interest has grown in to the essentially spin-off UKIP. However, unlike the Lib/Lab situation they represent different markets as opposed to direct competitors – essentially corporatist and nationalist. The Conservative party potentially offers the best job and wealth creation chances, whilst UKIP provide the alternative of regional and local variation. The latter is an issue which has troubled many conservative minded people, particularly concerning community ventures such as pubs and post offices. Whilst the English Democrats represent an interesting concept in the light of the success of the SNP , there remains little to differentiate it from UKIP, and the possibility of full Scottish independence remains very real.
The prospect of the BNP gaining any real ground is slim, and whilst Sinn Fein did manage to adapt itself to mainstream politics, the BNP seem unwilling or unable to make more than cosmetic changes. Like Labour, it suffers from serious branding problems, and for similar reasons- but this time positioning during WW2 rather than Iraq. When this is confined with attitudes concerning ethnicity, attracting major financial backing or promising political talent will prove difficult if not impossible.
This leads on to the interesting debate over whether proportional representation should or will inevitably be introduced, likewise a directly elected president. Because of shifting voter demographics such as change in employment practise and social structures, for the foreseeable future it is going to be very difficult for a single party to obtain a parliamentary majority on its own. This is with the current electoral system, and yet it is of the utmost important to have a decisive and coherent government . The presidential system offers the distinct advantage here as a coalition is needed only on passing legislation, which can be done on a piecemeal basis.
Whilst a democratic system can be stable, like a religion, the time arises periodically when reformation is needed to preserve the core values that the institution was created to promote.
Non of the recent events are unprecedented. Mankind has yet to achieve the elusive dream of sustainable development, so when public goodwill and natural resources are exhausted by economic growth, the money will always dry up too and recession is the result. No developed nation nor many developing ones have escaped the global downturn. But a slump is a time when new ideas and enterprises are developed. Including political ones.

Letter to press: If our politicians didn't preach THEIR morality to US , maybe WE would forgive them their own lapses of judgement

2009-06-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

Sir,
Much has been made of the expenses scandal that has engulfed many of our MPs. This is actually nothing new as both public and private executives in general have claimed what their accountants have informed them was legal, whether ethical or not.
However, let's take a look at some of this governments moralistic policies. Consider the fox hunting ban. I abhor animal cruelty, but given the choice between being a fox chased by hounds and a battery chicken or a monkey undergoing vivisection, I think I'd rather be the fox.
Whilst smoking is proven to be bad for health, a great many people enjoy the taste of a cigarette or cigar with their beer or coffee- it is a social pleasure. If smoking areas are properly segregated and non-smokers are not forced to work in such, shouldn't the decision on smoking policy belong to the landlord alone?
Take a look at the "war on drugs". A quick stroll around the town centres on a weekend evening will reveal immediately what the most antisocial intoxicant is. If you don't consider verbal abuse, physical and sexual assault etc to be "mental", I'd like to ask what exactly is.
Similarly a prostitute offers a service and their client is willing to pay. Again, I abhor the abuse of women but find men who seek sex under the premise of romance far worse than kerb crawlers as people actually get hurt.
If only our politicians were prepared to offer a live and let live attitude, and our media were to support those politicians who do rather than lambast them as "soft" , I for one would have a lot more faith in the political process.

andy's random thoughts:

2009-05-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

andy's random thoughts:

perhaps the greatest example of quantum issues is the debate "is there a God"
is agnosticsm a requirement for human life to exist?

the debate runs as follows

there is a god

not there isn't

god made me

no he didn't

who did?

a scientific theory...

well God made that too

like most philosphers I find that very interesting, and what I have observed is the uncertainty of the eternal question is the very essence of free will and intelligence

and far from being a moral issue , we all have faith in something, and what you call sacred is no different to what anyone else is sacred

a mirror reflection is an identical but diametrically opposite view of the subject - male and female , yin and yang , birth and death etc.

the phrase "same difference" applies in any quantum arguement

essentially you reach the level of the duality that is reality......

the buddhist idea is not to align yourself too closely to either

and the from teachings of Christ to Dante's Inferno "the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality at at time of great moral crisis.

this is the agnostic dilemma....

how can "hell" be described most accurately?

worst pain?
emotional pain?
a guilty conscience?

a moral dilema?

leading to the quantum "justification : remorse" , and the resulting emotional rollercoaster

this may be necessary for the evolution of human consciouness
food for thought

this can provide our imagination as well , including our sleeping state.....

does the human mind require a degree of agnosticism, uncertainy , hopes and fears to be a human mind?

We might never have a society where everyone has equal wealth, but we can create one where all can have equal dignity!

2009-05-26T17:09:00.001-07:00

Today I had the pleasure of viewing the 1980 David Lynch film, The Elephant Man. This tells the true story of John Merrick, a young man with hideous deformaties rescued from a Victorian freak show by a caring surgeon. Behind the mask of disfigurement , a compassionate, artistic and intelligent man is revealed. A man who is in every respect a true human being.
Behind all the media stories of "soft touch" and "politically correct", the cruel truth is that in Britain today people are still punished for circumstances that are completely beyond their control, from birthplace and parentage to physical and mental ailment.
I don't believe, communists do, that it is possible or even desireable to make every person financially equal. But surely, in the 21st century our society can treat every single man and woman with equal dignity, and recognise that everyone has something to offer, even if it is only the opportunity to show our love.
Some politicians disagree. Are these surely not the ugliest of specimins? We can even help them too by not giving them our attention, instead allowing them space to grow up!

Letter to press : unfair prejudice by atheists.

2009-05-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

We write to complain about the harassment and discrimination against Christians, Moslems and Jews who are labelled by some as “deluded” for refuting the conclusion of Charles Darwin’s works . We find the idea that mankind represents the top of a pecking order an extremely dangerous concept, because many would consider it an arrogant and narcissistic boast. The concept that we have reached the summit through fighting each other replaces “right and wrong” with “week and strong”.

Man has been around for tens of thousands of years with intellectual capabilities equal to those of today’s population. Practically all cultures have held beliefs in an order of benevolent higher powers who reside “above” man. Is their a reason? Believers would strongly argue that our belief in a heavenly father or mother figure plays a crucial part in our ability to raise and relate to, and most importantly love our children. Could it just be that materialism had already been tested by an ancient civilization who abandoned it after rivalry, infidelity and apathy destroyed the family structure?

Like parenting, to evolve as a race human beings need a role model- and however real you may consider angels, do reality TV stars or anyone else for that matter offer Man a genuine step forwar

Social security thought experiment. If every citizen was to remain prepared and commited to work when required, would any citizen be required to work?

2009-05-14T01:06:00.001-07:00

A lot of government effort in countries with welfare systems is spent conscripting those recieving benefits into the labour force. Generally speaking, if the individual concerned is determined not to work, they will find a loophole that allows them to do just that.

Would it not make more sense to put the emphasis on finding work for those willing and able to do it.

And only demanding of those wishing not to work that they maintain or improve their chances of employment whilst not working. That is, those who do not wish to serve in the labour force, should volunteer themselves as reservists in the labour force.

This may include getting physically fit and getting sober. Learning and improving skills- it's a fact that in Britain foreign language skills are appaling for example. If the voluntarily unemployed man was to dedicate a portion of his free time to learning French, he would add considerable value to both himself and his country by opening up new possibilities.

In the UK, we currently have a situation of some people who do too much work, at the expense of their health, quality of life and family/relationships. And others who do very little at all - at the EXACTLY same cost to themselves and those around them! Neither situation is a healthy one.

Just think - if the idle man lifted his finger once in a while, the poor overworked soul could enjoy a holiday. I can think of many professions, especially the emergency services, where a shortened shift would produce better working conditions , client care and even save lives.

National Trades – a solution to the problem of long term unemployment and underemployment for the UK and worldwide.

2009-05-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

Has the idea of state-sponsored self employment been tried?

Judging from the popularity of TV shows such as The Apprentice, the world of business has a lot of appeal to those wanting- or needing- an adventurous, intelligent and flexible career.
The problem is that starting out in self employment is like leaving home. Especially if you’re new to the game it is a daunting if not frightening leap of faith to take. And this is precisely the issue.
You’re a teenager begging gas money from Mum, after a string of the financial disasters that befall the naïve young adult. Or you’ve spent the last decade on social security. Esteem, Self Confidence? Its ironic that catching “the bug” of business could provide people who are poorly motivated with not just a career but a life.
An ever popular feature of computer software is the “wizard” or “template”. Properly implemented, this can allow the novice user to produce basic but acceptable results with the minimum of experience or training. Here’s how it could work.
Commission a team of skilled management consultants to design a set of flexible generic franchises. This can be complimented by the creation of new legal business models concerning liability, control and ownership where necessary. . Franchises will tailor for a range of business models from sole tradesmen to a small business involving friends or relatives, and can make use of certain redundant business premises and equipment.
Pair established local businesspeople who are looking for a new challenge with prospective entrepreneurs. To make this a more attractive proposition, legislation and funding can reduce any liabilities that would likely deter mentors. Ensure social security will adequately cover the personal survival budget until the business is making enough profit to pay a wage, without the “apprentice” tradesperson accruing potentially crippling debt.
Essential to the success of this is a pre business course brushing up skills and qualifications of the actual job. Being that bit better and having papers to prove it can only increase confidence which will radically improve the chances of business success. To find out what life is like working for a similar business provides the sense of structure which the materially formless business plan does not show graphically itself.
Offer subsidised training towards industry recognised qualifications, work placements, and incentives to tradespersons who are prepared to offer training / support to start ups. If the latter is organised properly the new business will be seen as a potential ally as much as a rival.
After the franchise model has been chosen and appropriate pre-training complete mentors and entrepreneurs can draw up a business plan based upon a detailed interview to flesh out the franchise model with facts and figures. A subsidy could be provided to top up a mentor’s investment in the form of grants and cheap loans.
Essentially, ownership and control would pass from mentors to tradespersons. This would allow tradespersons to start working and making money as soon as possible. The trader would then have the option of owning and controlling more of the business themselves through “buying” some of it back from the mentor , as both experience and finances are amassed. Tradespersons could ultimately take full control themselves or remain in business with their mentors, should all concerned feel that is the most desirable option.
This would provide a guaranteed career path up the management ladder for all those with the commitment and ability. Starting with day to day bookkeeping, the businesspersons would get a feel for the administration of a business, working up to long term forecasting and decision making, eventually including tuning and changing the business model, market or structure.
In a recession, it is new business, rising up where the old ones have fallen, that provide the much vaunted shoots of recovery. Where there is any person who wants something made or done and is prepared to pay there is money.
The great strength of projects like this is they require very little initial outlay, they work with, and are operated by the community as opposed to grandiose state imposed projects. I have a strong belief that any human renaissance will rise up from street level as opposed to being sculpted by any great leader. Perhaps most importantly address the social mobility issue of those underemployed – i.e. in a job that does not utilise their potential talent or earning capacity – and those who have long forgotten what fulfilling work was like if they were lucky enough to have experience it at all.

Refugees - ignorance is NOT bliss!

2009-05-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

To what extent is immigration into the EU and US influenced by the practical need to "soak up" the displaced and expelled resulting from the foreign policy decisions of the West?

The reason I feel this question needs to be answered, is because despite this being very much a political hot potato, people including myself know very little about the international refugee scene. This is a shame because ignorance breeds hatred and social tension.

I can actually understand why a lot of stories of distinctly strange refugees could emanate from. That is, people who have been evacuated from a situation as part of a deal struck by the government, because their presence is seen as a source of friction locally.

This might include for example, police officers who served under an abdicated dictator.

Guerillas fighting for a pro-Western cause. Relevant in the "war on terror" and "war on drugs".

Ordinary families who have little interest in politics or war but regarded as "guilty by association"

Unfortunately, whilst there are relatively few "all out" open wars there are many "fronts" around the world. For example the UK / ROI has had "the troubles" and the issue is far from conclusively addressed. The Israel/Palestine issue is another famous "front"

Many such fronts have major power interests, sometimes rival superpowers are involved.

Several issues affect the resettlement of refugees. The problem with territories closer to home this is simply too close to the political problems that have unsettled them. And like a fire, the violence can spread, thus actually creating more refugees in the process. The country granting asylum, whether temporary or permanent, has to be rich enough to support both the refugee and the host without severe poverty. Whilst there will be inevitable tension between any settled and immigrant populations, when day to day survival is the issue, any such rivalry can be the fodder of genocide.

So why should the West care about this? War makes corpses, and diseases grow on corpses. War is in many wars best viewed as a disease, because it spreads in very much the same way.

Whether the war ever reaches the doorstep doesn't really matter. We live in a trade based global economy. Disruption to trade combined with spiraling miltary costs can be crippling.

We deserve to be told the truth about refugees and what has lead them to seek asylum in our countries. We wish to know what choices were available in the best interests of these human beings, our countries, their countries and the world.

The people of the West desperately needs to know about refugees as people not as statistics. If you believe that there are too many refugees, hating or ignoring the plight of those who for the most part ordinary people will not solve the problem. Understanding the issues that have caused people to seek refuge and working together as a civilized world to address them can only benefit all parties concerned.

The problem with taking a dog eat dog approach to life is that most dogs know better.

2009-05-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

The problem with taking a dog eat dog approach to life is that most dogs know better.

Many dogs live in huge houses rent free , put their skills to full use in the entertainment industry , and are escorted whilst exercising by human bodyguards. And they've earned it by being LOVED!

What can we learn from this?

A better industry in a better world. The trade unions of the future.

2009-05-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

Do we still need trade unions? The answer is yes. If you don’t know the chief executive of the organisation that you work on genuine Christian name terms, you need to join a union , simple as that..

But the world around us has changed tremendously since the early trade unions and the unions need to recognise this and adapt accordingly.

For a union to be most effective, it needs to take a firm stand where necessary yet be incredibly good mannered to all parties involved

Reason and principle, not bullying needs be the order of the day. This includes pressure to join a union or otherwise comply with it’s policies against one’s will.

If industrial action needs to be taken any disruption or disorder caused to the general public should be kept to the absolute minimum needed to make a point with the employer.

All forms of industrial action should be targeted only against those who are responsible for decisions concerning the cause of the industrial action. For instance, those striking in support of a dispute between their (or an allied) union and a different employer should be prepared to help their own management by reimbursing the costs of the strike, such as by working beyond the demands of their contracts.

There is a need to become flexible as to the working conditions , pay scales and methods that unions require their members and their employers to abide with. Every job is a different job , and a job will naturally undergo metamorphosis over time.. Pay scales need to recognise that some posts require greater skill and effort than others which have the same job description on paper.

A union must be prepared for the industry itself to shift itself in terms of size, culture and position in the marketplace. Concentrations and diversifications are required to match the viability and sustainability of any industry, and a union should not hamper either genuine or inevitable progress in the name of short term interest.

If an issue arises that see workers in one job put in a competitive situation with workers in another, it is important that the issue is resolved in a manner that causes the least damage to either party and the best chance of long term sustainability.

As far as possible a trade union, its members’ employers and the general public should work together in the interests of the industry, and particularly value the industry provides to society as a whole. If the industry is unethical in any way it is unsustainable.

Any union must respect the rights for alternative unions to exist. Issues that will divide union leaders and members will always exist. However a union should be prepared to fully cooperate with a rival should this be in the general interest of all concerned.

It is vital that a union works closely with the management to ensure real and fulfilling job opportunities exist to all those who can benefit the industry but might be overlooked due to prejudice. This includes the disabled and other minorities.
Unions must emphasise “trade pride” , where members put their integrity as tradesmen first and foremost in the workplace.

The union must take an internationalist outlook, as the interests of domestic and foreign works are not mutually exclusive. For those in the developed world, it is extremely worthwhile to champion the rights of colleagues in the developing world such as those related to pay and conditions. Reducing the differences in pay and conditions from region to region stems the flow of jobs to cheaper labour.

Priority should be given to ensuring that as many as possible are neither forced to leave an industry through inadequate finances and excessive costs, or forced to stay for the same reason.

All unions must fight for strong civil rights and civil liberties. A free and democratic society is essential for any form of arbitration process to operate. Fair representation to decision makers can only be guaranteed by a legal framework that is both established and respected. Totalitarian states do not offer any such guarantee.

There's only one pond , don't piss in it!

2009-05-13T18:04:00.001-07:00

A novel idea for a humerous government ad campaign that could be used to improve public behaviour . There's only one pond , don't piss in it!

In the UK at the moment there's a plethora of government advertisements in the media warning us about this that and the other.

A better approach to any responsible citizen's campaign, from enviromental protection to crime prevention, health and safety to race relations, is to entertainingly but honestly show how inconsiderate behavour has consequences for the life of those who commit it.

Whilst we can't be sure of quite what life will throw at us, what's important to remember is that the consequences of our decisions are of paramount importance to our continued wellbeing, and it really is a matter of "all for one, one for all"

Something that should be emphasised is how abuse of a liberty weekens that liberty, particularly a liberty that was hard fought for.

For instance , the story of how drunken and abusive youths caused the police to shut down the local off license, youthclub, nightclub or pub after a barage of compaints.

How racial / religious hatred caused lawyers and governments to restrict free speech, affecting impartial news, enjoyment of a free life in public and harder hitting styles of art, particularly humour.

The great thing about this approach is it doesn't say this is right, this is wrong , just consider these realistically possible consequences and make up your own mind.

This begs the question of our approach to the teaching of morality, instead of the use of "good" and "evil" , simply show actions and resulting consequences, and just how widely the powers of our decisions spread. History provides pretty much us with the plot for practically every possible illustration.

Conversely , the warm, ripple-like effect of courtesy can be demonstrated.

The idea that this is transposed to enviornmental pollution is very relevent. The green is going to have a lot more appeal than the "goody two shoes" in terms of popular role model visualisation.

A concentration on attempting to get Joe Public to follow the letter of the law will likely fail. Although the legal system is the best way to settle disputes in court, the law is contradictory , hypocritical and plain confusing. Nor is there or will ever be enough police officers, courts or correctional facilities to deal with anything approaching the majority of lawbreakers.

However accurate examples of why the law exists and persists can be woven in- the clue is not to say the law is right or wrong but to leave that decision to the citizen. And very importantly, if someone feels that the law isn't right, encourage them to put their brains to work on how the system could be made fairer, and to voice those proposals without fear of retribution.

www.positiveparty.blogspot.com

Letter to press : European Elections : Politicians attitudes and policies hopelessly out of date

2009-05-10T23:32:00.001-07:00

Letter to press : European Elections : Politicians attitudes and policies hopelessly out of date

Sir,
With the impending European elections , I'm somewhat saddened by the outdated and out of touch attitudes of shown by many of the parties standing. Since the decline of heavy industry several decades ago, the UK has carved out a niche as a trade based- or "shopkeeper" economy. Essentially, this involves buying from and selling to foreigners. Increasingly, this trade is involving Asia as opposed to Europe or the USA, reigions of vastly different cultures and ethnicities. No longer producing essential goods that no other country can provide, bad manners such racism and xenophobia will result in our clients going elsewhere, simple as that. We have to follow international trading rules to the dot because we lack sufficient bargaining power to change them.
There is, however, a potentially lucrative future in the innovation and creative sectors. The talent is certainly here! The problem we have again though is our whole society, from education to welfare, management structures to infrastucture is a throwback to these industrial "glory days" of ours that no longer exist. Particularly undervalued are the skills of senior citizens , women and the disabled. We have yet to exploit the sales potential of ethnic minorities in a world that has never been more multicultural. Formerly skilled workers languish in low paid jobs because retraining opportunities are woefully inadequate. At present we have an economy that literally turns its back on talent.
Politicians take note. We do not want tub-thumping. We demand a future!

Nannies for Poorly Mummies and Daddies

2009-05-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

Nannies for Poorly Mummies and Daddies

A couple who are wealthy and prefer the golf course and shopping mall to the kids get a nanny or boarding school to look after their offspring. A couple affected by sickness or disability have their children taken into care because they can’t cope. In my opinion this situation is completely unacceptable for the 21st century. Why should adults lose the right to love, sex , marriage and a family on the account of something that is entirely out of their hands? Why should children be deprived of the love of their birth parents?

We wish to start a charitable organisation to fund and encourage the provision of greater support for parents affected by physical or mental illnesses and disabilities. To provide legal, political and financial advocacy. To provide flexible schemes for part-time fostering as opposed to local authority care where needed. Lastly, the commissioning of suitable sheltered accommodation for parents with severe disabilities.

Disease and disabilities are a punishment in their own right. The truth beyond the tabloid headlines is that we have a society that still punish the sick further. It is to be remembered the huge amount of talent wasted, and needless pain caused in this country by prejudice against the disabled. You can change this. To achieve our aims, we need volunteers to organise , support and campaign. Please join us.

Will David Cameron have the guts to take on the UK's vested interests?

2009-04-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

Had I been old enough to understand and vote for a political party in 1997, I would have likely chosen Mrs Thatcher's Conservatives. The idea that both British industry and culture had become stale and outdated and was in need of competition was very relavent. The problem that has materialised since is in the course of the "weeding out" process , just about everything was pulled up except for the weeds! The oaks of honest innovators were subsequently choked by the nettles of aggressive manipulators. A good example of this is the entrepreneur who makes a "quick buck" on a stolen idea - by not giving the inventor his dues the business has been deprived of a talent and the market deprived of improved design.
The problem with individualism is that a single isolated human is a Chimpanzee in all but name. The only real difference between the species is the improved communication abilities of the Homo Sapien - our ablities to play as a team. Non of The Beatles were virtuoso musicians or vocalists , yet they are probably the musical group best known in recent history. Any musician will know that the perfect playing partners are those who complement each other, rather than conflict , and this does necessarily reflect the skill or experience of the players. What the economic policies of the Thatcher / Reagan era have created is amazing soloists who find extreme difficulties performing as an orchestra.
For the Conservative party to regain power as a truly effective government it is going to have to make the distinction between the true competitors who can rebuild our country , the vested interests and the sheer bullies.
David Cameron faces a very tough choice. He can take a stand against the "established" forces and make many political enemies in the process, the alternative is to pursue policies identical to those of the present government.

My faith in 2009

2009-04-26T16:40:00.001-07:00

Over the past few years I've rediscovered my Christian faith. Suffering from a mental illness, I've realised that doctors can only do so much and can't mend a troubled soul or a broken heart. Only belief can repair that damage- as only true repentence can provide the clear conscience necessary for self-esteem.

The problem I've found with the "Christian" political lobby has been all these "though shall not do this, thou shall not do that" etc. I would consider this mental clutter that we seriously don't need. All we need is to treat each other with respect, simple as that.

Two things have emerged from my life. One is that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

Put a gun to a man's head and you can make him do anything except change his mind. What this does mean is that all forms of trying to force a man made moral code onto the population will produce the opposite effects. Thus CONSERVATISM is as every bit flawed as COMMUNISM.

You can make really tough laws with really tough punishments but all you achieve is a NON FREE as opposed to a CRIME FREE society.

Other than teaching an offender a genuine lesson, all forms of punishment are pointless. Why? Well what goes around comes around. I've never understood why people can take gravity as scientific fact, yet the idea of karma as somehow "wishy washy" hippy stuff. Brainwaves follow the laws of physics, and every action is of course matched by an equal and opposite reaction.

Adam and Eve's theft of the apple from God was the original act of arrogance. Man thought he could keep secrets from his creator- that he could outwit , outhink , ever out-moral Him. And every year that has passed since then Man his been proved wrong and God proved right.

So they'll come a time in everybody's life when they realise this. The time when people realise that everything they steal will be stolen from them- and stop stealing.

Gone is the need to worry about percieved injustices, because you will be safe in the knowledge than all sin will be turned around upon those who inflict it.

And you will cease to fear death, because you know that time is eternal - only now . You will meet, earn the respect, and the spiritual protection of , many like minded people of the Christian and other faiths. They will cease to have religions, nationalities, races, classes , languages and become simply brothers and sisters to you.

You will learn how to apply your minds to being architechts of paradise, and a paradise that will be a paradise to ALL!

"my religion is kindness" The Dalai Lama

You will learn how to coverse with the greatest ever spiritual leaders both incarnated as human form an those as heavenly dieties.

You will lose fear of the occult, and will face up to areas of "darkness" in your heart that allow you to become scared and suggestable.

You would expect nearly all top scientists to be "sceptical" atheists - in fact most accept that they are yet undiscovered and unmeasurable scientific forces that act on living beings - forces refered to by practically every religion since the earliest days of mankind. Whether you choose to see this "mysterious" energy and matter as related to angels , planets or sub-atomic particals is essentially a matter of terminology. Whether you're looking at Adam and Eve or Jesus and Mary you're looking at the divine masculine and the divine feminine - which relate to the north and south magnetic poles. A major problem with western society is the lack of emphasis on female deities. The "Mary" figure is very important in male emotional development - as a mother, sister, daughter and wife as one - the ultimate in an "initimate" figure. To me Mary take away the "aggressive" side of male-female love - the lusting , the domination , the posessiveness etc. This enables a man to be considerate in his treament of the opposite sex.

Those who find revulsion at any consensual sexual practise are ashamed of something in themselves. The high level of sales of pornography show how many people are sexually repressed rather than liberated. Pornography no longer arouses me whatsoever- and yes I'm a man in a monogomous sexual relationship with my wife. In fact I've watched some very unnatural sexual practises on video and would have found them very amusing but for a dislike of animal cruelty.

And yes I do have morals. I feel sadness too when a child is abducted or abused. But sometimes I wonder how a lot of time is given to a missing child presumed snatched by a lone psychopath when in times of WAR the RAPE, MAIMING and MURDER or children is COMMONPLACE. In peace time a song and dance is made about a "psycho killer" , in war that sort of behaviour is unfortunately ENCOURAGED, if not by our own side then by the other army. And it takes two to tango.

The big problem with religious fundementalists is they're hung up with moral scruples, due to being attentitively brought up by with a man made moral code which is incredibly inconsistant. This causes them to associate the most "normal" people, or those who measure up to the current power elite's idea of "normal" with virtuosity, and those who "deviate" with vice. This sort of society causes people to become very two-faced, as essentially the only way to achieve wealth or pleasure is by bending this or that rule and not getting caught out. Thus you have a "greasy pole" with the best cheats at the top and the embittered losers at the bottom.

Those who associate Christianity, Judaism or Islam with "old fashioned" values miss the point. This moral golden age of yesteryear didn't exist.Yes, I was happier as a child because I didn't know about certain seedier aspects of humanity but it didn't mean I was innocent - as I was ignorant too. What I am learning though about childhood is rediscovering a world where anything is possible - before all the "grading" and "sorting" and "imparting" has been done. A child thinks he's the most important person in the world. A teenager thinks someone else is. An adult realises that no-one is more important or less important than themselves.

white lies

2009-04-15T05:33:00.001-07:00

One thing that was a constant source of tension between myself and my family was my struggle to put on different "faces" for different people, friends, potential girlfriends, employers etc. I find this VERY difficult, yet I'm seen by some in my family as "wrong" and "stupid" for my inability to do this! A shame, as attitudes towards my mental illnesses have driven me apart from a family who I love and who love me! I feel that it's a shame that I'd regard myself as intelligent and caring with few enemies but I'm not acceptable to "middle class" values due to difficulties telling "white lies".

Wonderful news this Easter!!

2009-04-12T03:44:00.000-07:00

Just been watching some childrens' programs with my wife. There's something really magical about the world of children. Kids tend to believe that ANYTHING is possible. Kids have imagination, imaginary friends etc. I always feel that it's something of a shame that these qualities are looked upon as immature by adults. Actually believing that the world around you and your family is the most important in the world is not necessarily a bad thing - should we believe that we're lesser beings than the rich and powerful and that we are completely powerless to change the world? I think not.

Easter in both the Christian and pre-Christian forms is about birth. New blood, new ideas, new life. If crucifiction is the "crossing out" of the tired old ways, cyncism, boredom, jealousy, fear etc, then resurrection is about the rebirth of the "child like" sense of innocent love , creativity and new possibilities. I really felt this morning that the Christ had been reborn in me. I'm not jealous that I don't have children of my own - I felt the emotion, there's nothing wrong with feeling any emotion, negative or positive, shared it, released it and - poof - it was gone! I remembered that the "virgin" man (i.e. the man with no children) can be father to every boy and girl in the world!

Well, as far as I'm concerned I'm gonna get my new venture, an IT business which will be profit making yet socially concious - off the ground , whether the world around me collapses or not. This isn't selfish or uncaring. It's a realisation that no-one but God can stand in my path, and I'm not going to be a slave to depression, low self esteem, ill health or any other matter of circumstance.

Though I've had considerable success in the business and creative worlds in a none financial sense, I now see that there's no reason why I shouldn't make money. I realise that being economicly "self sufficient" means a lot to my mother and sister - but I want to do this for ME. I can prove those who think that I'm a loser wrong - not out of spite or revenge, but to prove to MYSELF that anything is possible. And to show to them that I understand THEIR worldview and that though it's very different to my own, its not "inferior" or "superior" to my own. There's no reason that life has to be excusively travelled along a single path - after all there's many ways of spiritual development.

We don't have to be at war over our ideas and philosophies - and neither party has to feel that we are wrong. The game of life can be a game that everyone can win. In my life, I feel that "the war" is coming to an end and an era of peace is dawning. I've always liked the Chinese proverb that peace in the mind brings peace in the household brings peace in the village brings peace in the country brings peace in the world.

Andy in the East Anglian Daily Times

2009-04-11T15:45:00.001-07:00

bias against mature students holding back the economy!

2009-04-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

Consider a mother who gave birth as a teenager, whether single or with a partner. Then consider the youth who fell out of the education system due to a problem with drugs, petty crime or truancy. What about the “late developer”, who like Albert Einstein, had a burning desire to learn but was behind his peer group at school for academic subjects. Lastly, think about the young person who had career ambitions that, whilst useful and legitimate, did not tally with their parents’ plans.
Welcome to the world of low paid dead end jobs, with little hope of escape!
Much has been made in the past over the introduction of “top-up” tuition fees for university courses. However these costs are fixed regardless of age or circumstances. Living costs for students are not. Mature students, particularly parents face bills for “personal survival” of several times those for an 18-year-old living with mum and dad.
Not long ago, my band played at an Amnesty International charity gig at the University of Essex. Whilst we were not breaking the law or causing a nuisance, porters called the police because, as scruffily dressed men in middle age, we “did not look like students”. Does this not say something about the rarity of mature students- whose life experiences enrich those studying for a degree with them? It’s not that surprising when an unemployed person loses his or her unemployment, incapacity and housing benefit when starting college- on the grounds that they are able to work but not looking for it. The attitude that studying for a degree is not looking for work is appalling. Almost unbelievably, parents income is taking into account when applying for a student grant, despite the applicant being over 18- essentially limiting degree-level education to courses that coincide with the desires of the student’s parents.
I’d like to ask politicians how many of Britain’s brains are under-utilised due to these seemingly archaic rules. The state of the economy suggests that this figure is astonishingly high.

Scepticism not Islam or Humanism is the biggest threat to Christianity

2009-04-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

Scepticism not Islam or Humanism is the biggest threat to Christianity

The biggest threat to Christianity in the UK, Europe and the world comes from the religion of scepticism or materialism. Communism, Fascism and heretical religion such as Calvinism/Puritanism/Islamic Fundementalism/Zionism are all based on belief in death rather than eternal life. Of the power of fear rather than love. Love brings peace, prosperity and freedom. Art and humour. Sex. Creation. Evolution. Fear brings jealousy, war , hate , recession , bigotry.
What's the point of a competition where you win by being beastly to each other, then the game is over and everyone loses and no-one wins. The "cheats" feel guilty and the "losers" feel victims of injustice.
The overwhelming majority of Christian, Jewish and Muslim followers in this country realise this- and we're coming together to promote an existance full of meaning and purpose. Respect for our fellow brothers and sisters, not petty and hypocritical rules. The most successful businesses improve the standards of the game, better for staff, better for clients, better for the environment. The same is true for politics, law , medicine, sciene, art, sport, anything..
It's really sad that spiritual awakenings are now regarded as psychosis- quick thinkers are deemed "high IQ" whilst deep thinkers are deemed "schizophrenic". Yes, during this stage of metamorphasis people can need to be kept in a safe place for the safety of themselves and others. Would you want to be in a room with the guy who channelled The Book Of Revalations! However it seems that once your prescribed drugs for psychosis, rather than reducing the dose, it's a cumilative thing and you are never taken off them, however your progress. Obviously there's rather a lot of money in this- how come these guys are never got at by the media as opposed to street heroin dealers etc. Heroin addicts seem more awake and generally together than those on antipsychotics. And you write about these things and nobody cares.
Abandoning scepticism and a belief in the positive could only benefit the world. From my own experience, the more that the sceptics move ahead in controlling the thought processes through politics, the media etc the more we get recessions and wars.