The Thatcher Years and Me

Margaret Thatcher has died today. I grew up in the Thatcher years being then around 12 years old when she was elected, I was rapidly approaching my mid twenties when she was ousted ... by her own political party. 

In my early childhood days I was probably a little bit oblivious to it all though it my early teens it was evident musicians at the time had a strong dislike for her (Billy Bragg, The Specials etc) as did many of the comedians on tv, Ben Elton immediately springs to mind. There is no denying Thatcher is a cultural icon of the 1980s but maybe not in a good way. I'll always recall Rik Mayall's anti Thatcher quips on The Young Ones.

My family were working class and had mixed fortunes during the Thatcher years, I'd say they steadily improved but that was through the hard work of my parents and not the successive Thatcher governments. I called in to see my dad today and asked him what he thought of the Thatcher years, he replied flatly 'Our mortgage doubled in cost'.

Reflecting back I can only convey here what I really remember and that was leaving school and going on the YTS (Youth Training Scheme) as my parents couldn't afford to finance me staying on at school or going to college. The YTS of course was very low paid labour but fortunately I managed to get on a scheme working with computers which was more training than work. It soon became evident that promises of a job through the scheme were merely transparent, I became restless, somewhat rebellious (I was still young and naive) and left the scheme to join another hopeless one. Fortunately during this time my parents didn't charge me board and lodgings, stating they wanted me to get used to having some money of my own and encouraged me to save and budget for my own clothing etc. The YTS scheme was in reality smoke and mirrors exercise, few gained jobs from it, though I do know people that did, however its main purpose was to lower unemployment figures.

Later of course, when I'd got a relatively low paid factory job the Poll Tax (also known as the community charge) came into effect and I saw my earnings plummet to pay some stupid tax even though I was still living with my parents. I refused to pay, as did hundreds of thousands of others and rioting occurred in some towns. I went to court and stood there with scores of others who'd refused. It was either pay or face the consequences so many of us agreed to pay the bare minimum. Soon after it was replaced and Thatchers reign ended.

Of course I recall other instances throughout her time as Prime Minister. The Falklands war in which a nation suddenly realised we had tiny islands thousands of miles away even though hardly anyone had heard of them beforehand. At the time I was probably patriotic and I remember the vivid images of sinking ships, burnt soldiers and the news reports on tv. I also recall riots in London and Bristol in deprived areas. I remember the miners strike and being spat at whilst leaving school and called a 'scab' by Yorkshire miners who had come to picket Crown Farm colliery mine and were encamped in a nearby pub before causing chaos. I wasn't the son of a miner but both my grandparents were miners so I have a mining background and I'm proud of it too. Thatcher divided Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire miners, a rift that is still apparent today. The epilogue to the strike was the unions were crushed (always a plan of Thatcher) and whole towns and communities were ruined. Nottinghamshire miners were favoured short term by the Thatcher government but in time their mines became no more and the local miners although receiving a period of prosperity followed by good pay off's found that getting work after was very difficult. The end of the mines saw the town where I used to live wither and slowly die, after the mines went other industries toppled and promises of cash injections never really appeared. A once thriving happy town seemingly capitulated, I witnessed its death, it affected me, I was there, it should have never have happened. Before the miners strike there always seemed to be work even low paid work, after it declined rapidly.

Can I say anything good about Thatcher? A strong leader or bully? All I can say is I liked the way she stood up to Europe and the then early makings of the European Union, that's about it really. Its fair to say life in the Thatcher years wasn't all bad, as a family we slowly prospered though I know my parents had periodic tough times. I recall the era well probably because as Thatcher came to power I was reaching that age where I took more notice, went to school, left school, struggled to find work and saw many social changes and influences. The Thatcher years will be always etched on my mind and shape how I think today.

In closing I don't think her legacy is a good one, though many will argue otherwise. She encouraged privatisation and private health. She divided communities and further widened the north-south divide. She crushed unions without mercy and destroyed what they'd spent years achieving. Manufacturing went to cheaper firms abroad. The coal mining industry was laid to waste. Deregulation of banks, social unrest, VAT from 8% to 17.5% etc etc, I could go on.

She died today in the Ritz Hotel where of course only the rich can afford to die in.

Evictions Begin

So the Occupy London group has been evicted with little violence and a few arrests and now the Occupy camp nearest to me in Nottingham braces itself for impending eviction, though it vows to remain. I've often passed the Nottingham one that's tucked away in the Market Square, I sometimes stopped to read pamphlets or posters and I agree with their plight and what they stand for.

On reading the BBC coverage on the story today and then moving on to the comments section someone stated 'The simple fact people needed to protest against corporate greed is a damning indictment on this governments policies.' That statement really says it all yet the irony is the protest would only ever be tolerated for so long, even though it was peaceful.

The local Nottingham bunch seem resolute but I suspect their fate will be the same. I found it interesting on a local website that the Nottingham lads had done their research on who owns the Market Square land. They say it was gifted to the people of Nottingham but the council recently changed legislation, though it's better explained if you watch the short video on this link. In total contrast to the report on the news in London the Nottingham protesters mention their support from local businesses around the square. Evidently shops and corporate elements in London are breathing a sigh of relief, no shocks there then.

I hope the Occupy protests go on despite a large amount of the populace not giving a damn. Democracy in this country is a fickle beast.

Photo used is from Nottingham Indymedia website and is of the Nottingham Occupy camp.

Greece

It's really sad to see what's happening in Greece and the burden they now have after the latest bail out. Greece is such a beautiful nation steeped in history and culture, my heart really goes out to them and the average Greek person that is having to suffer this latest set back due to the financial situation. Greece and Greek people, my thoughts are with you.

Immigration - My Thoughts.

Before I begin, I feel with this blog I am about to type that I need to put some form of disclaimer beforehand that I'm not racist, fascist or member of the BNP or EDL etc. My godfather (though I wasn't christened I must add) is an Afro-Caribbean gentleman and I grew up in a family that embraced foreign people and the multicultural society we've had for decades. However sadly it's not the done thing to talk about foreign people or immigration these days, people get uneasy or angry about it and most generally want to avoid such conversations, unless it is something that suddenly affects them of course. We've become a 'bite your lip' nation mostly when it comes to talking about such matters, even the political aspects of it.

It occurred to me this morning whilst paying my last council tax instalment 'Do we really know how many Eastern Europeans are actually here in the UK?'. The notion was instigated by an Eastern European man in the queue asking in broken English 'Please, give me form for council house?'.

I must confess I felt uneasy at this because I believe (and I hope) that preferential treatment should always be given to British nationals for that sort of accommodation. Usually such schemes go on points and rightly so but it left me wondering just how easy it actually is for foreign people to get into British council housing? Only today reports have been released that indicate immigrants do take British jobs. I'm sure the report is valid, though I don't read the actual paper the headline was in. Migration Watch the none political website also ran an article on the 9th of this month saying youth unemployment and immigration are more than a coincidence. All said and done I'd hope British people are always put before foreign applicants, even if they are unemployed. Recent reports have said there is a real shortage of council accommodation and unfortunately we always have a supply of single mums or old people here needing it despite peoples opinions on it and we should look after our own first.

Most British people actually feel there are too many foreign people here, especially Eastern European and they'll quietly say so. This doesn't mean they are racist because most of those people will actually know Indian or Afro Caribbean people either as friends or in the work place or even just to exchange small talk with down the local curry house or takeaway.

Before I go into where I actually stand on it politically and personally, I think a paraphrased history lesson is in order to better understand my viewpoint and understanding of our British multicultural society.

Post world war two we welcomed many Free Polish people that had gallantly fought either in the British army or as part of the free Polish forces. These Polish people settled into British life, in some cases married British partners and worked in industry, in my area it was the coal mines they worked in mostly. They integrated into British life and became British citizens whilst still retaining their culture. Over the next few decades that Polish population grew slightly as some escaped the Iron curtain and made their way to Britain. You'd see Polish working mens clubs back when I was young or even Ukrainian clubs of the same nature but that generation of Eastern European very much settled into the English way of life and culture, were hard working and an asset to the country and more importantly 'integrated'.

In the 1950s Britain of course there was a post war man power shortage and people were invited from within the commonwealth to come and work here, especially in the cities where there was a shortage of labour. Many did come, they settled and they became proud citizens, adopting their new country but also bringing their culture with them, in time multicultural Britain flourished and was welcomed by most of the native population. I love the fact this country has a fusion of different cultures, that we have our Indian and Chinese cuisine, fantastic foreign doctors and health workers and many others too numerous to mention.

Its with some irony that generations down the line immigrants that settled here long ago and integrated are also against the mass influx of Eastern Europeans.

Coming back to the present day influx. Are East Europeans actually to blame? Of course not, they want better pay and gainful employment and most of course have a strong work ethic.

So what are my objections and problems with it?

Firstly the new wave of incoming Eastern Europeans don't mix very well like past generations did. They open Polish food shops and generally stick to their own, I don't see how such shops benefit our economy, they only import food stuff to serve the local Eastern Europeans. You rarely see Eastern European people mixing in our communal society, it's become a 'them and us' mentality, they should ideally take heed from those that settled here generations ago. This brings me to the point the new influx are kind of here in a mercenary capacity if you'll excuse the phrase. This is because they are getting used to the system here and it's benefits, especially health care, welfare and housing. That said we have mercenaries of our own, landlords that charge high rents for small houses that many are forced to share. This of course has led to a shortfall in our own private housing and increased rents before of greedy British landlords, so our own suffer as well as foreigners being ripped off in many cases.

It all boils down to the money at the end of the day, that's the sad thing. They come here, earn money and many send it home or go back home with some, which again isn't putting into our economy. The fact many have come here and will work for low wages has undercut British workers and tradesmen, that's why wages have fell and living standards dropped. Nobody bothers with local green grocers anymore, they go to 'poundstretchers' or supermarkets instead but I'm not blaming that on migrants (though they do like their Poundstretchers). Our own Employment agencies actively work with representatives in countries such as Poland to bring foreign work in, locally here its in warehouse, factory or farm work. Again, this is a political issue that should be addressed because the government should be monitoring this more and be actively involved with placing our own people, especially youngsters in such employment whether they moan about it or not because back in the day you worked regardless, you never really could pick and choose unless you were well educated or from a privileged background.

My view is really simple. I think the government knows there are real problems facing communities and services due to the influx of Eastern Europeans. Mr Cameron if you don't believe me try getting an appointment at a local doctors surgery then when you manage it take not on how many immigrants are there when you're sat waiting. Smaller provincial towns such as my own are awash with Eastern Europeans, whilst in a mobile phone shop the other day I was (beside the staff) the only English speaking person in there. This does of course feel odd at times, oddly enough had there been Afro-Caribbean or Indian people sat near me speaking English I wouldn't have given it a second thought. A friend recently once told me her town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire has been nicknamed 'Wizbeckistan' by the locals, you don't need to muse why.

In the past I worked with homeless people in Nottingham, many of which were Eastern Europeans. Most of them had come to England to avoid problems back home for reasons mostly known to themselves though we did know many were on the run from authorities and were now leading life's of petty crime and begging on the streets of the city. Some of course had come expecting a better life, it wasn't so and so they lapsed into drinking and again, petty crime. The benefit system here doesn't usually pay out until Eastern Europeans have worked for a year and paid in, so things can often go wrong if they suddenly end up without employment. The sad thing was that most of the men I dealt with were 40+ years of age, spoke almost no English and had come here expecting to walk into a job regardless, the reality was different, this country has its own problems and people of their age weren't as employable, so began a descent into drink and desperation rather than go back and face the authorities or tell their family they had failed, such is the social stigma in Poland I am led to believe. So the above said, I can speak with some knowledge of how immigration doesn't work and needs to be monitored more because bluntly speaking we have many that simply shouldn't be here or our responsibility. It was only a few weeks ago that someone I once worked with, an elderly Polish gentlemen dropped dead outside McDonalds in Nottingham, friendless, cold, bereft of money and made to beg for others by his own countrymen. A thoroughly sad end to a life.

So, do I think there are too many Eastern Europeans here? Well that's a resounding yes, it's not their fault but the governments fault for letting too many in and buying into European dictated legislation etc. That said it's almost like the new wave of them don't actually give a damn for Great Britain as a nation and what it's about, they want to earn cash, keep to themselves and that's as far as their minds go. I for one on going abroad at least like to absorb as much of their culture as I can. I've seen Eastern Europeans get aggressive in a few instances in the past, once I was pushed away from an ATM machine in town by two Eastern European gents and couldn't do anything about it, though to be fair English people could have done the same but some immigrants do have a belligerent nature, possibly because they aren't at home so don't have to worry so much but maybe some is down to apprehension, cultural differences and the whole being 'en guard' in a strange place. I dunno really but it's there to be seen.

Am I racist? Well those who know me can see the answer to that or read it within this blog. I love the fact we have a multicultural society and generally are a very tolerant country compared to others. It's amazing that due to foreign doctors and specialists that the national health is so good and helps so many. I think it's great foreign students come here to study and take back a little bit of Great Britain with them and I feel proud of our multicultural heritage over the last few decades though some would argue it's a legacy brought upon us by our grand imperial days of the empire. There's some irony to the fact that most third world or Indian countries still see Britain as a mythical land of greatness and want to become 'British', you see them talking about it on tv, especially fleeing migrants or impoverished people with dreams of a better life. The same I feel cannot be said for many of the new wave of Eastern Europeans because if that was the case they'd be making more effort.

When I walk through the cities and towns of England now and hear so many foreign accents I wonder if we are losing our own 'British culture', have we sunk into an apathy of not fighting for our own, or our own jobs? Have we become more materialistic and less hard working (probably) and thus more immigrants coming here was inevitable? I can't help seeing stark contrasts between say 15 years ago and the present day and come to the conclusion the government has let us down and we've lost our initiative work wise. The new thing in the high street seems to be lots of salons full of Chinese people painting fingernails cheaply, why didn't we think of this or would we even want to do it? You really can't fault immigrants for being industrious in some ways but the bottom line is, with rising population and unemployment the government should be looking inwards towards our own, finding new employment initiatives and even encouraging apprenticeships that once was. If it all goes wrong then we only have ourselves to blame. Sadly the phrase 'Britain, the workshop of the world' will never be commonplace again, probably because immigration aside we readily give contracts out to foreign companies.

Anything in moderation is good but I honestly feel there are too many immigrants in this country now, and as I have said above, some without purpose and a good few taking jobs we should be making our own people do. Instead of a Polish lads doing a cheap car wash down the road it should be our own youngsters taking the initiative but I doubt that will happen because it again goes back to a sense of national apathy to a degree that we seem to have cultivated. I'm not leaning towards slating benefits here because many of us have used state benefits in the past either between jobs or because of ill health. It just seems to me the government and indeed past governments are largely out of touch with the changing social landscape and problems of this country, problems which I think that unchecked immigration are only compounding.

I sincerely hope that the foreign friends I have and cherish that work and reside here see my points above and think along the lines of their own nationalistic thoughts, own government faults or personal viewpoints and respect mine.

Britain Will Prevail

So the latest Euro summit is over and the media say Britain stands alone. I'll admit I'm not into financial and monetary stuff, I try to follow it as best I can and grasp its complexities but I do know this, from what I read and see - the Euro seemingly isn't working. When ever I've been abroad the locals always seem disenfranchised with the Euro, it has raised prices and the cost of living they say.

I'll also say I'm not a Conservative but I'm just happy Cameron said No and used his veto at the summit to hopefully protect our interests. I don't want the Euro, I want my bank notes and coins with the Queens head on it, why? Because I'm a patriot and I love my country, for all its rich history, for its beautiful places but most of all for the British people who despite their odd faults and quirks are genuinely warm, caring and accepting.

We stood alone a few decades ago when shadows over Europe loomed, we were alone then and by great valour, courage and determination Great Britain prevailed !

Scotland Alone?

Alex Salmond the first Scottish minister and leader of the SNP keeps banging on about Scottish independence in the news. Whilst I admire his patriotism I can also see his evident stupidity. Both our countries have been intertwined for hundreds of years now both culturally and financially and whilst I respect the Scot's for being a traditional folk, probably more so than us English my feeling is they'd have a hard time on their own. Mr Salmond bangs the patriotic drum about power being at Westminster but as we all know Scotland makes many decisions alone and has its own parliament. Whilst he points to the fact we are cutting Scottish spending and creaming north sea oil revenue he negates such facts as massive benefit and health subsidies for Scotland that they receive.

If Scotland went solo it'd soon feel the pinch, you don't have to be a wizard to do the maths, less people thus less tax and a whole myriad of other problems they'd come up against not being in a union. Personally I'm indifferent, if Scotland went it alone I'm sure the government would have less to worry about and more money to hand. Most people see Scotland as some picture postcard country with idyllic vistas and quaint villages, well let me tell you I've seen some parts of Glasgow that I'd never want to see again for health and personal safety reasons. On visiting my ex girlfriends village a few years back I'd not want to ever go there again, kids riding around on roofs of cars and rampant alcoholism, Scotland like anywhere else is not without it's own problems.

I like the Scots, in my experience they are warm genuine and very proud people but they are part of this island too and I genuinely think our futures lay together for obvious mutual benefit.

Jobs

I'm not really an Apple person but nobody can deny the passing of Steve Jobs of Apple is a loss to the technology industry, particularly as he was one if its great pioneers. I first came into contact with an Apple computer on leaving school when I got to use an Apple Lisa computer where I once worked and it was ahead of its time. I also used to read the gaming/computer press back then and look in envy at some of the Apple games. I'm not really into the latest Apple stuff but I see how visionary some of it is and of course Steve Jobs is responsible for some of that.

This video clip of him talking about life and death is particularly inspirational.

Trouble Ahead?

I popped into my local pub this morning for a coffee and to see if my letter had been published in the area newspaper (see blog below). In no time the staff pointed out an article about a newly formed local wing of the EDL (English Defence League for those reading overseas). The EDL is a right wing nationalist organisation that is gaining some degree of popularity so I guess it was only a matter of time before my sleepy little town had its own collection of motley bigots.

The staff also told me that a shopkeeper in the convenience store on the next road to me had been attacked the previous evening after a group of EDL supporters had been in my local beforehand, what a coincidence! The owners of the shop are probably of Iranian or Turkish origin, or from that part of the world and when I pop in they've always been very polite and helpful, they speak excellent English and the shop is well stocked and set out.

In the local paper the newly formed local EDL are stating the aren't against multiculturalism but don't want sharia law or islam rising within the town. To my knowledge there are virtually almost no Muslims within my small town population wise. Whilst I am no fan of Islam in a religious context I've nothing against people who come from Islamic regions of the world as long as they aren't fanatical about their beliefs. If we have a large group of foreign people within the town then it is East Europeans and though I personally do think there are too many over here again I have nothing against them as people, I just think it is a political issue and past and present governments have let us down on immigration and the numbers let into Britain. I love the fact we are a multicultural nation and we have cultures that have influenced us over generations, after all where would we be without a good curry house or Chinese takeaway?

In the article it mentions an EDL march of some sort in the near future but no date is given, in fact it's all very vague on their part, I wonder why? Perhaps they don't want any opposition when they parade. I hope it remains vague and they never really get organised. Nearly all of the local population here would agree with me and say this sort of thing isn't wanted here and my own view is if you have strong nationalistic views then be legitimate with them and follow a political route with relevant dialogue, not that it really did the British National Party any good in the past election. My own view is that there are problems within society and multiculturalism, especially in some areas of the country and its only recently David Cameron has commented upon this contentious subject. There's nothing wrong in being proud of your country and having opinions especially in these problematic days but lets be quintessentially British here and show that we can be calm and sensible about such matters without resorting to violence and racism, there's positive patriotism and negative and we certainly don't need the latter.

No Surprise

It came as no surprise that a letter I sent to my local paper wasn't published. I suspect they thought it was controversial and didn't want to rock the boat with their christian readership. I certainly didn't pull any punches with it because I wanted to be as direct as possible, so here's the letter below.

'Editor

I write this email in regard to last week’s Newark Advertiser dated 30^th June which had an article on page 32 called ‘Credo’ written by Pastor Carl Meachem of the Newark Evangelical Church.

The article states the church ‘plays a vital role’ but very speedily launches into religious rhetoric and quotations from a book that is ambiguous in factual content at best. I fail to see how any article littered with biblical quotes and comparisons for example ‘the church is the body of Christ’ really conveys to a reader of a ‘news’ paper. Personally in a secular society I do not think we need to see this kind of article within a local publication, should anyone want to read or hear religious ramblings then they can of course go to church.

Mr Meachem closes with the point of ‘around the world we hear of Christianity’s rapid growth’. All I can say to this is that here in Europe it is in fact on the decline as people adopt a more sensible, pragmatic and humanistic way of life. I would also like to mention that people don’t want to hear Mr Meachem’s religious rants in public, I refer to his occasional appearances on the corner of Bridge Street/Market place in which we are force fed words written by ignorant old men long ago. Modern society needs optimism and common sense and not someone wailing to us as we shop that we are ‘doomed sinners’ etc. '

Yours .......

Again in this weeks edition we have more christian fervour and rhetoric, christ is coming back etc, this time by a baptist minister. We have so many different types of believers locally all trying to sell their own take on the bible but none in my view are more odious than the local Jehovah's Witnesses or the fanatical Evangelicals. These are the sort I am vehemently against as they are committed to bringing biblical bullshit to the streets and doorsteps and if they had their way we would all be thrall's to their misguided beliefs.

In closing if you are reading this Pastor Carl Meachem I'd just like to point out to you that its been in the news this week that christian bookshops around the UK are closing rapidly which totally contradicts your claim that christianity is booming once more - religion is hopefully in permanent recession.

Tv Of The Month

It's not been a bad month for tv really. The Apprentice has been in full swing on BBC1, Wednesday 9pm. The thing is, I feel the Apprentice is becoming tired and formulaic. There's only so many times panoramic camera views of London (especially the Gherkin building) can have appeal. The tasks on the show remain the same with little change. The contestants are as usual mostly loathsome ego maniacs yet I still watch the show, mainly because I love Sir Alan's aide 'Nick Hewer' who has me rolling with laughter with his facial gesticulations and quips. Karen Brady is also a great asset to the team and I really like her blunt honesty. The show does need some changes though, maybe longer tasks or more trips abroad BBC?

Second up is the back to back programs of Four In A Bed and Come Dine With Me on Channel 4 5-6pm respectively. Great irreverent virtual reality shows with plenty of typical Brit humour, I never take the shows seriously but then that is the general idea - an ideal bit of teatime nonsense with laughs.

Lastly my favourite program of the month. This was a documentary presented by the award winning fantasy author Terry Pratchett, a thoroughly lovely man. The documentary called 'Choosing to Die' was aired on BBC2 on June 13th an was about assisted suicide. I really find words hard to find to describe the impact this program had on me. It was a reminder of my mother that died several years ago when I consented to her life support machine being switched off. All the memories came flooding back but the way Terry Pratchett presented this sensitive subject was objective in general context (not subjectively about Mr Pratchett), balanced and very touching. As he rightly quotes in my opinion 'The timing of his death should be his choice and not the governments'. Of course Terry Pratchett's thoughts and feelings were evident but I felt as a viewer the program looked beyond his personal views and looked at the subject matter from different perspectives.

It was a compelling piece of powerful television and I haven't seen anything that has evoked that much raw emotion in me for some time. I feel strongly for assisted suicide if of course there is no doubt in peoples minds that because of disease, pain and declining health issues that their quality of life is no longer there. It's a contentious subject for sure but one I feel the government needs to address and the church needs to stay out of. Great television from the BBC. You can find a review of the program here.

Following On

Following on from my recent 'Atheist Junction' blog and the feedback I got from it I've had a think and decided on which direction I want to go. People messaged me on Facebook, email or spoke to me on the phone and the resounding feeling is they think I should carry on with the blog as it is. I don't think people mind blogs on my feelings regarding religious issues but felt I was doing exactly the same as my pro-religious counterparts in putting my opinions forth.

There's no doubt I totally see this angle and I personally felt my staunch viewpoints were taking over a bit and detracting a little to what my blog is generally all about. On a frank note though, my opinions and views are something I feel passionate about, most people have a cause out there they feel strongly about from poverty to politics or even just supporting their local hospital or chosen research group - the list is endless.

I think the best route for me to go down is to do another blog, maybe on a different website with a new format, after all there's so many websites out there these days designed for blogging so it'll be good to try a new one. There's still going to be blogs on here about my thoughts on Atheism, Humanist stuff and religion but they'll be markedly less.

Thanks to everyone that took time to give me some feedback be it on Facebook, email, the phone or in person.

Well Voted Malta

Malta is a place I like, the people are lovely, it's steeped history and it has a certain charm that is hard to explain. I've only been to Malta twice, last year in fact, yet I want to return and understand the people and the place even more. I noticed last week in the news that through a referendum the people had voted in favour of divorce, being one of a handful of countries left where divorce wasn't yet legal, though a legal separation could be granted after some time I believe.

I realise Malta is a staunchly catholic country but its good to see them moving forward and making decisions for a more secular future and not fettered by past religious chains.

Life Of Course - Goes On!

The 21st of May came and went like any other day for everyone worldwide. Harold Camping's prediction that the world would end and a 'Rapture' would take place, basically saving all believers and killing all non-believers with natural disasters.

Of course Mr Camping represents a minority that believed in all this hocus-pocus so it's not fair to blame all christians though I do honestly feel I can blame all christians for believing in the bibles silly stories in the first place. The end of the world was supposed to be 7000 years or so after Noah's ark first set out, and how ridiculous is that story anyway? All the worlds animal species on a giant wooden ship after a flood, it goes beyond logical comprehension. This alone should show Mr Campings theory was baseless to anyone with common sense.

What kind of god would wipe out everyone except chosen christians, I ask, is this a benevolent god, a god that cares about humanity and the planet he allegedly created? Obviously if there was a god then he'd be the most brutal kind of dicatator - worship me or die! And after creating mankind wouldn't wiping most of it out be an exercise in futility?

This is what religion is all about though, it's cogs and wheels are fear, wish thinking and control and such is its power it easily influences weak minds. Ironically Mr Camping hasn't been seen since the alleged end of the world and his followers are vexed and upset (and probably feeling profoundly stupid!). With all fanatical christians there's excuses though and Mr Camping error is seen as a test of some sort according to some reports.

The world will turn and turn again until mankind screws it up (likely) or the sun burns itself out in due course (likely but hopefully not for some time!). Rest assured it won't be a god that destroys it because gods are created by man and inevitably until the sun does burn out or some natural global disaster does happen then we are the architects of our own destiny.

I'm pleased atheists and sane people are having parties about this whole business, it does go to show that we are beginning to shake off the shackles of religion and believe in what is most important - ourselves.

Street Pastors - No Thanks.

I was in my local earlier, having a coffee and reading the local paper. I noticed an article called 'Pastors out on patrol' which on reading didn't sit well with me. Readers of my blog have probably cottoned on that organised religion does not sit well with me at all.

For people unaware of what 'Street Pastors' are all about then I'll explain. They are basically narrow minded interfering do-gooders acting in the name of the alleged big man upstairs. Other towns and cities have them, and they are on the rise seemingly, patrolling and helping people in distress or in need of help, handing out water or flip flops to drunken people who may have lost shoes etc.

On the surface of course this all looks good and helpful but beneath the patronising veneer as with anything in organised religion there's always an ulterior motive.

Firstly though, lets look at the reasoning behind my blog. My first point I will raise is that is Newark really big enough to warrant having street pastors? The simple answer is no, we don't have many pubs and bars, we only have one nightclub that of late has been heavily policed at weekends. With this in mind, go back to my point of ulterior motive, they in a practical basis aren't needed, so why are they here? They are here of course to patronise, to preach in subtle ways and to condescend.

Britain has had a drinking culture for hundreds of years, people get drunk, people get into difficulties and we have something called the 'police' to deal with incidents. More importantly we also have something even bigger group to take responsibility for drunken people in trouble, it's called the general public who can help or call an ambulance should they wish or have a moral inclination to do so. The Tories probably embrace street pastors as they can cut police on the beat and let their flawed big society idea take shape with blinkered christian busy bodies making people feel that what they are doing is of course morally wrong and if they need help they should find god. Basically street pastors in effect is a covert recruiting system, simple as. You only have to look at other christian based organisations (and I can name some) that help people with drink and drugs problems, the end goal is always the same - find god, join us, get brainwashed into believing a load of fictional rubbish.

People should be able to go out on the streets without seeing a presence of religion, if you have faith or want to worship - go to church. The majority of drinking adults are quite responsible when out drinking, of course people get drunk, have accidents or end up in trouble but that of course is part of the perils of alcohol but most of us can take responsibility for friends without any need for help. For more serious instances then we have the police, so why do we need street pastors?

Tv Of The Month

I've not watched a great deal of television this month but one programme that really fascinated was 'The Bibles Hidden Secrets' on BBC2 on Tuesday nights at 9pm. Don't get me wrong I've not gone all religious, that I'll never do but this programme presented by the very beautiful Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou a biblical scholar and lecturer from Exeter university was fascinating and raised some real questions regarding faith.

I liked her non-confrontational approach when dealing with members of the Jewish and Christian faith, she posed her questions, let them have their say and then after gave her interpretation and perceptions. Of course hers where based on evidence from archeology, conflicting biblical texts (of which there is many) and historical evidence. The three programmes challenged the story of David and Goliath, If ancient people of that era indulged in polytheism and the garden of Eden.

The set of programmes went on to illustrate how things in the bible have been covered up, rewrote and how Israel as a state has probably been economical with the truth regarding certain historical sites in the interest of their own national identity. It was compelling watching, and Dr Stavrakopoulou's arguments and observations backed by solid evidence certainly made sense. Jewish and Christian people on the programme of course stuck to their blinded by faith script and wouldn't contemplate observations and arguments put to them, no shocks there then?

The programme was all down to earth stuff, was there a biblical garden of Eden, nope but kings of that time did build lavish gardens and if it was to get destroyed then why not write the whole episode up differently? Did people from that period and area worship other gods? Almost definitely, earlier scripts mention it, later scripts cover it up and there's hard archaeological evidence to back it up. Personally I hope the very captivating Dr Stavrakopoulou releases a book to accompany the series, and even better does a signing at my local Waterstones!

Japan Tsunami

Truly surreal and sad scenes today as Japan fell victim to the biggest earthquake in its recorded history followed by a tsunami. The death toll is not yet confirmed but running into the hundreds thus far. I'd like to take time out to ask people of faith what they think?

Is your god being a dicatator here and swinging his mighty arm as Japan though being tolerant of all religions is one of the least religious countries on the planet? Is your god so oblique that he gets kicks from this? One thing is for sure, science again proves the answers to the castastrophe in the form of tectonic plates in the earths crust clashing, as they have recently in New Zealand. Unfortunately scientists have little time to warn us of the after effects and of course our christians friends 'god' gives us no warning at all. So is it tectonic plates clashing in what could be gods imperfect creation or god just being malevolent as usual? Discuss!

Population Explosion

A report last week from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers estimated that by 2075 the Population will have risen from 6.9 Billion to 9.5 Billion. Unless drastic changes are made and resource management for cities better organised it is said we are facing a population disaster of epic scale. Climate change will add to the woes as up to 1 billion people will move from inhospitable or jobless areas to cities thus increasing the resources a city will need.

The report called 'One Planet, Too Many People' hopes that engineering initiatives in the future will avert disaster by reducing energy usage, improving storage and extracting water from underground as well as civil engineering improvements etc.

But will all this stop people having children? I think not.

Strictly Nonsense

He’s not pretty, he’s getting on a bit and according to the judges of this program he can’t dance. Former political journalist John Sergeant has decided to pull out of BBC1’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Now, I don’t ever watch this program but the odd brief bits I’ve caught of it is a simple format, the best dancers progress, the weakest get pin pointed by the judges and then face a public vote, a popular reality tv formula.

Sergeant’s dancing abilities have been in question most weeks evidently, and the judges of the program have been none to flattering about his ballroom dancing techniques and grace. On the other hand, the public love him and have kept him in the show every week, despite his scores ranking near the bottom.

Now he feels it’s time to leave the show as if he won it would be ‘a joke too far’ and not really fair on the good dancers if he won. How sad is that, a man with obvious character and with a comedy value that appeals to the masses has withdrawn? Did he jump or was he pushed? Reading the BBC news forums it seems the public will miss him greatly, and the fact he was getting stick every week prompted more to vote to keep him in. The British public don’t like being told who is best or who they should vote for, that psychology doesn’t work, we love an underdog, we love character and we like to laugh and be entertained, isn’t that the whole purpose of light entertainment reality programs? There’s the argument of course that the best contestants should ultimately win and also that Sergeant has turned the show into a soap opera, but the bottom line is the public vote for who they like, and after all this is a celebrity prime time program and not a serious competitive event. If it was a serious program the celebrities wouldn’t be there in the first place! It’s all nonsense, and more proof, as with other recent events that the BBC just isn’t in touch with its audience needs or wants. As for the press, why listen to their bitter and twisted rants on Sergeant, now he’s left they just pour scorn on someone else.

I miss the old days, programs like ‘It’s a Knockout’ to name but one, where it was all light hearted fun, wasn’t so serious and ego’s didn’t come into play, it was just good old fashioned entertainment.

Migrants

Yesterdays Daily Express ran a story about the latest figures of Migrants coming into Britain, over 860 a day. Of course periodically there have been similar stories and different figures ran in the newspapers sporadically throughout the last couple of years. The truth is nobody is really sure on the exact figures and the reality is becoming evident in everyday life.

The government may have an idea on EU migrants but it has no idea on the amount of illegal migrants here, and let’s be honest, it’s not hard for them to get in. Latest figures estimate that 2.3 million immigrants have moved here since Labour took power in 1997, more than the entire population of West Yorkshire.

Overall figures for migration in 2006 according to the National Office for Statistics states that 191,000 came into Britain and 126,000 Britons left. Since Labour took power there has been a net inflow of 2,337,000 and an outflow of 715,000. Recent figures and estimates are quoted as saying that over 2 million homes will have to be built in the next 2 decades to cope with the influx, if you ask me, that’s shocking.

Now people are realising the social impact of so many migrants as stories come to the fore about migrants settling in large groups in the suburbs and upsetting the local communities. There is also continuing worries about strains on local services, hospitals and schools.

In my town we’ve have a large contingent of east Europeans, recent incidents have included local wildlife being killed that are delicacies in eastern Europe, stabbings and guy from Poland on the loose with a machete. You only have to look at their cars to see they don’t even bother with car tax.

In my view you just can’t have such a massive influx of different cultures and not expect tension. In my experience the recent influx of east Europeans don’t want to integrate, they don’t want to learn the language, they just want to do their own thing and take the money whilst reaping the best of our system, wages and national health etc. You have to bear in mind although they may do jobs we don’t want too, they pay the least tax and much of the money goes back home.

With recent concerns from the bank of England about the economy I have to ask myself what benefits migrants have given us? I wouldn’t mind so much if they actually wanted British citizenship and wanted to be proud of that fact. Whilst I’m sure some do want that and would be proud it’s clear most are here in a mercenary capacity and encouraging more of their kin to come over and reap the rewards here.

There are only so many jobs available in the UK and it would appear that the large numbers walking around town aren’t working, though they are working our benefits system for a guess. On a recent trip to Nottingham I was shocked how many east Europeans were just milling around ogling girls on street corners or huddled together on benches.

On a more shocking note whilst the government has hardly any control of who comes here from EU countries it can control the amount from non-EU states of which its estimated around 68% that came here in 2006 were from outside the EU.

Either way, figures or no figures its bloody obvious there’s lots here and tensions are rising, and rising fast in some areas.

Alarmingly France is building another Sangatte style camp close to Calais to home migrants seeking asylum in the UK. An estimated 67,000 migrants passed through the Sangatte camp into the UK before it closed in 2002. Ironically the new site isn’t too far from ferry terminals and is opposite a truck stop – great planning by our French friends – not!

This blog isn’t so much a swipe at migrants who want to better themselves more a blog on the practicalities now facing the UK under such a large influx of foreign peoples, we just aren’t that big a country and in the near future real problems will arise from such a large influx from the continent and further afield.

Di

I'm not a royalist, never have been but there was no avoiding the news today about the anniversary of princess Diana. I guess her life was brief but in some respects she lived a life that some only dream about.

My thoughts were with the Princes though, on a base level of actually losing your mum, I know how that feels, and my thoughts are with them in that respect.