Is it Time to Build?

One of the very few plus points of being unemployed is that you get to delve into the massive list of books that builds up through the times when your life is busier. And some of the best moments of life are when seeking that dodgy mostly dog eared copy of a forgotten Graham Greene classic.

One book however crossed my path by accident, when trying to borrow one of Christian Wolmar's books on "Steam railways", I came across a book about the history of the tube in London called "The Subterranean Railway". Quite interested by the bio, I decided to book it out and take home.

The book is readable for anyone whose interested in both the social build up of London, or has an interest in what millions travel on. The one fact that Wolmar keeps mentioning throughout however is that the tube was never profitable, especially the district line. And the railways in general across the world weren't built for profitability, they were claimed they were and shareholders were sometimes foolhardy to invest, but Victorians and to a certain extent early Edwardian "can do" attitude is why Britain still has a good (Beeching cuts destroyed it from being excellent) train system. The tube was built through the sheer excellence of ideas and hard work from the working class navvies. It was one of the first systems that did not determine comfortable conditions and travel by class, and Britain is better for it.

So what is the lesson we should learn for nowadays, as much as the Conservatives (and it is only the Conservatives) complain about borrowing beyond our means (Britain is one of the lowest G8 borrowers in the world), this is the age in which we should learn the determination to build our way out of recession and to create an excellent modern 21st century Britain, dedicated to it's new industry as much as it was to it's old.

One such scheme was the Manchester congestion system, and should it ever return then Government should bring it in, show the improvements and then say we've done our part of the bargain, now it's time you pay yours. The distrust in it being built was the one underlying factor I got from people who would use the system, as opposed to the car owners and car lobby's.

Another would directly prosper one of the poorest areas of this country, Cornwall. Four Hours is far too long for a journey to Bristol by train, and industry by motorway still takes at least three. The worry about rising sea levels and erosion leaves any electrifying, or indeed connection to Plymouth and Cornwall in danger in future years. So the first decision would be to reinstall a line that by passes Dawlish area (though as beautiful as it is) and connects Cornwall and Plymouth with the rest of the country.

Okehampton is the line that was once in place, and still only a few council buildings and houses stand in the way of this reinstall, Victorians would never let this get in the way, and though the house is a home concept is only valid when this kind of thing is proposed, (it's mostly a way of making money) to benefit the area and to save Cornwall from collapsing all together after the awful recent summers have hit tourism hard.

It may cost money, it may not even see returns, but it will socially improve Cornwall and let the people who earn pittance, start to earn pounds.

Politics Awards 2008

After reading a similar article in that "Gordon Brown spokespiece" The New Statesman I have decided to give out Politics of the year award. So here it is my politicians of the year.

Politician of The Year
My Politician of the year is Vince Cable, being a man who wasn't one of his biggest fans Vince Cable bar the annoying soundbites remained a sensible voice on the economy rising above the bearpit of criticism which "Dave" and Nick Clegg resulted in. Showing an old head in these times is important and showing what Dave could have if he had the guts to call on his old beast "Kenneth Clarke".

Party Leader of the Year
If this is solely Britain then Gordon Brown's resurgence wipes the floor with the others, as Dave faltered and Alex Salmond struggled Gordon found his feet as the country collasped.

Event of The Year
Very few can match the David Davis resignation, however as this changed very little and as Davis was fighting for his own "brand" of civil liberties and comfortably ignoring major issues in the debate, the event of the year is that Brown speech.

Comeback of The Year
Can anyone match Mandleson's return. Swishing back under cynical backlashing Mandleson came back and exploded Osbourne's reputation and left the Tories wounded for the first time since Cameron took over.

Obama: - America's 44th or should we say 43rd President

Will be doing a post election article on the state changes and comparing the polls of previous days in the next few days, I just thought this could not be ignored.

The Truth about the Unemployed

As 1.79 million sign on this week we are bound to receive renewed calls to be tighter on these "scroungers", your average caller into Radio phone In's believe these people, whose only fault is to be jobless and in need, go on the dole and stay on the dole because it makes life easy for themselves.

"Degrading"

Try living on £60 a week, knock it down to £45 a week if your under 25, and the truth shines through, the dole is no longer economically or socially worth staying on. The people like myself who have to after very recently graduating, and having yet not found a job it is all the words Mr Purnell Work and Pensions Secretary suggests it is. It is degrading, horrible, worthless and above all pointless.

"Options Open"

The only options it seems for the jobless is to continue to apply, i have through my University life been involved with the Union, with societies and clubs and i have my degree one of which is average. Still no luck and no real help, I'm not lamenting the Job Centre they do the best job they can and they have brilliant staff, it's general lies from the press to people, from government to educational institutions none of them have a grasp on the real world and none of them ever will.

"Lies"

Lies such as the ones that come from Students least favourite Labour Propagandist Bill Rammell, a man so far deluded that he comes out with one stat probably produced in the 1980's that suggests students from University get more money than people who don't. It's probably true but does it improve your chances of getting a job, i doubt it.

James Purnell who believes that people should sign on each and every day for their paltry £60 pounds, how does this work James? How can a person living in such a remote part of the country who has the most awful of train links such as for example Cornwall, be able to sign on and then hop to wherever for a job interview in say a place like Bristol or even further a field? They can't it's a rubbish idea James. Furthermore what about places without Job Centre's such as St Ives and various other towns in Cornwall in which by public transport it takes 40 minutes which costs £4.50 return. Say a Fiver a day that's almost half of the dole gone, stupid frankly stupid.

"The media"

Oh i do love the media, they make politics a personality contest instead of deep discussion of policy because that's "BORING", well it isn't, the facts need to be said, the media paints people on the dole and benefits as scroungers, and they are not as I've shown above it's far from scrounging more like surviving.

All in all this is a discussion this country needs to have, people on the dole don't want to be there and for the record I've applied for 75 jobs that i have met the specification for in the last 5 months, had 9 interviews and still i haven't got a job, is this lazy? is this scrounging? No it's not it's the situation most of the 1.79 million find themselves in.

Can I Call You Joe: - The VP debate a Analysis

Look it's very late in Britain and staying up to watch VP presidential debates in something you have no control in must seem pretty sad, but it's politics and this was billed as a car crash television moment. Sadly for the viewers Biden showed composure under allegations that were false and Palin for her credit came across as warm just shame about her general views.

Who Won?

For all my nervous energy (I'm a cautious Barack Obama/Joe Biden supporter) i felt this was a draw, the Palin familiarity and the way she talked to the "folks" at home will improve that feel good factor on her, however the problem is, and I've read this a lot, she isn't the presidential candidate, then again I doubt it would help if she was.

Biden was factual but also held his attacks for John McCain, and he was neither patronising with Palin or hostile, but it suits the Democrats with the recent poll swings benefiting Barack Obama to be in this mode.

Did It Tell Us Much

It told us that Sarah Palin is not as rusty as we felt, neither will she destroy the McCain campaign, i believe McCain and Obama will decide the election not the gaffs of their VP's (unless they are really unsuitable). I think it told us that McCain sits with a novice, a rather sickly but crowd pleasing novice, and this is the problem if this economy question drags on.

Biden is a safe pair of hands, and Obama is a man with a small amount of experience, but enough to serve as America's President. I expect the big event that will affect the race will happen tomorrow when the bail out is voted upon.

So What Next

I think Palin will give McCain a small bounce but one that may be overshadowed by the economy once again, i think Palin will gain a positive score from tonight but as i see it i doubt it will be enough to swing the election back to McCain.

So next is McCain vs Obama 2, and with the aftermath from this latest bailout likely to be in the air, it will be interesting if McCain patronises Obama the way i felt he did in the first one especially on the economy, then McCain might fall too far behind to claw back.

But we'll see.

Mutterings at Conference:- Tory Woe?

Having spent the previous week in Manchester, at the infamous disengaged and divided Labour Party Conference of 2008, i return back home to take a rest. However it was only disengaged and divided if your a press hack scrapping for the smallest discourse of anger.

I believe Labour are united and a small Brown bounce in several polls will have pleased the Labour party faithful. Come this week the Tories expected to regain the small bounce however with the news of another bank being nationalised and the economy in it's most direst since the 1930's, the Tories have changed tack.

At the beginning of the week a headline grabbing mention of a freeze on council tax was overshadowed by the events over the pond as $700 billion dollars were not handed other and the stock market started to slowly plunder before close.

Will this affect the Tories? Well their rather offensive stance by a lesbian PPC that "Homosexuals have a duty to vote Conservative" will probably evade most except LGBT groups on both sides. It's offensive firstly due to the argument used, i very much doubt Homosexuals outnumber the amount of people without Children and with the civil partnership laws it allows for homosexuals to become couples.

Secondary this is mostly the same party that voted against Civil Partnerships and against the removal of Section 28 this includes their leader David Cameron, so no Margot James if any group of people should vote against the Tories it is homosexual men and women another contagious issue that came up only earlier this year with the Human Fertilisation Bill.

Saying all that i don't feel it will affect them, not like the economy could and measures by David Cameron today have changed Tory policy on the economy, a more supportive Tory led opposition will be born, however with a catch that the party will not be giving Labour any "Blank Cheques".

That is one duty Cameron and all the parties should be doing, in times of economic crisis we need constructive debate and action not bickering arrogance and above all "We are change, We Have Changed" slogans because judging by Yougov figures this hasn't quite worked.

Crime Falls......Again

Sometimes you have to wonder at the sheer hypocriticalness of some in society, when crime figures fall they are reported to rise when crime figures rise they are reported to be out of control.

Figures reported today show almost all crime offences have fallen by over 7% and yet we are awash with "crime Britain", highlighted most recently by knife crime.

"Who To Blame"

I think the media sensationalising is a massive problem in a democracy such as Britain, you can't have Britain dictated to by hyperbole. Ok i agree there does seem to be a problem with knife crime, but the problem has been going in this country since the war.

The reason it seems that knife crime finally took precedent was due to the murder of a boy who was linked to a celebrity, the papers who had remained on the back burner over a number of poor kids suddenly jumped on Ben Kinsella's death.

And yet crime falls, violent crime has fallen by 12% and the most serious by 8%, i have rarely been a victim of crime.

"Celebrity Death"

So do deaths of a celebrity or a celebrity link prove more important than your average Joe, i would hazard a guess and say yes. For a paper like the Sun to preach against violence when they employ a couple of reporters who have been arrested and convicted of violent crimes and an editor who beat several shades of blue out of her husband (or ex not sure what the case is at the moment) i think it shows high hypocrisy, they've encouraged tighter laws on paedophilia, whilst at the same time they show young 17 year old girls in partial nudity for the pleasure of their dwindling readership, I'm glad to have such a bastion of truth on our newsstands every day.

"Tackling Crime"

So what's the best way in tackling crime, one of the figures shown were crime rose was drug offences, i have serious misgivings about sending people who take drugs to prison. I believe it's the last place any right thinking society should send anyone on drugs. However the alternatives are few and this is a direct indictment of this country's attitude towards deviance since Victorian times.

And a direct culprit of crime is poverty, poverty is the biggest issue this world faces going into the 21st century and yet it was the same entering the the 20th and 19th centuries and as far back as you want to go.

So what should Government do?

Well the increase in poverty is a failure of Labour, and it's the one issue that the main opposition tend to avoid. To them the Poor can help themselves and this has been stable Tory policy for years. Labour should of made this their main priority or otherwise Labour means nothing.

Someone asked me what good was a Labour party in a country that classes themselves mostly middle class, and i said it's to fight poverty as many may kid themselves out of the poorer end of society but they are still working for a wage that will not move them on and they therefore are very working class but not at all proud of it.

Labour have failed on this, hopefully they still have fight enough to battle on after election defeat, this country needs a re-shaped modern Labour party, not new and not old just one that fights on the key principles on which it was built which one was to help the poor.

As for crime....well it's getting better ALL the time.