Democrat November-December 2011 (Number 126)
Arthur Smelt makes some points and says
People First
If way to the better there be,
it exacts a full look at the worst
Thomas Hardy
In today's political climate the above heading is as relevant now as ever. We should also remind ourselves of words by Mahatma Ghandi: 'There is enough in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.' In the future however, even if it were possible to regulate the abuses, there is no certainty about there being enough in the way of natural resources. The ways in which the world's finite resources are used and misused has to be taken into account and seriously addressed. As the population of the world increases, then exorbitant waste, mismanagement, and self interest will bring about crises of unimaginable scale. The devious conduct and decisions made by our own government and also those emanating from Brussels, create in large sections of the public, feelings of worry, disgust and disillusionment with politics and politicians.
We are witnessing and receiving reports of anger and discontentment worldwide. In the USA that Mecca of 'free enterprise' most major cities are experiencing protests against Wall Street and all it represents, described in some reports as anger against the fat cats.
In the midst of plenty, there is poverty, deprivation, corruption and crime existing to an unacceptable degree. These failings are perpetuated by political and economic systems rigged to prevent any real progress to a more equitable and cohesive society. There has to be acknowledgement on the part of those wielding power that self interest, hedonism and a free for all society will in the end self destruct leading to unimaginable chaos. The writing is on the wall in Euroland which is obviously part of a wider scenario.
We are in a situation where whole treaties, concocted and signed up for by a handful of bureaucrats and politicians, are imposed on the rest of us in a most dictatorial manner. Attempts to expose the true nature of EU with its wide ranging democratic deficit are met with propaganda which tries to label critics as mad xenophobes and little Englanders. Another ploy is to threaten isolation, loss of trade and jobs. We are told that 40% of our trade is with Europe. In 2009 our trade deficit with Europe was reported as being in excess of £30 billion. In other words we imported far more from Europe than we exported. In addition we pay an unbelievable £48 million a day into EU coffers. Friendship and trade with other countries, learning a foreign language or about the ways and customs of people in other lands does not devolve on membership of EU. Norway and Switzerland are not members of EU and are nations of considerable wealth who trade with Europe and the rest of the world.
The decision to impose a common currency on the people of Europe was carried out without any consultation or referenda even though all over Europe opinion polls at the time showed considerable opposition. This is a glaring example of EU dictatorship. We were told the Euro would be a strong and stable currency. It is now in serious danger of collapsing and creating untold chaos if it does. Those who suffer most from the knock-on effects are ordinary people who have no say or control in what goes on. They have their pensions cut, become unemployed, at the same time retirement age is increased, living costs go up and we are faced with the possible obscenity of thousands of elderly people perishing because they cannot afford to heat their homes when the really cold weather comes. What kind of society is it that puts money before human welfare?
Billions of £s are being expended on military interventions. The NATO and UK involvement in Libya is to reduce the numbers of innocent people from losing their lives and to establish democracy - so we are told. However, thousands of innocent lives have been lost and the possibility of democracy emerging is slim. Lives need saving in Britain and a little more democracy would not go amiss.