Arthur Scargill....

It would be wrong to write of Margaret Thatcher and the Miners strike in earlier posts without at least some reference to the politician and Marxist trade unionist Arthur Scargill... in my opinion, the true enemy of the Unions and the miners....

President of the National Union of Miners, from 1982 to 2002 he was accorded near hero worship.  He played a leading role in bringing down Sir Edward Heath's Tory Government in 1974 and "took on" the Thatcher Government in the 1980's, leading the miners through a year long strike, bringing about their own downfall and the ending of the power of the unions, hopefully forever.

Much is written and told about the miner's strike and always the blame is laid squarely at Maggie's feet.  She destroyed them, she didn't give in to bullying, whatever way you look at it, she got the blame, but IMHO, the choice was with the miners or more specifically, the choice was Scargill's!

There was no ballot, Scargill unilaterally decided the miner's were on strike, so much for democracy.  He called the strike in the Summer, hardly an intelligent strategy.  He personally was in touch with the Soviet Union, securing funds and making clear his communist leanings, and this at a time when the Iron Curtain was at full strength, a borderline traitor by my measures.

We all know that some animals are more equal than others and Scargill was always a fat cat.  While the miners struggled to make ends meet, he continued to pick up his pay chit as their so called leader.  He never suffered any personal hardship, in fact it is alleged that during the strike, he was even granted a loan to buy a nice country house in Barnsley!  Something the striking miners could only dream of.

The violence associated with the strikes was never publicly condemned by Scargill. 

After the strikes were over, Scargill joined forces with another famous Leftie of the era, Tony Benn, to [successfully] campaign against the murder convictions of Russel Shankland and Dean Hancock.  The two murdered an innocent taxi driver, David Wilkie by dropping a concrete block, from a bridge, onto his car and what was his crime?  Driving a man, David Williams, to work... Wilkie, a brave man taking the same route for the tenth time in an atmosphere so volatile, he required a police escort.  David Wilkie, who died instantly, left behind a 2 year old daughter and his pregnant fiancee who gave birth 6 weeks later.  Scargill must be very proud that his campaigning had the convictions downgraded to manslaughter and both men released from prison in November 1989.

Make up your own mind whether or not you consider that murder or manslaughter, I know what I think!

And post his NUM presidency?  Well I can't help but think his true colours have come to the fore.  Asked if they support him these days?  I think you will find the NUM prefer to disassociate themselves from his greed and self aggrendisement, his conviction that he is entitled to continue to have his £34,000 annual London rent paid for by the NUM for the rest of his life [oh and also for a widow who might survive him]!  A rent that the NUM have been paying for years, on Scargill's personal instructions and without the knowledge of the NUM members and indeed a number of senior NUM officials.  To quote the current general secretary, Chris Kitchen.... "I would say it's time to walk away, Mr Scargill. You've been found out. The NUM is not your personal bank account and never will be again."

You see, I cannot stand hypocrisy, I despise people such as Arthur Scargill, he is a sad old man who always sought to lay the blame at somebody else's door for everything wrong with his life.....Arthur Scargill destroyed many lives with his attitude and arrogance, his call to arms without a ballot, his enforced strike and the subsequent violence that came about as a result.....

..... And his response when he received a text telling him "Thatcher's dead"?  "SCARGILL ALIVE"... not even an ounce of decency or respect for an old adversary... she didn't bring him down - he can take, and has earned, the credit entirely as his own!

To my way of thinking, there were many good things that came from this era.  Empowering the workforce and ridding them of overly powerful trade unions was necessary for the future evolution of the nation and is possibly one of the Thatcher Government's biggest contributions.  Banning the "closed shop", encouraging [Government funded] secret ballots and the banning of secondary picketing all helped to stop the bully mentality of the unions.  The number of days lost due to strikes fell from 29.5 million in 1979 to just 278,000 in 1984.  Additional measures introduced later took the obligation off employers to automatically collect union fees from employees further helped to remove the all powerful unions ability to dictate policy.  The commercial world could not have survived without this overhaul.  That said, unions have a value, the commercial world cannot always be trusted but it is all about balance!

Margaret Thatcher owed Scargill a great debt, without his bloody mindedness, his hatred and pig-headed nature, she could never have so effectively tempered trade union power.  Had she paid him, she couldn't have hoped for more so as I say, the true enemy of the Union's and the miners was Arthur Scargill himself!  Thanks Arthur... your achievements stand here recognised for all time!

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Well this has to bring a few smiles..... a news article about the state of the roads in Britain!  It seems those invading Romans didn't know it all, after all!!!

Yes they who introduced so many improvements into Britannia, including irrigation, better farming, spa bathing, established so many great towns and cities such as Chester, Bath, Canterbury, Buxton, Gloucester, Lincoln, Manchester, York..... settled Londinium, the origins of today's great City of London...

Original Roman walls, Chester

...well it seems they failed to plan ahead!

The potholes are all their fault!  In the roads I mean... apparently, they didn't lay strong enough foundations...

So.... like....  2,000 years ago, they didn't consider that Kent County Council might be struggling to maintain their work today.  Well... its either their poor workmanship, or it's the French....

In the news this week?

I hardly know where to start!   The news this week has been huge...

.... opening with the Boston Marathon bombings, followed by an explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas and the loss of lives, leading into a tremendous display of pomp and ceremony with Baroness Margaret Thatcher's funeral, which I am happy to say was relatively free of protestors and the Queen looking so well.  Shocking revelations in the press about Rolf Harris, I so hope he isn't guilty, a childhood illusion shattered.  A 5 year old little girl held in a wicked and brutal attack in New Delhi, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in China too many dead .... 20 Kremlin critics arrested in Russia, a return to the bad old days perhaps?  .... and finally closing with the celebrations when one of the Boston bombers is killed and the other captured but seriously injured in hospital!

..... And the good news?  The Queen looking fabulous and relaxed, celebrating her horse winning at Newbury and not just good but great news, they passed the gay marriage bill in New Zealand by 77 votes to 44!  Go the Kiwi's, you have my admiration and its great to see you leading the pack in the region with modern thinking and showing, unlike so many, you don't suffer from narrow minded bigotry!  

My favourite video clip of the week goes to Maurice Williamson and his speech in New Zealand Parliament ..... well said Maurice!  Love it!

Boston Marathon bombings

photo credit: Werner Kunz via photopin cc

Boston, Massachusetts!  Such a beautiful city, by reputation a highly desirable place to live and its high cost of living doesn't seem to have deterred its 7.6 million inhabitants.  Situated across the river from Cambridge home to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the world famous Harvard, the city this week was marred by a despicable act of terrorism.

Trial by media is a dangerous precedent but all the indications are that two young men, originally from Chechnya chose a despicable path.  The Boston Marathon bombings on Monday were shocking and the motivation still a mystery.  By all accounts, the Tsarnaev brothers were welcomed by America, given scholarships, a home, good education but most importantly a safe shelter away from war torn Chechnya in the 1990's.   The older brother has a history of violence, arrested in 2009 for domestic assault and battery and the media has hinted about him mysteriously spending 6 months in Russia last year and "nobody knows why".  Thereby saying much without saying anything at all and now Russia is guilty by implication too!  Wars and hatred are so easily fed!

photo credit: hahatango via photopin cc

Why perpetrate such a heinous crime? We may never know, there may never be a trial and we may have no choice but to trust the FBI and the media when they tell us these two men are truly guilty and that they have no co-conspirators.  Has it been proven conclusively?  No, but the facts as presented certainly appear to point in that direction.

By the end of the week, one lies in a morgue, first shot by the police, but allegedly dead as a result of being run over by his younger brother.  The second, captured but with a serious throat injury leaving him unable to talk.  Convenient perhaps?

And so to the victims, three dead from the bombings and a young MIT police officer gunned down in a shoot out on Friday.  So many horrifically injured and so many lives ruined.  Jeff Bauman is clearly a hero, a man who lost both of his legs below the knee and yet found time to help the FBI identify at least one of the suspects.  His son too has lost both of his legs in the bombing.  How do you recover from this?  I was disgusted and appalled to see that he will be left to meet his own medical expenses.  WHAT THE?????  Amidst the physical and mental trauma, Jeff and the other 14 victims who lost limbs, are expected to fund their own medical expenses, inevitably hundreds of thousands of dollars each.

The 176 people injured as a result of this terrible crime should not have to face the added stress of finding money for medical treatment.  Surely a country that can spend trillions of dollars on war can find the money to treat these innocent victims!  Will Dzhokar Tsarnaev also have to fund his own medical treatment or will he and his family receive compensation for loss of life at the hands of the FBI?

America, for a country that has so much, surely it is time to reassess some of your values? 

.... and so to next week... no doubt the blame game will commence... it already has.... which Muslim cleric influenced these men?  Which anti-terrorist organisation failed to monitor their email or internet activity?  Why did they let him go when they arrested him in 2011 (after Russia allegedly asked for him to be investigated).  Outside of influence and failure to prevent their actions, if guilty, they made the choice.  They decided to take this action, nobody did it for them.

So now the authorities have yet more reason to curb freedom of the innocent, all in the name of anti-terrorism.......

Reference for a Colleague!

Should I give it to him now or wait until he asks?

J is a stand out member of the  team, never letting anything or anybody get in the way of his achieving his professional goals.   He especially enjoys interacting with "the big boss", ideally hourly or more frequently if desired, with a view to keeping the top man across all aspects of the team's activities.  He is especially helpful to his peers, offering frequent and regular feedback, never failing to highlight areas for improvement.  He often takes the opportunity to engage the boss in this feedback, thereby ensuring his colleagues also get plenty of boss face-time. 

J's eagerness to help doesn't just end here!  NO!  Recognising one of his peers is new to the role and not yet had any opportunity to shape the team or adapt strategic direction to suit changing business needs, he is happy to step in and personally manage that team too.  He recognises the need to circumnavigate management to ensure his 'professional' goals are achieved.  Motivation is an area of special interest, guiding teams and explaining how he could personally reduce a weeks work to 20 minutes but only if he was doing it himself.

AND! His good will and obliging nature just keeps on coming, it extends across all departments as he makes a special effort to highlight those little opportunities that have been missed, especially those where he knows his peers haven't yet seen the benefits, but with his help, surely soon will.

As to team work, well .... he leaves one speechless.  There is nothing he likes more than a gathering around the water cooler, especially with the more junior members of the team.  An opportunity for him to influence them to become future followers, when he attains his full potential of course, thus ensuring a reverent and loyal following... as well as support for his philosophy throughout the business and down through the years.

If J has one failing it is that he spreads himself a little too thin... not always leaving enough time to focus on his own team.  Due to his unmatched enthusiasm to assist others, he has been known to lose sight of the responsibilities of his own role and department.  That said, with appropriate direction from his manager, this minor failing could be overcome.

[Go on... I betcha... you know him don't you?]

The Church of England is rich!!

The Church of England is rich!!  For years I have believed the C of E was a pauper!  The collecting plate does the rounds... we need a new spire... the roof is falling in... please give generously!  Not that I ever have, but by comparison to their fellow Christians of the Catholic faith, there was at least a shred of pity... I was still appalled to see St Paul's Cathedral charging an entrance fee however...

HA!  I have been conned... along with millions of others no doubt....

It turns out, they have quite a lot of money!  They are economically quite well off, they just don't share it!  Aside from the £42M funding they receive from the Government for future years to fix said roof, it's portfolio totals a cool £5.5bn

So correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't it seem a little greedy to ask pensioners and the like to dip into their measly pension to put a shilling in the dish?

Boston bombing

Despicable .... Vile and disgusting.

My sympathy goes out to the victims, their families and the people of Boston who won't feel safe for a long long time.

Tragic.

Protests in Trafalgar Square

Thatcher's Death "Party" In London Draws Hundreds

This event made the TV news in Australia and firstly, I felt a sense of shame and disgust on behalf of the British public, mainly because of the lack of respect towards a dead woman but confusion reigned when a man was interviewed to explain his rationale.  His father "went on strike and stayed on strike for a year".  He recalled being hungry and begging for money, there was no mention of Arthur Scargill, only that a choice made by his father was somebody else's fault....I guess this man needs somebody to blame for an unhappy time in his life, if he didn't blame Maggie, he might have to direct the blame at the person who made the choice - his father!

The Thatcher Government never brought in legislation forcing his Dad to go on strike. His Dad could have chosen to go back to work, although in fairness, he would have risked his life in doing so - not from Maggie but from the violence perpetrated by his so called brothers.  Maggie's crime was to stand up to bullies and not give in to blackmail.  Presumably, the interviewee felt that it was perfectly acceptable for his Dad and his comrades to repeat the events of the 70's where they brought the country to its knees.  It had to stop, the power of the union bosses was out of control and destined to take Britain into the third world. 

The miners are proud of the fact that they went on strike during WWII, they didn't deserve public sympathy.

As to the rest of the party animals, what do they hope to achieve?  Margaret Thatcher is dead, she never gave in to them in life, I can't imagine she will smile down on them in death.

Why is North Korea dangerous?

photo courtesy: zennie62 cc

There is lots of rhetoric and media speculation right now about whether North Korea poses a real threat or if they are just flexing muscles in an attempt to extort more money from the West.

A cult with 25 million followers... led by a tyrannical despotic madman with access to nuclear weapons?  It  equates to dangerous.

photo courtesy: Saulo Cruz cc

The provocation from Western journalists, poking fun at Kim Jong Un will feed the insanity and racial hatred inside his sick brain.

Madmen do crazy things, they are insane, they don't think rationally and when backed into a corner, unhinged cult leaders have been known to lead their followers to mass suicide.

Should we care if he led his brainwashed nation to their deaths? Yes, we should, it would be a tragedy second only to The Holocaust but would he go quietly?  Improbable, he is more likely to opt for death by proxy.  By targeting and releasing his arsenal on China, South Korea and America he will force their hand.  Proving to his people once and for all, he was right, the world outside North Korea is evil.

It is only a matter of time before he makes good on his threat, what else can he do?

photo courtesy: NOS Nieuws cc

They made a difference - Lady Margaret Thatcher

photo courtesy: BBC Radio 4 cc

13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013, age 87

The events of this week surrounding the death of the Lady Margaret Thatcher cannot go by without comment. 

First, the sadness of her death and how very tragic and ironic that her failing health in recent years was accompanied by Alzheimer's, such a terribly cruel disease to afflict a woman lauded for her mind.

I feel no sense of surprise that many expressed satisfaction at her dying but what I am utterly shocked by is the strength of feeling and vitriolic outpouring of bitterness and hostile loathing for a woman who has been out of the political arena for 20 years.  This says more of them than it does of her, but perhaps most appalling of all is the sheer viciousness of those who were not yet born during her tenure as Prime Minister.  I feel sure few of them truly know who she is.

Without doubt, she will be remembered in the history books.  She made a difference and so few politicians, alive or dead, can claim the same.

Despite the insensitivity of the media, I struggle to empathise with her children, Mark and Carol and not only their crocodile tears but the tears of her many enemies, including those within her own party who brought about her down fall.  Many of the views expressed in Parliament earlier this week served only to demonstrate how far Britain has fallen, the utter lack of respect in using such a forum to incite hatred was shameful and sad to see, especially from those who have nothing to be proud of.  The nation is hardly at its peak, thanks largely to those who led the pack.

How sad that a woman so patriotic, who adored and loved her country above all else should be so vilified in death by a nation she fought for and made Great again.  Even in death, her funeral, at her own request, will include the singing of "I Vow to Thee, My Country".

photo courtesy The Prime Minister's Office cc

 In contrast to this, David Cameron's speeches, immediately following her death and in Parliament were impressive and dare I say, heartfelt? 

That Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has agreed to attend the funeral says a great deal.  Makes a mockery of the rumours of discord between the two awe-inspiring leaders.  That she enjoyed a good political fight, there can be no doubt but her respect and admiration for the monarchy and especially the Queen can never be questioned.

photo courtesy: The Prime Minister's Office cc

The respect around the world is heartening, as ever, the esteem for Maggie overseas outweigh's that of her own country.  For myself?  Well.... I would not have chosen a different era in which to live and I could not have been inspired by anybody better, man or woman.  She put the Great back into Britain, demonstrated strong leadership, became a victim of envy, inspired passion, both good and bad and above all, she made a difference that will be remembered long into the future.

May she go down in the history books for the things she got right, not the hatred, disrespect and rioting of the ignorant.

Inspirational Quotes

"What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose"

"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it" 

"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money"

"I love argument, I love debate. I don't expect anyone just to site there and agree with me, that's not their job" 

Read more at brainyquote.com

Useless Facts:

• Sun sign (astrology): Libra
• Myers Briggs           : ENTJ

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So very sad, Margaret Thatcher

photo credit: roberthuffstutter cc

So very very sad to hear Margaret Thatcher has passed away.

An inspiration for many of us and even today, her strength is unparalleled in modern times.

A woman who made a difference.

May she rest in peace

Lefty's and a safer world?

So, first of all, let's establish what is a Lefty?  In this context, I am not talking about making various kitchen implements safer or easier to use for people with a bias towards being left-handed.  No, I am talking about people who lean to the left in their political views, beyond liberalism and heading towards communism.

In this unsafe world, these are the people who campaign for making everything safe all of the time, crusading and wearing down Governments until they "do something about it".  You see, the truth is they just can't lose.  If, for example, the Government or local council refuse to put up a rail along a high cliff and somebody falls off, they can say "see... told you so!"... who would dare to refuse to put up the rail?  This is just one example of a billion I could quote but hopefully you get the gist.

Just for a minute though... humour me, think of it another way.... imagine there is no rail and god forbid, you are responsible for your own actions.  If you take a walk along that cliff, you might take some care... think about the danger, tread cautiously perhaps?  If you don't, my word, you might fall off.  BUT... thank goodness... the rail is there and you can walk along the clifftop, blissfully unaware of any danger and feel completely safe.

Oh... but one day, the rail has become damaged, what then?  Is your mind tuned to watch out for danger? No, you have trained it to believe in an utterly safe world... there is no danger... so when the rail becomes damaged... over you go... off the cliff.... OK - so a little extreme and unlikely perhaps?  You can see the rail is damaged and so take extra caution....

What about when you are traveling though?  In a country with different values?  Where they just don't put safety rails along cliffs?  How were you supposed to know it was dangerous?  Surely if it was dangerous, they would have put a rail around it?  Your mind knows this, that is what living in an overly protected environment has taught it to think.... so as you topple off that foreign cliff... give it some thought... if only you had always had to think about danger.... and the rail at home had never been there... you would still be alive today perhaps?

There are plenty of stories of travelers falling off dangerous cliffs around the world... just maybe the Lefty's are a little bit responsible for that?

You see, the truth is, all of the cliffs in all of the world can never be given rails and so you need to learn and know they are dangerous, before you find out the hard way!

Children learn that falling over hurts and so they learn not to fall over.... would it be right or even possible to stop them from ever falling over in the first place?  I think not...

I  am not proposing we remove all the guard rails from every cliff... it's about balance... too often these days we hear of people falling over curbs and suing the council or in one recent case in the UK, a police officer suing a garage owner when she tripped over a curb on a 999 call!  She is also suing her employers for the time she crashed her police car too so a trend perhaps?  Clearly a woman who truly believes the world should be made of marshmallow so she doesn't get hurt!

The truth is, the world is a nasty place... full of hidden dangers, it isn't made of marshmallow and not chocolate either....

so sadly....

......  its time to grow up and watch where you are walking!!!

The Pope @ Easter

So, the Pope's Easter message?  Good?  Bad?  Indifferent?

For me?  Disappointing.... let me re-emphasise, I am not a Catholic, nor do I follow another religious doctrine, however I do acknowledge the Catholic Church has a significant influence on the populous.

As such, I was keen to hear what this new Pope's first Easter message might be.... he called for peace negotiations to resume in the Middle East, yes commendable... an end to civil war in Syria... here here.... an end to discord in many African nations... yay - totally agree.... but here's where we differ.... he is openly condemning areas of non-Catholic conflict.

What about Northern Ireland?  Hostilities are erupting there once again..... is it too much to ask that the Pope call for peace where his own religion is involved?  Overly ambitious perhaps?

And how easy is it to condemn "iniquitous exploitation of natural resources"?  So the Pope and his flock will be traveling by ... ermmmm .... donkey perhaps?

And so to the message he brought with him when he was ordained... what was it again? Oh Yes, i remember - "the Catholic Church would be a church, not just for the poor, but of the poor"... I didn't hear a lot in the Easter message about "giving away the riches of the Church" on his first major opportunity to put action behind his words!!!

So yes, for me disappointing.... deflecting attention away from any conflict in Ireland and barely a gold coin throw to the poor... he doesn't seem to be what he first appeared....

Dear Mr Cameron!

Dear Mr Cameron

photo credit: The Prime Minister's Office cc

I am writing from a combination of despair and optimism.  I am sure you get many letters but I am hoping you find a few minutes in your day to read just this one.  You don't need me to tell you, the country is in a mess, the financial crisis just won't go away!  The European Union is a constant thorn in your side and if the celebrations associated with the Olympics and the Royal Jubilee can't cheer the people up, what the hell will?

You seem like a nice guy, perhaps too nice.  The riots of 2010 and 2011 must have been a bit of a shock, maybe that tempers your response now.  Perhaps your young family influences you to go easy but whatever the reason, it's time to think of their future.  Whatever you do today will form the world they will live in tomorrow.  Do you really want them to live in a country full of hate, perhaps a huge military power, founded on racial prejudice, a devolved council controlled enemy of Europe instead of a strong partner to be reckoned with?  A country that despises everything outside of its own borders, perhaps thinking invasion of other nations is the only option to meet the excessive needs and demands of its people??

If you fail to act now, this grim, frightening future could become a reality.

Our country is crying out for a strong leader, take a leaf from Maggie's book!!  Why else would the UK Independence Party be gaining such prominence and apparent support?  It is oft theorized and even proven in the history books, times like this help extremists gain momentum.  The UKIP's promise of leaving the EU and their ridiculous proposals around income tax are foolish but popular, hardly surprising.  They promise to cut taxes dramatically yet expand the military and devolve power to the councils.  There will be no central body overseeing crime and the justice system, an abolition of human rights in the name of prison reform!!! The voting public cannot see past their promise to exit the EU!

Ed is not your political enemy, the UKIP are.  The public aren't seeing their fascist manifesto, they need you to open their eyes!!!  Ed certainly isn't going to!

We all know the chances of them gaining power at the next election are close to nothing, well let's hope so, but what they will do is split the vote. It won't be the left wingers voting for them, but your Tory voters!!  

Don't make your legacy another Labour Government!

The rise of the Unions, the strikes, even the Argies playing up again is all reminiscent of a past none of us want to see again.  Blair's Government did their best to destroy the country and Ed Miliband will surely put more nails in the coffin if you let him.  Even Denis Healey at 94 felt the need to speak out this week, despite his left wing past he actually stated some truths!  It isn't often I find myself agreeing with a Labour politician!

The nation wants and needs Maggie back, her strength, her determination to keep Britain Great against all opposition.  Smash them to smithereens!  Stand up to Europe, tell them we are leaving, you know it is inevitable but leave now and lead from a position of strength.  Negotiate a trading partnership relationship and stay friends, once you go through the farce of a referendum your hands will be tied and you will lose your bargaining power.  

Stop placing so much emphasis on the financials, not yet, the debt doesn't matter for a little while longer, we will recover, we always do.  People can only take so much and they have reached their limit.

We can't have Maggie but we do have you, you have the chance to overcome adversity and become one of our greatest leaders, your name right up there with Churchill, Thatcher and Pitt, the Younger that is.   Somebody once said to me, "never turn down an opportunity" and I share that wisdom with you now.  You have a choice, make this your opportunity.... 

...... you can be someone or you can become the PM who's just one of many in a long line!!!!

Please make the right choice for all of our sakes and make a difference!!!

Sincerely yours

JayJinx