The global economy is in “a devil
of a mess” according to Ken Clarke, UK Justice Secretary.
Thank you Ken, we already knew. And
we know that none of you in government have the foggiest clue how to put it
right. You are working on old solutions to old problems, and no amount of
history will provide the answer.
You haven't yet worked out that we
need new solutions to new problems.
Rapidly widening inequality, pointless wars, diminishing resources,
climate change; all new problems needing new solutions. The history books won't
help us now. Taking the hard decisions will.
Problem - high inequality. The
income gap had been closing since Victorian times, but now it's widening at a
terrifying pace. Top company executives are now earning more than 75 times the
average wage. In 1980 it was about 13 times. The Green Party has long
considered that 10 times is about right.
Average UK wages have increased
threefold since 1980, the chief executive's package at the now partly
state-owned Lloyds Bank has increased by more than 3,000%. This is an
astronomical pay rise for poor judgement, bad management, and downright fraud.
Tough talk about market forces is
tantamount to bullying. The 1%ers are just well connected idiots whose proof of
greed, mismanagement and foul play is on record. It's time to call their bluff.
The High Pay Commission recommends transparency, accountability and fairness
http://highpaycommission.co.uk/ I recommend pay cuts.
Problem - war. There are always those who think wars can be
a catalyst to move past a crisis. Military rhetoric surrounds us. War is not a
tool to solve our current problems. It is an abhorrence. Mumblings about Iran
grow louder. Israel and the US are about to start playing the war game entitled Juniper Cobra 12 to check that their missiles
can be properly co-ordinated in times of what can only be called blatant
aggression. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=27731
Israel is a nuclear power and more
than willing to use it (but that's a secret of course). The US is a nuclear
power and has already used it. What has Iran done to deserve our wrath- apart
from not cowering to the whim of the West.
War with Iran will cost taxpayers
dear. It will not solve our economic problems. It will make them worse. I
recommend an outbreak of peace together with military spend being diverted to
clean energy projects worldwide. The armed forces have the engineers, the
logistics, the manpower.
Problem - diminishing resources. We
cannot have unlimited economic growth in a world of finite resources. Water scarcity looms. Land to grow
unsustainable crops to feed and mobilise a massive increase in human numbers is
in short supply, yet we cannot kick the old habits of thoughtless consumerism.
We eat too much meat, use too much oil, pollute too much air. In short we are,
unscrupulous, unethical, unsustainable. We have to change our ways and no
government has the guts to tell the truth. Listen if you will to the tired old
political rhetoric, but it won't solve the problem. Lifestyle change will.
Problem - Climate change. It's
galloping up to us right now. Atmospheric CO2 has risen from 310 parts per
million to an alarming 389 in just 50 years. Precious little is being done
about it. NIMBY's don't like windmills, bird lovers don't like them offshore;
governments spend fortunes (of our money) promoting nuclear because it gives
them weapons grade material. It seems everyone likes the dirtiest power source
of all - coal. Or do they want magic? I recommend New Education for all based on ethical lifestyle and
hands-on problem solving.
For too long governments have been
put into office by big money and big media to do their bidding. The people and
the planet are not even second. They were not even on the agenda - until now.
Hat's off to the Occupiers, to the
Trade Unions, to the people waking up to the real world. We are on the agenda, and
we might just write it!
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