Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Class war

As the government continues to prop up banks and the elite, but cuts education funding, libraries, local council spending, and even disabled peoples' basic needs, why should the average person give a toss about these multinational, corporate games? Tory governments systematically begin to destroy society as soon as they gain power. Unemployment is reaching unprecedented heights, banks will not lend to people or small businesses.From the middle classes down to the bread line, this country is suffering, but they are expected to clap happily as the govt spends $9bn on sports day. This is war, and there are no boundaries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17200835
London 2012: Unite's Olympics strike threat condemned
Comments (1243)

David Cameron: "Labour needs to condemn this utterly"
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Suggestions from the leader of the UK's biggest union that workers could strike during the London Olympics have been condemned by political leaders.

Len McCluskey, of Unite, told the Guardian that civil disobedience could be timed to disrupt the 2012 Games.

A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron called the idea "unacceptable and unpatriotic". Labour has also criticised Mr McCluskey's comments.

However, union sources told the BBC there were no specific strike plans.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told the BBC: "People will just be gobsmacked, appalled, at Mr McCluskey's remarks.

"At a time when we can showcase to the world that we are positively and optimistically putting on this fantastic event, he wants to bring people out on the streets."

The Liberal Democrat leader said to "mess up the Olympics to prove a point" would be bad for the country and called on Labour leader Ed Miliband to "rein in" Mr McCluskey, whose union is Labour's largest donor.

And Mr Cameron also told MPs that Labour "need to condemn this utterly and start turning back the money" from Unite.

Conservative co-chairman Baroness Warsi agreed, calling the comments "an appalling display of naked self-interest".

"It is disgraceful for a trade union boss to be calling for mass disruption when the eyes of the world will be on Britain," she told the BBC.....cont


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17200835

Thursday, February 23, 2012

100 years of freedom

China celebrates 100 years, this February since the last emperor abdicated. Was the revolution successful? China's first president, Dr Sun Yat Sen, was certainly an idealist, and motivated by his humanity, and outrage at the injustices in his country. This has so often been the case, where a truly great leader has emerged to free the common people from the ravages of poverty and oppression. At least that is how revolutions are begun. Think of Castro in power for 50 years, another idealist, but most people would say his revolution was more successful.  Compare the Chinese revolution to the French and Russian revolutions. Especially during those first 70 years or so. The Chinese and Russian revolutions were hijacked by corrupt and evil men, and of course the two world wars didn't help much either. I personally think that Dr Sun Yat Sen would have been appalled by the successive governments of China. After Japan's self-imposed 200 year isolation, Japan very quickly became powerful, why did't China after its liberation from feudalism? It is only today that we can truly say that China can now hold its head high on the world stage, this should have happened 70 years ago, but sadly under the guise of nationalism and false communism, its own leaders destroyed and massively oppressed their own people. Nationalism still rears its head frequently in China, as it does in Europe and elsewhere, but nobody takes communism seriously anymore, Richard Dawkins becoming Pope is just as logical.Communism does not exist in China, and hasn't for 30 years.
Chinese people, 100 years after electing (although by just a small committee) their first leader, still do not have universal suffrage, pretty damned sure that Dr Sun at that time looked at the example of the USA and hoped his own people could choose their own leader one day.
The future? China is a huge part of humanities future, and so our problems are very similar. A fairer distribution of wealth, human rights, justice, are universal concerns, pollution, resources and universal suffrage are particularly crucial for China's continued success.
It wasn't only China that wasted valuable time in the last century, but China must look honestly at its recent past and admit and remember the very hard lessons that were learnt.

Monday, February 13, 2012

A step backwards for Hong Kong internet users.

Time to vote with your feet. The majority of mobile companies will stop offering unlimited data plans, This is a step backwards. CSL apparently will continue.
Also seems like there is less and less choice these days with telecom companies in Hong Kong, and prices now seem relatively high in comparison to other countries. PCCW, Smartone 3HK, CSL, China Mobile(no fixed internet), seem to have control of the market, and their prices all seem very similar or identical. Not quite at the level of price similarity of Wellcome and Park n Shop yet, but certainly strangely similar.
From RTHK
CSL to continue unlimited data plans

13-02-2012
Mobile network operator, CSL, says it will continue to offer unlimited data plans to its smartphone users, but says those who use a high volume of data will be given lower priority to access the network.

CSL says it plans to move to volume-based pricing before the end of this year, but believes customers need more time to work out their data use.

Another operator, SmarTone, has announced it will cap its data plans at two gigabytes to comply with the new guidelines that have come into effect from the Office of the Telcommunications Authority.

The guidelines state that 'unlimited' plans must be offered free of restrictions.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Friday, February 10, 2012

Can't live with them,can't....

Life is very short, and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend.
I have always thought that it's a crime,
So I will ask you once again.

Try to see it my way,
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There's a chance that we might fall apart before too long.












Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Gather ye rose-buds'


Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
    Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day,
To-morrow will be dying.

( Robert Herrick)

Nobody is falling for your crap Argentina.

 Falkland Islands: Argentina Takes Dispute To United Nations
 HMS Dauntless
 Good luck with that, the UK still has a veto at the UN security council. Britain have sent a warship because Argentina have disrupted shipping. How can a whole nation be so stupid? The people of the Falklands want to be part of Britain. Argentina have never occupied The Falklands.Article 1 of the UN charter gives nations/people the right of self determination. The tiny nation/island of the Falklands have freely chosen their flag. Why don't those of European descent in Argentina return power to the Native Indians? By Argentina's logic, Hawaii is not American nor is Guam. Fuck off Argentina!
 
From The Huffington Post
 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/08/falkland-islands-argentin_n_1261751.html
Argentina is to make a formal complaint to the United Nations Security Council after accusing Britain of "militarising" their long dispute over the Falkland Islands.
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said the UK's decision to send one of its most modern navy warships to the South Atlantic and to post the Duke of Cambridge on military duty in the region posed a risk to "international security".
Her announcement comes amid simmering tensions between London and Buenos Aires in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Falklands war, which saw Argentinian forces invade the archipelago in a row over its sovereignty.
Speaking to an audience including Falkland war veterans and other politicians at Argentina's presidential residence yesterday, Ms Kirchner said: "I have instructed our chancellor to present formally to the Security Council of the United Nations and before the General Assembly of the United Nations this militarisation of the South Atlantic which implies a great risk for international security."
Following the speech, the UK government insisted that it would not enter into negotiations over the sovereignty of the disputed islands.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The people of the Falkland Islands are British out of choice. They are free to determine their own future and there will be no negotiations with Argentina over sovereignty unless the islanders wish it."
Relations between the UK and Argentina have been frosty in recent months.
In December, Prime Minister David Cameron accused the Buenos Aires administration of "colonialism" after the Mercosur grouping of countries, which includes Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay, announced that it would ban ships sailing under the Falkland Islands flag from docking at their ports.
Last week Prince William began a six-week posting in the Falklands region in his role as an RAF search and rescue pilot, while the Government has also revealed it is to send one of its newest destroyers, HMS Dauntless, to the South Atlantic.
The Type 45 destroyer is due to set sail for the region on her maiden mission in the coming months to replace frigate HMS Montrose.
In her speech, Ms Kirchner said it was difficult to see how "the sending of an immense and modern destroyer accompanied by the Royal heir who we would have liked to see in civilian clothes and not in military uniform" was not a show of purposeful military strength by the UK.
She said Argentina would be opposing "this militarisation of the South Atlantic" because it was a region where "peace reigns".
Ms Kirchner added: "We are people who have suffered too much violence in our country. We are not attracted to armed games, or wars, on the contrary.
"No land, no place can be a spoil of war. We do not believe in the spoils of war."
She also made clear her view that the British are occupying the Falklands, saying: "It is an anachronism that in the 21st Century that there are still colonies: there are only 16 cases (of colonisation) in the whole world, 10 of them are English."
Towards the end of her speech she made a direct plea to Mr Cameron, saying: "I want to simply ask the English (sic) Prime Minister that he gives peace a chance, that some time he gives peace a chance."
British Falklands veteran Simon Weston, who was badly injured during the conflict, described the Argentinian president as "a troubled woman".
He told the BBC: "I don't know what she thinks she is going to gain by annoying everyone with these continuing arguments.
"Ultimately what are the UN going to do? Are they going to sign a sanction against Britain? I doubt it very much."
William Hague has described the deployments of HMS Dauntless and Prince William as "entirely routine" and said that commemorations would go ahead to mark the 30-year anniversary of the conflict in April.
He also accused Argentina of attempting to "raise the diplomatic temperature" on the Falklands issue.
It has also been reported that The Royal Navy is sending a nuclear submarine to the region to protect the islands from possible Argentinian military action. This has not been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence.
Britain has held the Falkland Islands, known as Las Malvinas in Argentina, since 1833.

The following video was requested

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Is Europe really poor, relatively?

The former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia has called Europe poor, is he right? No.
He has called for Europe to 'act poor' Alternatively, Europe could just write off all of its debt in an instant, and carry on regardless. 
Wealth is also determined by infrastructure and education, and on that scale Europe remains very very rich. This kind of statement from Asian leaders shows a staggering amount of ignorance of simple economics. If Western European economies remain frozen for the next 50 years, it would still take that time for Asian countries to catch up.Anyone who has seen the poorer areas of in this case Malaysia, would understand that clearly, never mind the devastating poverty seen throughout China and India.

From the BBC
For decades the West has lectured the East on how to manage its economies. Not any more.
Now the emerging economies of Asia look like models of steady, consistent policy and sustained growth while Europe, America and Japan are mired in debt and are growing achingly slowly, if at all.
So what can the West learn from the East?
According to former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the message is simple but devastating: Europe must face up to the new economic reality.
"Europe... has lost a lot of money and therefore you must be poor now relative to the past," he reasons in an interview with BBC World Service's Business Daily.
"And in Asia we live within our means. So when we are poor, we live as poor people. I think that is a lesson that Europe can learn from Asia."....cont

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16918000





Travelling on the underground in London.

Racism rears its ugly head yet again in England. I post this to show what happens when we become blase about racism. On the positive side this woman was arrested today, and remains in custody.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012