The Life Question

The big question is.......... how do we lead our lives.  Is it the simple life and making sure your family are looked after and provided for or do we shoot for the stars and put everything into our career?  Alternativley we could spend more time helping other people or charities.  I am currently pondering these questions which is distressing considering that without a clear goal, I don't perform well in any of the above. 

Achieving balance in these areas of life is the key, however, it seems to me that no one is really achieving it.  Even those people who look like they are, are just the same as the rest of us behind closed doors.  There is plenty of guidance out there, from religion to therapists to self help books and the list goes on; the problem I have with all of this advice is that I don't trust it.  It all revolves around money and greed, even "free" advice will involve some commercial gain if you look a little deeper.  

I'm genuinly looking for some decent free advice on this subject so please, if you have all the answers, share them with the rest of us.

Gillette! Don't trust them.

I'm fed up of watching the good looking guys in the Gillette adverts telling us, or more to the point showing us how marvellous Gillette razors are.  I was satisfied with Gillette Sensor, the original razor which these days are quite hard to get hold of.  Why is this?  It is because more blades per razor equals more money for the company.  I would even go as far as to say they now make the blades for sensor razors less sharp than they do for the three, four or five blade razors. 

Unfortunately the younger generation have accepted that the more blades there are the better the razor.  It's unbelievable, how far will they push it?  Soon men will be able to get their faces moulded to create a razor that shaves the face in one stroke because it fits exactly, and it will cost a fortune. 

Men!  Please stop buying these ridiculous razors with non existent technology for the face and let us revert back to a decent one or two blade razor that does the same job for half the price. Personally, I blame the banks.

Bully For Our Leaders

It is quite a frightening prospect that so many of our leaders were bullied in school.  It has seemed apparent to me in the last 20 years that our Prime Ministers and those attempting to gain the positon of PM have all been wet fish who look out of place leading a country.  The most suprising revelation came recently when Ed Balls, the pit bull of the labour party was said to have been bullied about his name.  This affected him so much that he has allowed his children to keep their mothers name. 

The Miliband's are another example of politicians bullied in school who then rose to power in the Labour party.  I have no doubt these people are intelligent and have no doubt worked hard (Academically) to have risen to their current positions, however, it worries me that the line between diplomacy and weakness is very thin and that our politicians are all to easily brushed aside when in talks with strong leaders of other countries. Leaders who know how to be both diplomatic and strong at the same time.

Tony Blair may not have been the strongest PM, however, he did have a likeability about him that people responded too.  Is this a result of the fact that he was relatively popular at school and therefore new how to relate to other people?  Most politicians probably spent most of their time in school studying and surrounded by their wealthy friends, leaving them with a limited view of how the rest of society thinks.  This certainly seems the case for the majority although David Cameron does at least have an air of authority with a confidence and conviction when speaking that shows an element of strength.

I am just glad that neither Miliband is in the position of PM and hopefully will never be.  I feel the same about Ed Balls who may seem like a strong character on the outside, however, is in the position he currently is as a result of a successful political partership with his wife.  David Cameron certainly looks the part in terms of strength of character at the moment which indicates that he has may not have been bullied in school.   Let us hope he can manage to not get bullied in the International political arena.

Delete the Parents

At what point in our lives do we start thinking about caring for our parents?  I would hazard a guess that it is the first time you see your grandparents being cared for as a result of them not being able to care for themselves.  Some children see their parents, move their grandparents into care and it doesn't seem to bad.  It can often be said that if the care home is run well and the grandparent receives plenty of visits that it might be the best thing for them.  Coupled with this is the idea that the grandparent believes they are a burden on the family and will persuade them that it is something they would like to do thereby releving the guilt of the parents.

This is now common practice in the UK and most of the time the people moving into the homes have no choice.  The children they have spent their lives cherishing and caring for cannot wait to get them safely tucked up in a home.  Obviously, this is not always the case.  Some people take their parents into care, whether it be with pleasure or out of guilt and a sense of loyalty.  These people are in steady decline and are usually the people who have enjoyed a great upbringing with parents who gave everything for them to succeed in their endeavours.

Can society be blamed for this demise in caring for those who loved you so much?  The culture of our society has changed so much since the introduction of multiculturalism and a more diverse society with a flippant regard to religion or simple values and standards.  There are so many religions, how can one be right?  That is the thought of the young of today and of those who grew up in the eighties and nineties, which leads them to believe that there is no real God and that religion is worthless.  They have no regard for the values that religion brings to a society and how it can guide those who follow it to a better life.  I myself am not religious, however, I am willing to follow christianity to a certain extent to at least install the values to my family that are required for tolarence and understanding.  The Government should be developing a means of instilling into children the importance of these values without crossing the religious divide so that schools can once again teach pupils without a backlash from religious parents.  This may be the only way some children will ever receive guidance.

In other countries and cultures such as China and Africa the family is the centre of everything.  These cultures wouldn't think twice about putting a family member in a home.  Only the most developed countries in western society now provide care homes on a mass scale in the knowledge that the selfish, greedy, money hungry society that capitalism has created will continue to offload their parents in this way.  Although, the UK is still behind in comparison to Europe in terms of professionalism and standards with regards to looking after the elderley.

The standards of caring in the UK should not be an issue.  If the good people of Britain started "looking in" to their family again instead of constantly looking out at what they can gain for themeslves, the elderley could once again feel needed, useful and most importantly cared for.  This generation needs to set the example for the next, otherwise,  we will be the ones being shot into space!

Clever Quotes

Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible for anyone to accomplish.

- Marcus Aurelius

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Are our politicians corrupt?

Why does power make people so greedy?  It seems that as soon as a position of power has been gained, that person becomes corrupt.  The most recent example of this is Ben Ali of Tunisia; after gaining power he ensured he stayed there by rigging elections.  When the people of Tunisia began violently demonstrating for political reform, his wife Leila Trabelsi fled to Dubai after taking £38,000,000 worth of Gold Ingots.  Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia where he is said to have billions stowed and has plenty of rich contacts to aid him in this, his hour of need.  What a joke!  He will probably never need again after milking his country for all its worth whilst the country suffers with low employment and an over population of graduates. 

The west do nothing about these democratic dictators because they are happy that they keep out the islamists and continue to spend money in the capitalist countries.  It seems the leaders of the west are more than happy to milk the residents of these type of countries as long as their own country is benefiting.  As long as countries are in need of the technologies of the west then the leaders are content to continue to supply them.

The next question of course is, are the politicians in the UK taking a share of the money for themselves.  It would seem not, however, how would we ever know?  The amount of money people, businesses and corporations pay in tax is astonishing.  The Government continue to dream up new ways of taxing money such as the inheritance tax; a tax on money that has already been taxed and has to be taxed again.  The money would never actually go direct to the politician, it would be invested in a project that maybe lucrative for the politician in the future.  Is it so difficult to believe?  Tony Blair has amassed a huge fortune since leaving office which may not be corrupt money, however, it does prove that politicians are fuelled by their need for money.

Another example of this, is the expenses scandal.  Half the Government were involved, with most claiming that they thought it was normal practice.  Not a very good excuse considering the supposedly high intelligence of these people. Tony Blair's records were mysteriously destroyed, conveniant!

In my opinion the greedy powerful people who lead countries have not learnt that it matters not how dormant society may seem. It will react when the dividing line between the rich and the poor becomes to great.  The rich assume that as long as the plebians or working class are amused enough to keep them ticking along, they can continue to take from them.  I would even venture that the working classes are actually relatively well off at the moment when considering the creature comforts that our predessesors never had such as constant hot water and heating.  However, to look up and see businessmen and footballers living life so lavishly whilst others struggle to keep their family fed is an example of how wealth is not redistributed properly and the greedy will do whatever they can to ensure it stays that way.

  

Clever Quotes

"Going to war without France is like going hunting without a piano". 

Stormin Norman Schwartzkopf.

History Teaches Us Nothing

Why does it seem so difficult for the government to learn from history when considering the future of the Armed Forces.  With the current financial climate as it is, cutting the budget for the forces was inevitable, however, where and how they cut it is not so clear.  The government always seem to focus on what's happening at the present time with little regard for the past.  It is for that reason that they are now funneling money into buying equipment suited for the war in Afghanistan; conventional weapons such as battle tanks and Nimrod aircraft are being scrapped with little thought for the future or, respect for events of the past.  It is easy to forget that the British Navy was about to be cut in size before the Falklands War, it then proved to be crucial to the outcome of the war and has kept its size since. 

The British nuclear deterrent has also come under scrutiny from the government with a view to cancelling the proposed upgrade.  Yes, it is expensive and it has never been used, but as a nation we need it to ensure that rogue countries out there know that if they do manage to obtain the technology to launch a nuclear missile, retaliation will be swift and powerful.  This sounds unlikely in this day and age, however, history indicates that while democratic governments concentrate their efforts on achieving peace, there are always people out there who have no respect for democracy and peace.  There are a growing number of dictators in countries such as Venezuela, The Ivory Coast and Belarus, to name a few, who have only their own interests and power in mind when they make decisions for the countries they run.  These leaders would be a huge threat to the rest of the world if they achieved nuclear proliferation.  Iran and North Korea are currently the greatest threats to the diplomatic community as long as they continue with their nuclear programs.  North Korea has now agreed to allow inspectors in to their nuclear facility, however, Iran has not and does not look likely too.  Failed states such as Somalia also offer a threat  to the world, although the threat of retaliation may not be a deterrent if this was the case. It would likely be terrorists if a launch was made from a failed state, retaliation would not be much of a threat to fanatics.

The old enemies Russia and China have embraced capitalism and are said to be to reliant on the rest of the world in terms of trade and the requirement to import supplies from other countries for the populous.  This may be true, however, if Vladimir Putin regained power of Russia, he would undoubtedly steer his country back towards a more protectionist Russia with a single authoritarian leader; a style of leadership the Russian people are used too. 

As more countries enjoy the freedom that democracy brings, there are just as many not enjoying the rule of a an individual who fails to relinquish power.  The government of this country cannot ignore these countries and the threat they pose to diplomacy.  Unfortunately diplomacy can sometimes only work with the aid of coercion and for that we still require a strong military with an improved nuclear deterrent.

The Fight for Control of the Economy

It seems the control the government once had over big business is disappearing fast.  All the promises made in the election campaigns regarding the subject have failed to materialise.  They now feed us with excuses relating to the requirement of banks to be competitive and the loss of banking talent to other countries if we do not stay competitive.  Further to this the government have scrapped proposals such as the the bonus tax and the legislation that required banks to reveal what they pay.  Why have they done this?  In one word "Greed".  Money controls everything these days and those in control of it will ensure that it stays that way.  The behaviour of Corporations has such an impact on the economy that the government are powerless to dictate exactly how they should conduct their business for the benefit of the country and allow them to continue to appease their shareholders and fill their own pockets. 

Most banking CEOs refused their bonuses last year as a result of the financial crises, however, this poses the question, how did they earn bonuses when the tax payer had to bail them out of the mess they created for themselves?  This year none of them will refuse their bonuses and feel they thoroughly deserve them.  Well they do not!  The CEOs bonus is dependant on the shareholders who will happily endorse it if they receive their yearly dividend; these bonuses can range from  2-8 million pounds.  How is that fair when there are people in the UK without home's or jobs who are struggling to make ends meet.  It is not as if there aren't thousands of qualified bankers out there who could step into the shoes of a CEO if he/she were to go abroad.  These people are not as talented as they seem and it requires the government to realise this if any of the money from profit is to be injected into the economy and not the pockets of the greedy. 

The government have lost control of the wage difference between the CEOs and the average employee with CEOs now earning 81 times more than the average pay packet; up from 47 times more in 2000.  How long will the public continue to put up with this income inequality caused by the greedy and irresponsible behaviour of the financial elite?  Only time will tell, the government and public seem to be the puppets at the moment with the banks and corporations controlling the strings.