22nd June 2013

What does a better world look like?

As the early Mancunian Punk Band The Tunes reflected, with an ironic nod to Superman, in the title of an early EP: Truth, Justice and The Mancunian Way.

It seems that there is little of Truth or Justice around at the present time.

In the NHS the Quality Care Commission is in jeopardy after whistle blower intervention resulted in the the Health Secretary offering to speak out on behalf of patients.

Or rather more threateningly claiming that he wanted to seen as the Michael Gove of the NHS.

The series of coups, strange comings and goings in the world of finance, with the outgoing Governor of The Bank of England being awarded the rather doubtful accolade of enjoying a Governorship of two halves and the outgoing Head of RBS appearing to not want to leave at all, leaving us all in doubt as to whether he was pushed or did he jump?

And as for Justice, well it seems that we can't afford that either and so the usual fudge of tendering and selling off to the the lowest bidder appears to suggest that the accused will face arrest, trial and if condemned subsequent internment, not at the pleasure of Her Majesty, but of the CEO of G4S.

At least it appears that the speed limit on The Mancunian Way, as well as other Motorways and Dual Carriageways, will be held at 70, apparently it is a response to the view that women drivers are uncomfortable with the proposal to raise the limit to 80.

I must admit I found that a little strange, having recently been out riding on the Harley through the highways and byways of East Cumbria, to have been overtaken  by a young lady driving a souped up skateboard with a Peugot badge, who nearly dumped both me and the Harley into a ditch leaving me if not shaken certainly not stirred.

I'm sure that she wouldn't mind having the speed limit raised, but then again knowing that you could travel legally at 80 would somehow take the pleasure from speeding and you would have to aim for ninety at least.

I had to chuckle at the news that at the recent G8 Summit, President Obama, who is first generation Irish himself, thus when he is visiting the Emerald Isle it's O'bama, insisted on calling George Osborne, Jeffrey.

Apparently confusing him with an R&B singer called Jeffrey Osborne.

Although I rather sense that the confusion arose from O'bama remembering a few of the singers' titles, not the least his 1982 hit, 'Eenie Meenie', or the 1988 song titles, 'She's On The Left', although who she might be is left open to question, it would still doubtless represent a challenge to the politically dry Chancellor who would prefer the singers other 1988 song, 'Can't Go Back on a Promise'.

Well, he promised austerity and austerity is what you've got, so don't complain.

Rehearsing the dream of a future built on Truth and Justice brings  me back to the Co-op.

Always in the business of creating a better world customers of the co-op in Cumbria are being offered a chance to buy a few extras and to donate them to the Food Bank.

It seems to me to be neither True nor Just that whilst the con-dem's continue to play their fiddles, it is on their watch that the numbers of individuals dependent on Food Banks  to feed their families continues to grow.

It is becoming a national disgrace.

So perhaps Mr Osborne, instead of downloading his namesake from iTunes, should have spent his time more usefully looking at the web-sites of The Trussel Trust or Church Action on Poverty, not to make a donation. That won't do, but to review and revise his policies which are forcing families and children into poverty.

In Brazil protests are increasing because the protesters are making a simple connection between the price of public transport and the unaffordable and increasing costs of bring the World Cup to Brazil.

Football, which has brought so much joy to individuals in Brazil and allowed so many gifted players to escape poverty and become rich in Europe, is now as the FIFA Circus prepares to roll into Town, being seen for the unaffordable junket that it is, with so many able to dip their bread into the free flowing Gravy.

Its a shame that The United Kingdom plc wasn't forced to rethink its own junketing over the past few years. This is not Ancient Rome people don't want Bread and Circuses, or Jubilees and Olympics, for many just the bread would be enough.

As Jeffrey Osborne sang with Dionne Warwick in 1989 and as George Osborne should realise, it's the Governments job, for which they were elected to, 'Take Good Care of You and Me'.