Tony's facing a couple of difficult hours this morning, as he faces the Liason Committee, which itself is made up of the Heads of various Select Committees..
Now this is a question period which happens regularly.. twice a year.. and he'll likely have one more of these before he steps down as PM..
But the questions he faces this morning are telling.
Britain's continuing role in the Middle East. Should we continue to send forces into the area, or should we try a diplomatic approach more vigorously. This issue in itself will define the relationship the Labour Government intends to pursue with our No.1 ally, the United States. What with Republicans blocking debate on George's latest announcement that he intends to send another 21 thousand or so soldiers into Baghdad, it would appear George is going to make use of his time in office, to ensure there can be no backing out.. that the situation will require Western presence regardless of which Party might control the White House in a year and a half's time..
Britain has the luxury of cutting back on it's forces on the ground, and public opinion is beling led towards that eventuality, especially with the release this morning by the Sun newspaper, of cockpit recordings from US aircraft, which attacked a well-marked British convoy, killing one British soldier, and wounding several others. The point has been emphasised in the British media, that the pilots involved in this tragedy, were reservists, on their first mission, who had been fed incorrect intelligence.
It has not helped the British man on the street, to reconcile himself to our involvement in this conflict, allied with soldiers who cannot tell who's the real enemy.
Add to that the growing tensions between the British Islamic Community, the British public, and the tensions recently raised by the arrests and continued confinement of 9 British Muslims, who are suspected of plotting to kidnap and videotape the beheading of a British Muslim soldier.
This has turned into what was commonly called a 'cluster-f***'.
Tony's also going to have to answer pointed questions about climate change, and what Britain can do about it.
In his initial address to this Committee, Tony pointed out that we in this country, contribute only 2% of all carbon emissions currently released through industry into the atmosphere. He also pointedly announced, that the US and China contribute 40%, and that literally nothing can be done towards controlling human effects on our climate, unless there is a global consensus.
And quite frankly, with the US moving at a snails pace towards moving away from carbon-based fuels, and China still considered a 'developing country' and therefor exempt from any controls whatsoever, there is absolutely nothing we in Britain can do, that would have any real effect on our biosphere. If we went completely 'eco-friendly' immediately, we would see whatever benefit we might make swallowed up and lost, regardless of how many hydrogen based cars or motorbikes we might get on the roads, or how many energy efficient lightbulbs we change to.
Back to Britain's minority communities for a moment. There is a foofoorah ongoing about 'faith schools', and their effect on the children that attend them. Accusations have been flying about that such schools secularise groups.. instill within their communities an element of isolationism, where the government is desperately trying to boost the idea of being British first, and whatever else, second. In this, the government is failing.
It has been pointed out, that we are developing a 'ghetto society', wherein Muslims, WASPs, recent immigrants, are deliberately grouping together in their own neighbourhoods. The tolerance shown of television in soaps the likes of Eastenders, simply does not exist, and will not exist until there is a reason to be proud of being British again.
This process, if it does or even can develop, will take generations, and the formation of a trust which simply, today, is not there.
On to the EU, and Britain's future involvement in this organisation. Tony's stance is, that while the EU is in such financial difficulties, it would certainly not be in our interests to broaden our ties. It is a fact that even the government is seemingly aware of, that the EU is a teetering group, constantly expanding to take in economies which are thoroughly under-developed. That the Euro is vastly over-inflated in value, and to link our economy to the likes of France, Germany, Italy, which are all bankrupt and still the mainstay of the EU, as well as Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, which are all desperately trying to industrialise in the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR, would be disasterous. Yet, therein the problem, for as we are a member of the EU, we are required to allow immigrants from these countries to flock to us in search of British wages, while also allowing them the freedom to maintain their own societies, and reject British common values.
Now, we are not against immigration, for indeed these people are willing to work at jobs the average Briton would turn their noses up at. This generates tax revenue for the government, whichever might be in power.. and gets these 'distasteful' jobs done.
But this again reflects badly on the average Brit, which generates resentment, however misdirected.
Tony has little time left before Gordon Brown takes the reins, and whatever he might propose will have to be reviewed by his successor. But, there are situations already set in motion, which must be addressed by any government in power.. Situations which will take years to resolve.
Take this latest statement from Tony, in answer to a question from the Committee, concerning our presence in Afghanistan. Tony insists that while Afghanistan will 'never' be what we see a democracy to be, but our goal there should be to give the Afghani people a chance at 'regional democracy'.. which suggests that the best we might be able to do, is allow Afghani's to 'elect' their Warlords.
What tripe! Should that be our true goal, then we might as well pull out now, as the Russians did.. and conceed that we cannot impose Western ideals or methods, on those from a culture that has a long history of internal strife.
There comes a time when it must be admitted that there is no 'International Community', but merely a coalition of Western powers with more money than sense.
There was a time, when the Levant was first approached by Britain in the 18th and 19th century, that trade agreements were reached without intervention in the manner in which the individual governments of these Middle Estern countries conducted themselves.
It seems now, that we suffer from hubris, and it is doing us no good whatsoever. It is time we cleaned our own house, and left other countries to do the same..

Interesting approach 'The Sun' newspaper has taken in taking a stance against the radical element of racism that has appeared over the past couple of years in Britain..
The papers front page features a Jewish child holding a sign that says 'Yid'.. a black child holds one that says 'nigger'.. a Muslim girl has one that reads 'raghead'.. a Muslim boy, 'terrorist'..and there are about seven more other children of ethnic origin with the epithetic lables they're subjected to..
This has caused quite a stir among the ethnic communities..
Now the Editor-In-Chief of 'The Sun' says it's a shock tactic, designed to highlight what these ethnic children have to endure at school, and to some extent, from the public at large.. And that he cannot believe that in this year 2007, kids still have to face this type of discrimination. The purpose of the front page, was to draw each and every reader into the world of these minority children, to demonstrate the polarisation process as it develops from childhood.
But the stance taken by at least some of the ethnic communities has been somewhat less than enthusiastic. To see these epithets in print, they say, is bad enough.. But to see them on the front page of a national newspaper is unendurable.
There is a point to the objections voiced to this approach, for to see such unacceptable labels anywhere is difficult to accept.
But, one must admire The Sun's courage in taking this stance, and printing such a headline picture, for if even one reader is moved by this image, and one attitude is changed, then some progress has been made.
And it is likely that British people, who, it has to be said are by and large socially concious, who see this picture, will have their collective shame touched to some extent.
And indeed, confronting what might be something lightly said, with little insult intended, could well lead to a more complete understanding of the damage done by such epithets, and could possibly prompt thought before they're uttered..
One can only hope, for as has been recorded here many times, this Island is becoming fragmented, and the issue of what it means to be 'British' is an issue which even the government is exploring..

These are unique times. We have instant access to worldwide news.. we have exposure to the worst of other cultures, and have been called upon to help those half a world away.. we have the weight of the world, literally, upon our individual shoulders, and this is a situation a normal adult would find difficult to absorb, let alone our children.
Thus, there are statistics which show that just under half of the British population is clinically depressed and is being medicated for it, and another half of those left are also suffering depression, but go undiagnosed.
Even our children are affected, to the point they too are medicated for a variety of behavioral disorders and depression. What they see on television is appalling, compared with that which was shown children half a century ago. That which they endure at school, is frankly frightening, with teachers having been stripped of all authority, and thus, can maintain no respect.
Now, we find that which has long been suspected, and likely has been a longstanding problem, wherein pharmaceutical companies who produce these medications to combat our depression, are falsifying their reports and clinical findings, to rush yet another drug into the public bloodstream.
That GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) attempted to show that Seroxat, a new anti-depressant, worked for depressed children despite failed clinical trials.
And that GSK-employed ghostwriters influenced 'independent' academics.
This leaves us in a position wherein we can no longer trust our family physicians, for they take the drug companies at their word, and will not hesitate to prescribe this new 'wonder' drug, in the hope it will have effecatious results on our suffering kids..
Ahh we have come a long way. An advertisment this morning showed a new film, a cartoon for children, of the old classic 'Charlottes Web'. This means that instead of sitting on Mom or Dad's knee, working through the text of the novel, learning to read while developing an imagination, we parents can now sit the kids in front of the box and ignore them while they absorb pre-concieved pictures of the characters, in a necissarily edited script..
Perhaps the answer is for parents to unplug the box. To take time to share with their children that which their parents shared with them.. time.
We might see a drop in adolescent depression, if children had a relationship with their parents wherein they knew they had someone who actually cared, who would actually listen.
This is the time of unfit parents, raising children who will follow in their footsteps and perhaps take it to yet another level of isolation between parents and children, as technology improves.
We are T.S.Elliot's 'Straw Men'.. and our children will do nothing more than continue with that which we have taught them.
Gods help us all.

A new problem for Britain. It has been reported that Muslim youth is far more likely to be swayed by rhetoric from Islamic fundamentalists, and with over 1.5 million Muslims scattered throughout the country, there is a widening gap between what's percieved to be two different cultures.
13% of British Muslims support al Q'aeda, according to latest figures.. 27% would prefer they be dealt with according to Shar'ia Law, than the British Judiciary..
It was, at one time, something to be proud of, to be British. Not British-Muslim, or British-Christian, but merely 'British'. Not so these days.
We will take issue with this problem as time goes on, but unless there is a tie that binds which suddenly appears, this country is on a path towards religious intollerance unseen for centuries.

George's seventh State of the Union address was somewhat of a disappointment, all in all. It seems to have offered little new for his Party to stand behind, and even less for his opponents..
He seems to be indicating that the last two years of his term of office, will be a continuation of that which he has already started, and while there was some attention paid to national issues, it's apparent the legacy he'll be leaving whomever takes over, will be focussed on Iraq, and the Middle East in general.
George has started something that the US, and Britain, cannot back out of, regardless of who holds the reins.. The threat of terrorism is growing, and will continue to do so, and it remains for the West to find a solution to Islamic fundamentalists.. a task anyone would find daunting.
In fact, it may well prove to be impossible.
It is, to many analysts, a problem with no workable answer. Once the tiger's out of it's cage, and has shown it's teeth, it will not willingly return to obscurity without an utter commitment towards action to achieve it's goal. This is a battle we're in for the long term, and a legacy no government wants to inherit.
For if, say the Democrats take power, which looks likely.. unless of course Hillary is their candidate.. they will have no option but to carry on with that which George has started. We will see the deliniation between Democrat and Republican policies diminish, of necessity, and this will serve only to confuse the American public.. Matters of local interest will still have to take a back-seat to the funding of this war in the Middle East, until some alliance is made which protects the State of Israel, while removing funding from those terrorist groups which would see the end of Israel entirely, and the establishment of the Caliphate..
Once again. the West is faced with a problem of dealing with unsure allies.. the likes of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.. and this is a situation not unlike walking on a thin crust, covering a bottomless pit of quicksand..

Yet another problem facing the West, and Britain in particular, is the shifting of manufacturing and service-based operations from established markets, to both India, and the new EU countries. India's economy is booming, with IT leading the way. Scotland has lost more than 6 thousand jobs to India.. England even more.. and what has been shifted from the US to cheaper areas has yet to be addressed. We in the West have become complacent, in our work ethic, and in our expectations of what the work we do is worth. Outsourcing is good business, for the companies involved, but it's poison for those who've priced themselves out of the job market.
Projections for the year 2010, have India's GNP increasing to the tune of £12 billion.. and that means the West has lost that income to a country who's workers are happy just to have jobs.. and do their utmost to keep them.
Now it's not all roses.. There have been complaints, especially to Banks, that their call centres are based in a country in which English is not the first language. There have been many a customer dis-satisfied by the service they recieve, simply because their regional accents are misunderstood by those who're supposedly there to help them, and this has brought about the return of some jobs to the UK by the Banks. But there's no such complaints from those who outsource IT resources and manufacturing, and that is the bulk of the loss we will face.
The EU, it's major influential countries the likes of France and Germany, are already facing bankruptcy. British interest rates, already at 5.25%, are expected to rise again in an attempt to curb inflation, mainly spurred on my the outrageous rise in housing costs.
We're finally facing the realities of a global economy. Where it used to be that the skills needed for high-tech administration were available only in the West, we are now finding that expertise available, at a much cheaper outlay, in developing countries..
It's time we put an end to our complacency.. lost our colonial attitudes.. and began work on our own internal problems with education and motivation..
In fact, it's past time.

Now, a brief observation on the growing threat of Scotland's leaving the Union.
It would be an observation that would not be far from the same scenario that Canada is facing with Quebec, in that both Scotland and Quebec are living in a dream world if they think they can compete for international investment, and maintain a working economy.
If the established nations are having problems with the developing nations, what concessions would both Scotland and Quebec have to make to provide an incentive for foreign investment? Certainly the average Scot would balk at the proposal that they endure lower wages, work longer hours, and provide a better product. One would imagine it to be the same with the Quebecois.
Yet, this is the scenario both would be facing.
Not long ago, we posted an entry that stated that should Scotland separate, our economy would be much the same as that of Poland or Romania within a matter of a few years. This has been reinforced by the latest figures on outsourcing to India and Asia, and we have yet to really tap the workforce of the Chinese..
Economically, the next few years are going to be chaotic, with traditional businesses moving for valid economic reasons, to markets wherein their profits can be maximized, and their products better made.
This is not the time for 'independance'.. but a time for a re-grouping of all our resources, so we may compete in an economic situation which, historically, is brand new.
We need cohesion, not a disruption but a reorganisation of the status quo. It's time for Western Nations to pull together, and institute a return to what used to be our reputation.
British workmanship, and experts in fields as diverse as machining to invention, had been a worldwide benchmark. It's time we concentrated on regaining that status, or we will sink to the level of a Third-World country ourselves.
And, time is running out for us, rapidly.

An interesting proposition has come to light from documents dating from the 1950's..
It appears there was a serious proposition by the French Prime Minister, Guy Mollet, that Britain and France merge into one country, with the Queen taking the role of Head of State. Mr. Mollet apparently went as far as taking a trip to London to talk with the then Prime Minister, Anthony Eden, concerning the formation of a single nation.. a precursor to the European Union..
Historically, it was a bad time for both nations, with the Suez Crisis in full bloom and the French and British economies suffering from the effects of the Second World War, and Egyptian President Nasser funding insurgents in French Algeria..
The following is an extract from a British government cabinet paper of the day. It reads:
"When the French Prime Minister, Monsieur Mollet was recently in London he raised with the prime minister the possibility of a union between the United Kingdom and France."
Mollet was desperate to hit back at Nasser. He was also an Anglophile who admired Britain both for its help in two world wars and its blossoming welfare state.
Some analysts, French ones to boot, still think it would be a good idea.. describing France as 'bankrupt', and saying British entrepreneurialism could turn a stagnating State around. They also point out the advantages to Britain, in the increase of tourism for the cojoined countries..
When Eden turned down his request for a union between France and Britain the French prime minister came up with another proposal.
This time, while Eden was on a visit to Paris, he requested that France be allowed to join the British Commonwealth.
A secret document from 28 September 1956 records the surprisingly enthusiastic way the British premier responded to the proposal when he discussed it with his Cabinet Secretary, Sir Norman Brook.
It says: "Sir Norman Brook asked to see me this morning and told me he had come up from the country consequent on a telephone conversation from the prime minister who is in Wiltshire.
..The PM told him on the telephone that he thought in the light of his talks with the French:
..That we should give immediate consideration to France joining the Commonwealth
..That Monsieur Mollet had not thought there need be difficulty over France accepting the headship of her Majesty
"That the French would welcome a common citizenship arrangement on the Irish basis.
It seems that the French prime minister decided to quietly forget about his strange proposals.
No record of them seems to exist in the French archives and it is clear that he told few other ministers of the day about them.
This might well be because after Britain decided to pull out of Suez, the battle against President Nasser was lost and all talk of union died too.
Instead, when the EEC was born the following year, France teamed up with Germany while Britain watched on. The rest, it seems, is history.
So has it always been.. so shall it always be..
Also interesting to note, that this proposal was not known to French Ministers of that time, nor is it part of French history..
Seeing these words for the first time, Henri Soutou, professor of contemporary history at Paris's Sorbonne University almost fell off his chair.

One of Tony's chief concerns these days, is what will happen to British Foreign Policy, once he steps down in a few months time. Now Tony himself has not been slow to pick up a gauntlet, having involved British troops in Serbia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and of course, Iraq.. all in the effort to contain terrorists and curtail their operations..
But while there is talk of mothballing half the British Fleet, and cutting the size of land forces, Tony has announced that while indeed, some naval forces will be reduced, there will be expenditures over the next ten to twenty years towards replacing old ships with new.. aircraft carriers twice the size of those we're going to retire.. destroyers equipped with state of the art technology to take the place of those which are effectively, now, obsolete.
Tony says he does not want Britain to become a 'soft' military power..
It is an interesting stance to take, for at the moment, Britain spends 2.5% of it's GNP on military equipment and in maintaining a sizeable standing army, and there are those who would see that money put towards national interests, some of those within the ranks of the Labour Party. Just what lies in the future for Britains involvement in maintaining a 'shoulder to shoulder' relationship with the US.. Whether Gordon Brown, in the two years he'll have in power, will maintain Tony's intent, is moot.. Whether David Cameron, if and when he takes the reins, will continue the intense war on Middle Eastern fanatic factions, is as yet, unknown..
And therein lies the problem. Any withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, could well mean the return of the Taliban, and afford groups the likes of al Q'aeda and Hammas safe havens for the training of terrorists.. A withdrawal of British troops from Iraq would certainly be seen as a capitulation..
Tony has put this country, just as George has put the US, in a position wherein there is no room for any show of weakness..
In effect, we're stuck with the positions set by the US and our own Parliament, since 911..
And as we have found out, at some great cost, ending the rule of a dictator is a simple matter, but ending guerilla attacks almost impossible.
It would appear we are in for the long run, regardless of who sits in majority in Parliament, or who lives in the White House. Once a ball of this magnitude is set to roll, it must be expected a massive effort will be necissary to stop it.
We have chosen our enemies.. and they have chosen us. The game must be played out, 'til the threat no longer exists.
We have no choice now. For if we thought the threat of worldwide Communism was a viable threat, we can certainly give no less creedence to that from radical Islamists.

A couple of points to ponder..
Economists are estimating that more than 30 thousand Brits will declare insolvency before the end of February, prompted for the most part, by Christmas spending. This, while British banks are coming more and more under attack by their own customers, who are finally rebelling against the usurous rates charged for a returned direct debit.. returned cheques.. excess overdrafts..
There is no more profitable business in this country than banking, again, their profits boosted to an amazing degree by the charges customers pay for the length of time a deposit takes to actually appear in your account.
To wit, if you deposit a £1 thousand cheque on a Monday, and make a direct debit withdrawal on that deposit on Thursday, it will be returned and you'll be hit with up to a £45 charge, even though the funds are in the banks own system. It could be the following Tuesday or Wednesday, before that £1 thousand deposit is actually in your account, and until it is, all withdrawals against it will be refused, and you will be charged.
Idiotic.
And while this subject will be discussed further, it has come to the attention of the British banking public, that such charges are, in fact, illegal.. Several cases have been settled out of Court, with the customer having 'service charges' returned in full, usually with a 'gift' from the Bank itself, to effectively keep your mouth shut..

Also, the situation developing in Iraq is indicating what amounts to a 'need' for American troops to be withdrawn.. There are growing movements both in the States, and in Iraq itself, for occupation forces to withdraw..
And this, while the Iraqi Prime Minister has announced that he will not run for a second term, and in fact, would wish his current term would end as soon as possible..
Does not bode well for the stability of the region.. Once again, the US and Britain have found themselves involved in a conflict that was so badly mismanaged, that it is certainly now un-winnable..
It's going to be an exceedingly hard job for the Allies to shake the dust of Iraq off their feet, and have any hope of leaving a stable situation behind them..
It has been a matter of some concern, that the 3 thousandth American serviceman has died in this 'war'.. and little hope to offer the voting public that that number won't grow significantly.
George's plans are to send some 20 thousand more troops into Baghdad and area.. and at this point one must ask, 'to what end?'.
The best think about beating your head against a brick wall.. is stopping..

And so it begins..
A year that will see momentous change.. world leaders..international economic policies.. the addition of two new members into the EU.. the continuation of the uqiuitous conflicts in the Middle East.. and catastrophic changes to our ecology and weather patterns..Tony will be gone in a couple of months.. George in a couple of years.. gods alone know what will develop in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East, any scenario is a possibility..
It promises to be an interesting year, 2007..
We'll be watching..

Ahh well.. had to be done..
However the recordings released of the execution of Saddam, in which he is taunted by a Shi'ite clergyman, and several witnesses, tarnishes what should have been a simple act of justice.
Reactions have been swift.. and it would seem most of the world leaders use the same speechwriter..'that justice has been served, that the trial was in Iraq, the sentence passed by an Iraqi judge..a page has been turned..'
Perhaps..
The Iranians must be feeling some relief, with the spotlight at least temorarily, directed towards the inevidability of an Iraqi civil war..
Another issue which might bear some attention is the state of the American dollar.. the increasing value of the Pound is not in our best interests at the moment..

Just a brief note for the now..
Seems, for the moment, Tony's blockers are doing their jobs.. keeping the media involved with the Suffolk murders, and various fillers, and ignoring any in depth questioning or analysis of last week's blockbuster.. the questioning of Tony, under caution, in the 'cash for Peerage' scandal.. And, Tony's announcement that regardless of country of origin, those who come to Britain will be British first, with their ethnicity to take a definate backseat..
The other two issues have their certain importance, but this last has been expertly buried..
And the dropping of the Serious Fraud Investigation concerning a deal between BAE and the Saudi's, on what Tony claimed was 'in the interests of National Security'..
Saying .. in effect.. bugger the Rule of Law.. any democratic cornerstone is in reality just applicable in most cases.. subject to expediency..
Hypocracy in politics..? Say it ain't so Joe..
Tony's place is dependent on the outcome of this current fracas in the Middle East, and some settlement of the Palistinian problem..
But he's sold his soul to the Saudi's in this deal..
And then begs the question.. can the Saudi's be trusted?
One has one's doubts.. Tony's building on sand..

Religion.. at least Christianity, has appeared to have taken the back seat to Islam these past couple of years..
But there has been trouble brewing within the ranks of the Anglican Church since the ordination of Gene Robinson, a declared homosexual, as Bishop of New Hampshire.. and the British equivalent, Jeffrey John, the gay cleric who last year was forced to step down as Bishop of Reading, who was later installed as Dean of St Albans to the resounding applause of many Anglicans, but the deep disquiet of others.
Following Robinson's appointment as the Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003, traditionalists in Africa and Asia, who make up the majority of Anglicans, called for the Episcopal Church to be expelled from the Anglican communion.
That has not taken place.. but there is an uneasy truce.
The fact that two American congregations are now considering aligning themselves with the Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, shows that it remains an issue for some within the Episcopal Church.
Here in Britain, we have the largest percentage of all countries declaring themselves as Anglican.. some 26 million according to the last census.. mind you the Church claims only about 2.3 million actually are active in their faith..
But the Archbishop of Canterbury says the Anglican Church could be split into different sections in a bid to resolve the row over homosexuality.. Dr Rowan Williams favours exploring a system of "associated" Churches which would not have the same constitution as the rest of the Anglican Communion...
A schism, non the less..
Now, this writer could truely care less what sexual preference anyone might enjoy.. barring those which involve children, and it seems, during these trying times there are far more important issues our spiritual leaders could be involving themselves with..
There are only two stances the Church can take on this homosexual issue.. the fundamentalists who take the Bible a the inspired word of God, must confom to Leviticus,Ch.18v22.. and Romans Ch.1v27..
The more liberally incluned congregations can put whatever spin they wish on it..
But the imperative is, that they get on with it, and turn their attentions to the needs of their parishoners, rather than concentrating on exegetical argument..
One of Islam's advantages, is it's unity of faith in the eventual establishment of a worldwide faith under a Caliphate..
It's of little wonder Christians are abandoning organised religious observations, when those in charge of their faith are threatening to destroy their 'unity' over an issue which should be left to the individual, and behind bedroom doors..

It's a difficult matter, guaging the thoughts of the man on the street to the BAE question, for it's diffucult to guage exactly how much information the individual has absorbed..
But the fact remains, that British Rule Of Law has been compromised.. and it has been heavily underscored that we live not in a democracy, but an oligarchy.. That there is one set of rules for small concerns, and an entirely different set for those which are worth £billions..
Campaigners are threatening legal action against the British government after investigators dropped a probe into a series of arms deals with Saudi Arabia.
The Campaign Against the Arms Trade and Corner House labelled BAE Systems, the firm accused of corruption, as bullies.
Typical British understatement..
BAE strongly denies wrongdoing.
Attorney General Lord Goldsmith said he felt the Serious Fraud Office inquiry would not have led to a prosecution.
SFO head Robert Wardle said he had "a different view" to Lord Goldsmith... insisting "There is no guarantee that charges will be brought until you've completed an investigation.."
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Lester said Britain had to move quickly to change the law to stop political interference in corruption investigations.
"British Aerospace are an enormously powerful body, more powerful than many governments..What is so serious here is that the rule of law is threatened and the reputation of the office of attorney general when there is outside political interference of this kind."
Explaining why his group was taking legal action, Nicholas Gilby from Campaign Against the Arms Trade said the SFO should have been allowed to complete its inquiries. It is fact that the Suaudi's were somewhat annoyed at this investigation.. that if it had continued, the contract with BAE might well have been cancelled and given to a French concern.. but to class financial agreements as 'matters of State Security' sets another bell ringing..
That Britain does not want to offend the Saudi's, they being out so called 'allies' in the Middle East..
The fact the Fahd, and Abdullah after him, have been funding terrorists, seems to be an acceptable compromise for our governments, as long as the oil keeps flowing, and the supplying of arms kept within reasonable limits..
This is blatent breach of the government's mandate, the cessation of this investigation.. and Tony has taken a step too far in defining his own, and his government's priorities..
'Peace in the Middle East' is suspiciously like 'peace at all costs'..

An amazing day for the British political scene..
Firstly, Tony has become the first Prime Minister questioned, under caution, by the police..
And secondly, the Attourney General Lord Goldsmith has announced an abrupt end to a Serious Fraud Investigation into arms deals between British Aerospace and Saudi Arabia.. with no conclusions reached, and no report to be prepared, much less presented to Parliament or to the public at large.. The reason given for the ending of this investigation, is National Security.
What transparent tripe.
Seems the fraud investigators working in a department set up by this very government, have been told if they want to investigate any dodgy dealings, let it be dealing with any country other than Saudi Arabia..
Tony, by the way, was questioned about a dash for cash before this last election, when the Labour war chest went from empty, to wallowing in £20 million in a matter of a month, due to donations from 5 Labour supporters, who have since been given seats in the House of Lords.. The allegation was 'cash for Peerages'.. Serious stuff..
This investigation will continue, and is not what Tony wants to cap off his term as Prime Minister..
As for the fraud investigation, it seems the Rule Of Law in this country is flexible.. that while it has been suspected there have been bribes passing between Whitehall and King Abdullah's treasury since the 60's, to ensure a steady market for British arms manufacturers..
Lord Goldsmith also told peers that Tony had agreed that the continuation of the investigation would cause "serious damage" to relations between the UK and Saudi Arabia.
The probe had related to the Al Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia. BAE has denied any wrongdoing.
Not surprising, that..
One can only wonder, what the government can possibly do to top todays events, tomorrow..
We await, with 'bated breath..

It's a scenario one might have expected during the height of the Cold War..
Alexander Litvinyenko, a former Colonel in the FSG, the former KGB, was buried yesterday in a special casket, one designed to shield against radioactivity..
Litvinyenko, a defector to Britain some years ago, blamed the Kremlin for his death, alleging his anti-Putin stance had prompted the Russian government to poison him..
British police have traced Litvinyenko's actions around the first of last month, and have found traces of Polonium 210 scattered throughout most of the places he visited before, and after the 1st of November.. some of those he came in contact with have been tested, and found to be mildly contaminated. His wife and children are among those who are now hospitalised..
Then came the development. that one of the men he met, a Russian businessman named Dmitry Kovtun, is also contaminated, as is his wife, and as is their home in Hamburg, Germany..
There have been several theories concerning who might be behind these poisonings.. the Kremlin denies all association.. but there is a criminal element of no small scale operating in Russia these days, which Litvinyenko was highly critical of, and they seem to be the likely suspects in the eyes of investigators at this point..
They are suggesting that there is now trafficking in radioactive materials, by this criminal element, throughout Europe..and indeed, with Britain, Germany now involved in this investigation.. and the distinct possibility of Dmitry Kovun being fatally exposed.. this takes on exceedingly sinister overtones..
If these materials are being traded by Russian criminal elements, it would be for the express purpose of undermining the Putin government, especially in light of Russia passing a law which allows it's operatives to carry out executions of foreign nationals outside Russia itself..
Russia, under Putin, has begun to revert to conditions that existed before the liberalisation process began, and the movement towards Capitalism..
Any association with these poisonings, could cause irreperable damage to Russia's international standings, and have immediate and catastrophic effects on it's trade agreements and economy..
One tend to lean towards the theory that this trafficking of Polonium 210, which used to be known as Radium F, is being orchestrated by those outside Russian law.. a definative attack on the opening of Russia to Westernisation..
Thus, it falls to the Russian Government itself, to have a massive crackdown on it's own criminal element.. and while that may lead to the downfall of many who are actually in government, a thorough housecleaning would seem to be in order..
Just what we need in these times of political uncertainty, encompassing virtually all Western governments, not to mention the Middle East.. is the appearance of assassination by radioactive exposure..
It appears, that while a trail is left, like radioactive bread crumbs, to the assassin.. it will be a far more difficult task to identify the source..
And for, if nothing else, the continuation of the international stabilisation process, this source must be found, and eliminated.
Quickly.

BarneyCam.. We've got the Queen's Christmas message.. but it's George talking to his dog for the US.
Amazing..
Interesting comments from Tony this afternoon. He's taken a stance against the polarisation of British society.. saying that while immigrants from all cultures are welcome to this island, it must be understood that it's Britain they're coming to, and a British way of life. That while individual cultures have the right to their own peculiarities, British values must superceed ethnicity.. that extremists who would change British traditional values in the name of 'progressive intigration' will not be tolerated..
Good on ya Tony. It's amazing the stands you have the fredom to take, when you know when you'll be stepping away from the job.
It's a good stance, but it's going to cause problems. But then, they'll be someone else's to deal with in a few months..
To quote a BBC article..

"Multi-culturalism in Britain has failed and should be replaced with a policy aiming for integration, researchers have concluded. A study carried out by experts from the University of Leicester found people taken out of the "comfort zones" of their own communities integrated well.
Researchers put on a series of events including an Indian musical in a white working men's club.
A group of Pakistani women also put on an exhibition in a mainly Indian area.
Co-author of the report, Asaf Hussain, said: "We believe multi-culturalism has failed.
"It was a concept and a social re-engineering policy with the best of intentions, but with little debate at the grass roots. Britain's population has to become integrated."
The report also recommended putting citizenship on the National Curriculum and removing the link between country and religion so that British Muslim would become British Indian or British Pakistani.
Race relations expert Professor John Benyon from the University of Leicester said: "Rather than adopting knee-jerk reactions in terms of legislation, I feel the government should be taking a more considered approach."

To change the point .
It has been written many times that if we truely wanted to speed up the process of eliminating terrorism originating from and funded by the Middle East, we would cut economic ties.. stop buying their oil..
Now not wanting to appear naive, it is to be understood that we, by doing this, would be putting ourselves in an economic bind.. that countries the likes of Saudi Arabia put litterally billions back into particularly the British economy.. companies such as BAE alone would lose some 23 billion pounds in one contract.. that for 26 of their new fighter jets..
That in itself is somewhat ironic.. that we should be selling our latest technology to those who are at the top of the list of possible threats..
But never the less, that which we suffer, would only be a drop in the bucket, compared with what the Middle East stands to lose.. and if it means that Western business has to find a new market for the tools of war, let it be elsewhere, and preferably to an ally..
For it remains a fact, that since the Islamic world began expanding, there have been those who wield incredible power, yearn for one thing and one thing only. That being an United Islamic World, under a new Caliphate, and some of those behind those veils, are both influential, and incredibly wealthy..
It's difficult for those in our society, this western world of ours where computers, televisions, instant communication.. where if something stops working, we simply scrap it and buy another.. to imagine the Eastern mind. They think in terms of generations.
Where we have no patience, they rely on their ability to wait until the time is most advantageous. Where we have a brash..open approach.. a lets get on with it attitude.. they obfuscate, and it's an artform to them..
We should never underestimate that which we don't fully understand.

In response to a comment on our post concerning the economic state Scotland would find itself in should this country leave the Union, a comparison was made with Luxembourg, which indeed has a population less than that of Edinburgh, and thus a much lower tax base than ours.
But, it must be pointed out that Luxembourg has established industries in steel, banking, telecommunications, and agriculture.. It also enjoys a great deal of foreign investment, with the US investing more capital in that country than any other save Canada..
The iron and steel industry, located along the French border, is the most important single sector of the economy. Steel accounts for 29% of all exports (excluding services), 1.8% of GDP, 22% of industrial employment, and 3.9% of the work force.The restructuring of the industry and increasing government ownership in Arbed (31%) began as early as 1974. As a result of timely modernization of facilities, cutbacks in production and employment, government assumption of portions of Arbed's debt, and recent cyclical recovery of the international demand for steel, the company is again profitable. Its productivity is among the highest in the world. U.S. markets account for about 6% of Arbed's output. The company specializes in production of large architectural steel beams and specialized value-added products. There has been, however, a relative decline in the steel sector, offset by Luxembourg's emergence as a financial center.
In 2001, through the merger with Aceralia and Usinor, Arbed became Arcelor and now forms one of the largest steelproducer in the world.
Banking is especially important to Luxembourg's economy. The country is a tax haven and so attracts capital fleeing from other countries so they can reduce the costs. At the end of March 2006, there were 155 banks in Luxembourg, with 23,000 employees. Political stability, good communications, easy access to other European centres, skilled multilingual staff, and a tradition of banking secrecy have all contributed to the growth of the financial sector. Germany accounts for the largest-single grouping of banks, with Scandinavian, Japanese, and major U.S. banks also heavily represented. Total assets exceeded €792.4 billion at the end of 2005. More than 9,000 holding companies are established in Luxembourg. The European Investment Bank—the financial institution of the European Union—is also located there.
As for the economic future of Scotland itself, Scotland could become a poorer country than Greece or Portugal within the next 50 years, according to economists.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research said the country needs more entrepreneurs and tax incentives to encourage companies and investment.
The experts also said there should be greater deregulation, allowing businesses to flourish without the burden of red tape.
In their report, Douglas McWilliams and Richard Greenwood said Scotland had failed to fully enjoy the benefits of the consumer boom in other parts of the UK.
The "global technologies slowdown" has also had a negative impact on Scotland's 'Silicon Glen'.
However, the economists stressed that weak economic performance is not a recent problem.
They said: "Scottish growth since 1995 has averaged only 1.9% compared with 2.7% for the UK as a whole.
"Scottish manufactured exports are running at a lower level than four years ago while the number of people living in Scotland has been falling since 1995. "
"If present rates of growth are projected ahead, Scotland within 50 years will be a poorer country than Greece or Portugal and not a long way ahead of Poland or Turkey."
The economists said Scotland suffers from a "lack of entrepreneurship culture" and they urged Scottish banks to offer more support to business start-ups.
They called for a "tartan tax" reduction of three pence which would mean less public spending but would encourage a more efficient economy and a reduction in red tape.
While the report said there would be no quick fix, it stressed that the suggested measures would start to "turn the economy round".
With these facts, and projections in mind, it would appear that Scotland would have an exceedingly hard time in setting up legislation which would induce foreign investment, simply because tax breaks would be a difficult incentive to offer..
Luxembourg has an economy that is well established, and trade and financial agreements which are longstanding.
Scotland would be starting from scratch.

To continue on the subject of slavery, it's worth reading ten facts about Britain, in particular, and what slavery meant to the Empire..

1. The British were the first big slave-trading nation to abandon the trade. They did this in 1807 when there were still huge profits to be made, and they did it for mainly moral reasons. It took a revolution of the slaves to destroy France's system and a terrible civil war in the US decided the fate of the slaves of the Southern States. In Britain alone slavery was ended by millions of people, black and white, free and enslaved, who decided it could no longer be tolerated.
2. From the ending of the slave trade to the beginning of the 20th Century, the Royal Navy patrolled off the coast of Africa searching for slave trading ships, boarding them and freeing the slaves. The fleet was known as the West Africa Squadrons.
3. Slaves in the British Caribbean didn't produce cotton as they did in the US. Sugar was the crop of islands like Jamaica and Barbados and the slaves who produced it were the world's first industrial workers.
4. The campaign to end slavery was dominated by women. With no vote, the anti-slavery crusade was one of the ways that women were able to get involved in politics.
5. Thousands of black slaves were brought to Britain by slave ships. In the 18th Century it was the height of fashion for rich ladies to have a black child servant.
6. Slave-produced sugar transformed our national cuisine. Much of what we today think of as the most traditional British food, is in fact only a couple of centuries old. Biscuits, cakes, sweets, toffee, rum and the resulting British sweet tooth - all products of that revolution in the kitchen brought about by sugar. Slave sugar was the missing ingredient that transformed tea from a strange novelty from India into an enduring national obsession.
7. Slavery was the world's first global industry but before globalism and corporations it was actually run by a few hundred families. Today many of the great aristocratic families of Britain have a hidden past in the slave trade.
8. Slavery in the British empire came to an end after a rebellion led by the Jamaican slave Sam Sharpe. Sharpe's original plan was to use non-violent passive resistance to end slavery. He was the Martin Luther King of the 19th Century.
9. The abolitionists were pioneers who helped invent the methods of political campaigning that we have today. They collected mass petitions, organised hundreds of local societies , created a campaign logo and even organised consumer boycotts.
10. Not all black people in the Caribbean were slaves. Not only were there free black people, there were also an army of escaped slaves called the Maroons who fought against the British Army for years.
It might be added, that while the slave trade was abolished by Britain in 1807, it was not until 1833 that West Indian slaves were fully emancipated..
As abhorrent as the trade was, it reflected society as it was at that time.. and nothing, absolutely nothing, can turn back the clock.

Lets have a word about slavery.
Now in this entry, we will concentrate on that condition as it was imposed on black races, and the history of the abolition of the practice by the whites..
Initially, slavery was introduced by African tribes on their enemies.. I was found to be profitable for warring tribes to take prisoners, transport them to the eastern shores of Africa, and sell them initially to Arabic states, and then, as the Europeans took control of the seas, to the English, the French, and other European nations who were looking for cheap labour in their Carribean holdings, and of course, in their own countries..
So it might be said, with historical backup, that indeed the practice started with warring African tribes, by the black nations themelves..
The reason this has come up is a statement from Tony, which in essence is an apology for a society long gone, for taking part in such an abhorrent practice. Next year will be the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire, and this issue has been left to Tony to address this issue before he steps down..
Yet somehow, this is not enough for some black community leaders in this country. They're looking for a definative apology.. some demanding financial reparation, and this, in essence, is ridiculous.
We're looking at a time, a society, which ws controlled by the white nations, and they were taking advantage of an opportunity presented to them by the black.
As President Andrew Jackson said in 1866.. "Everyone would, and must admit, that the white race was superior to the black, and that while we ought to do our best to bring them up to our present level, that, in doing so, we should, at the same time raise our own intellectual status so that the relative position of the two races would be the same."
This attitude prevailed in the US for another 100 years, and to some extent still is the opinion of a certain percentage of Americans..
No apology from George though, and certainly no possible acquiesence to demands for financial reparation for those who are decendants of those who worked the Southern cotton fields.
Slavery itself has a history that reaches back thousands of years. The Romans, the Greeks, the Celts.. all of the major civilisations kept their captives to work for them, under conditions which were on the whole, unsavoury. None of these civilisations granted slaves the rights of citizens, for indeed, they were 'property'.
What Tony has done is a brave move, with the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Empire coming up next year. It has set the state for other governments throughout the world to emmulate this sentiment..
It is doubtfull any other nation will take this step, in fact it would be, to most other nations who involved themselves in the buying and selling of other human beings, anathema to recall their history in such an unfavourable light.
But, for one segment of the British citizenry to now demand anything other than the acknowledgement of the failures and foibles of a society long gone, is hardly realistic.
They would be next, demanding to have reparations from the individual tribes in Africa, which began the practice in the first place..
There are countless races, countless nationalities, which have throughout history, been slaves.
Next, we will have the Jewish Community demanding some recognition from Egypt, for their captivity.
Slavery, in today's society, is abhorrent, but it's a far different world than that which existed two hundred years ago..
Even the man acclaimed as perhaps the greatest emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, said in 1865, "It is unsatisfactory to some to know that the elective franchise is not given to the coloured man. I would myself prefer that it were now conferred on intelligent coloured men, and on those who serve our cause as soldiers.."
Even Abraham had his conditions, and that some 58 years after the British abolished the practice.
In fact, it might be put to Britain's credit, that it's Navy took an active part in the destruction of the trade along the African Coast, sending squadrons to destroy slave ships, and setting those captive on board free.
Asking for more, 199 years later, is bordering on presumption.

An interesting situation developing in these British Isles..
The Scottish Labour Party is holding it's annual convention on Oban this weekend, and Home Secretary John Reid is expected to make an address today.. The focus is expected to be the threat to the Union posed by the Scottish National Party, led by Alex Salmond, and it's agenda to separate from England.
There have been numerous attacks on Alex and his SNP plans in the House of Commons of late from Tony.. but it seems each forray against the SNP is boosting it's popularity here, north of the border.. There is a real chance that in the Scottish elections, scheduled for next May, the SNP may well form the majority in the Scottish Parliament..
It's a situation that seems to reflect that which is going on in Canada, with the Bloc Quebecois aiming for the same results as the SNP..
The Independant newspaper, an English publication, leads this morning with a poll which indicates that while 53% of Scots favour independance.. 59% of English would be happy to see Scotland go it alone.. There have been many protests from English MP's, since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, that Scots MP's in Westminster have the right to vote on issues that affect England only.. It would appear the English are fed up with the Scottish drive to dissolve ties, and are quite willing to let the SNP carry Scotland into the precarious position of going it alone..
One wonders how many Canadians would feel the same about Quebec..
It's a shame, as one has stated before, that fences are being erected without complete analysis of the economic and sociological consiquences, but if the Quebecois and the Scots are hell bent on going it alone, then so be it.
As for Canada, being a bi-lingual country is not a matter of pride for the bulk of the country. Most of the rhetoric touting the two language situation appears to be coming from Quebec itself, which ironically, is uniligually French.
On both sides of the Atlantic it would appear, those who pay the bulk of the bills, and receive the bulk of critisism, have just about had enough.
England, like Canada, would find itself on the winning end of separation.. English taxes would go to English needs, just as Canadian taxes would exclude Quebec from any provincial benefits, including Federal Transfer Payments, which would provide a much needed boost in the incomes of the poorest Atlantic provinces..
In England, at least, the man on the street sees Scottish separation as a win/win situation..
One would imagine a poll of Canadians would produce the same results..
What the Pequistes and the SNP apparently has not thought out, is how they'll run a country with a tax base of some 6 million people in Scotland.. and some 4 million in Quebec..
How they'll fund the pensions, the social services, reduce unemployment, attract foreign investment into areas that geographically are much the same. In Quebec, there's nothing, in essence, once one goes north of the St Lawrence Seaway, other than hydroelectricity and lumber. In Scotland, there's nothing much to entice foreign investment when employment opportunities are cropping up like the flowers of spring, in the newest countries to join the EU..
This writer, should it come to Scottish separation, will happily move South, for the thought of being governed by short-term opportunists does not appeal, at all..

An amazing 'coup de main' by Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper's announcement to Parliament that 'Quebec is a nation within an united Canada..'
Harper's motion was made in anticipation of a vote next week on a motion by the Bloc Quebecois to recognize the Quebecois form a nation, with no reference to their place in Canada.
The motion distinguishes between the Quebecois as people and Quebec itself. It reflects similar previous recognitions such as those for Acadians and First Nations.
Harper said his motion recognizes the Quebec people's historic position in Canada, while the Bloc's motion is about separation. .. While recent public opinion polls show such recognition will prove popular in Quebec, it is equally as unpopular across the rest of Canada.
It also comes as a potential lifeline for Liberals, who reignited the nation debate earlier this fall when the party's Quebec wing voted overwhelmingly to recognize Quebec as a nation and look for ways to "officialize" the status. It has become a divisive issue for the party on the eve of crowning a new leader next week because the race's frontrunner, Michael Ignatieff, said it would eventually need to be recognized in the Constitution.
Liberal interim leader Bill Graham said he was confident his party will support Harper's motion when his caucus meets to discuss the issue today.
Ignatieff said he saluted the PM for his action. ..
It's worth re-printing Harper's statement to the Commons here.. Might be a prototype for a similar speech in these United Kingdoms..

"Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Bloc Quebecois will present the House with an unusual request that we here at the federal Parliament define the Quebecois nation.
"As a consequence, with the support of the government and with the support of our party, I will be putting on the Notice Paper later today the following motion:
"That this House recognize that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada.
"Once again, the leader of the Bloc and his separatist friends are not concerned with defining who Quebecers are but rather what they want them to become, a separate country.
"The separatists do not need the Parliament of Canada to define what is meant by the sociological termination. My preference has been well known. I believe that this is not the job of the federal Parliament. It is the job of the legislature of Quebec, but the Bloc Quebecois has asked us to define this and perhaps that is a good thing, because it reminds us that all Canadians have a say in the future of this country.
"Having been asked by the Bloc to define the Quebecois, we must take a position. Our position is clear. Do the Quebecois form a nation within Canada? The answer is yes. Do the Quebecois form an independent nation? The answer is no and the answer will always be no, because Quebecers of all political persuasions, from Cartier and Laurier to Mulroney and Trudeau, have led this country and millions like them of all political persuasions have helped to build it.
"With their English- and French-speaking fellow citizens and people drawn from all nationalities of this earth, they have been part of making this country what it is, the greatest country in the world.
"To millions more who live in a dangerous and dividing world, this country is a shining example of the harmony and unity to which all peoples are capable and to which all humanity should aspire.
"I say to my federalist colleagues and I also say to the separatist side that we here will do what we must, what our forefathers have always done to preserve this country, Canada, strong, united, independent and free."

A bold move in an accutely sensitive time..

While one is of the personal opinion that Canada itself might be better off without the weight of Quebec, preserving Confederation must be the prime concern of the Federal Government.

The Pequiste in Quebec could be compared with the Repubicans, or indeed the Loyalists, in Northern Ireland.. or equally with the Scottish Nationalists..

One would think there was at least one economist among these extremist groups, who is not swayed by 'nationalist fervour'..

But then again, while the world works consistently towards breaking down barriers, it is only natural, human nature, that there would be those who would try to build more walls..

A couple of points of interest this morning..
Big Brother has taken a step closer.. Police on the beat will be carrying a biometric device, which will take your fingerprints on the spot.. right there on the street.. and compare it to a national database giving them such information as whether or not you've given them your correct name.. whether or not your TV license is paid.. whether or not you own a car and if it's properly tagged and insured.. whether or not you're in the country legally.. This, of course, is the natural progression from the issuing of National Identity Cards..
As has been mentioned here before, the average person walking about London is photographed more than 300 times..
That's a matter for some concern..

And it was once the benchmark for the rest of the world.. a British education..
But it appears a government study indicates that one in eight schools on this island, are sub-standard by any yardstick..
It might quite reasonably be argued that much of the problem actually stems with the students themselves, with the values instilled at home. But it is more apparent that there is a general malaise among the young, who live with an uncertain employment future, and a sense that what they're learning is either too much for them, or has no market at home.
There is also to be factored in, the quality of teaching these kids are getting.. Teachers, stripped of any authority, deal with what most of us would consider imposible situations on a daily Basis. Disinterested, disrespectful, disruptive, and frequently violent students make it problematic to work through a syllabus..
One has to put the blame on the trend, which perhaps peaked in the 1990's, which dictated that anyone was deserving of a University Degree.. that all students were equal.. And this, besides being absolute rubbish, has led to the development of an ethos which allows for no separation by ability.. and no advantage taken of those skills which, while not requiring a Degree, does demand manual ability, if not talent..
More and more it becomes obvious that while the government is shovelling cash into the education system, it's nothing more than a stop-gap.. That cash would be better spent establishing technical wings in our schools, and a return to an apprenticeship system..
It's a certainty that we have more than a sufficiency of Social Workers and bureaucrtats.. equally a certainty we have a shortage of skilled machinists, and designers who can work out the dimensions of an area without the use of a calculator..

Some three years ago, it was noted in this journal that, in an effort to bring down drug-related crime, it might be considered taking those who are addicted to heroin, and thus theft, assault, in extreme cases murder.. should be precribed their dosage on the NHS..
The Deputy-Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire has announced that in his opinion, this option has it's merits.
The average heroin addict needs, conservatively, £15thousand p/a to support their habit.
Conservatively.
This means they must, through whatever means open to them, acquire at least £50p/a.. and that's if you're dealing with a generous dealer who'll give you 30 pence on the Pound..
Literally millions are spent annually on Court costs to try these addicts, and then the State is left with the bill to maintain them, three hots and a cot, for whatever sentence is meted out..
The entire situation is risible..
We are running out of prison cells in this country.. it is a dire situation.. some prisoners serving their sentences in police station holding cells..
Now, while in no way advocating the use of drugs the likes of heroin, it must be said that an addict will remain an addict until he/she decides they no longer want to be. Some will never decide to quit. This is an indisputeable fact, and our manner of dealing with these peculiar personality types has manifestly been a failure.
It's time we realised that, as a society, we cannot save everyone.
Rank hubris to assume we can.

Some interesting words by Tony at the Lord Mayor's Banquet this evening..
Iraq, and Britain's role in this conflict, was of course the main object of his speech..
He spoke at length of the need now, on the responsibilities of other Middle Eastern countries, specifically Iran, who must stop the funding and training of terrorists, and begin to involve themselves in a diplomatic resolution to the longstanding problems which have plagued the area..
He said he would be speaking to the authorities in Syria and Iran, to ask them for their help in bringing an end to the perpetual violence endemic in the region, but will, while offering the carrot of the lifting of trade restrictions, demand that terrorists become anathema.. that the flow of money, and the allowing of training camps, must come to an end..
A tall order..

Trouble for Tony this week..
It will be a first in British history, if a sitting Prime Minister is questioned by the police..
This concerns a 'cash for peerages' scandal.. The Labour Party Coffers were running exceedingly low just before the last election.. when all of a sudden, there was a cash injection of donations from five prominent businessmen of £40.. not bad..
The problem arises, when all of a sudden, on the Christmas Honours list last year, these contributors were granted Peerages..
Now the House of Lords is not a very powerful political instrument. It acts as a 'check' on proposed Legislation, only to the extent that it can delay it's passage.. give the House more time to think it out.. But buying one's way into any political position is frowned upon.. and several of Tony's cronies have already been questioned by the authorities..
More will come of this..
And it doesn't end there. This Tuesday Tony will appear, via video-link, to testify before an 'Iraq Study Group'.. one charged with coming up with a new strategy for the Middle East.. Tony will be asked to justify his support of George, and give his particular reasons for sending troops into the area..
Now this has upset some of the Members of the House of Commons, particularly the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell..
His complaint is that the Prime Minister will answer questions to an American investigatory group, while denying the formation of a similar panel here in the UK..
The American panel reportedly thinks that "staying the course" is an untenable long-term strategy and is said to have been looking at two options.
One is the phased withdrawal of US troops, and the other is to increase contact with Syria and Iran to help stop the fighting.
Had to be expected..

Interesting comments from a representative of the American Islamic Council..
Habib Rehab is touring Britain, meeting Islamic leaders and visiting Mosques around the country..
The premis of the interview was, 'is there a lesson Britain can learn from the ways the US has integrated it's own Muslim Community?'
This is the second interview over the past three days on Islamic issues, the other being 'faith schools'.. but what is interesting that both those being interviewed overused the word 'empowerment' when discussing the state of their religious fellows...
Just what this 'empowerment' entails, when any citizen of this country, and one expects the same of the US, have exactly the same rights, the same responsibilities, and should share the same goals.
'Empowerment' suggests some degree of repression on the part of the government, the Judiciary, the public at large.
And frankly, until the terrorist attacks were perpetrated, and the plans for even more and worse discovered, there was little attention paid to the Muslim Community as a whole.
Interesting that this word, 'empowerment', is one that is used by Muslim spokemen from both sides of the Atlantic..
It suggest repeated use, and an expression circulated throughout the Community to take up as a common goal..
And it also begs whether it has not come from a central source, with orders to emphasise this phrase.. to turn it into a rallying cry.. a cause..

The "serious, growing threat" of terrorism will be "with us for a generation.. That's the warning from the Head of MI5..
The "campaign" was "sustained... not a series of isolated incidents"according to Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller speaking to an audience of academics.
MI5 knew of up to 30 alleged terror plots to kill and was watching about 200 networks or groups, she said.
Her warning comes days after a UK man was sentenced to at least 40 years in jail for planning a series of attacks...including the use of a 'dirty bomb'. All he was waiting for was financing..
And another young Muslim has been sentenced to two years for 'inciting indiscriminate killing'..
At a rally a couple of years ago, where hundreds of young Muslims protested the war in Iraq, and he was caught among the thousands for holding a sign saying 'Behead the enemies of Islam'.. and shouting that what was needed were more British troops being sent home in body bags..
Now there are problems with this. The issue of free speech.. of Hyde Corner, come into play.
When do the rantings of a 23 year old computer student become 'beyond the pale'?
Where, regardless of it's seeming improptiety, does free speech end?
One would never suggest a firm grip on the gathering of information on terrorist plans and activities be relaxed, but in this particular case, one sees a kneejerk reaction..
Watch the man, certainly. Investigate himself, his family, his habits, his friends, his haunts..
But incarceration?
One wonders at what rehabilitation is possible, comsidering he'll be out in nine months or so..
Seems in reality, we might only be firming a belief which previously might have been compared to 'football hooliganism'.. emotion born of a moment, and not yet tempered by a two year sentence behind bars.
Gives one a long time to think.. to blame.. to make other contacts..

An interesting situation in Washington now.
For the next two years, George will still control the White House, his veto, will continue in his role of Supreme Commander of the US Armed Forces, but where once he had a clear road through Congres and the House, he now faces more road bumps than a British Council Estate.
His personal objectives may change little, but now it's a diplomatic gain.. swinging right-wing Democrats to support the Republican cause.. concessions to States which, til now, had perhaps somewhat less political clout.
It should be an interesting two years, with both the newly-liberated Iraqi's joined in their desire to see an end to coallition occupation, as those at home in the US and Britain..
Once again, the States has started something, and finds it cannot succcessfully complete the job.

A thought that's been nagging for some time.. a way to generate income for those destitute in war-torn areas the likes of Darfour..
What's needed, is a UN enforced agency to organize those who are capable of working, to take them to which were areas of highly concentrated fighting. Issue them with shovels.. sieves..and metal detectors, and set them to collecting spent copper casings.
Copper is not cheap, and even of those working were allowed a tenth of a cent per shell, it would provide them with instant income.
Workers would be paid on the spot, and one would suggest something along the lines of top-up credit cards with fingerprint ID to remove the chance of theft.. This UN Force could be split into groups of small workers.. spaced over distances, to minimize the chances of attacks, and while transportation is always the most difficult of any operation of any size, UN convoys could collect, and deliver their daily loads to portable smelters..
As for this new disposable income the refugees would find themselves with, American PX-style stores could be set up within the camps themselves..
Clearing the land they have been driven from.. giving them a sense of reconstruction..
Seems the type of job UN troops were created for..

Interesting developments from Iraq.. with the Prime Minister insisting that regardless of the appeals process launched by Saddam, he will be executed before Christmas..
This reflects comments from the present Iraqi Oil Minister, a scientist who spent 12 years in Abu Grabe under Saddam's regeme, for refusing to work on the country's nuclear program. These comments amounted to a statement that American and coalition forces have harboured a 'fear' of the Iraqi people in general, perhaps prompted by the fact there was no recognizable enemy.. that combatants dressed and acted as any normal citizen would, until weapons were produced and a firefight ensued. This has alienated occupation troops from the population in general, and indeed the Iraqi Prime Minister has said he wants occupation troops out of his country in a matter of months, not, as coalition plans have previously intimated, a withdrawal over a couple of years.
Stability is going to be the central problem in Iraq once the US and Britain withdraw.. and the prospect of a civil war, or continuing terrorist attacks on those native to the country who will be left in charge, seems to be of secondary importance..
Indeed, it seems that even those who've been given the right to form a government, are now increasingly hostile to Western Forces.. a development which does not bode well for future relations with Iraq, or indeed with the entire Middle East..
We created the government of Saddam, and it would now appear we have created a democracy which is going to be equally thorny to deal with..
There is a lesson to be learned here, one which should have been absorbed with the inconclusive end to the VietNam war.. That while we might be resented equaly by the survivors of such a conflict, as we were by those we were in direct conflict..
Time to retract, to put our own societies on alert, while dealing with our various homegrown problems.
This polarisation, based on conflicting ideologies, will inevidably continue, and the battleground will certainly be increasingly on our own soil..
But as one has said repeatedly, we hold a vast economic weapon which has yet to be deployed..
Even if China takes the place of the West in pouring money into the Levant for their oil reserves, the transition in the markets will remind those in the Middle East just how much they have to lose if we follow a 'green' trend..

More to come, as the American mid-term election results come in this evening.. It would appear that the sentiment in the US is that many of the votes cast, will be based on the American position in Iraq..
With the news that Saddam will be dead before Christmas, and that American troops will be coming home sooner than later, might swing some of those undecided voters, many of whom have said they'll decide on the day who'll they'll support..

Interesting..
Now this note must be prefaced by the fact that there are fewer than 100 jail cells available in the British prison system, and that some convicted prisoners are now serving their times in police station cells..
This has led to a series of early releases.. a system which has clearly not had the effect it was disigned to have..
One prisoner, serving 5 to 7 for the manslaughter of a girlfriend who spurned him (he beat her to death with a hammer), has just been convicted, after early release, of killing three children, and their mother's boyfriend, as they slept. He doused their house with gasoline, and set it alight. One of those was the 16 year old who had dumped him. The only reason the mother of this family survived, was because she was working night shift..
Now, a BBC report which will be aired this week, reveals a man, named Frank Parker, who has served 39 years for the rape and murder of a 10 year old girl, has already been released, and has already been seen befrending children, and taking pictures of a semi-naked teenager, whom he invited up to his hostel room..
Interesting that this BBC report twice reported to police that they were concerned about his bahavior, and it was after the second call that Parker was picked up, and returned to prison..
This lack of prison space in Britin is chronic.
But one woders how many spces are being taken up by those convicted of the crime of selling marijuana..
That drug alone, has as many serving sentences as do those who commit violent crimes.. and many current problems could be dealt with by a simple Act of Parliament, that being the de-criminalisation of cannabis, the legislated sale of that drug, and the realisation that, that drug is no more dangerous than alcohol..
Not to say, that alcohol can't even be a more anti-social drug when taken indiscriminately..
It baffles one, that the stigma placed upon the drug by the American Harry Anslinger decades ago, is still the benchmark..
We nees to empty cells.
Lets start with those who have committed the least harmful crimes..

Ahh.. the plots continue..
A London Court has heard testimony, that while he had not recieved funding or meterials, he had plotted with al Q'Aeda officials, Former Hindu Dhiren Barot, 34, from London, plotted "massive explosions" in the US and UK, aiming to kill hundreds.
Barot, who last month admitted conspiracy to murder, wanted to pack limousines with gas cylinders and also use a radioactive "dirty" bomb.
The court was told, Barot had been planning 11 September-style synchronised attacks in Britain, which could have involved a dirty bomb and a gas attack on the Heathrow Express train service.
He had also plotted to detonate a bomb under the River Thames to flood the Tube network and potentially drown hundreds of commuters.
Other targets in Britain had included the Savoy hotel and mainline train stations, Waterloo, Paddington and King's Cross, and Barot also planned to strike the IMF and the World Bank in Washington DC.. the New York Stock Exchange building and the Citigroup headquarters, as well as the Prudential building in Newark, New Jersey, were also among his targets.
Now, what is concerning is, that since Saddam's death sentence, there will be a flood of volunteers worldwide, waiting for the money and the means to carry out plans, detailed and merely shelved, for years.
The money is certainly there. We can only wait.
As for the Bush Administration, whether or not it becomes a 'lame duck' will soon be seen.. whether Americans have had enough of this war, and harbour the sentiment that removing Congress from Republican control will be enough to calm the seething resentment in the minds of the various terrorists who demonize the American man on the street and his way of life, will soon be obvious.
But the problem remains, that while the US may well in the near future do a 180 on it's policies in the Middle East, it can be assured the Middle East will not reciprocate. A dramatic defeat for George and the Republicans will certainly be seen as a sign of weakness, of indicision.
This election in the US is a lose/lose situation, and to make the job of mopping up what can be cleared from Iraq more difficult for the Administration, will be seen by the Islamic Fundamentalist world as a repeat of the American action in the area back in the 90's.
It also leaves the Taliban, al Q'aeda, Hammas, Hezbolah, with something tangible to celebrate, and will certainly spur them onwards towards their goal of a Worldwide Islamic Caliphate.
Seems a ridiculous aim now, but recall, their plans span decades.
Never underestimate a fundamentalist.

One awaits, with great anticipation, the sentencing of Saddam later today..
Which is politically more expedient..
To condemn the man to death would certainly polarize an already fragmented population, for certainly many want his death, an example to the world that even Supreme powers will not protect a 'criminal' leader from the ultimate sentence..
And it will satisfy a large proportion of the country who have suffered for political opposition to the old regeme; those who have been subjected to what is tantamount to genocide, ordered by this man..
But there is something to be said concerning the certain escallation of terrorist acts, of those willing to join 'terrorist' organisations of those who will see the 'martyrdom' of Saddam as the ultimate atrocity carried out by Occupation Forces, who, as they percieve it, control the Courts..
It's a thorny question, an uncomfortable situation..
And while we can expect any sentence to be appealed, and while this court case will drag on for years, the sentence itself will fuel those Ba'athist cells to a return of sucide bombings, and terrorist acts, the likes of which we have not yet seen..
Perhaps the Russians have a gulag or two operating in the wastes of Siberia..
It's an option.