An interesting game Iran is playing, with a couple of minor cards being played today.
The first, and largest, was the arrest and seizure of 15 British Marines and Naval personell, as they conducted what has become a 'routine search' proceedure of the Shatt al Arab, the waterway dividing Iran from Iraq..
It's a narrow waterway. But these parols by the British Navy have become so SOP, that when they stopped the ship they wanted to search, they were most certainly in Iraqi waters. The HMS Cornwall is not some clapped out old tub, assigned to a duty comprable to the USS Caine. It is a state-of-the-art frigate, with navigation equiptment capable of drawing a line accurate to a centimetre, down the demarkation strip, which defines Itaqi from Iranian waters.
Therefore, Tehran 'knew' they were provoking a reaction from the West, and to remind us that while most of the attention in Iraq is being aimed at the United States, that Britain is involved.
It also states unequicovably, that Iran is too.
Also doesn't hurt that the price of oil has hit a four-month high on the British markets..
But the reason behind this military action, blatently illegal action, is to remind us that should there be military action aimed at Iran, they'll be ready.
It is a calculated action, which will start the question circulating as to whether Tehran already has a red button, and whether or not they'll be willing to use it.
Or, whether they have the supplies now, to continue with their development program towards nuclear capabilities, and still have enough to sell to terrorists, and whether or not they'd risk losing that much respect among their peers, if they stooped so low..
The last time British servicemen were detained by Iranian officials, they were degraded. Treated with techniques I'm sure they'd love to be able to use at Gitmo. Forced to make public apologies on Iranian national television. But, with perhaps the worst being forced to kneel in a ditch, blindfolded, while having AK-47's fired on command over their heads, those servicemen were released, 'unharmed'.
Tehran is not unaware that we know their arrests and seizures were illegal. But Ahmadenejad and Khamaini are well aware of the fact that we are bound by our culture, not to react in kind, but to be 'diplomatic'.
In the meatime, while Israel went to war over the kidnapping of 'one' soldier, we, with our overwhelming might, will talk.
They know this.
The second, seemingly smaller card played, is Ahmadenejad's refusal to make an appearance before the UN Security Council later today..Saturday.
The Iranian President says the necissary visas for his flight crew 'came too late', due to American manufactured delays.
Now, the State Department says the visas were provided some time ago, and the President and his entourage would be granted access to the US, but, says Ahmadenejad, it's too late...
Even when it was pointed out by the Chinese delegate, that a vote will not be taken at this meeting, merely the 'setting' of a date.. I was too late.
This is a meeting at which the possibility of further sanctions will be placed against Iran, and is of intense importance to the West, because in effect, it will be the Iranian man on the street who will eventually feel the pinch of any further economic cutbacks, and that will only fuel the already blazing hatred most of the Middle East has, for the Great Satan.
This is something we would like to diplomatically avoid.
Jesus wept.
This is a game those in the Levant have been perfecting since we were running about wearing woad.
Rather than the Califf attending himself, this meeting of infidels who would pass judgement on those chosen by Allah, as promised by His Prophet Muhammad(Blessed be His Name).. he will send a lesser official.. the Iranian Foreign Minister and an aide, will travel by commercial airflight.
It appears their visas were available.
And this official, will not have the answers to the questions the Security Council needs, to effectively make a 'just' decision on further sanctions. These sanctions, to be voted on, involve the sale of arms internationally, and the freezing of assets of some Iranian individuals, and companies abroad.
It is amazing, that in this day and age of western 'self-awareness', that these ancient, traditional, transparent diplomatic tricks still symie us.
Perhaps it has something to do with the 'collective guilt syndrome' suffered by the West, which has prospered, to allow that which we allow in the Middle East, and in Africa.
But, if this capture of British servicemen and their inevidable mistreatment and release, and this obvious diversion of a sanctions issue by the Iranian President does not provoke in us, at least a sense of derision for those who would play such games, then something is wrong.
It's reminiscent of that line from Dudley Moore in 'Beyond the Fringe'..
"Yes, we stood their and drank his champaign, and ate his caviar, while sniggering openly, behind our hands..".
Of course, the timing of this is perfect.
George is finding how limited his powers are relative Iraq are now, with the loss of the House and the Senate..
And we in Britain are waiting with 'bated breath, for the date to be announced at which Tony will step down, and Gordon Brown will take power..
And the UN.. is the UN.. subject to diplomacy first and to the end, and dependant on a majority vote.
Seems we have a ring of oil through our diplomatic noses, and at least Iran, is willing to pull it..

Our Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, has called on all other contenders for the PM's job to get out of Gordon's way, and withdraw..
Her reasoning for having Gordon run unopposed..? That he not have to spend time being concerned about peccadillos, with so much else on the plate of the man who takes Tonys place..
Excellent reasoning..
Just for the record, it was mentioned a couple of days ago, that it would not even be necissary to give the names of those others running.. At that time there were two, but soon there might be three..
And they are, a former Minister, Michael Meacher, and MP John McDonnell. They may well soon be joined by the Environment Minister, David Millibrand, who's had the endorsement of former Home Secretary Charles Clarke.
Mind you, an endorsement from Charles is not quite what one might want.. he left office following a scandal, and left the Home Office itself in utter shambles..
However, the leadership campaign trail may not be as smooth for Gordon as first expected..
Although while there is little doubt he will be the next PM, the amount of support his opposition gets will be a good indicator of the depth of the splits within the Labour Party itself...
Something for Gordon to ponder, after all these allegations of 'Stalinist attitudes and techniques'..
To face appeasing both the Civil Service, and his own splintering Party, while maintaining foreign and domestic matters which are frankly in crisis, may prove too much for the dour Scotsman.
This will prove more interesting than thought, at first..

One of the oddest moves seen in ages by Gordon today.
Keeping in mind, he's still living in No.11, and is still the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he delivered, without a doubt, his last budget today, and dropped a political bombshell.
Now Gordon's never been one to be reknown for dropping taxes, or reforming the system of taxation, but today, he lowered the basic 10p taxation rate, and raised the threshold for National Insurance contributions...
He dropped what is potentionally £9.5 billion in taxation revenue, while increasing that same revenue by £8.5 billion.. apparently tossing away a billion Pounds..
But, he's removed business tax perks, such as 'Industrial Space taxation'.. which will hit the likes of the airports, the railways, conglomerates who own large tracts of land which industries are built..
And that's how that apparent shortfall will be recouped..
So, if the smoke and mirrors are removed, Gordon's done effectively nothing, for the 2p tax drop for the average taxpayer, will be taken back by those businesses who's profit margins will not be left to absorb the losses they'll incur..
So while the man on the street might think this to be 'The Last Hurrah' of an exiting Chancellor.. a magnanimous gesture from the man who'll next be leading the country.. it is in actuality, nothing more than a headline-grabber..
It's something the Tories will, have a field day with..
The Conservative Leader has already jumped on Gordon's budget.. accusing the Chancellor of 'blowing open' his own arguments..
David, in his reply to the budget, said it proved what the Tories had said all along - "that you can share the proceeds of growth"...adding.. Gordon usually saved pledges for a general election but was in "a deep hole" in the Labour leadership race..
That the tax cut would be cancelled out by the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax...
David told Gordon point blank:
"You are the chancellor who has taken one tax down but put 99 taxes up.
The average family is paying £1,300 more because of your Budget decisions."
This, referring to Labour initial promise, lo all those years ago, that taxes would 'never' be raised under their leadership..
It seems to make no sense whatsoever.. to offer something to the Opposition, that will cast even more doubt on the Labour Party, their direction, and certainly their leadership..

One has had to take some time digesting Tuesday's interview with Lord Turnbull, the former head of the Civil Service, published in the Financial Times today..
In it, Lord Turnbull blankly states that Gordon Brown has a 'Stalanist ruthlessness' in his dealings with his colleagues, and that Gordon refuses discussions concerning priorities..
Lord Turnbull continued to say, that Gordon has a 'very cynical view of mankind, and his colleagues'..
Lord Turnbull's comments, unprecedentedly outspoken for such a senior civil servant, came the day before what is expected to be Mr Brown's final Budget before he succeeds Tony Blair as Prime Minister.
The Treasury has refused to comment on the Financial Times interview.
Lord Turnbull also declined to discuss his comments, because he thought he had done "enough damage already.
In fact, Lord Turnbull had expected this interview to be published after the budget had been presented..
Now, nobody suggests that these criticisms are not widely shared.
Lord Turnbull's attack mirrors that of the former Home Secretary Charles Clarke - another who went rather further in print than planned... and that of the anonymous Cabinet minister who said that "Gordon Brown will make an f…ing terrible Prime Minister"...
No one close to Gordon Brown protests that there's no truth in the suggestion that their man exhibits "Stalinist ruthlessness", and has, at times, ignored, belittled or insulted other Ministers.
The debate is about whether Brown's uncompromising style was good or bad for government and whether he needs to, and is capable of, changing his attitude if he gets to Number 10.
The case against Brown is clearly spelt out in Turnbull and Clarke's interviews.
Government, they argue, should be a team sport.. and Gordon is not a team player. He and his clique have fought colleagues rather than working with them; divided government rather than united it; and been dictatorial rather than consultative.
He has, in Tony Blair's phrase, been "a great clunking fist".
Now, the question is, does Gordon need to change if he takes the reins of government?
The answer, at least that shared among those closest to him, is 'yes'..
Prime ministers depend on wooing and cajoling other departments and have few levers themselves to pull.
The debate is between those who think he's capable of such change, and those, who like Lord Turnbull, have... well... their doubts...
Lord Turnbull told a BBC Radio 4 interviewer:
“Was too much policy developed at the centre? Yes, I think it was. The occupants of 10 and 11 have got to be very sensitive to the downside of taking over a piece of policy that could be done in a department. It’s often a short sighted view because if you are constantly taking something over you will not develop the capability and also people won’t develop the sense of pride, they will actually feel belittled.”
He goes on.. “All the time you are leaning in the other direction, to say ‘no, don’t do it that way, take it through a cabinet committee or something, something that may look quite bureaucratic but ultimately gives you a better decision and a better sense of buy in’ …That is the tide that you are always swimming against …. I felt I was swimming against the tide which is quite tiring, but hopefully I wasn’t swept away.”
Not the type of endorsement Gordon really needs, with a Leadership battle upcoming.. there are two who will run against him, but the chances of their actually taking the post away from Gordon are that slim, that there is really no point in even mentioning their names.
But, the point remains, that for any who may have watched the television program 'Yes Prime Minister', that the PM must have a solid working relationship with his Civil Servants, and it would appear that Gordon lacks the tact, and the trust, to develop such a situation...
It will be interesting to watch, while the clock ticks down to the next General Election, as to how many points David Cameron and his Conservatives will score, simply because Gordon, as PM, cannot work with his own bureauocracy.

Interesting..
While the Guardian, normally considered to be a somewhat left-leaning newspaper, leading tomorrow morning with a GM modified mosquito, which could help cut back on the 2.2 million deaths from malria per year, for the most part in Africa.. there is a side column that has some bad news for Gordon Brown. A poll would seem to indicate that the Tories enjoy a ten point lead in public support, in the main due to Gordons Europhile stance. This is an issue close to the heart of the British man on the street.
Most do not want closer ties with the ever-growing European Union, and fewer want to exchange the Pound Sterling for the Euro.. with it being generally understood that by taking on the common currency, Britain would be tying it's cart to the lowest common denominator within the Union.. allowing out GNP to be tied with that of the Ukraine, Poland, et al. There is even strong feelings about the numbers of individuals from these new states who hold an European Passport, entry into this country, and taking jobs from British workers.
Now this in itself is a falacy, for those who come here are for the kost part migrant workers, doing the jobs the British spurn, because the average wage is less than that offered by National Benefits.
But what is of great concern, is the movement of British industry, to these new countries, where labour laws are slacker, and wages on the whole, a fraction of what would be demanded here.
This is a problem of our own making, with the Trade Unionists seemingly blind to the fact that jobs will be lost, unless some agreement is reached wherein we become competitive.
Yet another problem which is seemingly being ignored, is that while we send out technology into these developing countries, they are learning the techniques themselves, and will soon, within a decade or so, be producing home made products which will rival our own, at a much cheaper price tag.
The more we out-service, the less we will have to send abroad in the future, for those in these countries which have for decades lived in abject poverty, are finally making a wage, and learning skills which will out pace our own..

Another point to be made, is the practice of terrorists in the Gaza of kidnapping journalists.. A BBC reporter, Allan Johnson, had been reporting in the Middle East for some years, and had presented a picture somewhat favourable to the plight of those in the area. It makes no sense whatsoever to take men and women such as these prisoners, and while in the past, most have been released, eventually, unharmed,, it has been more than a week since Alan Johnson was abducted by armed terrorists outside his hotel, and to date, no group has claimed responsibility, nor has there been any demands made for this mans release. There is some concern for his safety, and while it will not deter journalists going to Gaza or the West Bank, it does put the 'cause' of these kidnappers under scrutiny.. and rarely under close examination, has there been any real reason for these abductions, other than to strike fear into Westerners in general... a tactic which simply will not work.
As long as the military is there. so will the media.. and that is a plus for the Palistinian cause, allowing them a sympathetic eye.
But if yet another member of the journalistic fraternity turns up dead, that 'eye' could well become jaundiced, and questions could be asked of those who control groups the like of Hammas, as to why they cannot control their own.
It is enough that Ehmud Olmad, the Jewish Prime Minister, is refusing to deal with Hammas until they call an end to their terrorist activities. The last thing Palistinians interested in forming their own State would want, is a turn against them in world opinion.. a sense that they are not truely in charge, and do not deserve, nor do they have the influence among their own, to control a nation of their own.

It has been four years now since combined American and British forces invaded Iraq and deposed Saddam, and still there is no peace in sight. Sunni's continue to kill Shi'ites at willand vice versa, and ethnic divisions remain unresolved. The guerilla warfare escalates, fed by neighbouring Arab countries the likes of Iran, Sudan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,,
And there seems to be no reasonable end in sight for the American and British troops still occupying the most volotile areas.
It has been said before in this missive, that we should consider a complete withdrawal of our forces, and while that would end our involvement in this violence, it would hardly stop it.
Indications are that 75% of Iraqi's have little or no confidence in their elected government, and fear that should the Allied presence withdraw, the area would quickly deteriorate into a civil war of mammoth proportions, with each of the religious factions fighting for control, not by negotiation, but by indiscriminate killing. And there is also the issue of Kurdistan, and it's fervent desire to ceceed and form a nation of it's own.. George has said that it will be a matter of months before security can be enforced.
In truth, that scenario will never take place, and it is time to reconsider our position in this conflict.
It is perhaps time to call in the United Nations, to take over peacekeeping duties, and in effect, put in plave a permanent polive force in that country, to ensure there is at least a modicum of ballance.
Now whether or not the United Nations would consider this to be a similar scenario to that of say Kosovo, is moot. Whether or not the UN would want to become involved in a Middle Estern crisis is a major decision, and would put the UN itself in a position of fighting a war which can have no winner..
We may well be stuck there, and with Britain withdrawing troops from Basra, and redeploying them in Afghanistan to actually patrol the border with Pakistan in an attempt to halt the passage of arms and men to swell the forces of the Taliban, it means the US will need to increase it's presence on the ground.
Now George has less than 18 months left in power. Tony has about three.
How the successors to these leaders will deal with this legacy is undetermined, and that is a concern for the West, with it's dependance on Middle Eastern oil..
How Gordon, and whomever takes over from George, will direct their countries forces, is of imperative importance, and we, those who have no voice other than in vehicles such as this, and the media itself, are hanging, blowing in the wind, left to wait and watch, while the future of our civilisation hangs in the ballance.
A matter of some concern, for all involved.

Now, a purely internal matter here. Gordon's new budget Gordon Brown is expected to raise taxes substantially on larger-engined cars in Wednesday's Budget.
Some reports suggest that road tax on the least fuel-efficient cars will double to about £400 a year.
At the same time, business groups have urged Gordon not to introduce more company taxes.
Businesses are paying almost £12bn more in tax in 2008/9 than they were when Labour came to power, the Engineering Employers' Federation said.
Surging taxes have hit manufacturer profitability hard and turned many companies away from the UK, a trend that had to be expected with the expansion of the EU..
The problem Gordon faces is, to run the country's infrastructure with any sense of efficiency.. the NHS, The Social Services System, the Pensions Plans.. he needs more money.
Now this does not take into account the enormous amount of money we're spending fighting foreign wars, yet another drain on the Exchequer.
Gordon must raise taxes, and this is going to hit the British man on the street who holds a budget hard, for we will see an increase in our base rate, if only to try and curb the continuous rise in housing costs.
One cannot envy Gordon his job at this point, for what he's about to do will make him thoroughly unpopular with Labour, with homeowners, and with the middle earners who will bear the brunt of these tax increases.
It does not bode well, for his chances of winning the next election, for this country has a long memory, and most of us keep our receipts.

A demonstration of the waning powers Tony wields among his own Party..
While his Bill, which will refurbish and increase our arsenal of nuclear Trident missiles, did pass through the House, it was only with the support of the Tory Party, which voted unanimously in favour of the measure..
93 of Tony's Members voted against him..
4 Cabinet Ministers have resigned their posts over this issue.
Now, this is the time Gordon's sitting back, gauging the tenor of those he might call upon to fill 'his' Cabinet posts.. remember at all times, that he is a Europhile, and the strongest military in Europe, is a high card at the diplomatic poker game..
With our construction of five new aircraft carriers, three new destroyers, and now the upgrading of our nuclear capabilities.. Britain could be played as the best equiped to become the 'US' of the 'EU'.. and one wonders if indeed, that is a role we could, or should, assume..
It's interesting, that for the first time in literally years, the MOD has invested in television commercials.. both for the Territorial Army, or the Reserves.. but also for those looking for a carreer in the Regs..
Glamourising the possibility of having both the physical and mental capabilities to be a member of todays 'The Few'.. and emphasising the pay.. and the training..
It's always been a popular opinion, at least among those of a certain age, that a term in the Army, or the Forces if you will, would do wonders to straighten out today's youth.. that it will instill a sense of discipline, and the necessity of teamwork..
And while that training is available, and always has been.. it's only that over the past couple of years, as previously mentioned, that we are actually seeing a 'push', if you will, by the Forces to recruit, and they seem to be aiming at those who might feel they have no future..
And they appear to be having some success..
It's almost the modern day equivalent to a 'Press Gang'.. minus of course the cudgels..

But back to Tony and his defeat.. for indeed, it was just that, on a personal level.
It now demonstrates to the man, that he is losing the trust of his Party.. that there is suspicion, that he will try as hard as possible, to push as much as possibe, through as quickly as possible, to ensure he has a place at least in history, as a Prime Minister who tried.
There's also a growing conviction that Tony is laying the groundwork for scenario's.. for international situations, that will literally take decades and odds are a couple more elections, to settle..
This, to a large extent, he has already done. But there remains the question of how, once he is gone, will Gordon maintain the carefully constructed relationship with the US.. and the equally precariously ballanced relations with the EU..?
And should the government change hands come the next elections, what will the Tories be faced with.. ?
The possibility of having to untangle a skein of Gordon's making, that has US trade agreements, US self-protection agreements.. US placement agreements.. completely entwined with what could be completely and diamentrically opposing agreements with France, Germany and Italy..
And of course, the continuing, ubiquitous, 'War On Terror'.. But we'll leave Afghanistan alone for the now..
It has to be understood by this present government,and any which might follow for some years to come, that any Diplomatic efforts exerted by all nations attempting to tease Iran into lessening it's moves towards nuclear capabilities, will only result in delays, and delays, and more delays, while Iran moves into the next stage, the purchase of long and medium range missiles..
And Akhmadenejad will smile with Chavez of Venezuela, and call the US 'devils', and continue to rail for the 'utter destruction of the States of Israel'.. and Chavez will continue to follow George around South America.. to Columbia, Uruguay, Panama.. to contradict any earlier statements made by America and the incumbent Presidents..
And Pyongyang will continue to offer small concessions to UN Inspectors.. releasing more and more of the trade embargo's against them..
All of these problems will be inherited by whomever takes power both in Britain, and the US, and even the EU.. It will be chaos while diplomatic positions are worked out.. while concessions are agreed upon.. while the dust settles..
The next 19 months are going to be very interesting indeed..
And if all that was not enough..
We have several of China's bordering countries concerned with the buildup of the Chinese Armed Forces from something practically non-existant, to something that in the not too distant future, that will be something to be reconsidered..
And the EU's bordering on allowing Turkey into the Union.. and that puts both Asian and European politics and policies to the job of reconcilling, while China watches.
Interesting times..
Economies are in for a long period of instability.. as the politcal status quo comes to an end..

'The European Constitution'..
'The Berlin Protocol'..
Now what is to addressed, and is actually the salient cause for concern, is the passing of an EU Bill, which would, albeit under a different name, be a Constitution..
Now this would fly in the face of any suggestion that the EU is a democratic union, for it would bypass the rejection of the Constitution by the Dutch, the Swedish, et al.. who voted against the agreement in national referendae..
It also begs the question, when will we in Britain have the question put to us..?
Before Tony leaves, which is exceedingly doubtfull, or when Gordon Brown, who's a confirmed Europhile, takes power until the next election..?
It is a cause for some concern indeed.. this possibility of a 'constitution under another name' being passed by EU Parliamentary Members, without the approval of the populations of the represented countries..

Yet another issue which has been raised here, are the separate 'Green Plans' by the Conservatives and Labour.
While The Tories want the agreement reached at the recent Paris Summit implemented on a yearly basis here in Britain.. Labour is insisting that the entire 20 year target be examined under that 20 year term.
Tony's justification for this approach, is that should carbon emissions be judged on a yearly basis in this country, it would adversely affect British industry.. that by putting 'carbon pricing' into effect immediately, we would price our products out of the market, as they became less and less competitive with those same products produced by those countries with no such plan in effect..
It has been mentioned, that while there is an UN Environmental Meeting planned for December this year.. there is no guarantee that the US will sign up to it, and the US produced, as has been mentioned several times before, 25% of all emissions released into our atmosphere..
Close behind are China and India, with China exempt from any restrictions whatsoever, due to it's being classed as a 'developing nation'.
Taking all of this political waffling, and simplifying it, would leave us with the bottom line that regardless of what action we in Britain might make, we will have little or no impact on the overall picture.
That it will take the passing along of Western technology, and Western innovation, hithertofore protected by Patent Law, to those countries most likely to need it.
And it will take the US itself starting to use these innovative measures itself, through legislative enforcement.
It would seem that there are indications that California, alone and as a State, may seek representation at these forthcoming meetings, and would agree to global targets. And being that California itself, having the sixth or seventh largest economy in the world, could act as an incentive for the rest of that Republic to follow suit.
However, States the likes of Michigan and Pennsylvania might use their considerable clout and their lobby groups, to block any national agreement, for the sake of their particular economies, and the cost which would be incurred in re-tooling, and reoriganisation throughout their industrial concerns..
And then there is India, and Russia, and never to be underestimated, China..
It would seem, that we, as individuals throughout the world, have little choice but to accept the fact, that business and profit.. that improvement of standard of living for those who've lagged behind for decades, if not centuries, will take precidence over any movement towards reversing the change in our overall ecology.
It is not a rock and a hard place, for that at least implies choice.
We, as individuals, have no choice whatsoever.. We must simply stand and watch, as our ecostructure changes.

A brief note here..
European countries the likes of France, Germany, Britain, have been seeing industry shift it's production, and it's Home Offices, to the newer members of the EU for years now. It's a trend that this economy has started to adapt to.
But one wonders, what will be the reaction, of this phenomina hitting the United States?
The Benz Company merged with Chryster some three years ago. A 'mering of equals' it was billed as..
But now, Benz has announced it's firm intention of dissolving that partnership, and wants some other financial concern to buy it out.
Now there is money, albeing perhaps somewhat suspect in origin, in the newer EU countries, and while there has been interest expressed by one American company, it would not be surprising to see some attention paid to an acquisition such as this, by say Russia, or Romania..
And this would mean that Chrysler, an icon of the American car industry, could move much of it's production out of the US, resulting in the loss of American jobs..
This also raises the question, whether the American Government itself would allow such a kick in the backside to American pride, and would not consider stepping in itself..
Interesting possibilities.. for even if an American company does buy Chrysler back.. one must ask how much government money will go into the back pocket of any such concern...?
It's the ecological and financial problems that are facing Chrysler away from Benz.. Chrysler produces some real gass-guzzlers.. 4X4's.. not only expensive, but ecologically unpopular..
More than three years ago, this missive suggested that the only action that would save the American auto industry, would be the realisation that cash had to be spent, at that time, towards re-tooling for production of hybrid, or electric cars. That technology already available at that time should be utilised, slowly exposing the American public to the facts of the matter, that the internal combustion engine is killing our wallets, and indeed, us.
Toyota has done it. While as yet only a prototype, they have a car they can mass produce, a hybrid, that is far more efficient, and cheaper to run, than anything on the road today. They believe it will sell, and sell big.
It's time for a loud wakeup call for the American car industry.
Spend the money.
Spend it now.
Survive.

Interesting..
As George pumps up the rhetoric, preparing the American public for an escallation of hostilities in the Middle East to include Iran, there have surfaced a plethora of reports from some very respected analysts against such action..
Now while the threat of Iran developing nuclear capabilities is a very real one, and Ahkmadenejad's threats against the State of Israel equally serious, it must be taken into account, that which we have already learned in Iraq.
That while we could easily walk in, with our overwhelming military superiority, and defeat any organized military resistance, we will never be able to contain the situation. That the good old days, when a conquored peoples merely laid down their arms and capitulated, are gone for good, and any action we effect, will be one that will tax our resources, and our patience, for decades.
And take it a step further.
Iran has been developing enriched uranium for quite a while now, and has already the technology to create a small nuclear arsenal. This simply could not be found by any invading force, in time to stop a bomb or two being constructed.
While diplomacy is simply not an option either, for indeed we are dealing with a society, or the leaders of a society, that are bent on destroying the West and all it stands for, and any improvement in relations will be a chimera, designed to buy time for the radical Islamics to refine their plans, neither is military action, unless we ourselves are willing to start tossing atomic weapons around like confetti, to destroy what infrastructure exists in the Middle East.
We could take out Tehran, we could take out Baghdad, we could make the area uninahbitable for centuries.
But, if we choose to take the moral path, and merely invade and search for the materials that certainly exist in Iran, we will have lost before we begin.
There are those in the Middle East who are not plotting the downfall of Western Culture, who are merely trying to eek out an existance in a landscape that is somewhat inhospitable and difficult. There are those who follow Islam without any thought whatsoever of violence.
But if we, as a society, decide to try and take what little they have, to destroy that which has taken them centuries to develop, we become the enemy of all.
Perhaps, at this point, it would be best for us to withdraw.. entirely.
To take our military machinery, in toto, and return to the problems that face the Western man on the street.
To let them come to us, threaten our way of life in a manner more substantial than 911, or 7/7..
And when those threats appear, chase those responsible without involving the general public of the countries that might harbour them, train them, or supply them.
Employ strategic strikes against specific targets, and leave problems the likes of establishing a Palestinian Homeland to diplomats.
After all, there was a Balfour, and while his plan took decades to implement, a similar plan for the Palistinian people would be welcomed, and the world works exponentially faster these days than it did at the turn of the last century.
Let us become 'the good guys' in the eyes of the Middle Eastern man on the street. Let the inflamatory words of the radical Imams be exposed as the misinterpretations of the Q'ran that they are..
Let us shower them with money, dispersed by international agencies, and not by the corrupt governments of the countries we would intend to improve.
Let us not give the impression we are trying to change their sense of values, their traditions, but encourage the continuation of their way of life, with the added bonus of a better standard of living.
Their way of life.
Not ours.
We are between the proverbial rock and the hard place, and frankly, there is no viable solution

Two announcements to come from Downing Street..
One is an already prepared statement on a 'road fees'scheme.. one which would see an end to road tax, the equivalent of yearly license plate charges, and the introduction of mileage charges leveed against those who use heavily laden highways and byways, leading into any city in the country.. Now while Tony is adamant in starting ten such plans in ten of our major cities, just to see how it'll work, one of his spokesmen has admitted that a national plan is not cast in stone. That this in an effort to cut congestion, and is an idea that should be given a chance.
But, the 1.7million motorists who have signed an internet petition against this charging by the mile, could spell the eventual end to the whole thing..
So, while our roads will still be inadequate to handle the volume of rush-hour traffic, it'll be Gordon Brown's problem in a month or two..
The second is of far greater importance, on so many levels..
Tony's going to announce the withdrawal of some of the British Forces in and around Basra..
Again, should the violence escallate when the withdrawal begins, the troops will return, but the plan expected is to involve some 15 hundred troops coming home in the next month or so, and another 15 hundred by Christmas..
This comes as George is about to announce the infusion of some 21 thousand more American troops to try to contain what's becoming an absolute fiasco in Baghdad.
Now, this British withdrawal, as mentioned, is conditional, and could be a signal to George that Tony's time is coming to an end, along with the political carreers of many of those who supported the American stance unconditionally. A message to those in power in Washington, that Gordon Brown might be an entirely different Prime Minister, one wanting a closer relationship with the EU than that which is now enjoyed with the US.
It is no secret Gordon's a Europhile, and even though, at this point, the Conservatives under David Cameron appear to hold an edge in public opinion, our elections are 18 months away, and a lot can happen in a year and a half..
Even if the Tories get in, and David holds the reins, Iraq is an unpopular war in this country, one in which, it seems, the media is mourning each and every life lost in the Middle East.
Not the same can be said about Afghanistan though. There is a general awareness that terrorism is a real threat, and Afghanistan, with the Taliban and al Q'aeda based in that country, is as good a place as any to fight their infrastructure. Even those who read the most basic of newspapers understands that terrorists will strike here, and that arms and men are slipping across the Pakistani border in droves to form cells, and to actively fight in Afghanistan.
But not Iraq.
And with the distinct possibility the US will expand it's war effort against Iran to stop it's development of nuclear capabilities, the British man on the street understands the US alliance could drop us in yet another endless confrontation. For even if Iran is militarily occupied, and it's nuclear installations destroyed, it would simply mean yet another war of attrition.. guerilla warfare with no ultimate winner.. only a steady stream of body's returning to families who are proud their children chose to serve their country, but who vocally wonder about the wisdom of sending them to serve against an enemy which is not 'playing fair'.
To those of this country, throughout our involvements in all our conflicts, there has been a peace in place at it's outcome, and the knowledge that 'peace' for that particular theatre, is not going to come.
It's not popular.
On the whole, British are tolerant of anothers particular God, and a war in which one particular 'faith' has declared jihad against our entire society, has left us somewhat bewildered.
And indeed, the thoughts of the man on the street are beginning to question the 'right and wrong' of involvement in a conflict that has affected so many already, and stands to effect a definate division among those who are 'British', and those who are 'foreigners'.
Tony's announcement will be a popular one.
And if George does indeed decide the threat of Iran deserves military action, he may have to depend on UN support, for it's questionable as to whether this government will commit any more manpower to an effort with so little popular support here.
This departure of Tony, could cost George.
In fact, one would give good odds on it.
And to add to the general sense of confusion, comes the announcement from Iran's Ahmadenejad, that he'd be happy to talk to any Western power about stopping it's nuclear programs, if that power agreed to abandon it's own. He asks the question, 'why should a country with a nuclear arsenal already in place, deny Iran the right to develop parity?'
An easily answered question, but asked, at a bad time..
Condaleesa Rice is offering the Iranians what might be called a 'poisoned pill'.. Either stop the enrichment programs, or face the prospect of greater embargo's, and the distinct possibility of armed conflict.
Ahmanenejad has but one answer to that, which is in effect an ultimatum.
And that could be delivered in two words.

One more brief note here. British banks are announcing their annual profit statements this week. NatWest made just over £2.5 billion last year. It's number three on the list.
More on this issue later..

Just a brief note here..
Figures show that China's Trade Surplus has risen by 67%, due in part, to the low value of the yuan..
Considering the amount of oil that country's importing from Russia, that figure is absolutely amazing, and puts some great pressure on Western producers, and Western markets.
This may prompt a move from the EU to support the US, as there is general agreement that the Chinese currency is vastly undervalued, and is now beginning to affect the American dollar, and the price of gold..
Good for Canada, and South Africa, but it's a trend that could lead to a complete re-evaluation of what the world sees as the 'standard currency', which at present, is the American greenback.
We'll see what effects this has on the markets come Monday morning.
Watch this space.

Interesting..
The government has announced, that those who collect State benefits, must either Speak English, or provide proof that they are taking classes to learn it.
Some 40thousand jobless people say their poor English is a barrier to finding employment.. and £4.5m is spent on translators in job centres.
This money, says Welfare Minister Jim Murphy, could be put to better use teaching immigrants the Elglish language.
Now this comes into effect in April, and whether the government will be prepared to offer classes to those with difficulties with English in time, is moot..
However, Jim wants more focus put on English language tuition.
To quote.. "We must utilise the resources we have to redress the balance: to put the emphasis not just on translating language to claim a benefit, but to teaching language to get a job."
Yes. And this would tie in nicely with the government announced plans to make those who come here 'British' first, while allowing them the freedom to maintain their particular culture and customs..
Within the Law, of course.
From April, new guidelines will require job centres in England to consentrate on encouraging the take-up of English courses.
And a new programme, backed by £14m of state money, is offering 15,000 places on courses in basic skills and employability training - including language skills - with the Learning and Skills Council.
But, an educational think tank which recently produced a critical report into how the government provides English classes to immigrants, has attacked the proposals as risky.
The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace) reports the English tuition system was struggling to meet demand from migrants who wanted to learn the language.
Alastair Thomson of Niace agreed that investing in tuition was better than translation... but added there are too few classes and teachers.
And there is criticisism for separate government proposals, to charge for some English classes from September.. that it was 'bizarre' for the government to expect those unemployed because of their lack of English skills, to come up with the money to pay for an education dealing with the language while they had no income, other than Social Benefits..
And we all thought things were getting better..
A study by the think-tank Civitas suggests a third of households in the UK rely on benefits for their main income.
"What has been happening in the last few years is unemployment has fallen but the number of people receiving incapacity benefits has been going up a little bit," according to the report's author, David Green .
"But there's also been a huge increase in people receiving what's now called working tax credit. So you've got a mixture of pure benefit dependency and what you might call in-work benefit dependency."
Now this may seem like economic babble, but it simply means that a third of the country's households contribute nothing to the overall tax-base, and an increase of those doing jobs that pay so little, that they must have a suppliment from the government to survive.
There will have to come a time, when Westminster recognises the fact, that we are losing the work ethic this country once had, due in the main, to the overall lack of education of this country's youth, and it's unskilled workforce.
It's not a bad idea Jim has there, to teach those who come here to speak the language. It would be expected in any country for any immigrant..
But it's slightly off the mark in it's target demographic. It's a microcosmic view of a macroscopic problem, for it's not only those who come here from other countries who are in need of even something as basic as the English needed to get a job, but those British kids who have given up on the entire educational process, and are now quite content to live off the State, must be included.
A third of British households on the dole, or on disability.
Amazing.
One wonders where these people fit in when the government reports on unemployment figures.

Here we go again...
George seems to be preparing yet another legacy to leave for his successor..
Accusing Iran of supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons, could well be the precursor to a 'justified' armed response from the US, and if George can convice enough Americans that their sons and daughters are being killed by yet another Middle Eastern country, he might well pull it off..
The purpose would, on the surface, be obvious.
Many will say it's the old saw 'oil', and the protection of America's sources.
Many will say it's another step towards protecting the State of Israel, as the slow progress of finding a homeland for Palistinians continues.
But perhaps, what might be closer to the truth, is the drive George and his administration has, in pacifying those who pose a threat to the US itself.. those who will happily strap on a semtex vest, or carry a suitcase carrying a 'dirty bomb', who might manufacture these weapons in the US itself, and walk down a street in New York, or Washington, and kill as many Americans as possible.
It might also be a 'warning' to those who finance terrorism, while maintaining a 'friendly' relation with the States, the likes of Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, that Americans won't allow terrorism to taint the lives of the men and women on the streets of the US.
It's a scenario that is more than possible, the expansion of military action in the Levant..
And it's something that George himself would be more than willing to leave for his successor, and perhaps the next as well, to deal with.
As his father once so famously said back in 1992..."This will not stand.."
And, another factor which cannot be ignored, is that those American businesses which deal in the manufacture and sale of the weapons of war, will be kept in business, and that's always a plus for the GNP..
One can only hope that when Gordon Brown takes over for Tony in a few months time, he has the sense to slowly withdraw Britain from this endless conflict, while having the diplomatic ability to maintain our economic ties.
This may well be the greatest challenge a British Prime Minister has faced, since World War Two..
A ballancing act worthy of a circus artist..
Gordon Brown.. David Cameron, Sir Menzies Campbell.. it matters little who's in power... for matters of internal importance in Britain, will take a back seat until some resolution is reached.
We in this country are between a rock and a hard place, for we too have extensive dealings with the Saudi's, and other Middle Eastern countries, and call ill afford to lose their money.
So, forget the environment, forget the NHS, forget the growing homeless and the loss of industry to cheaper sources in the EU..
It will be the American agenda, and the growing hostilities between Russia and it's oil, and China, that will take precidence here for quite a while to come.
We here are reknown for our patience in standing in queues.

An Interesting speech from Russian President Vladmir Putin at this year's International Security Summit in Munich..
Vlad has made statements that can only be interprete as an attack on the US, saying that Americas 'almost uncontained' use of force around the world, has fuelled the threat of a nuclear arms race. Vlad has called the US approach to world affairs 'very dangerous', a statement which makes one think Russia is ready to take a more assertive role in determining world opinion on the various conflicts the US, and indirectly, Britain, are involved in..
Vlad told senior security officials from around the world that nations were "witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations".
"One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way.."
Western leaders in the audience, including Angela Merkel, looked decidedly glum-faced when President Putin had finished.. Earlier, Angela told delegates there was "no way around" the need for Tehran to accept demands from the UN and nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"What we are talking about here is a very, very sensitive technology, and for that reason we need a high degree of transparency, which Iran has failed to provide, and if Iran does not do so then the alternative for Iran is to slip further into isolation..".
But, the speech by Vlad took the wind out of many sails.. and could well signify a more assertive stance by Russia in international matters..
Russia's oil agreements with China could well be the driving force behind this change in attitude by Russia, as Russian oil flows more and more freely into China.
It is a situation the US will have to take interest in, for the last scenario the US, or indeed the Western nations want, is for Russia to take a stand in the Middle East, and North Korea..
This could signify yet another split between Russia and the West, and indeed, with the oil and gas reserves Russia controls, it could indicate a future in which the West may be forced to take a stance against China.
That, is the last thing the West needs..

There has been a rather heated response from the British Muslim Community, following the arrests of nine men ten days ago, three of whom have been released, and six who have appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court and have been charged with a variety of crimes, all terror related..
Compounding the matter was the arrest of a Muslim Cleric yesterday, who stands accused of 'spreading hatred and inciting his followers to violence'..
Spokesmen for the Islamic Community have called Britain a 'Police State' for Muslims, an accusation that has been vehemently denied by Downing Street..
But it would appear that those still in custody, have been discovered with over 45 hundred exhibits which will link them to either planning a terrorist action, or of funding terrorists, or of actually being involved in carrying out an act of terrorism.. This is compelling, and whether the Muslim Community likes it or not, it appears to be a fact that there are those among them who are willing to kill innocents, to further their 'cause'.
It matters not, to the Judicial System, what the faith is of those who would plot to disrupt our way of life, or kill, for the sake of their religion.
If there were fanatical Anglicans, or Presbyterians, or Church of England zealots, they would be hunted down and charged. It just so happens there is an Islamic 'jihad' been called, and thus, the attention has fallen on them.
It is the responsibility of the Islamic faithfull themselves, to recognise those among them who are zealots, and follow the Law of the Land, and report them before they can do any harm. The Police are merely doing their job, and we cannot condemn them for seeking out those who have openly, or covertly, proposed the downfall of this society.
Just as those in the Middle East would weed out any of those who's faith demanded an end to Islam, so we in the West must do the same to those who pose a threat to us.
The most important factor for those who live in Britain, should be that they are British, and enjoy the privilages that go along with that citizenship. In this country, 'faith' is a secondary consideration when it comes to breaking the Law.
A crime against this society, regardless of it's motivation, is still a crime.
A crime against this society, regardless of the religious affiliation of the perpetrator, is still a crime.
Britain has not become a 'Police State' as far as Muslims are concerned, but it has always been one which defines the Law, and proceeds against those who plan, or manage to actually break it.
Consider, our jails are full of non-Muslims who have broken the Law, committing one crime or another.
It is nonsense to declare that we, as a country, are now concentrating our vigilance on one segment of society.
A statement such as that might well be uttered by those who deal in drugs, or habitually commit murder, and to lower those who follow a faith to that level, is not the voice of reason, but the voice of fear.
And, if one follows the Law, one usually has nothing to fear. It is true that those three who were held without charge, and then released, have for the time being been deemed innocent, but the reason for their initial arrest, was the company they kept, and the possible threat they may have been concealing.
The message is, without prejudice, that if you lie with dogs, you smell like dogs, and until it's determined you pose no threat, you run the risk of being thought a dog.
Once again, as has been said before, there are those among the Islamic Community who should take the responsibility expected of a British citizen, and make moves to protect our way of life.
Tolerance is a two sided issue.

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..