Still here and pleased I remembered the log-in after 16 months of no posts.

New biog section for website shaping up...

Have taken this week off from my conventional job, primarily to work on new website material to compliment the new edition of my book that I'm champing at the bit to promote. My Sheep No More website is two years out of date now and has to be sorted before I can really start punting the book around. The Gods in their wisdom however, decided to give me a hard time of it by putting my back out which is infuriating as sitting on a conventional chair at my PC to write is spectacularly uncomfortable. Feels like being plugged into the mains each time it spasms and that just ain't funny. Nevertheless progress has been made.

I think the site will be more attractive and effective if it can be made to look more like a redtop newspaper, with more pictures and punchy wording. A short and sweet biog section will be added to incorporate the snap above alongside this wording...

BIOG

On the outside... Ordinary British bloke of 1956 vintage born Clapham South London. Early years were spent in a village near Felixstowe, Suffolk until the age of five when the family moved to Herne Hill which isn’t very far from my birthplace. Attended Saint Saviours primary and Kingsdale comprehensive schools and enjoyed a stable, happy and content childhood. Then in 1972 began a five year apprenticeship at R.H. Wilkins Engravers of London’s Hatton Garden, and still today I remain working in the industry having become self employed from 1984 onward. Married and bought a house back near Felixstowe where my four kids, all of the sugar and spice variety entered the world. Then in 1994 we moved to the Isle of Wight where my girls did their growing up. Have worked like a Trojan, always paid my way, done my utmost to bring my kids up properly, and am proud of the way they’ve turned out.

Inside at the core...  Seething fury pretty much at the way Britain and everyone living in it has been let down by what passes for leadership. Whilst myself and every responsible mum and dad in the land have worked damned hard to bring their children up properly, every government to have held and wielded power throughout my adulthood has failed me, my family, and us all. From 1979 to date, no government has given me the impression they care about ordinary families or about our great history and heritage that they have been content to preside over the trashing of. I for one am not prepared to put up with it, and despite being one of the ordinary ignorable masses, am determined to have my say because I know the predicament of the country is ‘A’ unacceptable ‘B’ explainable, and ‘C’ retrievable.  

 

Monetarism; Global v Local/National

Thatcherism/Monetarism and my questioning of the 'wisdom' has been at the heart of my writings since the idea for Sheep No More first came to mind more than a decade ago. Some people don't like my criticism of the 'Iron Lady' and point out that she took on and defeated the unions when they were out of control and behaving irresponsibly, the dead being left unburied immediately prior to her coming to power often being sited. Quite so and disgusting that was, but also true is that the monetarism she was happy to lend her name to back in the day, is still the only game in town where todays politicians are concerned, meaning that thirty-five unbroken years of it is responsible for the condition of the country now. Deindustrialised, deskilled, bust, under the control of overseas politicians, bureaucrats and business interests, asset stripped, public services in meltdown, and the social fabric in tatters, she and her cronies legacy; FACT!

If we compare Britain now to how it was pre-monetarism and before the circumstances that propelled Thatcher into Downing Street came to dominate, the dead left unburied etc, the difference is startling. In the mid 1960's Britain was highly creative, we had full employment, millions of high quality jobs, no benefits culture, no reason to fear the country was insecure, migration was controlled with criminals denied entry, no dictation from Europe, and those are just some of the features that helped make the country feel safe and stable. No one is claiming heaven on earth, of course not, but if the happiness and contentment of the population then could be measured and compared to that of today, there would be no comparison. Put it this way; had Alex Salmond tried to play the separatist card fifty years ago, Scots would have told him what to do with it and that is an undeniable truth.

It has been suggested that fighting globalisation is undoable, prices regarding the likes of grain, oil, platinum, plutonium etc being set on world markets and there being precious little we can do about it. Maybe so, but, what's to stop you buying your daily loaf of bread, pint of milk, potatoes and cabbages from your local farm and artisan baker rather than Tesco? Nothing! If you want to fight globalisation at that level at least, you can.

If we can fight back at the base level why not take the fight a stage further? The picture at the top of this blog depicts what is quite frankly a perversity of monetarism we should be questioning and demanding an end to forthwith. What is criminality? Is it a social disease we need to find a cure for or is it a money making opportunity to be exploited by businessmen? Plainly it is a victim creating social disease to which treatment/cure must be striven for. Make crooks into business assets instead, and we are guaranteed the problem will grow and grow because it is in the interest of boards of directors that it should be so. What is the mantra of the business model we live under? Growth, which in this case is sick.

If we concentrate on the globalised model it is easy to be daunted and become defeated. However; at the most local level we can fight back and if we refuse to accept such a perversity as crooks treated as business assets and the stealthy way in which the NHS is being privatised, the fight is very definitely on!  



       

Sigh of relief following the Scottish referendum

Sunday September 21st, three days on from Scotland's referendum and boy, has it been manic! Social media has been in meltdown and the airways buzzing with the aftermath of this historic event. My view is the correct side won and thank goodness for it, though I must comment on the nature of the win which was not as it should have been.

The word 'no' on its own is negative when compared to the 'yes' of the separatists and implied holding back versus going forward which gave Salmond an immediate advantage. Had the words been 'unity' versus 'division' or 'separatism' maybe his 44.7% could have been knocked back somewhat? Who knows, it's all history now anyway and the UK has a stay of execution that must not go to waste.

Amongst the vocal and often quite militant whose side didn't win, plenty have claimed the election was rigged and that dodgy dealings were employed. Video of supposedly underhand counting has been posted on FB, which purports to be genuine but may be staged by those who're just sore losers. I myself stood as an independent candidate at the last general election and recall that at the count, photography was strictly banned so how come this footage? I'm not convinced, but if there is genuine evidence, lets have it fully investigated.

Bizarrely and unjustly, those who voted 'no' and who thankfully won the day, have been portrayed as 'stupid or gullible' by the militant 'yes' lot. The accusation is that they swallowed the establishment's line and behaved as if sheep and by doing so have propped up the government. Many of those who voted no will have done so out of fear of a future adrift from the UK with King Alex at the helm, which to my mind would be a truly frightening prospect. If I was resident in Scotland and had been able to vote on Thursday, I would have voted 'no' not out of fear, but in the name of unity with my countrymen UK wide and because I ultimately expect to see significant change in the peoples best interest in the years ahead. It would not have been a vote to prop up the establishment, but to refuse to be separated from those who are my English, Welsh and Irish first cousins and who must stand together in order to rid us all of the brand of politics Cameron, Miliband and Clegg represent. Divide and Rule is a nasty devise that has been used very successfully against the peoples of the UK for decades too long already.

I have personally had grief from those who expected and wanted the Union to collapse on Thursday and are furious that it didn't. My answer to those people is this; I want rid of the Westminster establishment and the coming of a new, inclusive and constructive political philosophy based upon enterprise and family values. The best way to get that, is to unite the diverse peoples of Britain in a common cause. Retaining the ability of the UK to come together and work towards a set of worthwhile prospects, has to be the foundation upon which a better future is built. Unity amongst the ordinary populous is a million times more important that how corrupt the political establishment is. There is already a huge amount of disunity which benefits those taking advantage, of that there can be no doubt. I though believe the damage can be repaired, and it has to be.

Ask yourself a simple question in order to determine which is the more important issue. Who has most to gain from the disunity of the people? Answer: THE ESTABLISHMENT. Alternatively, who has most to fear from the unity of the people and attention becoming focused on just how bloody useless and corrupt leadership is? Answer: THE ESTABLISHMENT. So to those banging on about how stupid the no voters were, you are wrong, if that is you want real change in this country.

This blog was originally intended to be about monetarism/globalisation as I have been questioned about my view on the matter regarding the referendum. As this particular blog is already more than long enough, I'll post it, grab a cup of rosy, and set about a second one on that topic. Two in one day; not much painting and gardening getting done around here!

Thursday 18th September 2014 will be the day the UK dies or is left hanging by a thread.

We're days away from Scotland's referendum on 'independence' and the result is going to be close. Those for the tearing apart of the UK have become offensively shouty-shouty; as illustrated by SNP old timer Jim Sillars throwing his dollies out of his pram as he boiled over with aggression during a Radio 4 interview concerning BP and North Sea Oil over the weekend. As for the 'better together' establishment responsible for 'A' letting the country degrade to the point whereby breaking up isn't just possible, but likely, and 'B' being in charge of the 'no' campaign; they've been pathetic. If the Union does survive the vote, it won't be thanks to a great campaign mounted by Alistair Darling and his clique of all-party establishment cronies, because they have failed entirely to give Scots positive reasons to vote no.

Regardless of the result on Thursday 18th, there has to follow a Political Inquiry in order to understand how Britain was destabilised and the people become so disillusioned and unhappy that the Union itself ceased to be valued. If the worst happens and the separatists get to uncork their undeserved crate of bubbly, that Inquiry must become a Political Autopsy as well, to determine exactly how the UK was allowed to die.

Whether an Inquiry alone, or a combined Inquiry/Autopsy, the Conservative, New Labour and Liberal Democrat establishment must answer to the people for the disaster that is entirely of their making.

From my perspective, I know where and when the rot set in, it was 1979 and the coming of Thatcherism/Monetarism, a corrupt and lazy philosophy and economic model that has in the thirty-five years since, generated a deeply unhappy and unstable country in which the 'glue' that used to bind our nation together became neglected as if of no importance and ultimately failed.

As to what the most poisonous elements are, that have since the coming of monetarism killed our nation's spirit and sense of 'togetherness'...
An economy run exclusively to suit 'Big Business' and which ignores ordinary families and communities:
Full scale deindustrialisation and the resultant benefits culture that inevitably followed:
Loss of national creativity also commercial and industrial diversity:
Asset Stripping each and every element of our once rich treasure trove of state assets, formerly owned by us all but since handed over to businessmen on a plate for a one-off payment:
Uncontrolled migration with no requirement to integrate, and no bulwark against crooks and terrorists applied:
Decimated public services:
Crooks and the vulnerable viewed as 'business assets' to be exploited by ruthless businesspeople:
Ineffective education:
Student debt:
No jobs:
'Internships' for no wage for the educated and minimum wages amounting to slave labour for the bulk of the workforce.
Political sovereignty surrendered to foreign politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen:
Our much loved and valued NHS being privatised by stealth:
And they are by no means all of the poisonous elements responsible for what has gone wrong, there are plenty more.

From day 1 the monetarists actively set out to achieve one goal, and that was to aid the rich to get richer. However; all those by-products as listed above have been the consequence of lazy thinking generated by those in control. We all need respite and a fresh start; not just the Scots.

The autopsy when it begins is going to be a messy affair for sure. Monetarism has killed Britain and now those responsible must answer for it from Friday the 19th onwards.

New Introduction for Sheep No More...

This is the  new Introduction section to included with the revised version of Sheep No More. Sets out my stall neatly I think.

INTRODUCTION

If not me, then someone had to write this book because the future for our children and generations to come is being flushed down the tubes whilst no one does anything about it. Brits have lost the plot and our national backbone has gone with it, as proven by the fact that we’re behaving as if helpless spectators at our own demise rather than fight back and put the brakes on the decline politicians are content to preside over.

Dare to imagine what those who are babes-in-arms today will be inheriting when adults and responsible for the nation a generation or two hence (bearing in mind those most active politically tend to be well into their middle age). What will be left for them by the middle of the twenty-first century if we don’t put our house in order now? We’re bankrupt in all but name, a reality the powers that be would have us believe can be disguised with fiddled figures, whilst in social terms the fabric of society is being torn to shreds; yet no plan of action exists or effort is being made to get a grip on either count. On the contrary, there is only one game in town as far as politicians can see and sheepishly adhere to it, and that is to persist with the very same philosophy and economic model Mrs T was happy to put her name to and that has wreaked havoc since 1979. The rich have got richer whilst the rest of us have been impoverished, and the country has been run to benefit a ruthless minority at the expense of the robbed blind majority, which is simply a statement of fact. With that in mind, does it make any sense to continue with the very same model responsible for trashing the British way of life; or is it time to kick the cancerous mindset into touch and pursue some new, fresh and constructive thinking?   

If this is to be a full frontal assault on monetarism and what it has done to the country, which it is, does that mean the author must be some sort of a rabid socialist lefty seeking to wage class warfare on the knobs? Nope, I believe in free enterprise, democracy and meritocracy. Posh or poor, black or white matters not a jot to my way of thinking, I simply want yours and my kids to be allowed to grow up in a stable and progressive land in which they can thrive. I want to see developed an enterprise based economic model, purposely designed to support the interests of the majority, one that is skills based at the top end and which as a result of its earning capability, can support the rewards of a well run economy. As to what the ‘rewards’ in question are, I’d say high quality public services run not for profit but in support of a civilised society rate as being both desirable and achievable.

Why shouldn’t we be able to enjoy such a radical change of direction for the better? No reason at all as far as I can see, it’s all down to mindset and what we are willing to either put up with or strive as a unified and cooperative people to break away from and dump.

In order to make plain what the author is against and would very much like to see the back of, this pile of dung is what passes for ‘leadership’ in long suffering Britain and is entirely responsible for the mess we’re in...

Millionaire public schoolboys ‘born to lead’ insulated from, and dismissive of, the peasantry...

‘Yes men’ backbenchers and county councillors who’ll rubber stamp whatever gets put before them, because they know what side their bread is buttered...

Hoards of bureaucrats producing nothing of any use whilst binding us all in red tape...

Casino bankers responsible for losing our nation its shirt and still today carrying on regardless... 

Business leaders that have pimped their own history and heritage and pocketed the loot without shame...

Ambulance chasing lawyers urging all to sue, sue, sue, and a legal trade shamelessly exploiting crooks and their victims as ‘business assets’...

Enough is enough; it cannot be beyond our collective wit to build a society purposely designed to serve the best interests of the majority, which in a nutshell, is what this book is about.

Only the sensibilities of the politicians and senior business people responsible for degrading this once great country have been harmed during the making of this book. They’ve got it coming and deserve both barrels metaphorically speaking. 

New edition of Sheep No More sees the light of day

This is the new cover design for the revised edition of my 2012 self-published book that is more, not less relevant now than when first published. This version contains three changes that help it shape up and become more reader friendly.

The old cover that depicted a gravestone had to go because to some it represented 'curtains' and implied 'game over' for Britain, which was most definitely not what I had intended. This cover cannot be viewed as anything other than positive, the message seeking to be conveyed being... fight back, it's not all over, our kids deserve a future and it's up to us as their parents to insist that they get what their birth-right entitles them to.

Inside, the introduction is new, punchy and to the point. The meat of the content remains untouched as I still stand by every word of it. At the end is a new 'Last Word' section to sign off. That too is uncompromising in its language and allows me the opportunity to comment further and update topics tackled within the main text.

I cannot thank Brian Cantwell enough for knocking the book into shape from a technical perspective. He took care of the formatting and rearranged the typesetting to tighten it all up with the result that Sheep No More is almost eighty pages shorter, whilst not a dot or comer of text has been lost. It's more compact, easier to read, more pleasing in paper form or on a Kindle (well it will be just as soon as a printed version arrives hopefully in the next few days so I can check it through and make the new edition live online) and I confess myself to be well chuffed with the result. It's a better book and it has the potential to make an impact.

In paper and ink form it is available from Feed-A-Read now with the price set at the minimum the company will allow me to fix it at. When the new version goes live as an eBook on Amazon any day now, the price will be set at under £3 because I want to get volume.

I've just checked the Amazon, Waterstones and WH Smith sites and they're still showing the old version at the mo but it shouldn't be long until the new filters through. Now, I'd better set to work on new website material so if you'll excuse me...