You'd think that some clever plant geneticist would by now have developed a crop plant that outgrew and smothered the weeds, the constant removal of which instead presents an ongoing chore for every gardener.
Until then gardeners like Nosher and me will have to spend time carefully weeding out the miscreants from the plants we wish to keep and nurture into being fully productive.
The alternative - just declaring the whole lot to be miscreant weeds (a weed is merely a plant in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing - highly culture specific...) - would be to banish the whole lot indiscriminately and bung them all on the compost heap.
'Our current incompetent Government are rather like that sort of incompetent gardener' announced Nosher one lunchtime as we retreated to the comfort of our deckchairs in the shade of his old allotment shed. 'Over the past ten years NuLabour has imposed a risible target-culture for policing, which has enforced meaningless targets on local police forces, requiring them, along with other stupid things, to arrest everyone at the scene of a disturbance, and caution or charge as many a possible, irrespective of whether the individuals were actually involved in any criminality.'
'I guess no one except deluded NuLabour supporters could describe the results as anything other then completely predictable' I commented 'since the result has been a dramatic drop in public confidence for the police in the Dis-United Kingdom, because so many innocent people (who are actually victims of crime) get treated in the same officious manner as those who actually deserve such treatment.'
'I suppose that good policing' Nosher was getting nostalgic now 'should involve the making of informed and intelligent decisions as to who the likely victims of a suspected crime are, and taking a stab at the identity of their oppressors used to be a task requiring astute judgement. But under NuLabour we've all been recategorised as criminals, irrespective of actual guilt, due to their moronic target culture.'
'It's even more sinister than that' I said 'because another result is that hundreds of thousands of innocent people have had their particulars entered into the national crime database, and many have acquired criminal records due to them naively accepting a police caution without realising that resulted in them acquiring a criminal record. The beginnings of a police state. Far better to refuse a caution and insist on having your day in court. At least then they have to produce some evidence and make it stick. Chances are they won't be able to - unless you actually did commit the crime they're accusing you of. But at least you'll get to see and hear the evidence against you in open court.'
'Well, the good news' Nosher said 'is that last week the think tank Civitas published a report by Harriet Sergeant describing the police as being close to being incapable of functioning effectively due to beaurocracy and the target culture. And then the Chief Constables of four forces, Surrey, Staffordshire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands subsequently announced they were abandoning the target culture imposed on them by NuLabour. They are returning to a true values of community policing: their priority henceforth will be to serve the public rather than to a generate politically-driven statistics on behalf of the Government.'
'Let's hope the revolt grows and we all end up with policing that serves the community instead of politicians and their allies' I said.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon
Find out more from www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't,it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGSBooks website.
Best wishes and happy gardening.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Faith Foundation: Yet More Hypocrisy in the Name of Religion
Two good-weather days in a row, but this is England, so we mustn't feel too pleased about it: English summers have a habit of being disappointing.
Nosher, however, has been taking advantage of the opportunity to work on his allotment plot, so didn't appear for lunch until late afternoon.
By this time I had enjoyed my sandwiches and a long siesta in my old deckchair, so he had to wake me to get any conversation.
'Moderation in all things!' he said as he shook me awake.
'You missed the one o'clock news' I told him 'Tony Blair has launched his Faith Foundation in New York, ostensibly to being all religions together in a spirit of reconciliation.'
Nosher chuckled derisively as he settled into his deckchair.
'It's just a tax dodge and an excuse for Blair to hobnob with the world's leaders' he said 'he's so deluded and egotistical now he probably thinks he's God's right hand man.'
'What really annoys me' I continued 'is that very few commentators are prepared to make an issue of the abuse of the term "faith" in all this. Faith and religion are not synonymous: faith is a personal mental state, religion is constituted by a set of doctrines and dogmas and the associated rituals and practices, along with the organisation of the faithful to obey and conform. Religions exist only to further the interests of their followers, and have little or nothing to do with faith as such. It's just conceit and self-deceit to claim otherwise.'
'Have you spent too long in the sun?' Nosher inquired 'because you sound unusually tetchy today.'
'No' I replied 'I just wonder why the media have to pander to the conceits and self-deceit of those whose moral narcissism over-rides their scruples about mis-using linguistic terms and white-washing their attempt to impose their beliefs and practices upon others, because that's what this ridiculous "faith foundation" is actually all about: increasing the political influence of religion by uniting different religions in a common aim to undermine secularism in politics.'
'Well, I don't think there's much to worry about' Nosher declared 'only hypocrites and delusional idiots will take much notice of Tony Blair.'
'The trouble is the world seems to contain far too many hypocrites and delusional idiots' I replied.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes and have a nice day!
Nosher, however, has been taking advantage of the opportunity to work on his allotment plot, so didn't appear for lunch until late afternoon.
By this time I had enjoyed my sandwiches and a long siesta in my old deckchair, so he had to wake me to get any conversation.
'Moderation in all things!' he said as he shook me awake.
'You missed the one o'clock news' I told him 'Tony Blair has launched his Faith Foundation in New York, ostensibly to being all religions together in a spirit of reconciliation.'
Nosher chuckled derisively as he settled into his deckchair.
'It's just a tax dodge and an excuse for Blair to hobnob with the world's leaders' he said 'he's so deluded and egotistical now he probably thinks he's God's right hand man.'
'What really annoys me' I continued 'is that very few commentators are prepared to make an issue of the abuse of the term "faith" in all this. Faith and religion are not synonymous: faith is a personal mental state, religion is constituted by a set of doctrines and dogmas and the associated rituals and practices, along with the organisation of the faithful to obey and conform. Religions exist only to further the interests of their followers, and have little or nothing to do with faith as such. It's just conceit and self-deceit to claim otherwise.'
'Have you spent too long in the sun?' Nosher inquired 'because you sound unusually tetchy today.'
'No' I replied 'I just wonder why the media have to pander to the conceits and self-deceit of those whose moral narcissism over-rides their scruples about mis-using linguistic terms and white-washing their attempt to impose their beliefs and practices upon others, because that's what this ridiculous "faith foundation" is actually all about: increasing the political influence of religion by uniting different religions in a common aim to undermine secularism in politics.'
'Well, I don't think there's much to worry about' Nosher declared 'only hypocrites and delusional idiots will take much notice of Tony Blair.'
'The trouble is the world seems to contain far too many hypocrites and delusional idiots' I replied.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes and have a nice day!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Curse of Christianity
Lovely weather for a change - warm sunshine, light cool breeze, and a pleasant day pottering on the allotment.
By lunchtime we were both ready for a rest, and the deckchairs came out by Nosher's shed. Once equipped with a glass of chilled fruit juice from Nosher's solar-powered fridge we were ready to relax.
'I hear that the good Bishop of Rochester is doing his bit for religious harmony yet again' Nosher remarked, tucking into his sandwich.
'Yep' I replied 'he's written a piece for Standpoint magazine in which he claims Christian values can civilise all us heathens, and the Muslims to boot. He dresses it all up to sound very harmless - keep religion out of politics but not out of public life, that sort of thing. But it's the familiar age-old curse of Christianity, and of all organised religions, come to that, rearing its ugly head once again.'
'Do you mean Christianity has a curse, or that it's a curse upon society?' Nosher inquired, sipping innocently on his fruit juice.
'I think all organised societies are cursed, and expecially organised religions' I replied 'by the tendency of ambitious, ruthless and unscrupulous people to use them as vehicles of their own self-aggrandisement. I'm not saying Michael Nazir-Ali is especially ambitious, ruthless or unscrupulous - he may be a very nice man - but publishing material like this simply paves the way for the hard men who wait in the shadows. It's happened so many times in the past that I think we should be very cautious about allowing it to happen again.'
Nosher sighed as if in resignation.
'So what is the actual problem here?' he asked.
'The issue is to do with organised religions creating fault-lines in society' I said 'and interfering in the lives of others by trying to impose their beliefs and practices on everyone. I've no objection to the religious doing charitable work and setting a good example - that should be the only way they are allowed to promote their personal faith - but religions should be explicitly banned from using their political influence in order to get their own way. The state should be totally secular, and organised religions should have no more privileges in law than any other social grouping, for example, youth clubs. That way they can be held in check.'
Nosher sighed again, this time with more resignation.
'Can't see it ever happening' he said 'the only reason organised religions exist is in order to get more privileges for their members - and they'll do that whether it's lawful or not.'
This time it was my turn to sigh in resignation.
'Another hundred years of so of this and we'll be back to the wars of religion' I said. 'Perhaps sooner.'
By lunchtime we were both ready for a rest, and the deckchairs came out by Nosher's shed. Once equipped with a glass of chilled fruit juice from Nosher's solar-powered fridge we were ready to relax.
'I hear that the good Bishop of Rochester is doing his bit for religious harmony yet again' Nosher remarked, tucking into his sandwich.
'Yep' I replied 'he's written a piece for Standpoint magazine in which he claims Christian values can civilise all us heathens, and the Muslims to boot. He dresses it all up to sound very harmless - keep religion out of politics but not out of public life, that sort of thing. But it's the familiar age-old curse of Christianity, and of all organised religions, come to that, rearing its ugly head once again.'
'Do you mean Christianity has a curse, or that it's a curse upon society?' Nosher inquired, sipping innocently on his fruit juice.
'I think all organised societies are cursed, and expecially organised religions' I replied 'by the tendency of ambitious, ruthless and unscrupulous people to use them as vehicles of their own self-aggrandisement. I'm not saying Michael Nazir-Ali is especially ambitious, ruthless or unscrupulous - he may be a very nice man - but publishing material like this simply paves the way for the hard men who wait in the shadows. It's happened so many times in the past that I think we should be very cautious about allowing it to happen again.'
Nosher sighed as if in resignation.
'So what is the actual problem here?' he asked.
'The issue is to do with organised religions creating fault-lines in society' I said 'and interfering in the lives of others by trying to impose their beliefs and practices on everyone. I've no objection to the religious doing charitable work and setting a good example - that should be the only way they are allowed to promote their personal faith - but religions should be explicitly banned from using their political influence in order to get their own way. The state should be totally secular, and organised religions should have no more privileges in law than any other social grouping, for example, youth clubs. That way they can be held in check.'
Nosher sighed again, this time with more resignation.
'Can't see it ever happening' he said 'the only reason organised religions exist is in order to get more privileges for their members - and they'll do that whether it's lawful or not.'
This time it was my turn to sigh in resignation.
'Another hundred years of so of this and we'll be back to the wars of religion' I said. 'Perhaps sooner.'
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Do Carrots Worship the Sun?
Another very soggy day down on our little allotment here in South Gloucestershire in the good old Dis-United Kingdom.
The ground is too soggy to walk on without creating waterlogged Wellie-bootprints, and after checking over the little seedlings in our greenhouses, Nosher and I retreated mid-morning to the shelter of his shed.
Once inside, and comfortably seated in our old deckchairs, we resigned ourselves to listening to the rain falling on the shed roof for the next few hours.
Which is what it proceeded to do, and relentlessly.
Nosher handed me a glass of fruitjuice and equipped himself with one also.
'Parsnip wine reserves falling a little low' he explained 'have to eke them out now for a few months, until the next batch comes on stream.'
I nodded sagely. You can't rush parsnip wine, or, like anything that's been rushed, it comes out less than perfect.
Nosher also nodded sagely.
'I've been pondering the meaning of the word "worship", and I really can't get to grips with it' he announced.
'You mean worship as in worshipping a god?' I inquired.
'Precisely' affirmed Nosher. 'And the thing that strikes me is that it appears to be a particularly circular process. The worshipper praises the god in question, promises undying love and obediance, and then feels good about themselves because they think they've achieved something. But how would one distinguish between a simple, uncomplicated "feel-good" psychological response, and one that genuinely demonstrated that god was listening and responding by sending waves of spiritual warmth in the direction of the worshipper?'
'You mean how can one be sure that god is listening and that's what you feel good about, as opposed to feeling good merely because you've convinced yourself your prayers, praising and grovelling are working, which would be entirely self-serving?'
'Exactly' Nosher confirmed. 'The point is, it could be said that our carrots worship the sun. Once they've pushed their green foliage above ground, they respond to the sun's rays by growing as fast as they can, and the more they grow, the more sunshine they can absorb, which permits yet more growth. They do it without self-awareness (no-one's ever demonstrated thought in a carrot) but, nonetheless, in their own way they tell us that the most important thing in their lives is the sun. They depend upon it to sustain their lives. I can't see that the situation of a carrot is much different from that of a religious believer, except that a carrot doesn't rely on a holy scripture to tell it what to believe and what to do. It doesn't need a holy scripture, because its development is solely down to genetics and the effects of its environment.'
'So what are you saying, Nosh?'
'I think I'm saying that it's up to religious believers to explain how their worshipping their god is any different from a carrot worshipping the sun' said Nosher 'I'm not claiming that religion is necessarily the same as vegetables worshipping the sun, all I'm asking is that there should be some demonstrable and significant difference between the two if religion is to be treated any differently.'
'Which you haven't yet detected?'
'Exactly' said Nosher.
'Some might say you've been spending too much time in your allotment shed drinking parsnip wine and it's addled your brain' I suggested.
'Yep, there's always that!' Nosher agreed.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and
www.PGSBooks.co.uk.
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best Wishes and Happy Gardening!
The ground is too soggy to walk on without creating waterlogged Wellie-bootprints, and after checking over the little seedlings in our greenhouses, Nosher and I retreated mid-morning to the shelter of his shed.
Once inside, and comfortably seated in our old deckchairs, we resigned ourselves to listening to the rain falling on the shed roof for the next few hours.
Which is what it proceeded to do, and relentlessly.
Nosher handed me a glass of fruitjuice and equipped himself with one also.
'Parsnip wine reserves falling a little low' he explained 'have to eke them out now for a few months, until the next batch comes on stream.'
I nodded sagely. You can't rush parsnip wine, or, like anything that's been rushed, it comes out less than perfect.
Nosher also nodded sagely.
'I've been pondering the meaning of the word "worship", and I really can't get to grips with it' he announced.
'You mean worship as in worshipping a god?' I inquired.
'Precisely' affirmed Nosher. 'And the thing that strikes me is that it appears to be a particularly circular process. The worshipper praises the god in question, promises undying love and obediance, and then feels good about themselves because they think they've achieved something. But how would one distinguish between a simple, uncomplicated "feel-good" psychological response, and one that genuinely demonstrated that god was listening and responding by sending waves of spiritual warmth in the direction of the worshipper?'
'You mean how can one be sure that god is listening and that's what you feel good about, as opposed to feeling good merely because you've convinced yourself your prayers, praising and grovelling are working, which would be entirely self-serving?'
'Exactly' Nosher confirmed. 'The point is, it could be said that our carrots worship the sun. Once they've pushed their green foliage above ground, they respond to the sun's rays by growing as fast as they can, and the more they grow, the more sunshine they can absorb, which permits yet more growth. They do it without self-awareness (no-one's ever demonstrated thought in a carrot) but, nonetheless, in their own way they tell us that the most important thing in their lives is the sun. They depend upon it to sustain their lives. I can't see that the situation of a carrot is much different from that of a religious believer, except that a carrot doesn't rely on a holy scripture to tell it what to believe and what to do. It doesn't need a holy scripture, because its development is solely down to genetics and the effects of its environment.'
'So what are you saying, Nosh?'
'I think I'm saying that it's up to religious believers to explain how their worshipping their god is any different from a carrot worshipping the sun' said Nosher 'I'm not claiming that religion is necessarily the same as vegetables worshipping the sun, all I'm asking is that there should be some demonstrable and significant difference between the two if religion is to be treated any differently.'
'Which you haven't yet detected?'
'Exactly' said Nosher.
'Some might say you've been spending too much time in your allotment shed drinking parsnip wine and it's addled your brain' I suggested.
'Yep, there's always that!' Nosher agreed.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and
www.PGSBooks.co.uk.
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best Wishes and Happy Gardening!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The End of the Road?
A dry day at last!
I didn't get down to the allotment until early evening, as my wife and I had visitors all day (and very pleasant too).
As a result I found Nosher ensconced in his deckchair outside his old shed, wine glass in hand, relaxing after a day's gardening.
'What time do you call this?' he grumbled as he handed me a glass full of parsnip wine.
'Sorry, Nosh, couldn't get here any earlier.'
I sank into the deckchair with exhaustion and sipped the amber nectar Nosher creates with the residue of each year's parsnip crop.
It tasted good.
'Did you hear about the fuel protest by the hauliers in London and Cardiff?' Nosher asked 'I'm not sure they have a realistic chance of achieving anything, but I think they have a valid point.'
'The problem with transport in the Dis-United Kingdom' I commented 'is that almost from the very beginnings of the petroleum age our shortsighted governments have treated fuel as an opportunity to raise punitive taxation, instead of viewing it as the life-blood of commerce. In the US they took the opposite view, and as a result stimulated their economy. In this country we are now reaping the results of decades of mismanagement as our road transport industry is gradually being taken over by European hauliers benefitting from cheaper fuel using trucks with long range tanks, so they don't even buy any fuel in this country.'
Nosher gazed around at his little plot, now dominated by greenery climbing ever higher to the sky.
'As a country we depend on our road transport industry for almost everything, since our rail freight system was allowed to collapse' he said ' which means that every increase in fuel price is passed along the line to the end-user of the all the goods that travel by road. It is lunacy to drive our hauliers out of business with punitive taxation, whilst allowing continental hauliers to take over. If the bus industry can have cheap fuel why not the road haulage industry? Yet another British industry is dying on its feet - sorry, wheels - and our idiot government just watch it go to the wall. In the end all that will have been achieved is the destruction of yet another British industry, and an ever-increasing dependency upon Europe.'
'That is the story of Britain's involvement with Europe' I said 'but will the idiots who rule over us do anything before it's too late?'
'I doubt it' Nosher replied 'at the end of this road lies economic slavery for all of us.'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Stay well, and happy gardening!
I didn't get down to the allotment until early evening, as my wife and I had visitors all day (and very pleasant too).
As a result I found Nosher ensconced in his deckchair outside his old shed, wine glass in hand, relaxing after a day's gardening.
'What time do you call this?' he grumbled as he handed me a glass full of parsnip wine.
'Sorry, Nosh, couldn't get here any earlier.'
I sank into the deckchair with exhaustion and sipped the amber nectar Nosher creates with the residue of each year's parsnip crop.
It tasted good.
'Did you hear about the fuel protest by the hauliers in London and Cardiff?' Nosher asked 'I'm not sure they have a realistic chance of achieving anything, but I think they have a valid point.'
'The problem with transport in the Dis-United Kingdom' I commented 'is that almost from the very beginnings of the petroleum age our shortsighted governments have treated fuel as an opportunity to raise punitive taxation, instead of viewing it as the life-blood of commerce. In the US they took the opposite view, and as a result stimulated their economy. In this country we are now reaping the results of decades of mismanagement as our road transport industry is gradually being taken over by European hauliers benefitting from cheaper fuel using trucks with long range tanks, so they don't even buy any fuel in this country.'
Nosher gazed around at his little plot, now dominated by greenery climbing ever higher to the sky.
'As a country we depend on our road transport industry for almost everything, since our rail freight system was allowed to collapse' he said ' which means that every increase in fuel price is passed along the line to the end-user of the all the goods that travel by road. It is lunacy to drive our hauliers out of business with punitive taxation, whilst allowing continental hauliers to take over. If the bus industry can have cheap fuel why not the road haulage industry? Yet another British industry is dying on its feet - sorry, wheels - and our idiot government just watch it go to the wall. In the end all that will have been achieved is the destruction of yet another British industry, and an ever-increasing dependency upon Europe.'
'That is the story of Britain's involvement with Europe' I said 'but will the idiots who rule over us do anything before it's too late?'
'I doubt it' Nosher replied 'at the end of this road lies economic slavery for all of us.'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Stay well, and happy gardening!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Stormy Weather
When stormy weather arrives, there's little point in going to the allotment early.
So, with brooding clouds, high winds and squally showers sweeping the southern Dis-United Kingdom, I did not arrive until after lunch to survey the damage.
I found Nosher already repairing his runner beans, while casting a sorrowful eye over his decimated strawberry patch.
'I'm sure they'll recover given a little time and sunshine' I reassured him.
'Where have you been all morning?' he demanded 'some of us have been trying to save our crops!'
'Didn't see the point of it' I replied 'besides, I've been at home tying up my two vines, which were in grave danger of being seriously damaged.'
'Well, you've got a bit of damage to repair here too' Nosher chided, as the heavens suddenly opened and we made a dash for his shed.
Once inside Nosher brewed up whilst I poured a glass of fruit juice. The rain hammered down upon the roof of the shed, and the whole structure shook each time a gust of wind battered against it.
As usual, the deckchairs - which in any other situation would seem grotesquely uncomfortable - allowed us to relax and put our feet up on the dusty shelves.
'I hear that Gordon the Moron has announced a two-year recovery plan for NuLabour' said Nosher, feigning disinterest.
'He has his own stormy weather to contend with' I remarked 'but I think after ten years of fiddling the economy, and now a year or so fiddling with everything else and making a hash of it, two years doesn't sound nearly long enough to put it all right in time for the next General Election.'
'It's ironic really' Nosher went on, as if he hadn't heard me 'that Gordon the Moron had ten years at No.11 as Prime Minister-in-waiting, you'd think he'd have learnt a thing or two about at least appearing to be doing the right things!'
'Never underestimate the capacity of ambitious politicians to cock things up' I said.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and
www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best Wishes and Take Care out there!
So, with brooding clouds, high winds and squally showers sweeping the southern Dis-United Kingdom, I did not arrive until after lunch to survey the damage.
I found Nosher already repairing his runner beans, while casting a sorrowful eye over his decimated strawberry patch.
'I'm sure they'll recover given a little time and sunshine' I reassured him.
'Where have you been all morning?' he demanded 'some of us have been trying to save our crops!'
'Didn't see the point of it' I replied 'besides, I've been at home tying up my two vines, which were in grave danger of being seriously damaged.'
'Well, you've got a bit of damage to repair here too' Nosher chided, as the heavens suddenly opened and we made a dash for his shed.
Once inside Nosher brewed up whilst I poured a glass of fruit juice. The rain hammered down upon the roof of the shed, and the whole structure shook each time a gust of wind battered against it.
As usual, the deckchairs - which in any other situation would seem grotesquely uncomfortable - allowed us to relax and put our feet up on the dusty shelves.
'I hear that Gordon the Moron has announced a two-year recovery plan for NuLabour' said Nosher, feigning disinterest.
'He has his own stormy weather to contend with' I remarked 'but I think after ten years of fiddling the economy, and now a year or so fiddling with everything else and making a hash of it, two years doesn't sound nearly long enough to put it all right in time for the next General Election.'
'It's ironic really' Nosher went on, as if he hadn't heard me 'that Gordon the Moron had ten years at No.11 as Prime Minister-in-waiting, you'd think he'd have learnt a thing or two about at least appearing to be doing the right things!'
'Never underestimate the capacity of ambitious politicians to cock things up' I said.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk and
www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best Wishes and Take Care out there!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Obsessed with Being Right
I got back to the little allotment after a couple of days' absence (visiting friends in Cornwall) to find Nosher sheltering in his shed from the rain.
'Come in and take a pew' he said, gesturing towards my already opened deckchair. 'Glass of wine?'
'Er, no, I'll forego that pleasure' I replied, relaxing into the canvas 'one of our readers has chided me for the way the musings on my blog appear to encourage a reliance on drinking alcoholic beverages as a way of life.'
Nosher furrowed his brows, and regarded me carefully over the rim of his wine glass.
'In the normal course of events' he said slowly 'I would agree with that criticism, given the drivel you write about me. But my home-made parsnip wine has an alcohol content of around 1%, and I drink it mainly for the flavour. But I will try to remember to offer you fruit juice from my solar-powered fridge in future, if that will salve your conscience.' Upon completing this utterance, Nosher drained his wineglass in one move, then licked his lips. 'Perhaps I'll have a fruit juice as well.'
We sat for a while each nursing our glass of fruit juice as if it were something precious. The rain hammered down on the fragile roof of Nosher's ancient allotment shed. Inside even the cobwebs appeared grateful for the shelter.
'Did you hear about the Hay Festival debate between Bishop Gene Robinson and arch-atheist Christopher Hitchens?' I enquired.
Nosher raised his eyebrows in mock boredom.
'Please don't tell me all the details, I find the prospect of listening to people of rigidly fixed views talking at each other extremely tiresome.'
'Well, apparently it wasn't like that at all' I assured him 'Hitchens was his usual dismissive self, convinced that just because he can't make any sense of religious belief all religion is nutty, but Gene Robinson was also his usual charming and modest self, and proclaimed his wish that even his critics should get to heaven, so that he could continue the debate there for all eternity.'
'Well, given the option, I'd rather spend an evening with Gene' Nosher said 'since Hitchens is totally predictable, tiresome in his vitriolic detestation of anything he considers irrational (without appreciating his own tendency to irrationality) and entirely dismissive of anyone who doesn't agree with him.'
'Maybe the opposition of atheism and religion (such as it is) is misconceived' I ventured 'perhaps the real conflict is between those people who have an obsession with being right and those who would rather get along with one another without confrontation and conflict. Perhaps we should put all the "obsessed with being right" people into their own little ghetto where they can slug it out with one another, leaving the rest of us to get on with our lives in peace and harmony.'
'Yep' said Nosher 'excellent idea, although what would we do for the rest of the day?'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more from http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and
http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes and take care out there!
'Come in and take a pew' he said, gesturing towards my already opened deckchair. 'Glass of wine?'
'Er, no, I'll forego that pleasure' I replied, relaxing into the canvas 'one of our readers has chided me for the way the musings on my blog appear to encourage a reliance on drinking alcoholic beverages as a way of life.'
Nosher furrowed his brows, and regarded me carefully over the rim of his wine glass.
'In the normal course of events' he said slowly 'I would agree with that criticism, given the drivel you write about me. But my home-made parsnip wine has an alcohol content of around 1%, and I drink it mainly for the flavour. But I will try to remember to offer you fruit juice from my solar-powered fridge in future, if that will salve your conscience.' Upon completing this utterance, Nosher drained his wineglass in one move, then licked his lips. 'Perhaps I'll have a fruit juice as well.'
We sat for a while each nursing our glass of fruit juice as if it were something precious. The rain hammered down on the fragile roof of Nosher's ancient allotment shed. Inside even the cobwebs appeared grateful for the shelter.
'Did you hear about the Hay Festival debate between Bishop Gene Robinson and arch-atheist Christopher Hitchens?' I enquired.
Nosher raised his eyebrows in mock boredom.
'Please don't tell me all the details, I find the prospect of listening to people of rigidly fixed views talking at each other extremely tiresome.'
'Well, apparently it wasn't like that at all' I assured him 'Hitchens was his usual dismissive self, convinced that just because he can't make any sense of religious belief all religion is nutty, but Gene Robinson was also his usual charming and modest self, and proclaimed his wish that even his critics should get to heaven, so that he could continue the debate there for all eternity.'
'Well, given the option, I'd rather spend an evening with Gene' Nosher said 'since Hitchens is totally predictable, tiresome in his vitriolic detestation of anything he considers irrational (without appreciating his own tendency to irrationality) and entirely dismissive of anyone who doesn't agree with him.'
'Maybe the opposition of atheism and religion (such as it is) is misconceived' I ventured 'perhaps the real conflict is between those people who have an obsession with being right and those who would rather get along with one another without confrontation and conflict. Perhaps we should put all the "obsessed with being right" people into their own little ghetto where they can slug it out with one another, leaving the rest of us to get on with our lives in peace and harmony.'
'Yep' said Nosher 'excellent idea, although what would we do for the rest of the day?'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more from http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and
http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes and take care out there!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Personal Liberty and National Security
It was already a quarter to six in the morning when Nosher and I arrived at our little allotment in South Gloucestershire in this Dis-United Kingdom.
An overcast sky and cool breeze indicated that tha warm summer weather was taking a rest.
Nosher brought his old deckchair out of his shed and sat on it while his tea brewed.
'Looks like the defenders of personal liberty have a struggle on their hands' he said, as if I would know what he was talking about.
I sat in my deckchair nearby and breathed in the fresh air. Lovely.
'Are you talking about Lord Carlisle's speech last night?' I asked.
Nosher nodded.
'This man is Gordon the Moron's adviser on security matters' he replied 'and he gives a speech saying that national security is a civil right, without apparently appreciating the irony of the statement.'
'I always thought civil rights were rights of the individual' I said 'how can the nation's security be an individual right? To claim that it is surely presupposes that the national interest (if there is such a thing) is the same thing as individual rights, when we already know that we've been asked to surrender significant liberties supposedly to support greater national security.'
Nosher smiled - this time a 'you've done well, boy' smile.
'Exactly. Carlisle's speech is an announcement that Gordon the Moron is planning further attacks on personal liberty under the banner of increasing national security, when their current arrangements are already piecemeal and haphazard. Their only response is to decrease the individual's protection against arbitary arrest and detention. The lunatics are in charge of the asylum.'
'I fear they have been for some time' I replied.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and
http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you hae any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
An overcast sky and cool breeze indicated that tha warm summer weather was taking a rest.
Nosher brought his old deckchair out of his shed and sat on it while his tea brewed.
'Looks like the defenders of personal liberty have a struggle on their hands' he said, as if I would know what he was talking about.
I sat in my deckchair nearby and breathed in the fresh air. Lovely.
'Are you talking about Lord Carlisle's speech last night?' I asked.
Nosher nodded.
'This man is Gordon the Moron's adviser on security matters' he replied 'and he gives a speech saying that national security is a civil right, without apparently appreciating the irony of the statement.'
'I always thought civil rights were rights of the individual' I said 'how can the nation's security be an individual right? To claim that it is surely presupposes that the national interest (if there is such a thing) is the same thing as individual rights, when we already know that we've been asked to surrender significant liberties supposedly to support greater national security.'
Nosher smiled - this time a 'you've done well, boy' smile.
'Exactly. Carlisle's speech is an announcement that Gordon the Moron is planning further attacks on personal liberty under the banner of increasing national security, when their current arrangements are already piecemeal and haphazard. Their only response is to decrease the individual's protection against arbitary arrest and detention. The lunatics are in charge of the asylum.'
'I fear they have been for some time' I replied.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/ and
http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you hae any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Recreating an Ancient Way of Life
The Government of the Dis-United Kingdom has sent out guidance to Head Teachers on how to combat the growing menace of children's gangs in our society, including advice on how to monitor behaviour in order to discover warning signs that a child might be getting involved in gang culture.
Down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire Nosher and me were struck by the irony that is, it would seem, apparently lost on so many people.
We were, as usual in our old deckchairs enjoying a glass of Nosher's parsnip wine that lunchtime, sitting in the shade of his old allotment shed.
'It is bizarre' Nosher began 'that so few people in politics or wider society appreciate the significance of what is going on here.'
'Are you talking about the increased surveillance of children?' I asked 'surely that mirrors what is going on in wider society?'
Nosher glanced at me as if I was one of the ignorant masses. I do like winding him up.
'No!' he protested 'I'm talking about the way in which the Enlightenment Project, and the great liberal campaign to reform society through reason and mass education, has gone horribly wrong!'
'Ah! I begin to see. You are saying that the structure, organisation, and processes of these children's gangs express an ancient urge to dominate and be dominated, to bind together through some kindred spirit of violence and brutality. Is that it?'
Nosher's face relaxed a little.
'I think you're getting there' he agreed, smiling broadly. 'My reading of classical history and its literature leads me to believe that human society was originally built on dominance and greed, on supremacy and submission, on violence and cruelty. That's what these youngsters are, unwittingly, recreating when they form a gang based on bullying and initiation rituals, with a hierarachy of ranks and a strong "us" and "them" culture.'
Now it was my turn to smile.
'If what you're saying is that they are recreating an ancient way of life' I said 'then you are, in my view, quite right. If you had read my book you would have found two chapters devoted entirely to the culture of the archaic warrior-hero and its legacy. You might like to read it again.'
'Is that were I saw that idea, then?' said Nosher, looking taken aback. 'I thought I'd come up with it all by myself! Never mind, what matters is that it is an idea that should be taken seriously.'
I sipped my parsnip wine and considered the possibility that the human race is incapable of improving itself.
'Well, if those idiots who think they are in charge did take it seriously' I said 'we would see a very different kind of socialisation process taking place in our schools. But it may be already too late to prevent the implosion of our culture. We will have to wait and see.'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit!
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire Nosher and me were struck by the irony that is, it would seem, apparently lost on so many people.
We were, as usual in our old deckchairs enjoying a glass of Nosher's parsnip wine that lunchtime, sitting in the shade of his old allotment shed.
'It is bizarre' Nosher began 'that so few people in politics or wider society appreciate the significance of what is going on here.'
'Are you talking about the increased surveillance of children?' I asked 'surely that mirrors what is going on in wider society?'
Nosher glanced at me as if I was one of the ignorant masses. I do like winding him up.
'No!' he protested 'I'm talking about the way in which the Enlightenment Project, and the great liberal campaign to reform society through reason and mass education, has gone horribly wrong!'
'Ah! I begin to see. You are saying that the structure, organisation, and processes of these children's gangs express an ancient urge to dominate and be dominated, to bind together through some kindred spirit of violence and brutality. Is that it?'
Nosher's face relaxed a little.
'I think you're getting there' he agreed, smiling broadly. 'My reading of classical history and its literature leads me to believe that human society was originally built on dominance and greed, on supremacy and submission, on violence and cruelty. That's what these youngsters are, unwittingly, recreating when they form a gang based on bullying and initiation rituals, with a hierarachy of ranks and a strong "us" and "them" culture.'
Now it was my turn to smile.
'If what you're saying is that they are recreating an ancient way of life' I said 'then you are, in my view, quite right. If you had read my book you would have found two chapters devoted entirely to the culture of the archaic warrior-hero and its legacy. You might like to read it again.'
'Is that were I saw that idea, then?' said Nosher, looking taken aback. 'I thought I'd come up with it all by myself! Never mind, what matters is that it is an idea that should be taken seriously.'
I sipped my parsnip wine and considered the possibility that the human race is incapable of improving itself.
'Well, if those idiots who think they are in charge did take it seriously' I said 'we would see a very different kind of socialisation process taking place in our schools. But it may be already too late to prevent the implosion of our culture. We will have to wait and see.'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit!
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Best wishes.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Dignity Costs Money in the Dis-United Kingdom
Growing old is no joke.
Ask Nosher.
He knows.
Down on our little allotment in South Gloucerstershire in the good old Dis-United Kingdom we were delighted (....in a sarcastic kind of way) to learn that Gordon the Moron has appointed former chat-show host Sir Michael Parkinson as his 'Dignity Ambassador' to promote the provision of greater dignity in the care of the elderly.
Perhaps Parky will visit care homes and tell the residents how much Gordon the Moron cares about them, as they wait in some discomfort to have their incontinence pads changed.
As we reclined in our old deckchairs in the shade of Nosher's equally old shed one lunchtime, we discussed what happens in the Dis-United Kingdom when you get old.
'You get ignored' said Nosher, and at his age he should know. He took another sip of his excellent parsnip wine as consolation. I decided to reverse the effect.
'Tha annual Spotlight report from Help the Aged' I anounced 'reveals that over 1 in 5 of UK pensioners are living in poverty, and over 1 in 10 are living in severe poverty. The report - unsurprisingly - says that money worries can actually make the elderly ill. 22% of respondents said their dignity had not been respected in hospital. On the other hand, more pensioners than last year - 9% as opposed to 7%, actually think their lives have got better. It is clear that the increasing gap between rich and poor is now opening up amongst the elderly also. Which group do you fall into, Nosh?'
'I'm one of those just hanging on by virtue of being physically fit enough to run my allotment' Nosher replied 'and, of course, I'm one of the ignored. The only way you'll not be ignored when you're old is to be very rich, and have influential friends. But if you're old and ordinary, you just get ignored, or patronised by the likes of Gordon the Moron and Michael Parkinson, who's rich enough to know that he'll never get put in a care home, so he can afford to jolly the rest of us along.'
'But what about the dignity of the elderly?' I asked 'surely dignity is that quality of a person who knows his or her own true worth? It's an internal state. It's something that can be destroyed by disrespect, but I'm not convinced you can award dignity in itself to someone - that's a product of their own mind-set.'
Nosher contemplated his wineglass for a moment.
'I guess you can promote dignity' he responded 'by encouraging the elderly not to forget their intrinsic worth, and by allowing those who already possess a sense of dignity to retain it by giving them the respect and care they need so that they feel valued.'
'But all that will cost a lot of money' I said 'staff will need more time with each individual they care for, which means more staff will be needed, and better-trained staff too, for respecting the dignity of others is not an automatic quality that carers possess, although some undoubtedly do. Where is all this extra money going to come from?'
'Nowhere' Nosher was emphatic 'hiring Parky to go on about dignity for the elderly is just another stunt from Gordon the Moron. More money will be needed, of course - the demographics mean that's unavoidable - and that money will come from the taxpayer. But it won't be spent on dignity. It will be spent on providing fewer and fewer services to more and more recipients.'
'So if you're old and you want to retain your dignity, you have to protect it yourself - is that it?' I asked.
'Got it in one' replied Nosher.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop - if you don't it may not be there next time you visit!
Best wishes to all.
Ask Nosher.
He knows.
Down on our little allotment in South Gloucerstershire in the good old Dis-United Kingdom we were delighted (....in a sarcastic kind of way) to learn that Gordon the Moron has appointed former chat-show host Sir Michael Parkinson as his 'Dignity Ambassador' to promote the provision of greater dignity in the care of the elderly.
Perhaps Parky will visit care homes and tell the residents how much Gordon the Moron cares about them, as they wait in some discomfort to have their incontinence pads changed.
As we reclined in our old deckchairs in the shade of Nosher's equally old shed one lunchtime, we discussed what happens in the Dis-United Kingdom when you get old.
'You get ignored' said Nosher, and at his age he should know. He took another sip of his excellent parsnip wine as consolation. I decided to reverse the effect.
'Tha annual Spotlight report from Help the Aged' I anounced 'reveals that over 1 in 5 of UK pensioners are living in poverty, and over 1 in 10 are living in severe poverty. The report - unsurprisingly - says that money worries can actually make the elderly ill. 22% of respondents said their dignity had not been respected in hospital. On the other hand, more pensioners than last year - 9% as opposed to 7%, actually think their lives have got better. It is clear that the increasing gap between rich and poor is now opening up amongst the elderly also. Which group do you fall into, Nosh?'
'I'm one of those just hanging on by virtue of being physically fit enough to run my allotment' Nosher replied 'and, of course, I'm one of the ignored. The only way you'll not be ignored when you're old is to be very rich, and have influential friends. But if you're old and ordinary, you just get ignored, or patronised by the likes of Gordon the Moron and Michael Parkinson, who's rich enough to know that he'll never get put in a care home, so he can afford to jolly the rest of us along.'
'But what about the dignity of the elderly?' I asked 'surely dignity is that quality of a person who knows his or her own true worth? It's an internal state. It's something that can be destroyed by disrespect, but I'm not convinced you can award dignity in itself to someone - that's a product of their own mind-set.'
Nosher contemplated his wineglass for a moment.
'I guess you can promote dignity' he responded 'by encouraging the elderly not to forget their intrinsic worth, and by allowing those who already possess a sense of dignity to retain it by giving them the respect and care they need so that they feel valued.'
'But all that will cost a lot of money' I said 'staff will need more time with each individual they care for, which means more staff will be needed, and better-trained staff too, for respecting the dignity of others is not an automatic quality that carers possess, although some undoubtedly do. Where is all this extra money going to come from?'
'Nowhere' Nosher was emphatic 'hiring Parky to go on about dignity for the elderly is just another stunt from Gordon the Moron. More money will be needed, of course - the demographics mean that's unavoidable - and that money will come from the taxpayer. But it won't be spent on dignity. It will be spent on providing fewer and fewer services to more and more recipients.'
'So if you're old and you want to retain your dignity, you have to protect it yourself - is that it?' I asked.
'Got it in one' replied Nosher.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers - please support your local bookshop - if you don't it may not be there next time you visit!
Best wishes to all.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Representing What?
Another fine day in this little corner of the Dis-United Kingdom.
Bright sunshine, cool wind, white clouds scudding across the china-blue sky.
Ideal weather for gardening.
After a morning's pottering amongst our rapidly growing runner bean and tomato plants, Nosher and I settled into our old deckchairs at lunchtime to listen to the one o'clock news on BBC Radio 4. When the programme finished Nosher leant down and switched off his little trannie.
'I wonder' he said 'if any of the MPs debating the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill will actually have changed their views by the end of the debate in the House of Commons?'
'Are you questioning the point of having a debate at all?' I asked.
Nosher pursed his lips as if the question was impertinent.
'I think' he said, saying his words with care 'that if they took a vote before the debate as well as after, and it turned out not one MP had changed sides, then the taxpayer would be entitled to ask whether the whole charade is worth the horrendous expense!'
'Surely the point of a representative democracy' I rejoined 'is that the MPs represent their constituents' views?'
Nosher gave me his 'you're so stupid' look. It was withering.
'Do you really think a Roman Catholic MP is going to come to the conclusion that his (or her) constituents' best interests is served by the abortion time limit remaining at 24 weeks, and pass up an opportunity to get it reduced to 22, in accordance with the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, which wants to ban abortion completely?'
Now it was my time to stare at Nosher.
'Are you saying that MPs represent their own interests in Parliament and not their constituents?'
'I'm saying it looks very much that way' Nosher replied 'and if that is the case all that is happening when we vote in an MP is sending someone to Parliament who can do exactly as they please until the next General Election, whilst claiming it's for the benefit of their constituents, which may not be the case at all.'
There was a long pause during which the parsnip wine came in very handy.
'So what's the point of our kind of democracy?' I asked.
'It keeps a bunch of ambitious, opinionated, self-righteous troublemakers off the streets and discourages revolutions by giving the impression our best interests are being protected' Nosher replied. He stared at me as if challenging me to disagree.
'And' he continued 'it gives them membership of the best club in the world along with a very cushy lifestyle, and almost no accountability to anyone except themselves. Can't think why it attracts the kind of people it does!'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more from www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Wishing you a wonderful day!
Bright sunshine, cool wind, white clouds scudding across the china-blue sky.
Ideal weather for gardening.
After a morning's pottering amongst our rapidly growing runner bean and tomato plants, Nosher and I settled into our old deckchairs at lunchtime to listen to the one o'clock news on BBC Radio 4. When the programme finished Nosher leant down and switched off his little trannie.
'I wonder' he said 'if any of the MPs debating the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill will actually have changed their views by the end of the debate in the House of Commons?'
'Are you questioning the point of having a debate at all?' I asked.
Nosher pursed his lips as if the question was impertinent.
'I think' he said, saying his words with care 'that if they took a vote before the debate as well as after, and it turned out not one MP had changed sides, then the taxpayer would be entitled to ask whether the whole charade is worth the horrendous expense!'
'Surely the point of a representative democracy' I rejoined 'is that the MPs represent their constituents' views?'
Nosher gave me his 'you're so stupid' look. It was withering.
'Do you really think a Roman Catholic MP is going to come to the conclusion that his (or her) constituents' best interests is served by the abortion time limit remaining at 24 weeks, and pass up an opportunity to get it reduced to 22, in accordance with the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, which wants to ban abortion completely?'
Now it was my time to stare at Nosher.
'Are you saying that MPs represent their own interests in Parliament and not their constituents?'
'I'm saying it looks very much that way' Nosher replied 'and if that is the case all that is happening when we vote in an MP is sending someone to Parliament who can do exactly as they please until the next General Election, whilst claiming it's for the benefit of their constituents, which may not be the case at all.'
There was a long pause during which the parsnip wine came in very handy.
'So what's the point of our kind of democracy?' I asked.
'It keeps a bunch of ambitious, opinionated, self-righteous troublemakers off the streets and discourages revolutions by giving the impression our best interests are being protected' Nosher replied. He stared at me as if challenging me to disagree.
'And' he continued 'it gives them membership of the best club in the world along with a very cushy lifestyle, and almost no accountability to anyone except themselves. Can't think why it attracts the kind of people it does!'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more from www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Wishing you a wonderful day!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
A Natural Relationship
One morning I arrived very early at our little allotment to find Nosher sitting outside his shed on his old deckchair.
The sun had barely peeped through the weeping willows as I approached to find Nosher apparently asleep, his hands tucked behind his head.
I crept past him hoping not to disturb his lie-in. It was five to six.
'If you creep around like that you're likely to get a fork pushed up your behind!' Nosher was not asleep after all.
'Morning Nosh. Get up too early?'
'No, just in time, as it happens' he replied. 'I've been sitting here watching a heron feeding in the stream. It caught a couple of tiddlers, then flew off a minute or two before you arrived. You might have enjoyed it if you'd got up a little earlier.'
Much later, around lunchtime, we returned to our deckchairs outside Nosher's shed, after a morning's gardening. I accepted his offer of a glass of parsnip wine, and we settled comfortably for our usual imbibement and conversation.
'You know, it occurs to me' Nosher began 'that we are very fortunate.'
The pause was presumably for effect. Then he continued:
'We can sit here and look around at all our plants growing, the effort we expend nurturing them is rewarded by the harvest we take from them, and all the time we are in touch with nature, our hands tilling the soil, surrounded by the plants and wildlife. Seeing that heron this morning reminded me just how wonderful nature is.'
'Is this leading to some deep spiritual insight, Nosh?'
'Not really' he said. 'I was reflecting upon how the pace of life has changed, and with it our relationship with nature. My grandfather, in the 1920s, would come down to this very allotment before work, very early in the morning, tend to his plants, then walk two miles to the farm where he was a labourer. In the evening he'd be back at the allotment for an hour or so on his way home. My father was a farm manager, but still managed to keep the allotment going, although he drove to work in an old Austin. And me, well, I managed to keep the allotment too after taking it over from my father, and I kept up the same habit of visiting every day, and since I retired I'm down here most of the time. But most people alive today have probably never been on an allotment, still less grown their own food. There's something special about that kind of relationship with nature.'
'You mean getting your hands dirty with hard work, and drinking parsnip wine?'
'Maybe there's that too' Nosher said 'but it's not just about the cycle of effort and reward, or being involved with the cycle of life. It's deeper than that - I think it's got something to do with the privilege of sharing the world in close quarters with other creatures - wild creatures such as that heron - which brings it home just how beautiful and fragile the world is. For those who get their food from the supermarket and drive everywhere, who never sit still in the open air long enough to see the wild birds and the plants growing, who never nurture and harvest their own food, well, I think they're missing something very important about being human.'
'And what might that be' I asked 'after all, plenty of people play golf or indulge in open-air activities - what's so special about having an allotment?'
'Because you learn to share it with nature' said Nosher 'and if you don't share it you're raping nature of what is most special about it - the wild plants and animals that should be all around us, that tell us we're merely human and not demi-gods who rule over everything with impunity. It's about harmony and balance and living together without harming others. That's the lesson nature has to teach us, and if we ignore it, it will have its revenge.'
'Very deep, Nosh' I said 'when's the book coming out?'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Enjoy nature - but live in harmony with it!
The sun had barely peeped through the weeping willows as I approached to find Nosher apparently asleep, his hands tucked behind his head.
I crept past him hoping not to disturb his lie-in. It was five to six.
'If you creep around like that you're likely to get a fork pushed up your behind!' Nosher was not asleep after all.
'Morning Nosh. Get up too early?'
'No, just in time, as it happens' he replied. 'I've been sitting here watching a heron feeding in the stream. It caught a couple of tiddlers, then flew off a minute or two before you arrived. You might have enjoyed it if you'd got up a little earlier.'
Much later, around lunchtime, we returned to our deckchairs outside Nosher's shed, after a morning's gardening. I accepted his offer of a glass of parsnip wine, and we settled comfortably for our usual imbibement and conversation.
'You know, it occurs to me' Nosher began 'that we are very fortunate.'
The pause was presumably for effect. Then he continued:
'We can sit here and look around at all our plants growing, the effort we expend nurturing them is rewarded by the harvest we take from them, and all the time we are in touch with nature, our hands tilling the soil, surrounded by the plants and wildlife. Seeing that heron this morning reminded me just how wonderful nature is.'
'Is this leading to some deep spiritual insight, Nosh?'
'Not really' he said. 'I was reflecting upon how the pace of life has changed, and with it our relationship with nature. My grandfather, in the 1920s, would come down to this very allotment before work, very early in the morning, tend to his plants, then walk two miles to the farm where he was a labourer. In the evening he'd be back at the allotment for an hour or so on his way home. My father was a farm manager, but still managed to keep the allotment going, although he drove to work in an old Austin. And me, well, I managed to keep the allotment too after taking it over from my father, and I kept up the same habit of visiting every day, and since I retired I'm down here most of the time. But most people alive today have probably never been on an allotment, still less grown their own food. There's something special about that kind of relationship with nature.'
'You mean getting your hands dirty with hard work, and drinking parsnip wine?'
'Maybe there's that too' Nosher said 'but it's not just about the cycle of effort and reward, or being involved with the cycle of life. It's deeper than that - I think it's got something to do with the privilege of sharing the world in close quarters with other creatures - wild creatures such as that heron - which brings it home just how beautiful and fragile the world is. For those who get their food from the supermarket and drive everywhere, who never sit still in the open air long enough to see the wild birds and the plants growing, who never nurture and harvest their own food, well, I think they're missing something very important about being human.'
'And what might that be' I asked 'after all, plenty of people play golf or indulge in open-air activities - what's so special about having an allotment?'
'Because you learn to share it with nature' said Nosher 'and if you don't share it you're raping nature of what is most special about it - the wild plants and animals that should be all around us, that tell us we're merely human and not demi-gods who rule over everything with impunity. It's about harmony and balance and living together without harming others. That's the lesson nature has to teach us, and if we ignore it, it will have its revenge.'
'Very deep, Nosh' I said 'when's the book coming out?'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Enjoy nature - but live in harmony with it!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Value of a Life - What Life?
Here in the good old Dis-United Kingdom the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is being hotly debated in the House of Commons, and a will move towards a vote this coming week.
The usual interest groups are hard at it - those who believe no impediment to fertilisation should be allowed, and thereafter even a fertilised egg should have the same rights as the newly-born child; and those who believe that each mother should have total and unimpeded control over each foetus until immediately after the moment of birth, when, by some strange accident of biology, it suddenly becomes fully human.
The only compromise possible between these two extremes is one based on the reluctant acknowledgement that the present phase of battle is over once the vote is taken, and will have to continue at a later date.
For neither extreme will accept the vote in Parliament as meeting their demands, and neither extreme will ever be satisfied until they get their own way.
This is very definitely seen as a win-lose contest by the more extreme participants.
Down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire Nosher and I have been impressed by the fervour on both sides of the debate.
But, as we relaxed in our old deckchairs after a morning's gardening, we couldn't help but reflect that one of the most fundamental issues of all remains largely unaddressed, because it is not in the interests of most of the protagonists to resolve it.
'At what point in development does a foetus become fully human?' Nosher asked. 'That seems to be the appropriate starting point, given that human life is at stake here.'
'Well, there's a great deal of much scientific evidence available' I replied 'and the moral arguments are well-developed, so the issue you identify would seem to be crucial to the debate on how long into pregnancy abortions should be permitted by law.'
'Unfortunately, those who have the most extreme views are also those who most wish to influence the agenda' Nosher said 'and they are also the ones who will not, in principle, concede any ground, so it is not in their interests for the issue you identify to be debated, for it would render their own points of view redundant. Therefore they couldn't possible accept it.'
'I'm fascinated by the inconsistencies, though' I said 'because the value attributed to individual human life represents a very different challenge than the abstract commitment to the value of human life in general. Similarly, privileging the right of the mother to choose irrespective of the value of her baby's life accords one individual total power over another, much more vulnerable, individual. It seems to me that these issues can only be resolved by making a principled decision over when an unborn baby's right to life should be held to over-ride morally less fundamental rights possessed by the mother. And I don't see how that judgement can be made unless there is a judgement on the point at which the unborn child should be considered, in moral terms, a human being. Then the other issues fall into place - even though the judgements made may be uncomfortable and distressing, at least they're being made on the basis that the moral status of the participants has been taken into account to the best of current wisdom and judgement.'
'I think the moral of the story' Nosher concluded 'is that the value attributed to human life in general has very little to do with the value of human life in practice, since we live in a world where millions endure great deprivation and suffering and yet those who could do most to remedy this situation actually do very little.'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
The usual interest groups are hard at it - those who believe no impediment to fertilisation should be allowed, and thereafter even a fertilised egg should have the same rights as the newly-born child; and those who believe that each mother should have total and unimpeded control over each foetus until immediately after the moment of birth, when, by some strange accident of biology, it suddenly becomes fully human.
The only compromise possible between these two extremes is one based on the reluctant acknowledgement that the present phase of battle is over once the vote is taken, and will have to continue at a later date.
For neither extreme will accept the vote in Parliament as meeting their demands, and neither extreme will ever be satisfied until they get their own way.
This is very definitely seen as a win-lose contest by the more extreme participants.
Down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire Nosher and I have been impressed by the fervour on both sides of the debate.
But, as we relaxed in our old deckchairs after a morning's gardening, we couldn't help but reflect that one of the most fundamental issues of all remains largely unaddressed, because it is not in the interests of most of the protagonists to resolve it.
'At what point in development does a foetus become fully human?' Nosher asked. 'That seems to be the appropriate starting point, given that human life is at stake here.'
'Well, there's a great deal of much scientific evidence available' I replied 'and the moral arguments are well-developed, so the issue you identify would seem to be crucial to the debate on how long into pregnancy abortions should be permitted by law.'
'Unfortunately, those who have the most extreme views are also those who most wish to influence the agenda' Nosher said 'and they are also the ones who will not, in principle, concede any ground, so it is not in their interests for the issue you identify to be debated, for it would render their own points of view redundant. Therefore they couldn't possible accept it.'
'I'm fascinated by the inconsistencies, though' I said 'because the value attributed to individual human life represents a very different challenge than the abstract commitment to the value of human life in general. Similarly, privileging the right of the mother to choose irrespective of the value of her baby's life accords one individual total power over another, much more vulnerable, individual. It seems to me that these issues can only be resolved by making a principled decision over when an unborn baby's right to life should be held to over-ride morally less fundamental rights possessed by the mother. And I don't see how that judgement can be made unless there is a judgement on the point at which the unborn child should be considered, in moral terms, a human being. Then the other issues fall into place - even though the judgements made may be uncomfortable and distressing, at least they're being made on the basis that the moral status of the participants has been taken into account to the best of current wisdom and judgement.'
'I think the moral of the story' Nosher concluded 'is that the value attributed to human life in general has very little to do with the value of human life in practice, since we live in a world where millions endure great deprivation and suffering and yet those who could do most to remedy this situation actually do very little.'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Culture Lag
We were sitting, Nosher and I, on our old deckchairs in the shade behind Nosher's shed one afternoon, after a morning spent gardening on our little allotment patches in the patchy sunshine.
Soothed by the effect of Nosher's excellent home-made parsnip wine, we dozed for a while enjoying our relaxation. Then Nosher woke me with a sudden statement:
'What do you think of the idea that the great majority of the human population lag behind the best minds of any generation in their appreciation of the culture and the intellectual achievements of their own time?'
I scratched my head, or rather my mind, trying to take this in.
'Where did you get this idea from?' I asked.
'It suddenly came to me' Nosher replied.
'Well, I don't think you could claim it is true of popular culture' I said 'because that appears to spread like a brush fire through the ignorant and impressionable of any generation.'
Nosher frowned.
'I specified the "best" minds!' he protested.
'OK, in that case your idea appears to have some merit' I assured him. 'It seems reasonable to suppose that the most impressive insights offered to the rest of us by the best minds of our generation are not necessarily going to be the easiest to understand. In which case we might be said to be lagging behind them. But what are you trying to say with this idea?'
Nosher appeared to think for a moment. Then he said:
'Only that it's probably wise not to jump to premature conclusions.'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any trouble obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Soothed by the effect of Nosher's excellent home-made parsnip wine, we dozed for a while enjoying our relaxation. Then Nosher woke me with a sudden statement:
'What do you think of the idea that the great majority of the human population lag behind the best minds of any generation in their appreciation of the culture and the intellectual achievements of their own time?'
I scratched my head, or rather my mind, trying to take this in.
'Where did you get this idea from?' I asked.
'It suddenly came to me' Nosher replied.
'Well, I don't think you could claim it is true of popular culture' I said 'because that appears to spread like a brush fire through the ignorant and impressionable of any generation.'
Nosher frowned.
'I specified the "best" minds!' he protested.
'OK, in that case your idea appears to have some merit' I assured him. 'It seems reasonable to suppose that the most impressive insights offered to the rest of us by the best minds of our generation are not necessarily going to be the easiest to understand. In which case we might be said to be lagging behind them. But what are you trying to say with this idea?'
Nosher appeared to think for a moment. Then he said:
'Only that it's probably wise not to jump to premature conclusions.'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any trouble obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Freedom of Speech and Religious Privilege
Here in the good old Dis-United Kingdom an infamous attempt to restrict freedom of speech has failed, although no doubt the commissars of that nonsense called 'Political Correctness' will try again soon.
On our little allotment in South Gloucestershire my best mate Nosher and I were overjoyed that the P0lice and CPS have been obliged to apologise to Channel 4 TV over the botched attempt to silence freedom of speech over their documentary 'Undercover Mosque.'
'Freedom of speech and religious privilege are uncomfortable bedfellows' asserted Nosher as he settled into his old deckchair after filling my glass with parsnip wine. We were sat, as usual, outside his allotment shed after a morning's gardening on the rapidly growing plants on our little plots.
'It is an idictment of our social institutions' I added 'that it was Channel 4 that faced all the flak instead of those preaching hatred and intolerance caught on camera for the film. During the furore that followed its screening, even the media gave these hate-filled extremists an easy time, asking them what they thought of their treatment at the hands of Channel 4, instead of grilling them over their expressions of intolerance and hatred. Yet none of these people have ever been questioned by the Police.'
Nosher sipped his wine thoughtfully.
'This may have something' he said 'to do with a clause inserted by Tony Blair into the Human Rights Act of 1998, giving religions protection against criticism - a protection that is quite outside the European Convention on Human Rights, and therefore challengeable in the Courts.'
'Well, let us hope that religions lose their privileges sooner rather than later' I said, and then added:
'To protect religion from criticism gives it a licence to oppress others.'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more from http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGSBooks website.
Have a nice day!
is progressively being reduced, unless one belongs to an organised religion
On our little allotment in South Gloucestershire my best mate Nosher and I were overjoyed that the P0lice and CPS have been obliged to apologise to Channel 4 TV over the botched attempt to silence freedom of speech over their documentary 'Undercover Mosque.'
'Freedom of speech and religious privilege are uncomfortable bedfellows' asserted Nosher as he settled into his old deckchair after filling my glass with parsnip wine. We were sat, as usual, outside his allotment shed after a morning's gardening on the rapidly growing plants on our little plots.
'It is an idictment of our social institutions' I added 'that it was Channel 4 that faced all the flak instead of those preaching hatred and intolerance caught on camera for the film. During the furore that followed its screening, even the media gave these hate-filled extremists an easy time, asking them what they thought of their treatment at the hands of Channel 4, instead of grilling them over their expressions of intolerance and hatred. Yet none of these people have ever been questioned by the Police.'
Nosher sipped his wine thoughtfully.
'This may have something' he said 'to do with a clause inserted by Tony Blair into the Human Rights Act of 1998, giving religions protection against criticism - a protection that is quite outside the European Convention on Human Rights, and therefore challengeable in the Courts.'
'Well, let us hope that religions lose their privileges sooner rather than later' I said, and then added:
'To protect religion from criticism gives it a licence to oppress others.'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more from http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGSBooks website.
Have a nice day!
is progressively being reduced, unless one belongs to an organised religion
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Art of Moderation
With the Bank of England now forecasting that inflation in the Dis-United Kingdom is likely to reach 3.7%, Gordon the Moron will no doubt be telling us how well he is managing the global economic downturn, after leaving the hapless Darling the Farthing to squirm and wriggle his way out of the 10% tax rate fiasco - which was Gordon the Moron's doing in the first place.
'Some politicians do not know the meaning of shame' Nosher announced as we settled into our old deckchairs after a morning's gardening. I accepted the offer of a glass of parsnip wine and contemplated the prospect of Gordon the Moron ever feeling ashamed.
'There's something in the mind-set of those who aspire to power that seems to erode their capacity for humility' I said. 'Perhaps it has something to do with the hubris that sooner or later overcomes those who achieve power, even if they manage to conceal it most of the time.'
Nosher glanced across at me as if questioning my statement.
'I wonder' he began tentatively 'if our leaders sometimes forget about traditional moral advice such as St Paul's "moderation in all things" and Aristotle's "Golden Mean".'
'Not only do they forget it, they encourage others to forget it also' I rejoined 'after all, Gordon the Moron when he was Chancellor, borrowed heavily and called in financial prudence, and encouraged a low-interest consumer credit economy, and now he's stuck with the awkward prospect of consumers reducing their borrowing and tipping the economy into recession.'
'Those who will be least affected by the economic downturn' Nosher said 'will be those who resisted the tempations of credit and lived within their means. They might have to tighten their belts a little, but not nearly so much as those who have big credit commitments.'
'There's something to be said for the art of moderation, even in good times' I concluded.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more from www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Pleases support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
'Some politicians do not know the meaning of shame' Nosher announced as we settled into our old deckchairs after a morning's gardening. I accepted the offer of a glass of parsnip wine and contemplated the prospect of Gordon the Moron ever feeling ashamed.
'There's something in the mind-set of those who aspire to power that seems to erode their capacity for humility' I said. 'Perhaps it has something to do with the hubris that sooner or later overcomes those who achieve power, even if they manage to conceal it most of the time.'
Nosher glanced across at me as if questioning my statement.
'I wonder' he began tentatively 'if our leaders sometimes forget about traditional moral advice such as St Paul's "moderation in all things" and Aristotle's "Golden Mean".'
'Not only do they forget it, they encourage others to forget it also' I rejoined 'after all, Gordon the Moron when he was Chancellor, borrowed heavily and called in financial prudence, and encouraged a low-interest consumer credit economy, and now he's stuck with the awkward prospect of consumers reducing their borrowing and tipping the economy into recession.'
'Those who will be least affected by the economic downturn' Nosher said 'will be those who resisted the tempations of credit and lived within their means. They might have to tighten their belts a little, but not nearly so much as those who have big credit commitments.'
'There's something to be said for the art of moderation, even in good times' I concluded.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more from www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Pleases support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Virtues of Vagueness
This summer is turning out to be a real sizzler here in the South West of England.
On our little allotment in South Gloucestershire the plants have been almost visibly growing, to the great delight of Nosher and me.
'How much do you think the runner beans are growing every day?' I asked one lunchtime as we settled into our deckchairs in the shade at the side of Nosher's shed. He suddenly arose, darted into his shed, then appeared at the doorway clutching a dusty bottle of his excellent parsnip wine.
'I wouldn't like to say' he replied 'but it's fast enough for me.'
Nosher poured us each a glass of wine. Then he continued:
'There are some things about which vagueness is a veritible asset - mostly those things about which you don't feel the need to have an opinion, or don't feel there is enough information upon which to make up your mind, or about which a firm opinion might enflame the sentiments of others.'
'So the exact rate of growth of your runner beans falls into which category?' I persisted.
'All three' Nosher replied 'I know they're growing impressively fast, but exactly how fast is neither here nor there. I see no point in measuring their exact rate of growth - I don't pretend to be a scientist - and I don't want to get into a contest with you about how fast our beans are growing.'
'So what about religion?' I asked 'for example, Einstein was always notoriously vague about his exact views on religion, but apparently, in a letter written by him shortly before his death, he describes it as childish superstition. The letter is going up for auction in London this week.'
Nosher contemplated the wine in his wine glass for a few moments.
'The problem with expressing a view on religion' he said slowly 'is that it immediately is used as an excuse to pigeon-hole the individual by those who like everyone to be neatly pigeon-holed. I believe there are as many religions are there are believers, although some are more morally narcissistic than others, and some religions have an appalling track record of violence and brutality, which, for the most part, is conveniently ignored by their modern adherents.'
'So are you saying that expressing only vague opinions about religion is the best policy?' I said, feeling that Nosher was building up to something.
'Not exactly' he replied 'I'm saying that, with so much claimed by so many people about this or that religion, expressing unequivocal support or opposition to a religion is, in effect, making oneself a hostage to all those who might find in such an expression a target for their prejudices. Far better to be vague and leave the impression to that one views religion as an important and complex issue about which more needs to be known in order to form a cautious and well-considered opinion. That should keep most people happy whilst allowing you to get on with your life in peace, whatever your actual views might be.'
This came as a bit of a surprise, given that Nosher is not normally vague in his opinions.
'If you'll forgive me for saying, that sounds as if it might have much in common with hypocrisy' I ventured.
'You may well be right on that' Nosher said 'but if it is, it is a virtuous hypocrisy, and one that enables a lot of people with diametrically opposed views to get alone with one another, instead of being at each other's throats all the time.'
'Virtuous hypocrisy enables us all to get along?'
'Yep, that's about it.'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop if possible.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Have a nice day!
On our little allotment in South Gloucestershire the plants have been almost visibly growing, to the great delight of Nosher and me.
'How much do you think the runner beans are growing every day?' I asked one lunchtime as we settled into our deckchairs in the shade at the side of Nosher's shed. He suddenly arose, darted into his shed, then appeared at the doorway clutching a dusty bottle of his excellent parsnip wine.
'I wouldn't like to say' he replied 'but it's fast enough for me.'
Nosher poured us each a glass of wine. Then he continued:
'There are some things about which vagueness is a veritible asset - mostly those things about which you don't feel the need to have an opinion, or don't feel there is enough information upon which to make up your mind, or about which a firm opinion might enflame the sentiments of others.'
'So the exact rate of growth of your runner beans falls into which category?' I persisted.
'All three' Nosher replied 'I know they're growing impressively fast, but exactly how fast is neither here nor there. I see no point in measuring their exact rate of growth - I don't pretend to be a scientist - and I don't want to get into a contest with you about how fast our beans are growing.'
'So what about religion?' I asked 'for example, Einstein was always notoriously vague about his exact views on religion, but apparently, in a letter written by him shortly before his death, he describes it as childish superstition. The letter is going up for auction in London this week.'
Nosher contemplated the wine in his wine glass for a few moments.
'The problem with expressing a view on religion' he said slowly 'is that it immediately is used as an excuse to pigeon-hole the individual by those who like everyone to be neatly pigeon-holed. I believe there are as many religions are there are believers, although some are more morally narcissistic than others, and some religions have an appalling track record of violence and brutality, which, for the most part, is conveniently ignored by their modern adherents.'
'So are you saying that expressing only vague opinions about religion is the best policy?' I said, feeling that Nosher was building up to something.
'Not exactly' he replied 'I'm saying that, with so much claimed by so many people about this or that religion, expressing unequivocal support or opposition to a religion is, in effect, making oneself a hostage to all those who might find in such an expression a target for their prejudices. Far better to be vague and leave the impression to that one views religion as an important and complex issue about which more needs to be known in order to form a cautious and well-considered opinion. That should keep most people happy whilst allowing you to get on with your life in peace, whatever your actual views might be.'
This came as a bit of a surprise, given that Nosher is not normally vague in his opinions.
'If you'll forgive me for saying, that sounds as if it might have much in common with hypocrisy' I ventured.
'You may well be right on that' Nosher said 'but if it is, it is a virtuous hypocrisy, and one that enables a lot of people with diametrically opposed views to get alone with one another, instead of being at each other's throats all the time.'
'Virtuous hypocrisy enables us all to get along?'
'Yep, that's about it.'
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers. Please support your local bookshop if possible.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Have a nice day!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
A Nest of Vipers
The good weather continues here in South Gloucestershire, with blues skies and hot sun during the day and the occasional thunderstorm and downpour during the night.
In many ways ideal weather for the allotment gardener.
Given that the main source of conversation for the English (complaining about the weather) is thus denied to Nosher and me, you might think we'd easily find something else to moan about.
And we did, although it has strong flavour of schadenfreud about it, which makes complaining that much more enjoyable.
'I see that three political memoirs are being serialised in the Sunday papers' Nosher observed, as he settled down in his old deckchair at lunchtime, enjoying the cool shade behind his shed. He passed across the carton of chilled fruitjuice for me to fill my glass.
'And, apparently, they're all dishing the dirt on poor old Gordon the Moron' I said, as I rested my bones in my deckchair and took a sip of fruit juice.
'The aspect of this that is interesting is how enthusiastic the mass media are to pay money to serialise these books' said Nosher 'which then undermine the authority of, and respect for, those still in positions of power. And then in a week or so, these same newspapers will be bemoaning the lack of respect in our society more generally, and how social cohesion in falling apart.'
'Well, that may be true' I said 'but I won't be reading these memoirs - what I've heard about them on the radio is enough drivel for me. What any intelligent person should be doing is questioning the motives of those involved, and drawing inferences about the quality of people who inhabit the world of politics.'
Nosher grinned his 'I love hating the bastards' grin.
'You mean Lord Levy, Cherie Blair and Tony Prescott?' He chuckled. 'The first two are already stinking rich and don't need the money, so their motives must have more to do with their over-inflated egos and spitefulness towards poor old Gordon the Moron. And Prescott - well, he does need the money to pay for all the burgers and fries he eats - so we can add greed to the list.'
'But when these people were part of NuLabour' I added 'I'm sure they were amongst those who shared the commonly-expressed sentiments about social cohesion disintegrating, and bemoaning the lack of trust in and respect for the leading lights of NuLabour. And now they're doing their best to undermine their successors. Doesn't say much for the quality of people in public life these days, does it?'
'Nest of vipers' Nosher concluded.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
Please support your local bookshop, if you don't it may not be there when you next visit!
If you have any difficulties obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Have a nice day!
In many ways ideal weather for the allotment gardener.
Given that the main source of conversation for the English (complaining about the weather) is thus denied to Nosher and me, you might think we'd easily find something else to moan about.
And we did, although it has strong flavour of schadenfreud about it, which makes complaining that much more enjoyable.
'I see that three political memoirs are being serialised in the Sunday papers' Nosher observed, as he settled down in his old deckchair at lunchtime, enjoying the cool shade behind his shed. He passed across the carton of chilled fruitjuice for me to fill my glass.
'And, apparently, they're all dishing the dirt on poor old Gordon the Moron' I said, as I rested my bones in my deckchair and took a sip of fruit juice.
'The aspect of this that is interesting is how enthusiastic the mass media are to pay money to serialise these books' said Nosher 'which then undermine the authority of, and respect for, those still in positions of power. And then in a week or so, these same newspapers will be bemoaning the lack of respect in our society more generally, and how social cohesion in falling apart.'
'Well, that may be true' I said 'but I won't be reading these memoirs - what I've heard about them on the radio is enough drivel for me. What any intelligent person should be doing is questioning the motives of those involved, and drawing inferences about the quality of people who inhabit the world of politics.'
Nosher grinned his 'I love hating the bastards' grin.
'You mean Lord Levy, Cherie Blair and Tony Prescott?' He chuckled. 'The first two are already stinking rich and don't need the money, so their motives must have more to do with their over-inflated egos and spitefulness towards poor old Gordon the Moron. And Prescott - well, he does need the money to pay for all the burgers and fries he eats - so we can add greed to the list.'
'But when these people were part of NuLabour' I added 'I'm sure they were amongst those who shared the commonly-expressed sentiments about social cohesion disintegrating, and bemoaning the lack of trust in and respect for the leading lights of NuLabour. And now they're doing their best to undermine their successors. Doesn't say much for the quality of people in public life these days, does it?'
'Nest of vipers' Nosher concluded.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
Please support your local bookshop, if you don't it may not be there when you next visit!
If you have any difficulties obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Have a nice day!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Consult then Ignore: Official Govt. Policy?
Gordon the Moron want's more public consultation.
That's official.
He wants us to tell him what we want him to do.
Then he can ignore what we tell him and do what he always planned to do in the first place, and say that he's taken our views into account.
It's an expensive and futile way of pretending that democracy is working.
Too many of us already know that it isn't.
Now, down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire in the good old Dis-United Kingdom Nosher and I indulge in an age old tradition of talking to our plants.
And when they talk back to us (and plants have various ways of communicating if you're perceptive enough) we try to take into account that they're telling us: 'more fertiliser', 'less water', and so on.
If we choose to ignore them it's our prerogative, after all they're only vegetables and we're in charge.
We're the ones with an agenda.
We want to grow good vegetables and then exploit them by eating them, so if we pretend to listen and then eat them anyway, they shouldn't be too surprised.
The way democracy works in the Dis-United Kingdom has now sunk to this level.
We're being treated like vegetables.
Only this week the recommendations of the Government-funded expert inquiry into drugs were ignored and cannabis was upgraded in criminal status against their advice.
So the inquiry was a waste of taxpayers' money.
Now the Government has announced it wants to consult over what to do about the estimated shortfall in funding for the social care of the elderly that is set to rise to £1 billion in a few years' time, due to the numbers of elderly people rising, and Government funding for their care not keeping up with need.
In fact, there's been a shortfall of many millions of pounds for some years, and as a result social social care for the elderly has been ever more severely rationed and means-tested.
More and more elderly people are having to sell off their assets to meet their care needs, or are going without.
And the number of elderly people living in poverty is increasing, which means that as care is more tightly rationed, they'll have nothing to sell off to pay for care, so they'll deteriorate at home until their condition is bad enough to satisfy the ever-tighter criteria for receiving what little care is available.
Government action was needed to address these issues years ago, but instead they commissioned the Wanless Report, which cost millions of pounds, took several years, and is now sitting in a desk drawer somewhere.
How many times does Gordon the Moron need telling that old people are suffering because care for the elderly is grossly underfunded?
And what does he expect the expensive public consultation exercise to tell him?
The groups campaigning for proper care for the elderly will tell him that millions of people are suffering because Government provision has consistently lagged behind actual need for care (although the demographics have been known for years).
Most ordinarypeople will say what they usually say, which is that they want more services for less money.
And all the voluntary care agencies will say they need more funds to meet the growing demand for their services.
Then Gordon will tell us that someone's got to pay, and he'll do what he always planned to do in the first place: fiddle around with the system to make it look like he's putting much more money in, when in fact he'll put very little more in relative to the actual shortfall.
The entire public consultation process is now in disrepute, because the Government spends millions of pounds on advisers, experts, inquiries, and consultations, and then does what suits itself rather than responding intelligently to what emerges from the people who could reasonaby be expected to know best what needs to be done on the issue in question.
Down on the allotment neither Nosher nor I were in the least surprised by Gordon the Moron's latest proposal for more consultion.
It's a strategy that indicates a lack of good ideas on the Government's part, or a sneaky way of looking for excuses to do as little a possible dressed up to look as much as possible. And than blaming the predictable outcome on the public 'after all, it's what the public wanted' I can hear Gordon the Moron's pathetic excuses already.
We'll just have to wait and see how it all pans out.
But we are not expecting many smiling faces at the end of it.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulties obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
That's official.
He wants us to tell him what we want him to do.
Then he can ignore what we tell him and do what he always planned to do in the first place, and say that he's taken our views into account.
It's an expensive and futile way of pretending that democracy is working.
Too many of us already know that it isn't.
Now, down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire in the good old Dis-United Kingdom Nosher and I indulge in an age old tradition of talking to our plants.
And when they talk back to us (and plants have various ways of communicating if you're perceptive enough) we try to take into account that they're telling us: 'more fertiliser', 'less water', and so on.
If we choose to ignore them it's our prerogative, after all they're only vegetables and we're in charge.
We're the ones with an agenda.
We want to grow good vegetables and then exploit them by eating them, so if we pretend to listen and then eat them anyway, they shouldn't be too surprised.
The way democracy works in the Dis-United Kingdom has now sunk to this level.
We're being treated like vegetables.
Only this week the recommendations of the Government-funded expert inquiry into drugs were ignored and cannabis was upgraded in criminal status against their advice.
So the inquiry was a waste of taxpayers' money.
Now the Government has announced it wants to consult over what to do about the estimated shortfall in funding for the social care of the elderly that is set to rise to £1 billion in a few years' time, due to the numbers of elderly people rising, and Government funding for their care not keeping up with need.
In fact, there's been a shortfall of many millions of pounds for some years, and as a result social social care for the elderly has been ever more severely rationed and means-tested.
More and more elderly people are having to sell off their assets to meet their care needs, or are going without.
And the number of elderly people living in poverty is increasing, which means that as care is more tightly rationed, they'll have nothing to sell off to pay for care, so they'll deteriorate at home until their condition is bad enough to satisfy the ever-tighter criteria for receiving what little care is available.
Government action was needed to address these issues years ago, but instead they commissioned the Wanless Report, which cost millions of pounds, took several years, and is now sitting in a desk drawer somewhere.
How many times does Gordon the Moron need telling that old people are suffering because care for the elderly is grossly underfunded?
And what does he expect the expensive public consultation exercise to tell him?
The groups campaigning for proper care for the elderly will tell him that millions of people are suffering because Government provision has consistently lagged behind actual need for care (although the demographics have been known for years).
Most ordinarypeople will say what they usually say, which is that they want more services for less money.
And all the voluntary care agencies will say they need more funds to meet the growing demand for their services.
Then Gordon will tell us that someone's got to pay, and he'll do what he always planned to do in the first place: fiddle around with the system to make it look like he's putting much more money in, when in fact he'll put very little more in relative to the actual shortfall.
The entire public consultation process is now in disrepute, because the Government spends millions of pounds on advisers, experts, inquiries, and consultations, and then does what suits itself rather than responding intelligently to what emerges from the people who could reasonaby be expected to know best what needs to be done on the issue in question.
Down on the allotment neither Nosher nor I were in the least surprised by Gordon the Moron's latest proposal for more consultion.
It's a strategy that indicates a lack of good ideas on the Government's part, or a sneaky way of looking for excuses to do as little a possible dressed up to look as much as possible. And than blaming the predictable outcome on the public 'after all, it's what the public wanted' I can hear Gordon the Moron's pathetic excuses already.
We'll just have to wait and see how it all pans out.
But we are not expecting many smiling faces at the end of it.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon
Find out more at http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have any difficulties obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Cardinal Proposes Love-In with Atheists...
Another scorching hot day down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire in the good old Dis-United Kingdom.
So, after checking over our rapidly growing plants and pronouncing ourselves satisfied, it wasn't long before Nosher and me were comfortably ensconced in our old deckchairs on the shady side of Nosher's shed, with a glass of chilled fruit juice in hand.
Nosher exerted the privilege of age to begin the proceedings.
'I hear that cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor has exhorted all Catholics to hold atheists in high esteem' he said, with a hint of irony in his voice.
'It's a bit rich coming out with that this far into history, isn't it?' I said 'The Roman Church only stopped torturing and killing people for heresy in the nineteenth century when secular laws made it illegal.'
Nosher permitted himself a wry smile.
'They claim they never killed anyone' he said 'they tortured them to extract a confession (that much can't be denied) condemned them to death, and then handed them over to the civil authorities for execution.'
'All the same, with modern Catholics claiming they're such nice people, they probably want us to believe nothing like that could ever happen again.'
Nosher's smile grew even broader.
'Well, since the Catholic Church hasn't given an inch on its claim to absolute truth and moral probity' he said 'if they ever achieved supreme political power I find it hard to believe that there wouldn't be someone amongst their ranks wanting to punish people for not conforming to the dictates of the Church. And once that step had been taken, before long there'd be others very willing to do the torturing and killing. That's the lesson that so many innocent and vulnerable people have learned the hard way throughout the course of human history. Organised religions become oppressive and cruel sooner or later when they get the chance to impose themselves on others.'
'Maybe you're right' I said 'perhaps it's unwise to accord religion any special privileges in a secular liberal state.'
'All I know is that my plants worship the sun' said Nosher ' and they believe I'm the sun's high priest, so I have absolute power over them. Isn't that a great way to go through life?'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
So, after checking over our rapidly growing plants and pronouncing ourselves satisfied, it wasn't long before Nosher and me were comfortably ensconced in our old deckchairs on the shady side of Nosher's shed, with a glass of chilled fruit juice in hand.
Nosher exerted the privilege of age to begin the proceedings.
'I hear that cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor has exhorted all Catholics to hold atheists in high esteem' he said, with a hint of irony in his voice.
'It's a bit rich coming out with that this far into history, isn't it?' I said 'The Roman Church only stopped torturing and killing people for heresy in the nineteenth century when secular laws made it illegal.'
Nosher permitted himself a wry smile.
'They claim they never killed anyone' he said 'they tortured them to extract a confession (that much can't be denied) condemned them to death, and then handed them over to the civil authorities for execution.'
'All the same, with modern Catholics claiming they're such nice people, they probably want us to believe nothing like that could ever happen again.'
Nosher's smile grew even broader.
'Well, since the Catholic Church hasn't given an inch on its claim to absolute truth and moral probity' he said 'if they ever achieved supreme political power I find it hard to believe that there wouldn't be someone amongst their ranks wanting to punish people for not conforming to the dictates of the Church. And once that step had been taken, before long there'd be others very willing to do the torturing and killing. That's the lesson that so many innocent and vulnerable people have learned the hard way throughout the course of human history. Organised religions become oppressive and cruel sooner or later when they get the chance to impose themselves on others.'
'Maybe you're right' I said 'perhaps it's unwise to accord religion any special privileges in a secular liberal state.'
'All I know is that my plants worship the sun' said Nosher ' and they believe I'm the sun's high priest, so I have absolute power over them. Isn't that a great way to go through life?'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Harassment: Gordon the Moron's New Weapon Against Crime
Down on our little allotment Nosher and I never cease to be amazed at the capacity for silly ideas that Gordon the Moron and his Assistants in Idiocy display.
The latest one - announced to a stupefied Parliament by Wacky Baccy Jacqui Smith (our Home Secretary who smoked dope in her youth and now believes it causes brain damage...) - involves the Police and institutions of Government harassing anti-social individuals until they conform to the standards of conduct expected in a civilised society.
And so, as we relaxed in our deck chairs in the shade cast by Nosher's old shed, having worked in the baking sun for a few hours, we debated the merits of official harassment as a reformative measure over a glass or two of Nosher's excellent parsnip wine.
'Is there any scientific evidence that harassing wrong-doers actually reforms them?' Nosher asked by way of opening the batting.
'Not sure there is' I replied 'and whilst I'm not, in principle, against making the lives of anti-social scumbags difficult, the methods used should reflect the moral principles society expects them to live by, and have a reasonable chance of success. I'm not sure either criterion is satisfied with this proposal.'
Nosher appeared to contemplate this for a while, as we watched the Blue Tits feeding off the fatballs we'd hung from a nearby Silver Birch tree.
'But even so' Nosher said 'the Police aren't really keeping on top of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour as it is, and if they had to spend their time harassing all the anti-social scumbags there are around these days they'd have to neglect other, perhaps more serious, criminal behaviour. It is a stupid idea which smacks of political posturing by Gordon the Moron and Wacky Baccy Jacqui.'
'And then there's the issue of what effects this harassment will have' I suggested 'for example, resentful alienated individuals whose lives are made difficult by authority-figures in an arbitrary manner are hardly likely to become good, upstanding citizens as a result. They may conform, but their resentment and alienation may simply go underground and find expression in more devious and perhaps more destructive activities. This not a formula for the successful reform of anti-social individuals.'
Nosher pursed his lips, then said:
'I really can't see the problem with instilling some discipline in children while they're at school. Good habits of conduct along with a little moral training when young last a lifetime. But our social culture is now so morally degraded that such an idea would be howled down by all the bleeding-heart liberal do-gooders. Instead we are now going to harass deviant individuals so that they hide their deviance and become even more enthusiastic about subverting the values of civilised society.'
'You may be right' I replied 'in any case, ASBOs haven't worked because they're not enforced (no prison places), so I suppose this is the equivalent of Gordon the Moron clutching at straws.'
'He's a man of many straws' said Nosher.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of Is God a Terrorist? contact the PGS Books website.
The latest one - announced to a stupefied Parliament by Wacky Baccy Jacqui Smith (our Home Secretary who smoked dope in her youth and now believes it causes brain damage...) - involves the Police and institutions of Government harassing anti-social individuals until they conform to the standards of conduct expected in a civilised society.
And so, as we relaxed in our deck chairs in the shade cast by Nosher's old shed, having worked in the baking sun for a few hours, we debated the merits of official harassment as a reformative measure over a glass or two of Nosher's excellent parsnip wine.
'Is there any scientific evidence that harassing wrong-doers actually reforms them?' Nosher asked by way of opening the batting.
'Not sure there is' I replied 'and whilst I'm not, in principle, against making the lives of anti-social scumbags difficult, the methods used should reflect the moral principles society expects them to live by, and have a reasonable chance of success. I'm not sure either criterion is satisfied with this proposal.'
Nosher appeared to contemplate this for a while, as we watched the Blue Tits feeding off the fatballs we'd hung from a nearby Silver Birch tree.
'But even so' Nosher said 'the Police aren't really keeping on top of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour as it is, and if they had to spend their time harassing all the anti-social scumbags there are around these days they'd have to neglect other, perhaps more serious, criminal behaviour. It is a stupid idea which smacks of political posturing by Gordon the Moron and Wacky Baccy Jacqui.'
'And then there's the issue of what effects this harassment will have' I suggested 'for example, resentful alienated individuals whose lives are made difficult by authority-figures in an arbitrary manner are hardly likely to become good, upstanding citizens as a result. They may conform, but their resentment and alienation may simply go underground and find expression in more devious and perhaps more destructive activities. This not a formula for the successful reform of anti-social individuals.'
Nosher pursed his lips, then said:
'I really can't see the problem with instilling some discipline in children while they're at school. Good habits of conduct along with a little moral training when young last a lifetime. But our social culture is now so morally degraded that such an idea would be howled down by all the bleeding-heart liberal do-gooders. Instead we are now going to harass deviant individuals so that they hide their deviance and become even more enthusiastic about subverting the values of civilised society.'
'You may be right' I replied 'in any case, ASBOs haven't worked because they're not enforced (no prison places), so I suppose this is the equivalent of Gordon the Moron clutching at straws.'
'He's a man of many straws' said Nosher.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of Is God a Terrorist? contact the PGS Books website.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Great Cannabis U-Turn
Here in the Dis-United Kingdom the availability of illegal drugs is, supposedly, so widespread that you only have to walk down a street in London or any major city to find vendors openly offering their products - if you know the signs to look for.
Not that Nosher or I claim to be experts on this - just interested observers of the media hype and political shenanigans.
The drugs culture, or so it seems, is now so deeply embedded in our society that it will take more than a change in the status of a drug to combat it.
So the news the our Home Secretary, Jacqui 'Wacky Baccy' Smith had decided to upgrade cannabis from Class C to Class B (making possession a more serious criminal offence) against the advice of the expert inquiry commissioned by the Government itself, provided us with some amusement.
What, if anything, was going through her mind, and would her decision actually achieve anything positive?
These were the thoughts we bandied back and forth as we relaxed on our old armchairs in the shade behind Nosher's shed on a hot sunny afternoon. Our refreshment was, fittingly, Nosher's excellent home-made parsnip wine, emphasising our commitment to legal methods of mind-altering drug.
Nosher's parsnip wine, it must be added, has an alcohol content close to zero, but tastes very nice.
'Wacky Baccy Jacqui claims that upgrading cannabis to Class B is designed to emphasis the greater potency of the new skunk variety' said Nosher 'thereby providing useful information to those who might be tempted to try it - and perhaps even deter them.'
He didn't sound convinced.
'Apparently there are research findings that claim to show that cannabis use amongst 11 to 15 year olds has actually significantly decreased in the last few years, since it was downgraded from B to C' I responded 'although I'm not sure there's a valid basis for inferring the downgrading was a causal factor in this.'
'Even so' Nosher replied 'the expert advice was that there were no health grounds for upgrading cannabis. So Wacky Baccy Jacqui needs to support her decision on non-health grounds. Which I didn't hear her do.'
'Well, she claims to be acting for the good of an entire generation' I said 'the greater good, if you like, so that the issue of the health of one or two who suffer bad consequences is not the issue, it's the number of lives blighted by the effects of the drug - but does she mean health effects or some other kinds of effects?'
We sat for a while silently observing our plants growing in their neat little rows.
It was Nosher who disturbed the peace.
'Even if she believes that ingesting cannabis has some other deleterious effects - such as rending the user temporarily morally incapacitated, for example (I'm not saying it does, just using this as a possibility) - then she needs to show how upgrading cannabis from C to B would actually change the social impact of the drug. But she hasn't done this. It sounds like the usual political posturing, with no sound reasoning behind it.'
'I'm entirely unconvinced that criminalising cannabis users achieves anything positive at all' I added 'it seems reasonable to that the manufacture and distribution for sale should be a criminal offence, but criminalising those who grow it for their own personal use alone seems faintly ridiculous, as does criminalising anyone for possession of a small amount. This is supposed to be a free country, or so we're told.'
Nosher nodded.
'What is actually needed' he said 'is a far more hard-hitting campaign on the dangers of illegal drug-use, and particularly the negative long-term effects upon a person's life. Then we should place responsibility for those consequences where they clearly belong: with the individual who chose to take the drug, and the person who supplied them. Otherwise we should leave well alone.'
'And then' I added 'all those otherwise law-abiding individuals who use cannabis for pain relief and other perfectly understandable reasons who pose no threat to public order or morality could be left in peace, and quite rightly so.'
'Well, I'm glad we cleared all that up' said Nosher.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more from http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good bookstores.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit!
Not that Nosher or I claim to be experts on this - just interested observers of the media hype and political shenanigans.
The drugs culture, or so it seems, is now so deeply embedded in our society that it will take more than a change in the status of a drug to combat it.
So the news the our Home Secretary, Jacqui 'Wacky Baccy' Smith had decided to upgrade cannabis from Class C to Class B (making possession a more serious criminal offence) against the advice of the expert inquiry commissioned by the Government itself, provided us with some amusement.
What, if anything, was going through her mind, and would her decision actually achieve anything positive?
These were the thoughts we bandied back and forth as we relaxed on our old armchairs in the shade behind Nosher's shed on a hot sunny afternoon. Our refreshment was, fittingly, Nosher's excellent home-made parsnip wine, emphasising our commitment to legal methods of mind-altering drug.
Nosher's parsnip wine, it must be added, has an alcohol content close to zero, but tastes very nice.
'Wacky Baccy Jacqui claims that upgrading cannabis to Class B is designed to emphasis the greater potency of the new skunk variety' said Nosher 'thereby providing useful information to those who might be tempted to try it - and perhaps even deter them.'
He didn't sound convinced.
'Apparently there are research findings that claim to show that cannabis use amongst 11 to 15 year olds has actually significantly decreased in the last few years, since it was downgraded from B to C' I responded 'although I'm not sure there's a valid basis for inferring the downgrading was a causal factor in this.'
'Even so' Nosher replied 'the expert advice was that there were no health grounds for upgrading cannabis. So Wacky Baccy Jacqui needs to support her decision on non-health grounds. Which I didn't hear her do.'
'Well, she claims to be acting for the good of an entire generation' I said 'the greater good, if you like, so that the issue of the health of one or two who suffer bad consequences is not the issue, it's the number of lives blighted by the effects of the drug - but does she mean health effects or some other kinds of effects?'
We sat for a while silently observing our plants growing in their neat little rows.
It was Nosher who disturbed the peace.
'Even if she believes that ingesting cannabis has some other deleterious effects - such as rending the user temporarily morally incapacitated, for example (I'm not saying it does, just using this as a possibility) - then she needs to show how upgrading cannabis from C to B would actually change the social impact of the drug. But she hasn't done this. It sounds like the usual political posturing, with no sound reasoning behind it.'
'I'm entirely unconvinced that criminalising cannabis users achieves anything positive at all' I added 'it seems reasonable to that the manufacture and distribution for sale should be a criminal offence, but criminalising those who grow it for their own personal use alone seems faintly ridiculous, as does criminalising anyone for possession of a small amount. This is supposed to be a free country, or so we're told.'
Nosher nodded.
'What is actually needed' he said 'is a far more hard-hitting campaign on the dangers of illegal drug-use, and particularly the negative long-term effects upon a person's life. Then we should place responsibility for those consequences where they clearly belong: with the individual who chose to take the drug, and the person who supplied them. Otherwise we should leave well alone.'
'And then' I added 'all those otherwise law-abiding individuals who use cannabis for pain relief and other perfectly understandable reasons who pose no threat to public order or morality could be left in peace, and quite rightly so.'
'Well, I'm glad we cleared all that up' said Nosher.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
Find out more from http://www.paulsturdee.co.uk/
and http://www.pgsbooks.co.uk/
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good bookstores.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there when you next visit!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Low Pay, No Prospects: The Legacy of Socialism in Britain?
A TUC report has declared that there are around 2 million people in Britain trapped in low paid jobs with no prospects of advancement.
After eleven years of NuLabour claiming to be improving the lot of working people in this country, their failure to address the issue of those trapped in low-paid jobs is testimony to their betrayal of the working class.
On the bright side, summer seems to have arrived in our little corner of South Gloucestershire, and by lunchtime Nosher and I were glad to stop working on our little allotment plots and relax in our old deckchairs in the shade by Nosher's shed. Chilled fruit juice refreshed us, and, as usual, we started putting the world to rights.
'Of course, it should surprise no one that NuLabour has failed to improve the lot of the poorest workers' said Nosher 'because our membership of the EU means that there's always millions of even poorer people from EU countries willing to work in this country for minimal wages. They're still better off than they are in their own country, but they are classified as low-paid in Britain, and therefore living in poverty.'
'Well, I suppose they make up for the millions of people in this country who'd rather live on welfare benefits than work' I responded 'although they too are classified as living in poverty'.
'We'll be watering tonight' Nosher announced suddenly. 'If only the sun shone all day and it rained only at night, this would be an ideal country in which to have an allotment.'
'When you think about it' I said 'Labour's aim to banish poverty is nonsense, especially in the context of our membership of the EU. In effect, by imposing a minimum wage and paying generous welfare benefits, whilst allowing uncontrolled immigration, NuLabour has created a problem it cannot possibly solve: permanent and growing poverty in this country. There'll always be people living in poverty - that's the way of things - the important issue is: do they have a route out of poverty if they wish to take it?'
'The minimum wage imposed by NuLabour on businesses has hardly helped' added Nosher 'because now all businesses pay the minimum wage whenever market conditions allow, and since it's so low anyway, it has in effect forced average wages down for much of the lower paid.'
'So what's the solution, Nosher? I asked, more in hope than expectation.
'Leave the EU, remove minimum wage restrictions, but impose a requirement on all businesses that employees should share a reasonable proportion of the profits of the business for which they work' Nosher was unusually emphatic. 'And then change the benefits system so that the unemployed cannot sit on their backsides for years doing nothing. The fact that we import labour in large numbers to do jobs the unemployed refuse to do demonstrates that the system is all wrong in this country. Unemployment benefit should be conditional upon participation in retraining schemes or voluntary work. That way there's be incentives for everyone to better themselves, instead of the current situation in which many people expect the State to provide for them.'
'Well, the first two aren't going to happen' I replied 'and although the Government claims to be reforming the benefits system, I doubt whether the reforms will be effective. Too many people in our society now believe they have a right to State support, so any proposals for radical change would be political suicide. Electorally, there's now too few people in this country committed to the idea of self-responsibility and self-improvement for such ideas to win elections these days. Sad but true.'
'Aye, we're doomed, laddie' said Nosher, imitating Private Fraser from Dad's Army 'Doomed, I tell ye, doomed!'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit.
After eleven years of NuLabour claiming to be improving the lot of working people in this country, their failure to address the issue of those trapped in low-paid jobs is testimony to their betrayal of the working class.
On the bright side, summer seems to have arrived in our little corner of South Gloucestershire, and by lunchtime Nosher and I were glad to stop working on our little allotment plots and relax in our old deckchairs in the shade by Nosher's shed. Chilled fruit juice refreshed us, and, as usual, we started putting the world to rights.
'Of course, it should surprise no one that NuLabour has failed to improve the lot of the poorest workers' said Nosher 'because our membership of the EU means that there's always millions of even poorer people from EU countries willing to work in this country for minimal wages. They're still better off than they are in their own country, but they are classified as low-paid in Britain, and therefore living in poverty.'
'Well, I suppose they make up for the millions of people in this country who'd rather live on welfare benefits than work' I responded 'although they too are classified as living in poverty'.
'We'll be watering tonight' Nosher announced suddenly. 'If only the sun shone all day and it rained only at night, this would be an ideal country in which to have an allotment.'
'When you think about it' I said 'Labour's aim to banish poverty is nonsense, especially in the context of our membership of the EU. In effect, by imposing a minimum wage and paying generous welfare benefits, whilst allowing uncontrolled immigration, NuLabour has created a problem it cannot possibly solve: permanent and growing poverty in this country. There'll always be people living in poverty - that's the way of things - the important issue is: do they have a route out of poverty if they wish to take it?'
'The minimum wage imposed by NuLabour on businesses has hardly helped' added Nosher 'because now all businesses pay the minimum wage whenever market conditions allow, and since it's so low anyway, it has in effect forced average wages down for much of the lower paid.'
'So what's the solution, Nosher? I asked, more in hope than expectation.
'Leave the EU, remove minimum wage restrictions, but impose a requirement on all businesses that employees should share a reasonable proportion of the profits of the business for which they work' Nosher was unusually emphatic. 'And then change the benefits system so that the unemployed cannot sit on their backsides for years doing nothing. The fact that we import labour in large numbers to do jobs the unemployed refuse to do demonstrates that the system is all wrong in this country. Unemployment benefit should be conditional upon participation in retraining schemes or voluntary work. That way there's be incentives for everyone to better themselves, instead of the current situation in which many people expect the State to provide for them.'
'Well, the first two aren't going to happen' I replied 'and although the Government claims to be reforming the benefits system, I doubt whether the reforms will be effective. Too many people in our society now believe they have a right to State support, so any proposals for radical change would be political suicide. Electorally, there's now too few people in this country committed to the idea of self-responsibility and self-improvement for such ideas to win elections these days. Sad but true.'
'Aye, we're doomed, laddie' said Nosher, imitating Private Fraser from Dad's Army 'Doomed, I tell ye, doomed!'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Do Surveillance Cameras Cut Crime?
Here at overthegardenfence.blogspot.com we were much amused by the announcement (from a senior Metropolitan Police Officer) that surveillance cameras have not thus far been effective in combatting crime.
Since the Dis-United Kingdom has more cameras for this purpose than almost any other country on Earth, with the express purpose of making the streets safer for law-abiding citizens, this news may come as a surprise to many people.
But not to Nosher and me, down on our little allotment in sunny South Gloucestershire. And least of all to the criminals who continue their activities with impunity.
'The reasons are not hard to see' said Nosher, relaxing into his old deckchair after a hard morning's work.
'And why do you think that might be?' I asked, accepting his offer of some parsnip wine.
'Well, for a start, most criminals don't expect to get caught' replied Nosher 'even with CCTV cameras trained on them. And second, even if they are caught, the chances of being sent before a judge are only about 1 in 20. Even if they do end up in Court, and if some crafty lawyer doesn't succeed in getting them off, they'll most likely get a derisory sentence which is no deterrent at all.'
We sipped our parsnip wine and gazed around at our peaceful little world. A few days of warm sunshine and little wind had brought our plants on well, and pea and bean plants were beginning their long climb up their canes towards the blue sky.
'There's the additional factor' I said 'that in many of our communities these days it is considered a badge of honour to have been convicted of a criminal offence. It is an indication of how degraded our social culture is these days that in large sections of society the laws of civilised conduct are seen by the inhabitants as presenting an opportunity to show off by violating them. And then there's the effects of the drug and binge-drinking culture - both of which encourage a contempt for the law and civilised norms of conduct.'
Nosher ruminated on this for a while, then he said:
'It's interesting that the old doctrine that poverty causes crime was conveniently forgotten by NuLabour once they were in power, and despite all the extra welfare benefits they've handed out in the last eleven years crime has still risen inexorably, and our prisons are full to overflowing, even with the greater use of community sentences.'
'It just goes to show' I replied 'that being kind to criminals isn't the way to reform most of them - they just see it as a sign of weakness.'
'That's why I prefer vegetables - they're better behaved' said Nosher.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy contact us through the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Since the Dis-United Kingdom has more cameras for this purpose than almost any other country on Earth, with the express purpose of making the streets safer for law-abiding citizens, this news may come as a surprise to many people.
But not to Nosher and me, down on our little allotment in sunny South Gloucestershire. And least of all to the criminals who continue their activities with impunity.
'The reasons are not hard to see' said Nosher, relaxing into his old deckchair after a hard morning's work.
'And why do you think that might be?' I asked, accepting his offer of some parsnip wine.
'Well, for a start, most criminals don't expect to get caught' replied Nosher 'even with CCTV cameras trained on them. And second, even if they are caught, the chances of being sent before a judge are only about 1 in 20. Even if they do end up in Court, and if some crafty lawyer doesn't succeed in getting them off, they'll most likely get a derisory sentence which is no deterrent at all.'
We sipped our parsnip wine and gazed around at our peaceful little world. A few days of warm sunshine and little wind had brought our plants on well, and pea and bean plants were beginning their long climb up their canes towards the blue sky.
'There's the additional factor' I said 'that in many of our communities these days it is considered a badge of honour to have been convicted of a criminal offence. It is an indication of how degraded our social culture is these days that in large sections of society the laws of civilised conduct are seen by the inhabitants as presenting an opportunity to show off by violating them. And then there's the effects of the drug and binge-drinking culture - both of which encourage a contempt for the law and civilised norms of conduct.'
Nosher ruminated on this for a while, then he said:
'It's interesting that the old doctrine that poverty causes crime was conveniently forgotten by NuLabour once they were in power, and despite all the extra welfare benefits they've handed out in the last eleven years crime has still risen inexorably, and our prisons are full to overflowing, even with the greater use of community sentences.'
'It just goes to show' I replied 'that being kind to criminals isn't the way to reform most of them - they just see it as a sign of weakness.'
'That's why I prefer vegetables - they're better behaved' said Nosher.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy contact us through the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Action at Last Against Employers of Illegal Aliens?
Here in the good old Dis-United Kingdom our befuddled Government has released statistics that claim to show how successful the latest drive against employers of illegal aliens has been.
Apparently, successful prosecutions have reached an all-time high, and this is being trumpeted as a great victory by Gordon the Moron's self-deceiving Government (however, they've been wrong about so many other things...!).
Down on our little allotment Nosher and I were chewing over the fat one afternoon and the topic of illegal aliens came up.
'I prefer to call them illegal aliens' Nosher declared 'because as soon as anyone mentions immigrants the loony Left starts chasing red herrings and accusing people of racism'.
'Well, we live on a tiny island, the most crowded country in Europe' I said 'so it is essential we gain control over the influx of immigrants. Anyone who doesn't recognise that is a self-deceiving idiot.'
We were sitting, as usual, on our old deckchairs outside Nosher's shed, the afternoon sun beaming a warm smile upon us. Nosher leant across to refill my glass with his excellent home-made parsnip wine.
'Of course' he said 'this latest propaganda could all be a ruse by the Government to take the heat out of the immigration debate started by Dave 'The People's Toff' Cameron'.
Dave is the latest in a long line of hopeful Conservative leaders who have tried to swing pubic opinion against NuLabour. Dave is yet another one of these media people who has entered politics and who thus has problems appearing as anything other than superficial. His greatest asset, therefore, is Gordon the Moron and his bunch of Assistants in Idiocy.
Being too polished and contrived is rapidly becoming a liability for politicians in England - ordinary people can see through the facade and detect very little substance underneath.
No one can accuse Dave's political opponent, Gordon the Moron, of being too polished, though, except in the sense that a piece of furniture is polished. 'Wooden' accurately describes Gordon's public performances.
Thus Dave's recent successes in the local elections can hardly be attributed to his own personal charism, since he was campaigning against a piece of furniture. He could hardly lose.
'In any case' I suggested 'the dramatic rise in successful prosecutions of employers of illegal aliens could merely represent a dramatic rise in the number of illegal aliens being employed, because no one knows the number who are here anyway, by virtue of them being illegal.'
'The sooner we get out of the EU and regain control over our own borders the better' said Nosher 'but that is a forlorn hope.'
He paused and stared ruminatively into his wineglass.
'Let's face it, we're doomed. Doomed, I tell you, doomed!'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Apparently, successful prosecutions have reached an all-time high, and this is being trumpeted as a great victory by Gordon the Moron's self-deceiving Government (however, they've been wrong about so many other things...!).
Down on our little allotment Nosher and I were chewing over the fat one afternoon and the topic of illegal aliens came up.
'I prefer to call them illegal aliens' Nosher declared 'because as soon as anyone mentions immigrants the loony Left starts chasing red herrings and accusing people of racism'.
'Well, we live on a tiny island, the most crowded country in Europe' I said 'so it is essential we gain control over the influx of immigrants. Anyone who doesn't recognise that is a self-deceiving idiot.'
We were sitting, as usual, on our old deckchairs outside Nosher's shed, the afternoon sun beaming a warm smile upon us. Nosher leant across to refill my glass with his excellent home-made parsnip wine.
'Of course' he said 'this latest propaganda could all be a ruse by the Government to take the heat out of the immigration debate started by Dave 'The People's Toff' Cameron'.
Dave is the latest in a long line of hopeful Conservative leaders who have tried to swing pubic opinion against NuLabour. Dave is yet another one of these media people who has entered politics and who thus has problems appearing as anything other than superficial. His greatest asset, therefore, is Gordon the Moron and his bunch of Assistants in Idiocy.
Being too polished and contrived is rapidly becoming a liability for politicians in England - ordinary people can see through the facade and detect very little substance underneath.
No one can accuse Dave's political opponent, Gordon the Moron, of being too polished, though, except in the sense that a piece of furniture is polished. 'Wooden' accurately describes Gordon's public performances.
Thus Dave's recent successes in the local elections can hardly be attributed to his own personal charism, since he was campaigning against a piece of furniture. He could hardly lose.
'In any case' I suggested 'the dramatic rise in successful prosecutions of employers of illegal aliens could merely represent a dramatic rise in the number of illegal aliens being employed, because no one knows the number who are here anyway, by virtue of them being illegal.'
'The sooner we get out of the EU and regain control over our own borders the better' said Nosher 'but that is a forlorn hope.'
He paused and stared ruminatively into his wineglass.
'Let's face it, we're doomed. Doomed, I tell you, doomed!'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
England Loses Faith in Gordon the Moron
England is a very small place.
And our seat of government, Westminster, is even smaller.
So small, in fact, that it would fit inside the average shopping mall.
No wonder, then, that some insiders call it the 'Westminster village'.
But, as Nosher and I noted recently, this is a 'village' in which the head honcho, currently Gordon the Moron, is permanently in the media spotlight.
Betrayals of trust do not go unnoticed, and their consequences tend to come back to haunt the perpetrators.
Thus is was that on our little allotment in South Gloucester, Nosher and I were most entertained by the outcome of the local elections, and the London Mayoral election.
NuLabour (contracting the 'new' into 'nu' conveys an accurate indication of the triumph of 'spin' over substance) took a pasting, and Gordon the Moron was left licking his wounds.
Gordon the Moron is right to blame himself.
He is surrounded by his own personal choice of Assistants in Idiocy, most of whom need the sun to shine on them if they are to look anything like bright.
These are ideologues in a party which long ago gave up championing the causes of the working classes in favour of taking tea with rich city bankers.
NuLabour is not only a leopard that changed its spots, it's one that has forgotten that its previous spots ever meant anything at all.
That's why Gordon the Moron and his Assistants in Idiocy all sound so unconvincing.
Under Tony 'I'm such a nice guy' Blair NuLabour was about amoral pragmatism, not enduring values.
Tony has moved on to other ways of pandering to his egomania and making enormous amounts of money saving the world at other people's expense (usually much poorer people than him...).
Leaving Gordon the Moron promising a return to traditional Labour values.
But since taking over from Tony, Gordon the Moron has, in political terms, hardly moved beyond a slow shuffle.
And he has surrounded himself with an inner circle of Public Relations gurus, marketing people, spin-doctors, and experts in high finance.
Recently, presumably under their tutelage, Gordon discovered 'smiling', looking as convincing as a Cheshire cat that's drunk all the cream off the top of the milk, leaving the rest of us with the whey.
The fact is we're all getting poorer under NuLabour.
And those who are already the poorest have been hit the worst.
Meanwhile, the fat cats are getting ever fatter.
That's what NuLabour stands for these days.
It has betrayed almost all the people who put so much trust in it back in the heady days of 1997.
And now the tide has turned.
Hundreds of Labour Councillors have lost their seats, and dozens of Local Authorities have changed from being Labour-controlled to Tory-controlled, in a turn-around as convincing as the setback suffered by John 'I'm so grey' Major in 1995, which prefigured his overwhelming defeat in the General Election two years later.
So, as Nosher and I relaxed in the sun on our old deckchairs on the grass in front of Nosher's shed, sipping his excellent parsnip wine, we couldn't let the afternoon pass without giving our verdict on Gordon the Moron and NuLabour's performance in the local elections.
'Bunch of conniving manipulative idiots who deceive themselves they know what's best for us' was Nosher's contribution, to which I responded:
'But are the alternatives any better?'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you dont, it may not be there next time you visit!
And our seat of government, Westminster, is even smaller.
So small, in fact, that it would fit inside the average shopping mall.
No wonder, then, that some insiders call it the 'Westminster village'.
But, as Nosher and I noted recently, this is a 'village' in which the head honcho, currently Gordon the Moron, is permanently in the media spotlight.
Betrayals of trust do not go unnoticed, and their consequences tend to come back to haunt the perpetrators.
Thus is was that on our little allotment in South Gloucester, Nosher and I were most entertained by the outcome of the local elections, and the London Mayoral election.
NuLabour (contracting the 'new' into 'nu' conveys an accurate indication of the triumph of 'spin' over substance) took a pasting, and Gordon the Moron was left licking his wounds.
Gordon the Moron is right to blame himself.
He is surrounded by his own personal choice of Assistants in Idiocy, most of whom need the sun to shine on them if they are to look anything like bright.
These are ideologues in a party which long ago gave up championing the causes of the working classes in favour of taking tea with rich city bankers.
NuLabour is not only a leopard that changed its spots, it's one that has forgotten that its previous spots ever meant anything at all.
That's why Gordon the Moron and his Assistants in Idiocy all sound so unconvincing.
Under Tony 'I'm such a nice guy' Blair NuLabour was about amoral pragmatism, not enduring values.
Tony has moved on to other ways of pandering to his egomania and making enormous amounts of money saving the world at other people's expense (usually much poorer people than him...).
Leaving Gordon the Moron promising a return to traditional Labour values.
But since taking over from Tony, Gordon the Moron has, in political terms, hardly moved beyond a slow shuffle.
And he has surrounded himself with an inner circle of Public Relations gurus, marketing people, spin-doctors, and experts in high finance.
Recently, presumably under their tutelage, Gordon discovered 'smiling', looking as convincing as a Cheshire cat that's drunk all the cream off the top of the milk, leaving the rest of us with the whey.
The fact is we're all getting poorer under NuLabour.
And those who are already the poorest have been hit the worst.
Meanwhile, the fat cats are getting ever fatter.
That's what NuLabour stands for these days.
It has betrayed almost all the people who put so much trust in it back in the heady days of 1997.
And now the tide has turned.
Hundreds of Labour Councillors have lost their seats, and dozens of Local Authorities have changed from being Labour-controlled to Tory-controlled, in a turn-around as convincing as the setback suffered by John 'I'm so grey' Major in 1995, which prefigured his overwhelming defeat in the General Election two years later.
So, as Nosher and I relaxed in the sun on our old deckchairs on the grass in front of Nosher's shed, sipping his excellent parsnip wine, we couldn't let the afternoon pass without giving our verdict on Gordon the Moron and NuLabour's performance in the local elections.
'Bunch of conniving manipulative idiots who deceive themselves they know what's best for us' was Nosher's contribution, to which I responded:
'But are the alternatives any better?'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you dont, it may not be there next time you visit!
Friday, May 2, 2008
London Will Change - But For The Better...?
News that Boris Johnson had won the London Mayoral contest reached our little allotment in South Gloucestershire via Nosher's little trannie as the gathering gloom of evening gave way to the glow of stars over the fields as night drew in.
We had stayed late to do some bat-watching, the pipistrelles having started to come out of hibernation in greater numbers now that the warmer weather is here.
So as we put our bat detecting gear away, we listened to the ten o'clock news in Nosher's little shed.
'I guess with Boris the Buffoon in charge London is bound to change' said Nosher, not sounding too thrilled.
'Many people will think that Red Ken deserved to lose' I replied 'after all, he's used the Congestion Charge to earn revenue and made life difficult for a lot of poorer Londoners.'
'Still, given that London is home to some of the richest and greediest people from all over the world' Nosher continued, as if he hadn't heard me 'as well as some of the poorest, also from all over the world, one wonders whether our capital city can in any way be considered as typical of the Dis-United Kingdom as a whole.'
'Nope' I replied 'but then capital cities hardly ever are. And if Boris can keep his mind on the job and off pretty skirts and classical porticos, he might actually do London some good.'
'I'm just glad I don't live there' was all Nosher said in response.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
We had stayed late to do some bat-watching, the pipistrelles having started to come out of hibernation in greater numbers now that the warmer weather is here.
So as we put our bat detecting gear away, we listened to the ten o'clock news in Nosher's little shed.
'I guess with Boris the Buffoon in charge London is bound to change' said Nosher, not sounding too thrilled.
'Many people will think that Red Ken deserved to lose' I replied 'after all, he's used the Congestion Charge to earn revenue and made life difficult for a lot of poorer Londoners.'
'Still, given that London is home to some of the richest and greediest people from all over the world' Nosher continued, as if he hadn't heard me 'as well as some of the poorest, also from all over the world, one wonders whether our capital city can in any way be considered as typical of the Dis-United Kingdom as a whole.'
'Nope' I replied 'but then capital cities hardly ever are. And if Boris can keep his mind on the job and off pretty skirts and classical porticos, he might actually do London some good.'
'I'm just glad I don't live there' was all Nosher said in response.
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy, contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
A Blow Against Cynicism
It is not often in the Dis-United Kingdom that the powers of cynical manipulation by politicians are trimmed: one such occasion is the Court of Appeal's judgement that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence acted unfairly in restricting the use of drugs to treat Altzheimer's sufferers to those whose deterioration is already well-advanced.
Down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire this judgement struck Nosher and me as being well overdue.
'It's not as if the National Institute for Cynical Expedience can argue that these drugs do not work for those with mild Altzheimer's' said Nosher as we settled into our deckchairs on the small patch of grass outside Nosher's little shed after a morning's work on our little plots.
The sun shone, the birds sang, and our plants were growing well. There is a certain kind of satisfaction that only allotment gardeners feel.
'Still' I said 'there's a way to go yet. The Judge said that NICE's decision to withold treatment was unfair because it did not reveal the economic model it used in making its decisions to those it claimed to have consulted. When it does reveal this model, it will merely confirm that its decisions are made for economic reasons not medical reasons. NICE is about rationing care, not about clinical excellence. That's what the sceptics have said all along.'
'The tragedy is that so many people have died earlier than they needed to have done' said Nosher 'because NICE denied them effective treatment in the early stages of their illness.'
'All the more so when this cynical NuLabour government can easily find £100 billion pounds to bail out rich bankers in the City, but refuses to fund the NHS properly.'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
Down on our little allotment in South Gloucestershire this judgement struck Nosher and me as being well overdue.
'It's not as if the National Institute for Cynical Expedience can argue that these drugs do not work for those with mild Altzheimer's' said Nosher as we settled into our deckchairs on the small patch of grass outside Nosher's little shed after a morning's work on our little plots.
The sun shone, the birds sang, and our plants were growing well. There is a certain kind of satisfaction that only allotment gardeners feel.
'Still' I said 'there's a way to go yet. The Judge said that NICE's decision to withold treatment was unfair because it did not reveal the economic model it used in making its decisions to those it claimed to have consulted. When it does reveal this model, it will merely confirm that its decisions are made for economic reasons not medical reasons. NICE is about rationing care, not about clinical excellence. That's what the sceptics have said all along.'
'The tragedy is that so many people have died earlier than they needed to have done' said Nosher 'because NICE denied them effective treatment in the early stages of their illness.'
'All the more so when this cynical NuLabour government can easily find £100 billion pounds to bail out rich bankers in the City, but refuses to fund the NHS properly.'
More from www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com soon.
Find out more at www.paulsturdee.co.uk
and www.PGSBooks.co.uk
Paul Sturdee's book Is God a Terrorist? is available from all good booksellers.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy contact the PGS Books website.
Please support your local bookshop - if you don't, it may not be there next time you visit!
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