Walking home from a rare visit to the pub last night. It was a little like the old B.C. days, but not quite.
Ten years of self-imposed austerity following thirty years of under-investment; ten more to get out of the E.U., three years of you-know-what and now a seemingly endless downward spiral toward the sort of poverty that has not been seen in Britain for a hundred years or more, with a thoroughly untrustworthy and incompetent captain at the helm. Even before the latest crisis, six million people were regularly using food banks. I would like to think that the storm could not be more perfect, but there is plenty of scope to add to the perfection in the next few years.
I remember enjoying power cuts, but those were the days when we did not rely on it so much simply to lead what passes for an ordinary life. One of the one-sided trade deals that Boris made with Trump in desperation following us turning our backs on the EU, has lead to the import of liquified natural gas from the USA at unheard-of prices. The police have not even attempted to recover the billions of pounds of emergency loans handed out to fictitious businesses. It has just been written-off as a drop in the ocean. They just want the easy targets. Could there be an easier target than solving the alleged crime of partying in Drowning Street when most of the country were observing lock-down rules? Obviously not.
Oh well, Spring is on the way and I will try to be more entertaining in the future.
And maybe you know who's days are numbered - we can but hope.
ReplyDeleteTrouble is Gove might get the job. I don't trust Sunak much either.
DeleteI wouldn't trust any of them...
DeleteWhatever the party.
DeleteMany things today make no sense. Yet, I ask, "Do I not see a larger picture?" Regardless of the picture, it's going to be more turbulent times. This is certain.
ReplyDeleteAnd do you see a larger picture?
DeleteMadness wherever you look.
ReplyDelete5000 helmets from Germany to help the Ukraine - I wished the ground would open and swallow me up - so embarrassing.
1,65 million people in rich Germany have to go to food banks. Inflation goes up, energy costs for households explode. Here in Bavaria I just walk a lot through nature to calm down.
I remember energy and housing as being much cheaper in Germany than here.
DeleteThat depends VERY much on the place where you want to live. München, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Berlin - astronomic.
DeleteI was thinking of the North - Bremen and Bremerhaven is what I was going on.
DeleteI don't know what to say about my state's food relief. I know there are 3700 food distribution points in a not so big state. That's a lot of food being given out, but I'm sure for the folks who need assistance, it's buy food or pay the rent.
ReplyDeleteThe UK and the US are two of the wealthiest countries in the world. Something is wrong.
DeleteTry running a haulage business during the Saudi oil embargo of '73 when oil prices tripled overnight, and milking a herd of cows during the power cuts of 1970s . Ordinary life may have not been not so difficult for some but it was not easy for those trying to keep going in business. There is no magic formula for getting things right, energy companies were state owned in the 1970s and it still went wrong. If energy prices go up it is a crisis in the making, and this time we also have a pandemic.
ReplyDeleteWhen Saudi Arabia was awash with oil money, the poorest in the country had very comfortable life styles because the kingdom allowed the wealth to travel downwards. In this country we never see any of it and the poorest continue to subsidise the wealthy. More now than ever. You know what I am talking about.
DeleteI like your photograph ….. it reminds me of days gone by when we used to go to the pub . I’m not getting into the doldrums of politics. Depressing one’s self shortens one’s life! XXXX
ReplyDeleteI don't need to depress myself. Others do it for me.
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