Now be honest, is it any wonder that I'm confused? And, no, it's not just because I'm on old geezer, I think even a smart young graduate (do we produce any these days?) would find the current situation as exemplified by our 'glorious leaders', either 'over here' or 'over there', exceedingly puzzling. As far as 'over here' is concerned I am pleased to announce the birth of a new political party - the New Lib-Dem-Labour party which now runs our 'septic Isle'. The 'Old Labour' party is, of course, no more. It has been reduced to a sort of junior leaders training camp run by UNISON. The only interesting thing about it, as their temporary leader gulps and gawps his way around trying to look and sound older than 14, is whether or not 'Blinky' Balls will start one of his usual subversive campaigns to denigrate his wife's ambition to be the new leader. The divorce hearing should be a sell out!
Meanwhile, the New Lib-Dem-Labour government pursues its socialist goals. A few weeks ago it was learned that the Treasury would, as it were, 'go into business' - well, it has such a proud reputation! - by taking over the duties of the banks and lending money directly to businesses. Any doubts that the mandarins can actually read a balance sheet should be dismissed immediately and the notion that some smooth-talking spiv could pull the wool over the eyes of a fully-trained civil servant with a Double First in Media Studies from Hull University is nonsense. Already flushed with the prospects of becoming bank manager to the country, the New Lib-Dem-Labour party are now set to become our national mortgage lender-of-last-resort. Having a bit of a prob raising the 20% deposit to buy a new house? Easy, just tap up one of Dave's local mortgage managers and he'll see you right. And let's just be clear about one thing, the evil (evil, I tell you!) actions of irresponsible bankers in lending zillions to people who couldn't even raise a decent deposit is absolutely deplorable and should not be confused by Dave's wonderfully wise benevolent policy aimed at invigorating the moribund housing market. So that's alright, then! Sorry, what was that? What's happened to the Tory party? I'm not too sure but I just met this mad hatter who tells me it has disappeared down a rabbit hole of infinite length in pursuit of some neutrinos rumoured to move faster than light!
Meanwhile 'over there', appearances are equally deceptive, according to Victor Davis Hansen at PJMedia - and my thanks to Malcom Pollack for pointing me in the right direction. Poor Mr. Hansen finds himself in not so much a hall of mirrors as a veritable gallery of distorting reflections. He characterises Barry's mind as an "imaginarium", that is, a place in which is, is not; and what is not, is; and vice versa, and so on ad infinitum! And I think I'm confused! But you can't blame the poor chap, as he explains:
Those who now vote against raising the large Obama debt ceiling are political hucksters and opportunists; those who not long ago voted against raising the smaller Bush debt ceiling were principled statesmen. “Unpatriotic” presidents borrow $4 trillion in eight years; patriotic ones we’ve been waiting for can trump that in three.
Catching known terrorists and putting them in Guantanamo is very bad; killing suspected ones by drone assassinations — and anyone unlucky enough to be in their general vicinity — is exceptionally good. Tribunals, renditions, preventative detention, and all that were bad ideas under Bush-Cheney, but could become good ideas under Barack Obama, the law professor who often sees no need to follow the law when an immigration or marriage statute is deemed regressive.
And then there is this:
Twenty-four months of a Democratic Congress, and over $4 trillion in spending, resulted in 9.1% unemployment and near nonexistent growth. Yet the culprit for the current situation is ten months of a Republican-controlled House that has yet to approve another $500 billion of borrowing. In the imaginarium, just a little more of the massive amount that has failed will not fail. But if the Republicans are to be blamed for not wanting to waste the last half-trillion, are the Democrats to be praised for borrowing the first wasted $4 trillion?
There is more and I urge you to read it. meanwhile as I sit here wobbling my lips with my fingers as I play with my yo-yo it is a small comfort that 'over there' Mr. Hansen is probably doing the same!
I thought the mortgage scheme was an excellent Tory idea, and would like to suggest another. If Conservative Campaign HQ read this blog (and I'm sure they do!) and pick up on it, then remember that you read it here first!
Why don't they spend billions of taxpayers' money starting up a big chain of supermarkets? A bit like Sainsbury's or Tesco, but they could call it something grey and governmental like "GovShop". This would stimulate the building industry and wholesalers, and create thousands of jobs for people working in the stores. Then (this is the really clever bit!!) they could keep their prices artificially low, subsidised of course by the taxpayer. That way, the other supermarkets would have to keep their prices low, and because the poor would not need as much money, savings could be made in benefits.
Alternatively, they could go into car production. Somewhere in the midlands would be sensible, and they could subsidise cheap shitty cars with taxpayers' money. They could call it something with "British" in the title...
Clever, or what?
Posted by: Whyaxye | Monday, 21 November 2011 at 19:32
'W', as my friends were wont to say to me after one of my performances, "Wonderful isn't the word, darling!"
Thinking back , I'm almost ashamed of selling those old second-hand Allegros and Marinas to the deaf, dumb, blind and those without a sense of smell!
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 21 November 2011 at 21:10