A turning point for the West - Paul Ryan's selection as VP on Romney's ticket!

I have been re-tweeting quotes from Ayn Rand Bot for some months and generally trying through this blog and other tweets to bring the lessons of the novel Atlas Shrugged to a wider audience, particularly in the UK where it is practically unknown or shunned.

Frankly I saw that task as pretty hopeless within my lifetime.

I could never have imagined that an American Presidential candidate from one of the two main parties would have the courage to select a running mate who had openly warned of the real dangers contained in Ayn Rand's writings. One article on Paul Ryan is linked here. Representative Ryan has embraced and promoted Rand's writings and anti-collectivist philosophy, see my tweets of yesterday.

The crisis in the Romney campaign, and in the US economy as a whole, must be even graver than I was thinking, which means it must be very, very grave indeed.

The writings of Rand lead to shattering conclusions touching almost all aspects of everyone's daily lives and presumptions - I therefore expect that Obama will now certainly be re-elected.

The West will then face the centennial anniversaries of all the grisly battle dates and events of World War One whilst experiencing financial collapse. It makes the dilemmas set out in John Redwood's posting of this morning requiring ever more urgent attention and correction!

The entire UK Treasury team needs replacing forthwith!

Allister Heath, Editor of City AM, and presently the media's number one choice for economic comment on the hoof, generally has some pretty clear thinking on the economic disaster through which the British economy is presently plodding its unimaginative way, has called in the Daily Telegraph, for George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to be be given until September to correct matters, read from here.

This could prove fatal

Britain may have two months before the Euro finally gives in to the ineviable consequences of its flawed construction, it may on the other hand have only two weeks or even perhaps a mere two days. In any event a new team should be given whatever period of time it can get to prepare for this certainty. 

The Osborne team, includiong the senior Treasury civil servants has been proven to be completely incompetent.

William Hague at the Foreign Office and Theresa May at the Home Office have proven to be similarly incompetent, and therefore cannot be considered candidates for any of the higher offices of State.

I would prefer John Redwood to be Chancellor with David Laws in support, the latter acting with actual financial honour and probity in the face of cant and sexual hypocrisy over the events leading to his resignation at the start of the Coalition Government. Redwood proves his credentials yet again this morning with some imaginative proposals to actually raise wages. These two men are clearly the best qualified and practically promotable as presently available,  given the dynamics of the crisis and adaptability shortfalls of the PM and his Deputy! Given the friendship of the former and political power of Osborne, it seems lucky an acceptable vacancy also seems to fall due at the Home or Foreign Offices.

Coalition political problems might require the team become Laws/Redwood, so be it - the civil service changes are probably as critical, given the obvious absence of new ideas behind the latest Treasury thinking, as presented yesterday by Osborne and Alexander, read here.

I will be taking a weekend break from blogging, no doubt all will be unchanged within the government upon my return, but I hope not - poor old Britain.

Strengthening UK ties to Norway

British PM Cameron's visit to Norway is shamefully the first by a British Prime Minister for 26 years, read here, yet the importance of the relationship between the two sovereign nations has never been so enormous - just as I tried to stress in my novel written over fifteen years ago, and still available from this blog.

Another big sign of movement in the same argument many have been advancing regarding the EU, for even more years than even that, comes with an explanation of the simplicity with which Britain could withdraw from that collapsing and corrupt construct, delivered by John Redwood MP on his blog this morning, linked from here.

My reply to John Redwood this morning - Greece Euro Exit!

§§§§§

Martin Cole
Posted May 8, 2012 at 6:20 am | Permalink
Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Hear, hear! Bravo!

§§§§§

An extract:

Mrs Merkel’s vision of a German disciplined EU with strict control of budget deficits is merely producing a no growth Europe with very high taxes. Rich and enterprising people are leaving the most stressed countries, or sending their money abroad. The tax base is falling. The private sector is being squeezed too much. People are voting against it, and against incumbent governments. The cash economy is thriving as people run shy of the tax collectors.  Just like the Exchange Rate Mechanism before it, European monetary ideology is taking too great a toll of people’s jobs and living standards. 

My reply to John Redwood MP today - UKIP vote

Martin Cole

Posted May 4, 2012 at 6:43 am | Permalink

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Results from the 200 odd wards in which UKIP stood, that are counted so far, show UKIP on about 13% up 5 points, not a bad showing at all. I will defer commenting further until all the results are in.

My reply to John Redwood today - Know-it-all Comments like mine!

Martin Cole

Posted April 20, 2012 at 6:32 am | Permalink

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“Talk is easy, as many of you point out, if you are not responsible for the matters you are talking about.” How true, how about this clincher:
“Talk is easy, as many of you point out, in your comments to this blog prove, if you are not responsible for the matters you are talking about.
I plead particularly guilty!

My reply to John Redwood this morning on Water Supplies

Martin Cole

Posted April 19, 2012 at 7:20 am | Permalink

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I cannot understand how as a sitting MP in the party that has handed our country lock, stock and barrel to Continentals, you can sit down and type this article and never once mention the handing of our water supply industry as a lucrative milch cow to foreigners.
Where I live in France, over the past few years, road works during the laying of new water mains and storage facilities have been something of a problem for several years, though thankfully now complete. That is where the money from England’s water payments has been spent and while we have suffered a very similar drought here in SW France, we have no rationing – thanks hugely to all you thoroughly treacherous Tory MPs! If you would arrange to take our country with its independence back from the EU, then perhaps many of us, together with our tax payments might return!

My reply to John Redwood today - EU Crisis

Martin Cole

Posted April 17, 2012 at 7:38 am | Permalink

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I think perhaps you might find the answers you seek to the questions you raise in this posting by re-working your final sentence as follows:
Instead of discussing how to finance failure, more thought needs to be given about how to get member countries out of the need for subsidised loans in the first place.

Some may wish to add the words “of the euro” in replacement, personally I would select “of the EU!”

The sinking of the RMS Titanic - some background.

One hundred years ago today the Titanic left Southampton on her maiden voyage, bound for Cherbourg where she arrived at 6:35 pm. Into what troubled European waters did she thus set forth?

The Pax Britannica which had allowed their Lordships at the Admiralty to rule practically supreme for almost one hundred years, whilst maintaining something almost akin to world peace, was clearly coming to a close.

To counter the threat of German ambitions in its dreadnought battleship building programme four super-dreadnought Orion class battleships had been ordered in the 1909 Liberal Party's so-called "people's budget".The "Entente Cordiale" with England's long-term enemy France had been agreed and Kaiser Wilhelm II had made his intentions clear with a failed invasion attempt aimed at The Wash, the Kruger telegram on the Jameson raid and the Daily Telegraph affair of 1908. and the emergence
While the British Empire appeared to be still near its peak, centres of political power were shifting, eg with the emergence of Milner's Kindergarten. The essentially German British Royal Family were then also approaching the difficulties which would inevitably come to a head at the outbreak of The Great War in 1914.

The Royal Navy still controlled the seas, the British Army garrisoned and maintained order across the Empire, the Colonial Office administered its affairs and the Government led the country whilst still then under proper parliamentary control, other forces, however, were also at work. Although Cecil Rhodes had died ten years before the departure of the Titanic, his contradictory attitudes towards Germany and his own legacy to Britain's policies in Africa had but barely begun to play out. The presence of W.T. Stead (dubbed by Matthew Arnold as the father of modern journalism) and first trustee of the Rhodes estate on board the Titanic, must also be considered as significant and will be explored in my next posting on the sinking of this significant and prestigious vessel.

Footnote: Interestingly the influence of All Souls Oxford in considering British Foreign policy continues to this very day, can be seen in this morning's post to John Redwood's Diary, where to add strength and perhaps authority, to an article on the Euro, he describes himself as follows: "Distinguished fellow of All Souls College Oxford" see here.

My reply to John Redwood MP this morning on saving the euro.

Martin Cole

Posted April 7, 2012 at 6:47 am | Permalink

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Mr Redwood, you state the following, which to my mind places you beyond the pale as a representative or spokesperson for those of us who see the objective of the EU as being to destroy its founding nation states together with all democratic representation for their citizens or subjects:
This will, in the view of the Heads of Government, leave a strong and united Euro zone with a group of countries whose economies have come closely together and who can live with the tough budgetary and inflation discipline which was always designed to be central characteristics of the single currency.
The collapse of the Euro Currency is a necessary prerequisite for the restoration of democracy or proper representative government within Europe; those aiding or bending the(ir) efforts to saving the euro, while (perhaps) avoiding potential short term economic discomfit are (they nevertheless not) in fact advancing tyranny? I fear you have demonstrated your true colours and finally that of the supposed members of the EU-critical wing of the Conservative Party.

My reply to John Redwood - Wolfson Prize on euro

Martin Cole

Posted April 4, 2012 at 6:45 am | Permalink

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Edward Hugh examines the political issues in a pdf linked here:
http://www.acting-man.com/blog/media/2012/04/Wolfson-Essay-revised.pdf
The original concluding paragraphs from last January, even more pertinent today were:
J.K. Galbraith observed: “Politics consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable”. To see disaster looming before choosing the unpalatable is a dangerous strategy”.

I wish I could believe Europe’s leaders will prove able to see the disaster coming while there is still time to choose the unpalatable, but with every passing day this belief gets harder to summon.

My reply to John Redwood this morning - Quitting the EU

Martin Cole

Posted March 17, 2012 at 9:28 am | Permalink

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Questions 1 and 2 do not require my guesswork.
Question 3 on an elected President I would guess such will probably be introduced as a token response to the democratic deficit as once conside by VdGd’E in his convention. A useless sop IMO!
Question 4 the interesting bit. The present UK, its system of governance, its national structures, its faith in the monarchy, civil service and present political parties are all in the process of being destroyed by the reality of what the EU has become.
Elected Mayors and English independence following devolution possibly involving ancient concepts such as lawful rebellion might play their part!
On the other hand our MPs could begin to perform the functions for which we pay them, ie by first restoring parliamentary governance.

My response to John Redwood this morning on Afghanistan.

Martin Cole

Posted March 15, 2012 at 6:35 am | Permalink

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Well said and the shale oil point is well made, but I personally fear that the US move aginst China in the WTO regarding the rare earth minerals export ban probably has much more to do with our presence in Afghanistan than hydrocarbons. I see no quick resolution of that!

My reply to John Redwood on Backbencher's powerlessness today.

Martin Cole

Posted March 13, 2012 at 6:46 am | Permalink

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I posted your speech on my blog last evening as soon as it appeared in Hansard – Hear, hear!
As you suggested, the problem goes much deeper, backbenchers are now part of a structure of government and control that is in the process of installing fascism in Greece, as I also posted this time yesterday as well as on the blog Orphans of Liberty.
What are our back bench parliamentarians doing about that?

John Redwood MP in Parliament today

Backbench Business Committee debate from late this afternoon, all contributions are on Hansard linked here.

Mr John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con):

This debate is about power and those on the Front Benches are misguided in thinking that it will enhance ministerial power to seek to influence the way in which Back-Bench business is conducted against the interests of all the Back Benchers who have turned up and spoken in today’s debate. It is wrong of those on the two Front Benches to impose a Whip on Ministers and shadow Ministers—[Interruption.] I accept, then, that there is no such Whip on shadow Ministers, but we will see. We will study the Division results with great interest to see the view that shadow Ministers take. It is wrong for Front Benchers to seek to stop Back Benchers continuing with their arrangements in a timely way.

I share a common cause with my Front Benchers as I happen to think, as they seem to, that Ministers do not have enough power. I think that there is a danger that under any Government we could have Ministers in office but not in power, but the reason is not our powerful Backbench Business Committee and the fact that it makes them come to this House to discuss things that they do not wish to discuss. If Ministers do that well, it enhances their stature. The reason is that too many decisions are taken by the European Union, overridden by the European Court of Human Rights or taken by independent quangos. We have the Environment Agency, the Bank of England and United Kingdom Financial Investments; Ministers are very limited in what they can do. I would happily make common cause with those on my Front Bench in getting Ministers more power and think that many of my colleagues would take the same view. We would be cheering them if they came to this House and said that Ministers needed more power to settle our borders, sort out the problems with prisoners, deal with taxation or money supply and so on. We want it to be accountable power, however, which is why we want Ministers to have more power but think that they should come to the House of Commons to answer for how they exercise it.

Ministers should get real. They are in danger of being in office but not in power because they will not take the accountable power they need to improve our country and to make the necessary changes. Their problem is not the Backbench Business Committee; their problem lies elsewhere. I urge my right hon. and hon. Friends on the Front Bench to wake up and smell the coffee, as the phrase goes these days, and to understand that people want a strong, proud and independent Parliament and that people want their Ministers to come here to talk about the difficult issues on any day. They want Ministers to talk about the issue that they do not want to talk about today, because that is what matters and that is what is topical. A strong and confident Government can debate anything at any time about their conduct, their views and their policies and the more we make them debate it, the stronger their case should be. I want the Opposition to challenge them, I want the Backbench Business Committee to challenge them and, above all, I want the decisions that matter for our country to be made here by accountable Ministers.

My reply to John Redwood MP

Martin Cole

Posted March 7, 2012 at 7:47 am | Permalink

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

I assume that your Party Leader together with the Deputy Prime Minister consider our position against Brazil as an irrelevance, as we are now all part of a much larger EU, which for the moment dwarfs the Brazilian economy.
Yet if sound thinkers, such as yourself, continue to sustain them in power the EU will continue to decline into corporate socialism and one day soon other developing countries will overtake the EU itself.

John Redwood MP goes Marxist

Usually a commentator of some sound sense, indeed I heaped praise upon John Redwood, for his contribution to the Fiscal Treaty debate last week, I am afraid in his diary entry this morning he has clearly departed from his conservative underpinnings.

An individual alone can be responsible for his health. The state interferes at its peril, and as we are seeing soon after all other common sense departs society. Health inequalities as Mr Redwood hints in his article are often, not always, a consequence of conscious decisions individually taken!

Are IQ inequalities at birth soon to be an area for interference by the Cameron coalition government, such would not surprise me - John Redwood cheering it on from the sidelines, before this morning, would indeed have done so!

My reply to John Redwood 9/2/12

Martin Cole

Posted February 9, 2012 at 8:32 am | Permalink

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“Surely the spending of £72,000,000,000 is an important issue?”
No, not really Mr Redwood. MPs have now mostly twigged what much of the general public has been aware of for some time. Our currency has been made worthless, politicians have spent too freely and added so many noughts that billions and trillions might as well be one and the same. Soon the spending of £72,000,000,000,000 will be of similarly little interest.
The twitter yesterday on the 100 loaves of bread at £1 being QE’d to £2 summed it up nicely.
I think you know this. But what think you of your leader in Sweden today, planning targets for women in Boardrooms, he continues thus thanks to your continuing presence upon his increasingly empty backbeches.

The EU - destroying democracy on funding from the USA and IMF

The following came in a speech from John Redwood MP in the same Parliament where onceWestern Europe's last bastion of democracy was based. Today that same democracy is under threat from the EU whilst being financed from the IMF and the USA:

"This is not only an economic crisis, this is not only a banking crisis, this is not only a currency crisis, but it is also now a crisis of democracy ... We see in some of these countries now that the electorates do not choose the Government; the European Union’s senior players choose the Government. We see in some of these countries that the electorate change the Government but they do not change the policy. The new Government have to pledge to follow exactly the same policy, which does not work, in order to get elected and to be acceptable to the European Union, in order to carry on drawing down the subsidies and loans from within the European Union that have to be on offer to try to make the system operate to some extent."

Link to report of debate.

Greece and our money

John Redwood MP, one of the few astute spokesmen in Westminster on the EU, chooses to write on the traffic light situation in and around Parliament on his blog this morning, this follows yesterday's offering on roads and before that on yachts. Prior to that post we did have something on Greece, but that was long before yesterday's harrowing IMF proposal.

For detail on that we must rely on the Wall Street Journal who fifteen minutes ago updated this comment, from Washington, where it remains the dead of night. This article presently concludes as follows:

Some experts and policy makers maintain the world needs far more money than even the IMF is seeking in order to contain the growing crisis. The $500 billion proposed by the IMF "is not nearly sufficient to provide bailouts for Italy and Spain," said Desmond Lachman, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute and former IMF official. He estimates that Italy could need $750 billion and Spain could need $450 billion for bailouts. "Additional money would have to be ponied up by the Europeans."
Those and other nations in the euro zone also face growing economic strains, raising the risk that they will need more than outside loans to recover.

It was 30th May 2010 that I appear to have first headlined a posting stating "Greece must exit the Euro and Default" concluding it as follows:

This blog has been stating this obvious fact as it appears in this posting's headline for some considerable time, in fact ever since the so-called Greek crisis first hit the headlines! Other common sense on the present terrible situation is in other postings below this.

Time and again since then I have blogged on the futility of pouring money into Greece, with no Euro exit nor devaluation possible and that it would would surely bring the world to its present point.

Little could I ever have guessed, however, that when we finally arrived at the crunch, even our brightest MPs would seek distraction with topics such as traffic lights, roads and yachts. At least Douglas Carswell MP yesterday recognised the acute danger the country faces, his Party leadership, in thrall to Clegg, clearly do not!