IS ANYBODY TAKING NOTICE?

Niall Ferguson makes excellent documentaries around international economics, which are compulsive viewing for those concerned with which way the world is headed. His latest, China: Triumph and Turmoil, was in his usual high quality mould. His style is totally uncomplicated; covering the progress being made by the world's largest country; a Marxist state, making rapid strides to become the economic powerhouse of the world. Subsequently, this will give it the right to call the shots, when the West goes cap in hand for loans. It has already told the European Union that to secure loans, we need to work longer hours, and retire later. As if we didn't know that. Unfortunately, governments, for too long, have been sweeping the problem 'under the carpet'. Knowing full well that such decisions don't win votes, particularly in a country whereby Government pretends to play 'nanny'. The staple of regimes of the left, creating a comatosed state of mind for those who are prepared to believe such drivel.

China will automatically hit the 'buffers' at some future occasion, as it needs to maintain growth of around 8% per annum to sustain its current status. This can only happen if the rest of us purchase their modestly priced goods, which, no doubt, will increase in price year on year, with the buying power in the West, certainly in Britain, due to deteriorate, because of the soaring tax burden.

The future will remain uncertain as long as we let ourselves be in thrall of the marxist motivated unions, who see the situation as an opportunity to create major problems for the part of the nation who wish to work for a living.


THE CHINESE HOMILY IS CORRECT.

FORTHCOMING PLANNING MAYHEM.

New homes and wind turbines are coming to a greenbelt near you. Whatever the Government is saying about new planning recommendations, take them with a pinch of salt. The idea is to build as many 'affordable homes' as possible, whatever affordable means, and loss-making green power generation. This shambles of a regime is no better than the previous lot.

The repercussions will be devastating, only to encourage more people into this 'pint pot' of an island. What on earth is Prime Minister Cameron thinking about? The argument about bringing in immigrants who want to work has been 'blown out of the water' long ago. Having espoused about feeding ourselves in the past, I'll avoid repeating myself here. We do, nevertheless, need officialdom to be taking care of the future. Furthermore, there is no 'real' money for new properties; printing the stuff is not good enough. Refurbishing existing properties, within city/town/village boundaries has to be the way to proceed. Britain is storing a real 'powder keg' of trouble, sooner or later.

Which brings me to my favourite moan: How can health, education, plus the utilities, cope with all this 'school child' thinking? This could well be an insult to our children.


WHO ARE THESE CLOWNS TRYING TO PLEASE?

BUDGET FLACK RUMBLES ON.

One of the main problems of trying to run an economy, in a country that has a frightening debt burden. In the annual budget, there are apparently winners and losers. I use the word apparent because, in actual fact, we are all losing. All Chancellors play the robbing 'Peter to pay Paul' card. 'All Ed' (Balls) is still going on about robbing the poor pensioners, of which I am one, and giving to the rich. Although, as a pensioner, I could be annoyed at the re-alignment of the income tax threshold, nobody however is taking money from me. It can only be taken if it has already been given in the first instance. Equally, the Chancellor is not giving the wealthy anything, he happens to be taking less from them. History will show that, in giving entrepreneurs more scope, many of them will create more jobs.

An interesting letter to the national press this week from a fellow citizen of Nottingham, A. Shipley, still working at 71, suggests that he should still be paying the same income tax as people under 65 years of age; the funds have to be found from somewhere. Why should we leave future generations our appalling debt for them to struggle to repay? Also be aware that China will shortly stop picking up our IOU's.


KEEP AWAY FROM THE FAN.

ANOTHER MARCH, ANOTHER BUDGET.

One can be cynical regarding almost every budget, the latest being no exception. Nothing can be easy, by giving the impression of 'giveaways' within an economy so hopelessly in debt, thanks to the years of profligacy of the last Labour regime. In addition, the Government's Libdem partners wanted to include some of their input, particularly with a view to increasing the tax threshold. The Chancellor, therefore, decided to freeze the advantages extended to pensioners, of which I am one. In my case, the yearly increases in the threshold will presumably, in due course, level out. The freeze obviously means that I can't expect such an advancement in my tax threshold, which will then be the same as a working person's threshold. The idea, presumably, is for the tax system to become universal. What will be interesting to observe, whether or not in future years, the Chancellor will make different allowances to cover for the loss.

The other 'song and dance' item is the lowering of the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p; this, if we look at economies which are performing well, is not enough. China, a communist regime, has a top rate of 23%, probably a flat rate across the board for all tax payers. They copied this from the Hong Kong system, introduced some decades ago by British civil servant, John Cowperthwaite. This is proven to be the best way to get your people to work hard, by letting them keep more of their hard earned cash. Robbing Peter to pay Paul only allows the money to spiral into free fall, dissipating all the way, until we are completely broke. Buying votes with OPM (other peoples money) is a disgrace, from which the economy will never recover.


THE POLITICS OF ENVY.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (Von Tilzer/Norworth)

The title, which is a song written in 1908, is most apt, explaining Prime Minister Cameron's treats, at the behest of President Obama. Not only did Dave get to see a Basketball game (rather than a Baseball match) as suggested in the headline, he also got a lift in 'Air Force One'-----Big Treat.

It is election year of course, which makes it important to be seen to be over friendly with other western nations. It was only two years ago when the President was snorting 'fire and brimstone' about BP, over justifiable concerns regarding the Gulf of Mexico; that was not all down to BP however. Now we are witnessing a new dawn, due to re-election time later in the year. Right now we could say that it is Barack and Dave all the way, even at official functions. The author, nevertheless, does find this excessively phoney.

The situation in Afghanistan is not going to be resolved easily, and there is no way that we can blame either of the above for the situation, indeed, we are not blaming anybody other than the force behind the attack on 9/11. As Allies, we may, however, have checkmated ourselves, knowing now that the real problems are in Pakistan, close to the Afghan border.


HOPEFULLY THE VISIT WON'T BE ALL BALL GAMES.

CLAP TRAP TEACHING.

Having explained before about my obsession regarding letters to the press, the following caught my eye last week. The title is taken from a letter by Andrew Dempster, a former maths teacher in Perthshire, Scotland, who took early retirement three years ago, due to curriculum changes. The future was to be based around a 'curriculum for excellence'. Mr. Dempster obviously recognizes a 'pig in a poke' along with anyone who follows the machinations of modern politics; it's just something with which to bamboozle the punters.

He goes on to mention, at a recent parents evening, his son attends the old school. They were shown a YouTube video featuring a character advocating that information is the thing, not knowledge. What strikes the author is how sheep-like the world will become should this ever come about. It is easy to observe youngsters today playing on these modern 'gizmos', when many of us know that anything can be online. I'm not suggesting that all this information is useless, I use it often to support my radio programme, but I do know what I'm looking for. For many children, it is only a gimmick, which is soon superseded by an updated super 'gizmo', and there will be another one along shortly.


HITLER AND GOEBBELS WOULD HAVE LOVED THIS FACILITY.

POLITICIDE.

If ever there were a more infantile parliament in the author's seventy six years, he can't imagine when it occurred. The leader of the opposition is nothing more than a political 'muppet', facing a 'tart', each trying to outwit the other, with 'Alice in Wonderland' policies.

Let us first establish the main concerns which should be top of the agenda in this semi- democracy. We have just witnessed the so called solving of the Greek financial problems, by writing off £billions. In addition, an immigration problem that is threatening to envelope England in particular; something that won't help the water shortages, which for decades have been totally ignored. This is after we consider the effect on unemployment, particularly in the under educated school and university leavers, many of whom cannot speak a sentence without including the totally irrelevant 'like' or 'stuff'.

What does the Government of the day 'chew the fat' about? same sex marriages. Why do the Tories decide to pick a fight with the established church? The answer is of course, that's what 'tarts' do. They are happy to grub around any of the minority groups to pick up votes; completely ignoring their core support. Well they lost my vote at the last election by ignoring the pressing concerns brought about by our EU membership. I also consider the 'short lists', based around the obsession for women candidates. I don't think Margaret Thatcher would have supported that, because she didn't need it.

Finally taxation: we have got to reduce the tax burden at every level, something along the lines of the John Cowperthwaite system, introduced decades ago in Hong Kong; and it works.


UKIP IS THE NEW TORY PARTY.

RANGERS NOT ALONE.

Has a warning shot been fired across the bows of British football clubs? With Glasgow Rangers in a dire position, suggesting that they could go out of business, due to non payment of tax. The same situation applies to a number of football clubs in England, including some in the amusingly termed, Premier League. Pardon my laughter.

These outfits operate rather like a Labour Government, having little understanding that you cannot spend money that does not exist; but it is going on all the time. The best indicator that receipts are down, is that gates for cup matches are much reduced. The so-called footballers are pocketing a 'king's ransom', which comes from the public, either through the turnstiles, or subscriptions to satellite TV stations. Admittedly, much of the latter is garnered throughout the world. Things, nevertheless, are due to change. When are the tax authorities going to challenge the debtors in the English game? Alternatively, can taxpayer GB be forgiven for not being up to date with our taxes? We naturally know the answer to that. The sooner we get rid of these overpaid, in many cases, nonentities, who, often arrive on the pitch, looking more like the 'Ant Hill Mob' than pro. sportsmen, the better the game will be.


WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK.