(Disclaimer: I'm a layman - I accept this...)
You know, I can remember the fond old days when it was only the United States of America who insisted on involving itself in messy protracted civil wars in places where their political and social ideologies were somewhat alien to those they were fighting to ‘free’. However, as their international bitch, it seems the United Kingdom now sees fit to dive headlong into a military operation which even from the outset seems likely to be a protracted and bloody affair.
Thank goodness we chose to invade Libya. I mean it wouldn’t do for us to be running headlong into Yemen or Bahrain where barbarism and cruelty are similarly employed by the ruling regimes to neutralise the threat of revolt amongst their subjects. No… The truth is we quite like the people who are running Yemen and Bahrain or at least our very powerful friends do anyway.
And of course, it wouldn’t do for the US and UK to simply follow the terms of the UN mandate. It now seems that the legal tenets of the document have been stretched to such a point that it now covers killing civilians, shelling indiscriminately in cities and now it appears – exterminating Gaddafi.
Thank goodness for the spring budget. An opportunity for the government to provide the big society with a dose of that fairness they have been offering. And yes they have indeed unburdened motorists at long last with a 1p reduction in the price of a litre of fuel. Thank fuck I hear you all cry given that they’ve also increased the VAT on fuel by 3p a litre thus ensuring you now only pay an extra two pence at the pumps.
And lo, the government has also decided to freeze council tax this year for all householders in England and Wales which aligns with the current tendency to freeze council tax in Scotland. This same council tax freeze has led most local authorities in Scotland to scythe frontline public services and seek ‘efficiency savings’ by trimming away at support services for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Imagine the scenario… You used to attend a very popular and accommodating social group run by caring and vocational individuals. Sure you’ve got autism and a tendency towards violent mood swings by they seem to understand the problems and are always there for you no matter what happens. Hell now you think about it you’ve been waiting all week to attend the club and its little things like this that make you feel so much better about yourself now you’re no longer living in that horrible hospital.
And then… Oh!... The Efficiency Savings Director has decided that people like you don’t actually require these vocational services and could probably manage fine without them. That’s right! Lump it!
Freezing council tax is all very well and looks good for the government. But I can guarantee you it provides a blank mandate to councils who can now trot out the trodden national government line that cuts are essential because there simply won’t be the money to pay for services anymore. And the first people to get it in the neck will be the ones who always get it in the neck – those with recognised conditions who in themselves too battered and worn out from their trials with the system to even put up a fight any more.
It seems this government is so near sighted towards the interests of business and is therefore content to spit out the occasional nugget to win big fonts in the tabloids. So near sighted in fact they’d probably consider resolving the above issue by offering everyone with a recognised condition (of any type) a 1p VAT reduction on wheelchair purchases.
I’m sure they’d even be loathe to do that. I read recently that Westminster council is working towards making it illegal to provide food to homeless individuals and also make ‘begging’ illegal. This is the big society at work people. Well at least we are allowed to be ‘the big society’ until we take the whole thing too literally and start providing food to our most vulnerable members. That aside, the presiding conservative council and the national minister ultimately suggest that these measures will encourage homeless people to seek placements, tenancies and ya-de-ya-de-yas which – sadly – are dropping out of existence due to the efficiency savings we discussed earlier.
At my most conspiratorial, I’d hazard a guess that the plan is to get all homeless people and all other vulnerable individuals off the support rosters and into the care of the NHS. It’s already happening in Scotland where efficiency savings are pushing many people back into the bosom of the health service where previously they’d been getting along fine with a little helping hand.
But it seems to me that in alarm clock Britain if you cannot help yourself then you’re pretty much fucked!
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