Political Correctness.

I was going to wax lyrical about this dreadful 21st century curse following a couple hours on YouGov this morning. A young women had written that she felt oppressed by PC and unable to truly express herself and that it actually had effected her life in a subtle way leaving her often frustrated at not being able to discuss real life problems.  Briefly, PC had left her at disadvantaged and unhardened to the real world and laid down oppressive rules on her right to free speech. It made me realise that many kids these days are so closeted in mind and spirit through the nanny state and PC that the real world, or the 3/4 of it that is very un PC and really does not care about their felling, can be a terrible shock and that too many of the worlds problems are now shrouded in the Taboo label of UN-PC and so never discussed.

In so many areas of life, in the "first world" we see how PC has brought about a generation really unable to cope with life, or even discuss it.. For example I saw a girl go into melt down recently because the shower had run out of hot water.. Meanwhile downstairs we were watching the plight of the refugees in Somalia. To have given the lady in question a pointed comment in front of her PC mother would have been nearly as bad as shouting shit at the Pope and so the opportunity to correct of at least inform the young lady and give her a more balanced view of life was lost.

In so many areas now PC has stopped us from addressing real problems and made brave people shy away from telling the truth in case they offend or indeed break the law. It is of course fascist and beggars belief that people of intelligence can be so scared of anothers views or comments as to effectively ban free speech. I often wonder how this came about. Probably the sixties when it was "cool" to oppose everything and support nothing but the right to oppose. I for one wish it would dry up and blow away.. PC is really very Stupid, stunts conversation, effect argument and has no place in a modern democracy. Time it went!

List of Huntingdonshire Cabmen week ending 25th September 2015.

Due to administrative discofibulation concurrent with the hyperinflationary problematic vibraphonics found in the  mainframe at head office we are unable to publish the portion concurrent with the current list currently.

Therefore, only notices are available for publication this week. The problem is being worked on by our IT department who report that the epicyclic main thrust parameters are regurgulating within plus or minus five gigawotsits above best fracture levels and outside of normal temperature and climatic conditions, this may account for the loss of data before wide girth band interconnectivity prolapsed, as was the case last week.

Naturally we will keep you posted, or use the post if its not fixed soon.

Notices:
Births
Maurice and Susan Humbleton-Mousdroppings - a son - at home tuesday last. Blessings at St Bolder in the Vales.
Marriages
George Coal and Susan Lump - saturday last - Civil Registrar - Civic Hall.Barnstaple. Reception at the Car wash High Street Filling Station Straddlethorpe Lancs.

Deaths
The death of Sir Hadrian Cuthbert Mantrouser-Extension DSO, KB, Woolwich Arsenal Rtd at home in a his bath tub with a fan heater. Wife doing well. Donations to Save the Korean Humpbacked Ganderduck please.

Miss Grace Frenella Fannyfuddle-Gladly Msc in Burbleton - upon - Soar,  Nursing home. Missed by her Game Keeper Boris. Flowers only please. Service next Wednesday St Ditherintons in the field.

Europe in disarray.

What does one do when it appears the lunatics are running the asylum? We are under siege from migrants and refugees who are intent on living, as they see it, the easy life in Europe. Greece and other states are crumbling under the pressure. Eastern Europe is putting up fences as fast as they can and no one has a clue what to do other than have another conference and fall out a bit more while the migrants and refugees wonder over and take up scant resources and housing.. Sounds harsh? Well, we have a million kids already in this country living in poverty and close on a million families basically homeless living in poor, or temporary accommodation how do you think they feel. We already need to expand the school places by 75000 (thats a lot of places) and the impact on the health service and local authorities has been massive. In other words we cannot cope with the 66 million people in this small island never mind take on a million or so more. Plus.... hot news, all these people breed and have large families.. So, in ten year time and with no end in sight......Mayhem.

Naturally, just to make it more interesting against all advice HM Government decided to treat Assad as the bad guy he probably is and do nothing in Syria.. Now the Russians are going to do it for us. Mind you with no military capability anymore what could we have done. Good luck to the Russians.. You never know if they manage to stop ISIS they may also stop the need for the Syrian refugees to come here. However, that will stop the millions now on the move who have been encouraged by open borders and social media to come and have a better life in Europe. We really need to get a grip and fast.. The future with climate change and more wars over religion, resources, a useless UN and politicians too scared to make the tough decisions is dire.

Dad auto appears to be a myth.. I cannot believe the stupidity of nearly the largest car company in the world to try and pull a stunt like this. What could possibly make them think they could get away with it. I for one love VW's or should I say did! I now feel cheated and stupid for telling everyone about the myth that was VW. They now deserve all they get. Although I feel sorry for the workers. I wonder how hard the German Parliament will try to save them?

Also, Its interesting but no one seems to have linked VW with the fact that those same engines can be found in SEAT and Skoda cars.. So the number could be enormous.

Of course the million dollar question is how many other companies have cheat systems on their cars? I bet there is a lot of people worried this weekend.

List of Huntingdonshire Cabmen Week Ending 18th September 2015

First Gear
Kendle Mint-Cake
Sandra Spoon
Agnes Plumpness
Stephanie Squid

Second Gear
Mandrake P Hermitage-Tit
Wilson Humpback-Whale
Drag the Druid
Evan Evans

Third Gear
Mandy Moon
Graham Gradual-Incline
Wonder Wobble-bottom

Fourth Gear
Linda Lips
Sidney Syrup
Elspeth Elongated-Hernia

Fifth Gear
Trevor Tragic
Poly Gon
Pavlo Pavement
Eradicus Fallowfield

Overseas chapter
Wilbur Neanderphalis                                                          USA
Blastfart the terrible                                                              Tibet
Count Siegfried Von Largebratwurst-mit-Prom Fritz             Germany
Inoff the Red                                                                        Russia


Court notices:
RIP:
Terrence Totally-Toasted. At Burnley Crematorium Tuesday Last. Late donations to British Heart foundation.
Sandra Partially-Charred.    -       Ditto      -  Flowers only please

Marriages:
Edward Knee and Edwina Fumble announce there engagement. Bands going up at All Saints Wetherington-on-Sea.
Marriage of Wilson Brian Arbutnot Undergarments and Wendy Windpipe at St Crabbs in the field.

Births:
Marlow and Mandy Minge - a boy - early at Teddington Lock Suggestions to Points of view BBC TV Center W1.

With due Homage to John Cleese for the following

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Syria and have therefore raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.” The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s get the Bastards.” They don’t have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide.” The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.” The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France ‘s white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.” Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”

The Germans have increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose.”

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be alright, Mate.” Two more escalation levels remain: “Crikey! I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!” and “The barbie is cancelled.” So far no situation has ever warranted use of the last final escalation level.

A final thought – ” Greece is collapsing, the Iranians are getting aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC”.

War and Peace

In 1983 I was posted to Cyprus arriving just as the US Marines arrived alongside the French and Italians in order to go and sort out the mess the Israelis had left in Lebanon. I was sent because of my particular skill sets to work as RAF liaison based on board the US Iwo Jima and Guam, both US Marine assault carriers. I had a grandstand view of what followed. The Iranian/Syrian backed Hezbollah was on the rampage fighting the Druze and Israeli backed Christian Phalange groups, the later had only recently had been involved with Israeli approval in going into the refugee camps on a slaughtering rampage. Maggie Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were the heads of state for the UK/US back then and sent a task group along with the French and Italians to sort the mess out.

It was a fascinating three month med cruise and to my eyes an impressive use of massive gun boat diplomacy that got absolutely nowhere. We even had a second world war battleship the USS New Jersey and used it on several occasions to great visible effect but little impact on the problem we were there to solve. I think Beirut was the first modern conflict in some ways. We had factions who hated each other and a region with massive religious and ethnic/cultural divisions that had been cobbled together by the French after the first world war. But without the Turkish Empire, the previous owners, to impose peace. It all unraveled as most of these places eventually do and continue to do! So, used to conflict were the people of the Lebanon by the time we got there that no amount of force would stop the killing. Funnily however Dallas the TV show would stop them. It was transmitted on Middle East TV at 6pm everyday and that was the only time the fighting stopped and folks could shop and get a breather for an hour.. We called it the Dallas hour! Once the show was over the fighting started again.

It is now a much worn story  as along the way all the multi national force took severe casualties and the US Marines 299 killed and many wounded in a Hezbollah truck bomb.. Probably one of the first major suicide bomber attacks and proof in my mind that we just added to the casualty list by being there. It would not be the last time I felt that way as the next 30 years of conflict unraveled before my increasingly cynical eyes.

Somalia was the same story of massive force being defeated by asymmetric warfare and still it goes on. I often wonder if we do more harm than good by trying to impose peace by half hearted attempts at force of arms. These religious cultural wars - lets call them Tribal wars - are really civil wars in the hardest terms. Long held blood feuds and cultural fractures are drivers that flare as peoples once oppressed by greater empires release tensions long oppressed in a blood fest.

In Ireland we (the British) tried pretty much everything to get the tottering peace we currently have.. But, it is a truth not well known that the IRA had to be beaten to the table when in the late 80s the gloves came off and the British really went to town on the IRA and caused them significant casualties. So, perhaps Carl von Clausewitz had it right in the 18th Century when he said ironically  "A conquer is always a lover of peace"

Given the nature and probable outcome of the problems in the middle east I see no reason why it will not get a hell of lot worse before it burns itself out and the people of that region settle for peace.. For how long depends just a much on the nature and force of the peace imposed as it does on the will of the people to have peace.. Sadly!

I think peace should be a cause best left to those able to impose it and who understand the implications of loosing it. once again Clauserwitz had it right when he said "to secure peace is to prepare for war". It would seem the Russians are doing just this in Syria, as this is written and we shall see how much "peace" those at war in Syria can take before getting the message and settling for an imposed peace.

In conclusion, I think the world lacks the will and the forces to impose peace on most of Africa and the Middle East, but the fall out from it in suffering, refugees and its consequent impact on Europe may change this.....I hope it does...because I can see nothing but pain and suffering unless peace is imposed by force. Given how little these groups actually fear the forces of peace (for want of a better word) I wonder how much horror must be unleashed upon them before peace prevails.

So, why did we fail in Somalia and Lebanon? Same reason as Vietnam really, lack of conviction, wrong tactics and not taking on the opposition with a total focused offensive spirit designed to totally crush them. War can never be waged half way. Its either total or fails.

Sad but history proves it.

The Corbyn Factor

Soooooooooo, Its started already. One day into it and the media are cuing up to pour scorn on every move the new shadow cabinet make. My goodness Jezza has them panicking. The Tories are telling us we will be dead within the week and penniless within days if Corbyn is allowed to breath and  the shiny Blairite suit and tie brigade are deserting the front benches for the shires while plotting his downfall.

Stay tuned folks and watch how the vultures of the media circle and pounce upon anything the shadow cabinet does..Naturally, if they do well then stand by for the media making it up as they go along in order to bring them to heel. How long do you think it will be before we find that Corbyn is related to Lenin or Che? Or, his Aunt Maude was a fascist black shirt in the 30s.

Well I for one wish him well in his attempts at sorting out the sorry mess our Parliament has become and particular good luck in stamping on the smarmy sods who even now have not paid back the money they stole from you and me in the expenses scandal. 24 members of parliament found guilty of mall practice have still to pay back what they owe and indeed have had their debts written off. Why, because to chase them would cost more than its worth apparently. My Goodness me try that one on with a power company or the bank.  Good luck Mr Corbyn in making those we elect responsible to us for what they do.. Any chance of sorting out and publishing the Iraq war report please, or what actually happened to Dr Kelly? You might even start by putting a few of the previous labour party cabinet on trial.. Just a thought.

In Hungary and other places along the migrant/refugee track there have been clashes it seems. In Hungary a crowd of some hundreds of local people gathered and stoned a refugee/migrant train in a station and its getting hotter in Munich it seems. However, as predicted they borders are being closed and Merkle has been told to shut up by the Bunderstag.

It will not end well unless the EU gets its act together and I dont see it doing that anytime soon. A very great pity because at the end of world war two with millions of displaced people on the move we did a good job all things considered. Now with a fraction of the problem in real terms it seems beyond stupid not to seize the nettle and sort this problem out before it becomes a cock up of biblical proportions.. As it will !

Terms of endearment

I could not believe my ears this morning when the radio news informed me that the care commission (presumably a commission that cares?) had inspected a care home in Yorkshire and found it to be homely, but the terms of address were inappropriate. Such terms as:
Dear
Love
Cherub
and one Lady who requested to be called "Parsnip" (her family nic-name) and was so called by the staff. All these were found to be inappropriate. God help us!
Firstly, its Yorkshire they are forms of endearment in common use and should be a comfort to elderly folk used to using them all their lives.. Lighten up care commission.

When I was a kid I was addressed as far worse than that and you have no idea the bond that can be established by being called:
Me duck
Pet
Pudding Chops
Wee Bear

All the above being nice ones. In later life i was frequently called worse and still am, but in good humor and by friends. There I suppose is the rub.. Once again Liberal inclusionism gone mad. We must all conform.. Well, no we must on no account do so. As long as it causes no offence to "normal" folk we should not conform. Long established forms of address totally have a place in the culture from where they come and should be applauded. I for one would hate to be addressed formally in a care home by the staff who when all said and done can be the only family old folk have and in my case probably will be. Call me what you like ducks..Ill take no offence, long as I know your a gud-un!

See, thats the point! Its what you have in your heart that counts

Briefly, Sadly and predictably Germany and Austria are joining the list of European Nations putting up the fences and alerting their armies to control the influx of migrants/refugees now emboldened by social media and the media to tramp the fields to a safe heaven or better life.

Ironic that Merkel taps into popular feeling by flinging open the German Borders only to be told within days by the Bavarian and other impacted states to retract the offer and shut the doors. Anyone with half a brain could and did tell her that a mass influx of refugees/migrants would swamp the authorities and indicate to desperate people that now was the time to flee. And so it has happened.

I say ironic because Chancellor Khole in the 1990s did a similar thing by recognizing Croatia and prompting the start of the Bosnian Wars. It seems inappropriate verbosity and not thinking through the consequences is a German trait.

Once again; please Europe get a grip and rapidly get the rules sorted and then implement them. Its criminal what Europe is subjecting these people to and the southern countries impacted by this tidal wave of human misery.

 Its one thing to make the news Madam Chancellor and brief popularity, but sometime your job is to look for a long term solution and it seems to me your not. Europe needs to get a grip.

Following Huntingdonshire Cabmen List is approved for the week ending 11 September 2015:
First Gear:
H. Prune- Stone
Wenslydale Humpback-Whale
Prentice Pratt
Nelly Candlewick-Bedspread

Second Gear:
Ford Prefect
Austin Cambridge
Morris Oxford
Dennis Fire-Engine

Third Gear
Grand Wizard Hamilton Marsh-Gas
Terrapin Turps
Mandrake Mongoose-Pillion Snr
Hercules Plenty

Fourth Gear
Basil Thunderpants
Henrik The Dane  (Scandinavian Chapter)
Graham Gradual-Incline

Fifth Gear
Trevor  Horizontal-Azimuth
Lord High Poo-Bar and most masterful Beaker of the planet Arghhhhhhhh (Alien Chapter)
Lady Pringle Elspeth Derby-Dingbat. third countess of Dingbatshire twice removed current toilet role in waiting to HRH the Princess Royal of Spode and Crown Derby.
Spencer Led-Astray

Notices:
RIP
T. T. Roast (third gear)at the base of the stairs.. Tuesday last following a short trip.  Flowers only to his wife Mavis.
Birth is announced of daughter to Ann and Mathew String-Vest at home with her socks on. Christening at St Staples the Stationers Wycombe on the 15th.

Other business:
Nil.  

Yeahhhh For Jezza Corbyn

I have to say I am socialist with a very small "s" and one would think the current crop of Blairites in Labour HQ would be just my cup of tea. But, they, in common with their greasy professional politicians and ever present add men, who inhabit no 10, really do leave me shuddering. Therefore, a promise of a return to clause four, public ownership of the railways and power companies is no bad thing in my mind. Plus and here is the big one for me,  a proper conviction politician in his mums cardigan opposite Cameron in his Savile Row Suit at Prime Ministers Question time has my mouth watering with the prospect of Tory for dinner. Yum yum, go to it Jezza.

I may have to revise the size of the S soon, because the more I think of it the more I like the thought of an end to bankers influence and the injustices that see the old, sick, unemployed and poor having to suffer under rampant capitalism. Yes, up the workers.. Its time the Labour Party returned to its routes and the Blairites went and joined the Conservative party where they belong. Clear out the money lenders from the church! It must be my Miners routes coming out and having laid dormant since the strike. Granddad would be proud today.

Maybe its the start of something? Along with the socialists doing so well in Greece and Spain. Are the poor and disposed finding a voice? All those poor Liberals also found a cause? I hope so. . Could be the sound of the International may be heard at the Labour Party conference.

Of course the "smiley's" and add men currently doing a "Tessa Giles" in Labor HQ will be planning how to kill Jezza off before he can do toooo much damage, or more particularly give them the boot into more productive and possibly manual labor! So, I hope our boy has the "right stuff" because he has got a hell of a task on his hands.

So, congratulations to the millions who spent £3 to support him and I for one extend to him all the luck in the world with trying to bring a more humane and honest form of laborism to the commons and I hope to our lives. I really hope he can rock the commons and unify this country by making it a more fairer and equal place where we can be proud of looking after our old, sick and less fortunate and give a fair chance to all

Unless your one of the one percent who own 99 percent of the wealth? In which case I wish you a healthy income tax bill and on behalf of the poor thank you..

Probably time you shifted your fat greedy arse abroad?

The Privacy of Choice

You would think by now we would have learnt to live in peace and harmony and in balance with mother nature...but nope! Wherever one looks there is trouble and no matter how one tries to live a peaceful life there is always a fly in the ointment intent on provoking a fuss. Indeed, it becomes more difficult to actually maintain some kind of control over ones life and destiny as control and power over the people of this planet becomes the intent of commerce and the state.

Freedom of the individual and self determination are areas much of interest to the greedy profit mad companies that intrude on our every day life. From computer snooping, data selling to constant advertising and brain washing the marketing gurus and media companies are at us 24/7 trying to sign us up through fair means or foul. Recently I was signed up to a power company without even requesting to be so. Erroneous transfer they call it. The case now rests with Offgen.

Similarly with the state one can be registering to vote and find ones name and address have not just been logged to vote, but become an item of data with a price to be had. I recently trawled a website and found out all sorts of things about myself. Some true, some false and all rather concerning considering I volunteered none of it.

Self determination was once deemed to be the essence of personal freedom and I for one miss it greatly. Privacy now is deemed a cover "if you have nothing to hide" is the constant rejoinder to anyone wishing to snoop on ones privacy and a bovine excuse to pry, frequently used as a pretext to have a good root around in someone life. The mere fact that everyone has something to hide and a right to do so escapes the people wishing to have a look around in ones life until that is the compliment is returned and it is they who are subject to the spotlight of the snooper..

Alas as far as the security services are concerned I can see the point to greater control being given to the state over the citizens it protects. But how often is that scrutiny a pretext to gather information simply to exercise greater control over us. Checks and balances with over sight committees may be extent, but are they? There is always a nagging doubt.

It was with this in mind that today I arranged my own funeral. No service, no family, just cremate and ring a person to come and collect the ashes.. Simple and no fuss. Also, remarkably refreshing to be able to have control of one aspect of ones existence.. If only briefly and ironically without being.............erm.....there!

differrent People

Once upon a time, before liberal democracy took over and told us all how to live, this world was happily divided without really knowing it. We all lived on the same shared planet and it was usually ok to be different in religion, creed or nationality. Indeed, your nationality often was the point. We often celebrated our nationality and religious differences in our own national ways under our own flag. As a youth I well recall truly enjoying visiting and being a guest in another country. To experience the customs and culture was the point of many a trip abroad. Not so now it seems. half the world is a no go area and one would not wish to be in half the countries I once knew as happy and stable. How things have changed. Tolerance replaced by bigotry and religion certainly has caused more than one war and no doubt will continue to as long as we get so upset over having the same God.

Once the point that folks of common bond liked to live together was the point. They put great store by their nationality and no amount of so called enlightened modern multi-cultural integration will stop people of common bond wishing to live together on their own land. The Olympics and many competitive areas of sport prove the attraction of nationalism even today. England V Germany will always BE England V Germany. I for one would hate to live in a unified Europe where its custom and culture played so little part and we only celebrated our union and bland nature.

History and the future will continue to show that folks really do get upset when you try to stop this most common of traits and try to separate people of a common bond. From the mess caused by the Europeans at the end of the first world war and their cutting across tribal and ethnic lines with the creation of the middle east as we know it today, to the Gulf war and its fall out from that proves one should never give a liberal a map and a pencil. And yet, we continue to meddle where we are not needed. How many would still be alive now if they had been left alone to sort their own problems when the Ottoman Empire collapsed for example.
How long did the Balkan wars last due to half arsed attempts at unifying instead of allowing them to sort out problems that had lain dormant for 70 years and thousands more come to that.

Half the strife in Europe currently being manifest is due to repressed ethnic problems caused at the end of world war two. How many would be happily alive now had Stalin not decided to re-configure the Soviet Union to his own ethnic tastes and crush all decent, which now readily boils to the surface. Why do you think Poland and Hungary will only take Christians from Syria? One messes with ethnicity and religion at ones peril. Yet we still persist to do so!

Once upon a time a simple polite phrase linked us all "live and let live" and another was "when in Rome do as the Romans do". I have lived on all the continents of this world and found that I never offended anyone by doing these things and wish for nothing but the same in my own country to be observed by guests visiting here. Should they wish to live here I have no problem with that as long as these simple rules are observed. But I have a very considerable problem with anyone wishing to visit or live here trying to change the nature, faith or customs of my country and there is the problem as far as Englishmen and women are concerned. We do not wish to be anything but English by nature and culture.  Respect for each other is a two way street and currently in many parts of this country that is becoming a rare thing. Politicians should bear this in mind.. I see nothing good coming of doing otherwise.. as history proves. .

List of Huntingdonshire Cabmen

List of Huntingdonshire Cabmen week ending 4th September 2015:

1st gear:
Worsnip Dingle
Gregory Gripe
Percy Parnsip
Daily Tonic

2nd Gear
Humpty Blastfart
Mandrake Miser
Prentice W Walderblad Snr
Grott the Terrible of the planet Zog

3rd Gear
Hamilton Housetrained
Mandy Mouse-Trap
Fred Fumble

4th Gear
Unidexter Unbridled Lust
Erwin Appliance
Susan Undergarments
Fred Thread

5th Gear
Marsupial Mainbrace-Gargle
Arch Bishop Marmalade P Walrustittie
Baroness Brenda Blast-Foghorn of Strangled in the Hedges Glos.
Prentice Poopshoot

RIP
Mary Mongoose-Featherstone on Tuesday last, in bed. Donations to Arthur Dents Truss only please.

Graham Graduated and Miss Pamela Pavement are pleased to announce their engagement this thursday last. Bands to be played at St Grundfuttocks in the meadow. Objections welcome.

The birth of a boy to Sir Basil Blustery-Bloomers OBE KCBE DFC VD and Scars Retd and Marsha Blustery -Bloomers etc etc is announced at home following a brief bought of wind.

Club News;
The Wansworth Ladies Chapter announce the winner of the guess the scones terminal velocity as Mrs Catherine Capacity-Crowd with 2.4 meters per second.

Refugees

Ive spent the week watching the media going totally overboard in a feeding frenzy over the refugee migration to Europe. No aspect has been left without coverage, no spokesman left speechless, no pressure group un pressed no historical aspect missed and no politician persecuted to within an inch of the poor sods life and actually having to do something.. It has been as merciless as the wars from which these poor unfortunates flee. I will not concentrate over much on the fact that the media have driven this problem and in no small way caused a very marked escalation in the  mood and probable emergence of fear and violence as they do in every conflict..

It is a great shame for Europe and its European union is riven with fractures both political, national and ethnic and could well do without the press winding it up. The east of Europe will tell you honestly (the Polish, Czech and Hungarian Politicians already have clearly) that they want no truck with Muslim refugees and they east of Europe knows only too well the problems of religious and ethnic divide. Plus the east of Europe now makes up a third of the population of the EU and has a voice.

Thereby hangs the problem. The European Union has not the mandate or the mechanism to sort this problem. It was never created to be a Super State with a single parliament and thus foreign policy capable of handling this and the other problem of forced or economic migration that will haunt it unless it either becomes a super state or respects the self determination of its member states.

Further, it is not for the Germans to tell the EU how many refugees it should take... It is for the UN to request and the UNHCR to oversee by agreement. We have these organisations for a reason, we are a part of them and we must use them for the purpose they were set up for, or indeed make them do their job as they are responsible to us for doing that job and my goodness they cost us enough in donations.

Above all, it is not for the media to create the agenda and drive the debate, they are un-elected at best and riven with private interest at worse. Rebecca Brooks is a case in point!

One last point; Historically it is totally wrong to compare the end of world war two and its mass deportations, migrations and refugee problem with today. For example over 4 million Germans were evicted from Poland and the Czech Republic alone. It took the allies powers almost a decade to sort that problem and to compare the current problem with that is fatuous at best.

We have to learn from history, by all means, but we have to stop running around like a bunch of headless chickens and use the organisations we created to deal with this exact problem and that may well mean telling the press to go away and leave the professionals to it. If we do not then we are in for a very bad century indeed for this problem will increase and if forecasts of climate change and its effects are accurate then God help us.

I remember some years ago when I worked for UNHCR and we were faced with the eviction of the Bosnian Serbs back to Serbia. It was a very hot summer and a line of tractors and trailers as far as the eye could see headed towards the Serbian border with exhausted thousands was dramatic and heart breaking. However, very few camera crews covered that sorry picture. The Serbs were viewed by the media and the west as the bad guys of the conflict and soon to be bombed and so somehow less worthy of our pity. Oddly I never thought of a family prostrate upon a trailer in incredible heat as being bad but the media managed it. But there you have it. Once again you believe what the media can cram into a tv screen sized picture and if your told something often enough then you jump on board. Modern brain washing at its best.

The problem is, it is usually far from the complete picture and in this case the Serbs mainly unreported got on with, put their fire engines on and sprayed the convoys with water as they arrived at the border. They then took the refugees to reception centers and the Serbian Red Cross and UNHCR fed them..

Perhaps, once again, if we got the United Nations to do its job and took the veto away from China and Russia we may be able to sort the wars these people are fleeing from and then they would not have to flee!