Biased? The BBC? Never...or....

Something strange happening in UK society – the BBC being accused of being biased. NOOOOH, please not another accusation! Not Auntie BBC? Yet it is funny but I have been getting hot under the collar for a while. It is the fact that the BBC seems to have become aggressive in its reporting. Ms Maitliss in particular. But there are others. When you look at the news we can see Mr Corbyn being portrayed as Saint Corbyn, smiling, waving the microphone. So, yes thanks BBC you’re doing a grand job.

There is however a nasty side to all this – I am an avid history addict and it is rather disconcerting to note that all these things have happened before. The propaganda, the appearances of a political leader at large rallies, selected public adulation, exposure by the media. When, you ask? In the early thirties, in Germany. Now, we know how all that ended. I am not bothered about proper politics, leaders have to have media exposure, and yes a strong opposition is paramount. But here we see a very weak opposition which is portrayed as the saviour of mankind! Gullible and wet behind the ears students lapping up the political promises without even thinking how all that could be done.

The Labour party machine has linked with the vague feeling we all have that ‘things’ are not right and are ruthlessly exploiting it.

The ruling party’s failures are highlighted to enormous extent by media sensation-seeking interviewers. So, what now? Well, I think the BBC needs a make-over and fast as the wrinkles are getting ever deeper. Bring Mr Corbyn to heel, after all he is the leader of an opposition party and not a second-coming. And tell Mr McDonnell to return to his rich upbringing and study economics properly. Moreover start showing our youthful, lustful students and all those from 12 to 21 that Marxism, socialist leftish thinking is not the answer to our ills.

Austerity, go,go,gone...

Ah, election over, austerity over. Problem is, what exactly IS austerity? We hear a lot about balancing the books and yes, that seems to make sense. Sense at least for ordinary people like myself. I certainly try not to spend more than I bring into the home budget! Is that making sense?

Austerity meant mostly cutting public spending by the government in the name of ‘balancing the books’. Admirable in one way but very problematic in other ways.

But governments are on a different level. For a start they control the issue of money. That is to say the amount of money that is in circulation. They can and do print more. Called quantitative easing. We noted this action when billions were spent to bail-out the failing banks. So national economics is not quite the same as home economics. So, was the Labour party wrong in calling for billions to be spent on so-called public projects such as nationalising the railways, and possible other industries, water, power etc. Dropping university fees and reorganising the benefits culture (expanding it probably). Surely very popular as the general public voted in more Labour MPs. Well, Labour has always been the champions of short-term thinking. The problem is that the underlying economic problems do not just go away with throwing more money at them. What options do governments really have? Taxation is one of them. Increasing taxes will bring in more money obviously but it will also decrease the amount people can spend. This might also lower prices in the shops as competition for orders increases. There again more business taxation will increase prices.

Governments can increase the amount of money in circulation by increasing the number of public projects. Not just nationalisation of public services but spending on infrastructure, roads, transport links, public services (NHS). But it will increase inflation as well. There are no easy solutions, it is a tightrope. All these things are linked, you tinker with one and another either dives or rises.

Presently most governments ‘borrow’ money through issuing bonds (so-called gilts) which is not in itself a bad thing but it can get out of hand as well. There is the fact of having to pay interest. Presently in the UK that stands at some £50billion annually.

It is funny but our quest for better wages means that more spending follows, increasing tax income for the government but also increases prices as there will be more public competition for the available goods.

What a mess we are in, all at the behest of consumption, production and spending. Kids should be taught economics at an early age as the so-called ‘Youth revolution’ in the latest general election showed without doubt a total misunderstanding of the reality behind the political slogans. It was a self-centred result of the type of quantitative easing mentioned above. No university fees, millions more homes, and grants for almost everything. Utopia with a price tag around its neck. Cheers, I’ll have my beer now before Heineken goes bust.

Trust me they say - Oh? Why?

I always enjoy election campaigns and listening to all the interesting promises candidates, especially the party leaders, make. The first thing that is important to remember is they are promises, not actual intentions to incorporate into policy. The second thing is the finance details or rather lack of it, are widely inaccurate or simply based on approximations about present standards.

Meaning they have no idea of how these promises will possibly be worked out. I suspect we will hear that after the election these promises were well liked ideas and hopefully would be carried out but that at the present time and in the uncertainty of the political world, they are not affordable. In other words, no change.

Although Mr Corbyn is gaining ground, possibly because of his appearances in strong Labour areas only and filmed by pro-Labour BBC newscasters his ideas are basically and completely unaffordable. Even if he had the intention of actually carrying them out! I just cannot believe these people who continually mention – we need more money. The problem besieging the western world is this, we have built up a society that needs ever increasing amounts of cash to function in the way we have come to expect. Free this, free that without thinking as where the cash is to come from. Well, the cash comes from taxation in all its guises, VAT, Income, NI, plus a host of others. This tax amount can be roughly calculated. So, if we spend more than that income we need to borrow to cover the deficit. As the total debt of the UK now stands at about £1.7trillion you’ll see we have a problem. This debt must be serviced and cost the nation well over £50billion annually. Wasted money. Money owed as a share of the economy hit 84.5 per cent, yes you heard it here. It works out at about £2,600 for every person in the UK (that includes babies, sick persons, everybody!). Now if we think that is normal, vote Labour or any other shallow thinking party like the Greens. If you think we should do something about it, leave and emigrate to New Zealand or put your name down to be the first to colonize Mars. Because until the Conservatives get a proper grip this situation will continue.

Cobblers and more cobblers

I am an avid watcher of political programs, especially now with a General Election looming.From time to time I can assure you these programs are worthwhile watching as they are comparable if not better than Live at the Apollo (a comedy program worthy of the name). You will see well dressed, well-fed people in tuxedos or evening dresses spouting all sorts of rubbish. Reality just being circumcised and mudslinging the norm. Now I don’t mind the mudslinging I can do a bit of that myself. But when I hear Jeremy Corbyn’s ideas of how to put things ‘right’, his inability to add up, I begin to wonder of how much of his ideas will actually be carried out if he was elected as PM? I am sorry but can the UK actually afford him? We already have a £1.7 trillion debt hanging around our necks and by all accounts this could reach £2.5 trillion by 2025. Don’t make a mistake, Theresa May also has to borrow at least till 2020 if elected as PM. This country needs to wake up fast, we need to take hold of our debt culture. Perhaps our elected wonders have taken the line of ‘After me the flood’. In other words, who cares about debt, it will be sorted but not just yet, and not during my time in office. Precisely the Labour ideas of economics! As they proved during their tenure some years ago. Who has forgotten Liam Byrne’s cryptic note – 'No money left in the kitty'. Sooner or later the bill will be presented – who will pay it? Well, take a guess it is not too hard to figure it out.