Is there a need for Parliament?

Let me ask a question – why do we need a Parliament in this country? All decisions, at least those that seem to matter – are made in Brussels. There will be more and more so-called unity, an army and the Lord knows what else. So, why then bother with a load of costly nobodies who could not even agree on a few quite simple things? What sort of credibility has Westminster got now? Messing about, claiming lavish expenses, some illegally. On top of that there is a House of Lords where if you attend someone stuffs £300 in your pocket. What a shower. On that alone, although I voted to leave the EU, I would say abandon all pretence of self-government and obey the will of Brussels. We are not fit to govern ourselves, that has been shown very clearly indeed. The basic truth is this – Westminster is a defunct anomaly. It is or has been made crystal clear where the loyalties of MPs lie. It is with Brussels. So therefore do us all a favour and just go back from where you came from. Let the decisions be made in Brussels and I for one will sleep a lot better. It will save us billions. If you think this is tongue-in-cheek well have you got another idea? Don’t answer that. We’ve had too many already.

Plastics, plastics, and more plastics....

It is a funny world – sure is. There’s so much talk about plastics, the environment, Brexit and God knows what else but no-one says anything about what kids get served up on the BBC and other channels like POP. I was watching as my grand kids like Gizzy and the Rats or otherwise known as Lemmings amongst others. The ads that came in between showed the most incredible crap toys and rubbish you will ever see. Talk about plastics! As my granddaughter said ‘Those little things, will they get to the ocean?’ Who in all honesty thinks that buying some gooey ‘sand’ is a good thing? Perhaps parents who do buy stuff like this need a quick lesson in why the planet we all live on is in such a state! It starts early, apparently children learn the most in their first year. Behaviour is most likely formed then but don’t take my word for it. In my experience it is the first two years that are most important. Anyway, people , just keep on buying the rubbish but remember this, every time you buy something advertised for ‘children’ it is just another nail in the collective coffin.

Plastic is basically a good thing, it has many good uses, medical amongst others but used for packaging and making useless 'toys' it has become a scourge. I will never forget the sight of an Indonesian river on which the water is not visible because of all the floating plastic bags and other detritus. Nice. As we now know it all ends up in the oceans and in a way it comes back to us as food. (When we eat the fish that is full of micro and nano plastic particles). I am sure I might float in the sea this summer thanks to all the plastic in my body. Wow!

Do politicians have some idea about money?

It always surprises me when listening to politicians speak about the state of the nation, for instance the number of police lost over a ten year period, or the deplorable state of education or care issues, they always point out the money side. They want more money, not just a few pounds, no we’re talking billions. Well, yes everything has a price. However, there is never an explanation as to how it has to be paid for. From my point of view, I get a certain amount of money on a monthly basis as indeed do most working people. That I can spend or save. But I spend according to a budget. If I go over that I have to delve into savings or borrow. I think this simple rule is the same for the country. And indeed they do, as the nation goes short every month and therefore have to borrow. That figure today stands at some two trillion pounds! £ 2,000,000,000,000. Costing some £55 billion in interest payments annually. So, how then if I may ask politely, do these politicians always ask for much more money when basically they should know the position? It means they close their eyes at the reality in the belief that it will be alright on the night. Keep borrowing and spend it on their frivolously expensive projects that benefit no-one. Remember Labour’s past by squandering the income from North Sea oil on scandalously expanding the benefits system amongst others. We now have a Conservative government at least trying to address the situation. But they attack it from the wrong angle. Instead of reducing the apparatus of government, they cut services like the police and education. We really do not need separate governments in Wales and Scotland, we need better government without thinking about historical events and ideas. We need less control! In other words does the palace of Westminster mean anything other than an absolute drain on resources? It is not fit for purpose. We can have government for the regions as indeed we had and still have in the Welsh and Scottish Offices. However if we have to have separate governments, we should go the whole way and be a nation on a federal basis. So, Wales and Scotland would pay for themselves. It will mean much more tax being levied but services have to be paid for, they do not just fall out of the sky. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Except in my house when my wife buys a nice ham salad baguette. But I pay for it in other ways later. Ah, that’s life!

Our waste, where does it go, where does it end?

There are many words written in the various newspapers and on TV about the state of the oceans and seas. The plastic problem. But it is overlooked that in the western world it is us who are so careless. Even in a backwater such as the Rhondda in South Wales the roads, paths and byways are clogged with discarded paper, plastic wrapping, cellophane, small gas canisters used to sniff gas. Left-over food from places like McDonalds or Burgerking are all over the place. Especially in those small places, badly lit where cars can be parked and people dealing drugs. That is the society we have built up in the 21^st century. It is not a very good credit on our collective earth balance. Basically we are all guilty of ensuring our species will go the way of the dinosaurs. This might be quick but could be agonisingly slow. Unless we come to grips with the situation. There is not an easy solution as it will necessitate a complete re-think of what we want our society to be like. Cars will have to radically be reduced in numbers. Multiple car owning a no-no. And moving into electric cars, full stop! We will have to think differently about distribution of goods. Think differently about the problems that excessive profits bring. We cannot have a laissez-faire society with 7 billion people around. It is a fact that companies in the main do not think about their impact on society. Take McDonalds, do they really care about their impact on society? That their waste clogs the roads and waterways and eventually arrives in the oceans. That their demand for beef has and still is cutting down the Amazonian forests? They deny all of that and will tell us they do everything in their power to clean their bit and they do try but their products are used by us, the most unscrupulous beings on the planet that have no problem in discarding all unused packaging and left-over bits all around. Indeed, we are the problem, we need to change our attitudes but so do the companies and businesses. It needs to fit seemingly together. Well, I keep on dreaming.

Ed I forgot to say that the waste we produce and we talk millions of tons every year, unless recycled into other products will be with us for years to come as landfill. Even the waste that is exported to Chine amongst others is poisoning all and sundry. We really do need a good approach to packaging, but besides all of that we need a public change of attitude. We must, it is essential, take pride in our environment because it is the only, YES ONLY, thing that we need to stay alive! It produces our air, our food and our water, need to say anything else?