I agree free markets need some regulation to control fraud, misrepresentation and general corruption but when the interference goes further it always end up being for politics, i.e. the selfish interest of politicians and party's. What makes a free market very difficult is national subsidies which are usually for political reasons too. Still despite all the downfalls free markets are still better than state controlled where everything becomes a weapon for the control of the population. That is what we are now seeing.
As for Musk, why should he care about foreign policy? He has to obey the law, if the policy is important it will be made law. If you refer to the satellite issue and Crimea, that could easily go against him a few years later. If the US government unanimously think it that important they could've forced him. Why didn't they offer up their own communications systems?
You will always get people taking advantage of other's misfortune. Why is it ok for some and not others? The trick is to minimise. Additionally, it should not be the state's job to "protect" everyone from stupidity. We have right now a classic example of state "protection", the Online Safety Bill. Sold as protecting children but in reality a general censorship bill that allows institutions to censor any speech they like. This what happens with too much government. We are heading towards a globally coordinated neo-feudalism sold as being "nice", once in place it will be tyranny, brutal and destructive. Behind the scenes it won't be millionaires or billionaires but the same trillionaires that have always controlled things only now with global systems they can take full control. Left or Right are becoming 2 redundant sides of the same coin. "Pricks" doesn't even begin to cover it. I don't think there's a word that does. Pure evil is the closest.
This country is in a terrible state what with the current prime minister who hasn't been elected and Stammer who hasn't a clue and no other party that could replace them this country is in for some thought times I think
"A newly released national survey suggests the percent of adults who have used illicit drugs increased to 12.8 percent in 2022, up from 7.8 in 2001, though still below European averages. Portugal’s prevalence of high-risk opioid use is higher than Germany’s, but lower than that of France and Italy. But even proponents of decriminalization here admit that something is going wrong. Overdose rates have hit 12-year highs and almost doubled in Lisbon from 2019 to 2023. Sewage samples in Lisbon show cocaine and ketamine detection is now among the highest in Europe, with elevated weekend rates suggesting party-heavy usage. In Porto, the collection of drug-related debris from city streets surged 24 percent between 2021 and 2022, with this year on track to far outpace the last. Crime — including robbery in public spaces — spiked 14 percent from 2021 to 2022, a rise police blame partly on increased drug use."
Never mind the cost of the ridiculous policing of the current drug policy. Portugal reduced theirs by 18 per cent? That’s bad for business. 75 per cent drop in heroin users? Can’t be having that. It’s like that here, in Ireland. Actually worse in terms of what you can be convicted for. No cautions for minuscule bits of puff, you are convicted and fined. Heroin use is a fukn epidemic, like much of the globe, post the USA/‘coalition’ Afghanistan invasion. A corrupt drug squad here. A fukn sick joke when it comes to drugs. And health. Different topic, I know, but not really, as the policing waste of money could go to health. Treating addicts, as well as those on multiple year long waiting lists just to see a specialist on any capacity. The Labour Party here, turned a sharp turn to the right a long time ago. I’ve watched your lot go bonkers from afar. I loved there actually, when kinnock was fucking things up. What a slide they have gone on since. Blair went bananas in office. And now they are indistinguishable from the other lot. Tories by proxy.
It suits all of the parties, here and in the UK, to have socioeconomic black spots riddled with addiction. And crime. Keeps everyone in a job.
I’m afraid that limited bandwidth will apply across the board, to every policy. The austerity blinkers are on. Laser focused on everything and if you are not part of that focus, you are gonna get screwed in one way or another. Or a combination of both and some more they will dream up.
It's high time for our citizens to drop allegiance to "Parties Per Se" and switch to supporting such politicians who actually make sense..... ie:- oppose right wing policies
“Labour” (when did they last deserve that name) thinks being elected is much more important than not being like Tories. It’s the same in Aotearoa New Zealand. We don’t have an actual left wing party here and neither do you in the UK. Surely, surely, there’s a need for one. In fact, many. Joe Biden is more left wing than Keir Starmer and goodness knows you’d hardly accuse the US Democrats of being left wing. Shame on you, Starmer.
It is well past time for the left wings in the UK, US, NZ, and who ever else to begin collaboration to establish left parties in all their nations. The right and center-right parties clearly do, on an informal basis; otherwise their efforts to close their 'Overton Windows' to us wouldn't be so similar.
I don't want a left wing party by current definitions. I want free market capitalism in a liberal democracy with safety nets for the unfortunate. I want a level playing field of equal opportunity not outcome. I want people respected for doing good work in equal measure be they a doctor, engineer, CEO or plumber. I want an education system that pays equal attention and help to the gifted as it does the problem kids.
Define free market capitalism then. As far as I can see, it’s the untrammelled free-ness of our current model of capitalism that is destroying the world.
t's largely unrestrained but following sensible laws against corruption. Investment banks that go bust do not get saved and if there has been illegal activity such as fixing the markets they are prosecuted and fined an amount that puts them off doing it again . Over time the bad businesses go bust and disappear, they are not propped up and paid for through taxes. Today governments, all governments bail out these people because they are "in the club".
You'll noticed that when a financial institution goes bust people it owes lose money. Individual debts however don't seem to get forgotten.
Look what happened in 2008 and not much changed. If there had been a clear out as painful as it would be, we would not be facing worse now.
True, but it wouldn’t have happened at all without the loosening of financial controls over the last 40 years. And imo there ought to be no way for the likes of Elon Musk to contravene US foreign policy with his damn satellites. Eg. The reason there’s inflation is massive profits for a few; the rich bastards always know how to cash in on a disaster, in this case Covid, but show me any disaster (or war) and I’ll show you a few greedy pricks making money out of it. Sensible laws against corruption? Excuse me while I fall about laughing.
The objective of both Parties, probably Libs as well, is to "build back better" for which they first want to damage our society to the point we allow them. The "better" bit will not be for us though! In fact looking at the current trajectory it will be thoroughly miserable for those that survive unless they find a cosy position in the "Party" just like the Soviet Union or China. Once they have "built back better" there will be no freedom only servitude until you are no longer productive.
So there will be no real solutions to drug misery, it adds to the destruction and helps justify wealth transfer to pay for the problems.
People need to get it out of their heads that our current politicians feel any obligation to serve the people. A Reset is required, not theirs, ours.
All true but you forgot to mention that the Green Party has the only policy for full decriminalisation of drugs in England and Wales and is working on and off estates to push for diversion, end police stop and search for cannabis (which mostly targets young Black men), promote harm reduction. And Scotland is about to set up a safe consumption site (not for cannabis but other drugs) in Glasgow. So some movement in the right direction in the UK, but not in Labour or the Tories
We have the Green Party in power here. They are part of a coalition . They had all that you mentioned as their drug policies but forgot all about them once they were in power. Again. They were last in power, propping up our equivalent of the tories in a coalition, when the 08 crash occurred. They were enthusiastic as anyone else on the sweeping austerity measures that destroyed our society, has done for a decade, and because of PR the bastards are back in again. We thought we had seen the last of them.
Unfortunately most of the Green Party's policies would bring more misery than drugs do. There may be climate change but I seriously doubt mankind is a significant driver through CO2.
I love your word describing the current “war on drugs”, bollocks is perfect! That can be said without being like f*cked up. Neither side of the Atlantic has a clue of solving the drug problem. You cannot treat addiction with platitudes or slogans and I don’t have an excellent plan. Wish I did. Possibly someone could consult those governments that have successful programs and policies.
Same issue here in the US, for that matter, all around the world. Likely money flows into Keir's pocket from those who profit from the use and sale of drugs.
Such a shame that Labour will probably win, but change for the people still will be stifled.
We have PR here in Ireland. It makes no difference. They work around it as they have deep pockets in the big parties. They run big campaigns and those without the resources for proper exposure don’t get enough votes. It’s a fiasco . We currently have a coalition govt that nobody actually voted in. One of the main parties, we we’re actually voting out!!! And the biggest party, because of links to paramilitary groups , were excluded from the talks on that basis, by two parties that fought a guerrila campaign against the English, partially, and a bitter vicious civil war amongst themselves in our past. Fukn mafia. No mandate. And no dialogue on any policy really. They just carry on regardless with failed policies, and the more it divides people caught up in the silent leaderless vacuum , the better.
We also need to be realistic though. We are currently stuck working with the First Past the Post voting system (yes, I voted for PR, so I am allowed to whinge!), so realistically in most constituencies it is a straight up choice between Labour or Conservative. And that is replicated across the England, where 85% of the population live, so that the National choice is a Tory or Labour government. We have *got* to choose the lesser of two evils here, or the Tories will get in *again*! We know from experience that coalition politics don’t work well in Britain, the way that they do in European countries, and that a hung parliament just messes up the economy by frightening the financial markets (no, I don’t like that either, but it’s what has happened in the past and is most likely to happen again).
Do I *want* Labour (as they currently are) to win? No, not really. But what is the most likely alternative? 5 more years of Tory starvation for all of our services, councils, public sector, etc.
So until there is a *workable* alternative, I’ll vote for my Labour MP (who is a excellent representative in Parliament for our area, and gets in touch with us regularly!) so that we *don’t* have more Tories in power. The alternatives where I live are limited (slim chance that Lib Dem council leader could get elected MP, but highly unlikely. Green candidates get single digit %age most elections, far right parties sometimes do well here 🤦♀️).
Would I prefer more devolution of power to the regions within England, and less concentration in Westminster? Of course I would, but until then, let’s do as best as we can, and try to pressure the politicians in our local areas to do better! I keep up with what my ward councillors do, and express my views whenever there is a public consultation, and will try to get as many others involved as possible. If we don’t speak up, we won’t be heard. Let’s pressure our MPs and the national government to improve local government funding, so that money can get to where it’s needed (and not leave so many councils going broke!).
Maybe get in touch with your local Labour Party and see what they are doing to improve things where you are (and if they aren’t in any kind of power, what are they doing about it, and how are they challenging party leadership). Pick your favourite alternative political party and get working for them.
There are actions we can take, but just saying “Labour are bad” without pointing out that the most likely alternative is worse isn’t very helpful.
I think Labour would be an even bigger disaster that the Tories. Labour really do think money grows on trees although the Tories seem to think that too recently. Currency does grow on trees but value does not. Value comes from productivity, efficiency, knowledge and resources. You should only expand the currency in line with value otherwise it is borrowing from tomorrow. The rich's wealth increased relative to others under Labour too. I don't mind people getting rich by doing something better but I do mind when the game is to take from the poor without giving them due value for their work and efforts.
You ae absolutely correct here. My brief earlier comment is the result of doing all of those things you suggest for many years, and with senior and local party leaders, Red, Yellow and Blue, as a (volunteer) decision maker on awarding EU funding into N.E.England. Whilst I came to view the greater political theatre as a shambles, I was impressed by the clean honest integrity of just a few of those elected to serve.
Too few with integrity. I know they exist, I have met the odd one and seen a few. They never get far up the ladder. Most, unfortunately, are just self-serving.
I agree free markets need some regulation to control fraud, misrepresentation and general corruption but when the interference goes further it always end up being for politics, i.e. the selfish interest of politicians and party's. What makes a free market very difficult is national subsidies which are usually for political reasons too. Still despite all the downfalls free markets are still better than state controlled where everything becomes a weapon for the control of the population. That is what we are now seeing.
As for Musk, why should he care about foreign policy? He has to obey the law, if the policy is important it will be made law. If you refer to the satellite issue and Crimea, that could easily go against him a few years later. If the US government unanimously think it that important they could've forced him. Why didn't they offer up their own communications systems?
You will always get people taking advantage of other's misfortune. Why is it ok for some and not others? The trick is to minimise. Additionally, it should not be the state's job to "protect" everyone from stupidity. We have right now a classic example of state "protection", the Online Safety Bill. Sold as protecting children but in reality a general censorship bill that allows institutions to censor any speech they like. This what happens with too much government. We are heading towards a globally coordinated neo-feudalism sold as being "nice", once in place it will be tyranny, brutal and destructive. Behind the scenes it won't be millionaires or billionaires but the same trillionaires that have always controlled things only now with global systems they can take full control. Left or Right are becoming 2 redundant sides of the same coin. "Pricks" doesn't even begin to cover it. I don't think there's a word that does. Pure evil is the closest.
This country is in a terrible state what with the current prime minister who hasn't been elected and Stammer who hasn't a clue and no other party that could replace them this country is in for some thought times I think
"A newly released national survey suggests the percent of adults who have used illicit drugs increased to 12.8 percent in 2022, up from 7.8 in 2001, though still below European averages. Portugal’s prevalence of high-risk opioid use is higher than Germany’s, but lower than that of France and Italy. But even proponents of decriminalization here admit that something is going wrong. Overdose rates have hit 12-year highs and almost doubled in Lisbon from 2019 to 2023. Sewage samples in Lisbon show cocaine and ketamine detection is now among the highest in Europe, with elevated weekend rates suggesting party-heavy usage. In Porto, the collection of drug-related debris from city streets surged 24 percent between 2021 and 2022, with this year on track to far outpace the last. Crime — including robbery in public spaces — spiked 14 percent from 2021 to 2022, a rise police blame partly on increased drug use."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-drugs-decriminalization-heroin-crack/
Sounds like it's not going so well in Portugal.
Tuesday, September 26, USA. The auto strike is on and JOE BIDEN JOINS THE PICKET LINE TODAY….
Great piece of writing, by the way. Great stacks brother. Much appreciated.👏✍️💚
Never mind the cost of the ridiculous policing of the current drug policy. Portugal reduced theirs by 18 per cent? That’s bad for business. 75 per cent drop in heroin users? Can’t be having that. It’s like that here, in Ireland. Actually worse in terms of what you can be convicted for. No cautions for minuscule bits of puff, you are convicted and fined. Heroin use is a fukn epidemic, like much of the globe, post the USA/‘coalition’ Afghanistan invasion. A corrupt drug squad here. A fukn sick joke when it comes to drugs. And health. Different topic, I know, but not really, as the policing waste of money could go to health. Treating addicts, as well as those on multiple year long waiting lists just to see a specialist on any capacity. The Labour Party here, turned a sharp turn to the right a long time ago. I’ve watched your lot go bonkers from afar. I loved there actually, when kinnock was fucking things up. What a slide they have gone on since. Blair went bananas in office. And now they are indistinguishable from the other lot. Tories by proxy.
It suits all of the parties, here and in the UK, to have socioeconomic black spots riddled with addiction. And crime. Keeps everyone in a job.
I’m afraid that limited bandwidth will apply across the board, to every policy. The austerity blinkers are on. Laser focused on everything and if you are not part of that focus, you are gonna get screwed in one way or another. Or a combination of both and some more they will dream up.
That's because they are RedTories
The Labour Party has no plans. Period.
Nothing good anyway!🙄😀
It's high time for our citizens to drop allegiance to "Parties Per Se" and switch to supporting such politicians who actually make sense..... ie:- oppose right wing policies
And, in fairness, some other policies from other factions.
I'd think those in power would want to legalize cannabis. More tax money and less resistance to government.
We would like to think so, wouldn’t we? But that makes perfect, common sense. And that is most uncommon in the parties.
“Labour” (when did they last deserve that name) thinks being elected is much more important than not being like Tories. It’s the same in Aotearoa New Zealand. We don’t have an actual left wing party here and neither do you in the UK. Surely, surely, there’s a need for one. In fact, many. Joe Biden is more left wing than Keir Starmer and goodness knows you’d hardly accuse the US Democrats of being left wing. Shame on you, Starmer.
It’s the same all over mate. Hello from Labourless Ireland. Sold out years and years ago.
It is well past time for the left wings in the UK, US, NZ, and who ever else to begin collaboration to establish left parties in all their nations. The right and center-right parties clearly do, on an informal basis; otherwise their efforts to close their 'Overton Windows' to us wouldn't be so similar.
Absolutely
I don't want a left wing party by current definitions. I want free market capitalism in a liberal democracy with safety nets for the unfortunate. I want a level playing field of equal opportunity not outcome. I want people respected for doing good work in equal measure be they a doctor, engineer, CEO or plumber. I want an education system that pays equal attention and help to the gifted as it does the problem kids.
What you in particular want is what you want; and no doubt there are plenty of center-right parties about willing to serve you.
We have none.
We have the same right as you do to political agency, and it is well past time we got some.
If that doesn't agree with you, well, tough.
Define free market capitalism then. As far as I can see, it’s the untrammelled free-ness of our current model of capitalism that is destroying the world.
‘but following sensible laws against corruption’ is funny. Words are so cheap in that world.
t's largely unrestrained but following sensible laws against corruption. Investment banks that go bust do not get saved and if there has been illegal activity such as fixing the markets they are prosecuted and fined an amount that puts them off doing it again . Over time the bad businesses go bust and disappear, they are not propped up and paid for through taxes. Today governments, all governments bail out these people because they are "in the club".
You'll noticed that when a financial institution goes bust people it owes lose money. Individual debts however don't seem to get forgotten.
Look what happened in 2008 and not much changed. If there had been a clear out as painful as it would be, we would not be facing worse now.
True, but it wouldn’t have happened at all without the loosening of financial controls over the last 40 years. And imo there ought to be no way for the likes of Elon Musk to contravene US foreign policy with his damn satellites. Eg. The reason there’s inflation is massive profits for a few; the rich bastards always know how to cash in on a disaster, in this case Covid, but show me any disaster (or war) and I’ll show you a few greedy pricks making money out of it. Sensible laws against corruption? Excuse me while I fall about laughing.
In answer o your question (in Brackets) ... A. Before Tony Blair.
The objective of both Parties, probably Libs as well, is to "build back better" for which they first want to damage our society to the point we allow them. The "better" bit will not be for us though! In fact looking at the current trajectory it will be thoroughly miserable for those that survive unless they find a cosy position in the "Party" just like the Soviet Union or China. Once they have "built back better" there will be no freedom only servitude until you are no longer productive.
So there will be no real solutions to drug misery, it adds to the destruction and helps justify wealth transfer to pay for the problems.
People need to get it out of their heads that our current politicians feel any obligation to serve the people. A Reset is required, not theirs, ours.
All true but you forgot to mention that the Green Party has the only policy for full decriminalisation of drugs in England and Wales and is working on and off estates to push for diversion, end police stop and search for cannabis (which mostly targets young Black men), promote harm reduction. And Scotland is about to set up a safe consumption site (not for cannabis but other drugs) in Glasgow. So some movement in the right direction in the UK, but not in Labour or the Tories
We have the Green Party in power here. They are part of a coalition . They had all that you mentioned as their drug policies but forgot all about them once they were in power. Again. They were last in power, propping up our equivalent of the tories in a coalition, when the 08 crash occurred. They were enthusiastic as anyone else on the sweeping austerity measures that destroyed our society, has done for a decade, and because of PR the bastards are back in again. We thought we had seen the last of them.
Voting day is coming, we must use it wisely rather than for any form of right wing party
Unfortunately most of the Green Party's policies would bring more misery than drugs do. There may be climate change but I seriously doubt mankind is a significant driver through CO2.
Doubt away, you haven’t much respectable company.
I love your word describing the current “war on drugs”, bollocks is perfect! That can be said without being like f*cked up. Neither side of the Atlantic has a clue of solving the drug problem. You cannot treat addiction with platitudes or slogans and I don’t have an excellent plan. Wish I did. Possibly someone could consult those governments that have successful programs and policies.
Spot on! You know the score!👏
Take a look at the Netherlands, (but don't be confused by the mythology created by the drug tourists).
Same issue here in the US, for that matter, all around the world. Likely money flows into Keir's pocket from those who profit from the use and sale of drugs.
Such a shame that Labour will probably win, but change for the people still will be stifled.
Not a shame that Labour will (hopefully) win, as 5 more years of Tories will likely kill more of us off, but I get your point!
I think Bonnie meant that despite Labour winning there will be no real change, that being the shame.
If Labour win the People Loose. We need Clean Honest Independent Politicians
We have PR here in Ireland. It makes no difference. They work around it as they have deep pockets in the big parties. They run big campaigns and those without the resources for proper exposure don’t get enough votes. It’s a fiasco . We currently have a coalition govt that nobody actually voted in. One of the main parties, we we’re actually voting out!!! And the biggest party, because of links to paramilitary groups , were excluded from the talks on that basis, by two parties that fought a guerrila campaign against the English, partially, and a bitter vicious civil war amongst themselves in our past. Fukn mafia. No mandate. And no dialogue on any policy really. They just carry on regardless with failed policies, and the more it divides people caught up in the silent leaderless vacuum , the better.
We also need to be realistic though. We are currently stuck working with the First Past the Post voting system (yes, I voted for PR, so I am allowed to whinge!), so realistically in most constituencies it is a straight up choice between Labour or Conservative. And that is replicated across the England, where 85% of the population live, so that the National choice is a Tory or Labour government. We have *got* to choose the lesser of two evils here, or the Tories will get in *again*! We know from experience that coalition politics don’t work well in Britain, the way that they do in European countries, and that a hung parliament just messes up the economy by frightening the financial markets (no, I don’t like that either, but it’s what has happened in the past and is most likely to happen again).
Do I *want* Labour (as they currently are) to win? No, not really. But what is the most likely alternative? 5 more years of Tory starvation for all of our services, councils, public sector, etc.
So until there is a *workable* alternative, I’ll vote for my Labour MP (who is a excellent representative in Parliament for our area, and gets in touch with us regularly!) so that we *don’t* have more Tories in power. The alternatives where I live are limited (slim chance that Lib Dem council leader could get elected MP, but highly unlikely. Green candidates get single digit %age most elections, far right parties sometimes do well here 🤦♀️).
Would I prefer more devolution of power to the regions within England, and less concentration in Westminster? Of course I would, but until then, let’s do as best as we can, and try to pressure the politicians in our local areas to do better! I keep up with what my ward councillors do, and express my views whenever there is a public consultation, and will try to get as many others involved as possible. If we don’t speak up, we won’t be heard. Let’s pressure our MPs and the national government to improve local government funding, so that money can get to where it’s needed (and not leave so many councils going broke!).
Maybe get in touch with your local Labour Party and see what they are doing to improve things where you are (and if they aren’t in any kind of power, what are they doing about it, and how are they challenging party leadership). Pick your favourite alternative political party and get working for them.
There are actions we can take, but just saying “Labour are bad” without pointing out that the most likely alternative is worse isn’t very helpful.
I think Labour would be an even bigger disaster that the Tories. Labour really do think money grows on trees although the Tories seem to think that too recently. Currency does grow on trees but value does not. Value comes from productivity, efficiency, knowledge and resources. You should only expand the currency in line with value otherwise it is borrowing from tomorrow. The rich's wealth increased relative to others under Labour too. I don't mind people getting rich by doing something better but I do mind when the game is to take from the poor without giving them due value for their work and efforts.
You ae absolutely correct here. My brief earlier comment is the result of doing all of those things you suggest for many years, and with senior and local party leaders, Red, Yellow and Blue, as a (volunteer) decision maker on awarding EU funding into N.E.England. Whilst I came to view the greater political theatre as a shambles, I was impressed by the clean honest integrity of just a few of those elected to serve.
Too few with integrity. I know they exist, I have met the odd one and seen a few. They never get far up the ladder. Most, unfortunately, are just self-serving.