Lewis Hamilton visited McLaren HQ near Woking yesterday to say thanks to the 1800 workers who design and build the car he races and are therefore behind his World Championship success. As residents of the UK they use public roads, libraries, and the emergency services. The vast majority of them will use the NHS and send their children to state schools. They pay their taxes. Lewis Hamilton doesn't.
Hamilton grew up in Britain. He received a state education and treatment from NHS doctors, nurses and dentists when he needed it. He was brought up on a council estate in Stevenage. Now, with an annual income estimated at £18 million, he lives in Switzerland to avoid paying tax. One might think this makes him a greedy, selfish shit. He owes this country for what he received as he was growing up. He owes the workers that put him on the podium. "I love this team", he said. Evidently not enough to pay his way like the rest of his team-mates.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Sunday, 26 October 2008
500 places to see before they disappear
There's a new book out that lists 500 places to see before they disappear because of climate change or aggressive developers. According to Holly Hughes, co-author, "this book is a carefully chosen list of last-chance destinations that eco-conscious travellers can enjoy - if they move sharpish". Eco-conscious?! How best to move sharpish? By plane I'd wager.
Travelling to see somewhere before it disappears because of climate change simply hastens its departure date. You get to see it, admittedly, but you reduce the number of other people that will be able to enjoy it. You'd have to be pretty selfish to say, "I think I'm important enough to fly to the Everglades/the Dead Sea/Peru/The Falklands/New York before they disappear/change forever. Other people might not get to see them but I should because I'm me."
There are some British entries that you might be able to get to in a relatively sustainable way such as the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and Roundstone Bog in County Galway but here the authors remain oblivious to the idiocy inherent in their work. Also included are Hadrian's Wall, whose biggest threat is identified by The Guardian as being the "tourists who walk [its footpath]", and The Burren, County Clare, where "more hikers are trampling over it to marvel at the stone relics of its ancient inhabitants."
Hughes's co-author Larry West states that "The planet is poorer every time we allow something beautiful to die." The planet is also poorer every time some idiots bring out a book urging us to be selfish.
Travelling to see somewhere before it disappears because of climate change simply hastens its departure date. You get to see it, admittedly, but you reduce the number of other people that will be able to enjoy it. You'd have to be pretty selfish to say, "I think I'm important enough to fly to the Everglades/the Dead Sea/Peru/The Falklands/New York before they disappear/change forever. Other people might not get to see them but I should because I'm me."
There are some British entries that you might be able to get to in a relatively sustainable way such as the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and Roundstone Bog in County Galway but here the authors remain oblivious to the idiocy inherent in their work. Also included are Hadrian's Wall, whose biggest threat is identified by The Guardian as being the "tourists who walk [its footpath]", and The Burren, County Clare, where "more hikers are trampling over it to marvel at the stone relics of its ancient inhabitants."
Hughes's co-author Larry West states that "The planet is poorer every time we allow something beautiful to die." The planet is also poorer every time some idiots bring out a book urging us to be selfish.
Saturday, 25 October 2008
One in ten British prisoners are ex-Forces
Research carried out by the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) shows that roughly 10% of those incarcerated are ex-services. Elfyn Llwyd brought attention to this fact by hosting a parliamentary debate last Tuesday. He talked of receiving communication from one ex-serviceman:
"...on the conclusion of his tour of duty he was flown to Cyprus with his comrades for three days’ R and R. There was alcohol day and night. On the concluding day, they were all put together in a hall and an officer asked them, “Any problems, anybody? No? Fine.” Tick the box, and that was it. Obviously, in the macho culture that exists in the services, those men would not admit problems in the presence of their friends and comrades."
Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes have calculated that as of late 2007, the UK had spent some £7bn on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. While this may compare favourably to the $3tn that the USA has spent, why hasn't more of that £7bn been spent on post-combat care?
Llwyd went on to quote an article from the Independent on Sunday that sets out some MoD expenditure: "£86.8 million was spent on private education for officers’ children, and in the Royal Air Force £1 million was spent on chauffeurs, £3.4 million was spent on waiters in officers’ messes, £800,000 was spent on bar staff and £2.8 million was spent on paying chefs."
Not only does the government send them to fight an unjust war and is failing them in combat, it does not care enough what happens to them when they return.
"...on the conclusion of his tour of duty he was flown to Cyprus with his comrades for three days’ R and R. There was alcohol day and night. On the concluding day, they were all put together in a hall and an officer asked them, “Any problems, anybody? No? Fine.” Tick the box, and that was it. Obviously, in the macho culture that exists in the services, those men would not admit problems in the presence of their friends and comrades."
Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes have calculated that as of late 2007, the UK had spent some £7bn on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. While this may compare favourably to the $3tn that the USA has spent, why hasn't more of that £7bn been spent on post-combat care?
Llwyd went on to quote an article from the Independent on Sunday that sets out some MoD expenditure: "£86.8 million was spent on private education for officers’ children, and in the Royal Air Force £1 million was spent on chauffeurs, £3.4 million was spent on waiters in officers’ messes, £800,000 was spent on bar staff and £2.8 million was spent on paying chefs."
Not only does the government send them to fight an unjust war and is failing them in combat, it does not care enough what happens to them when they return.
Thursday, 23 October 2008
150 years of Cardiff history or 50 parking spaces?
One of the oldest buildings in Cardiff is set to be demolished next summer. The Council plan to pull down The Vulcan pub on Adam Street to make way for a car park that will serve the St David's 2 shopping centre.
The situation is made worse by the fact that, according to the developers' own leaflet, the demolition of The Vulcan will add a mere 50 parking spaces to the 450 that are already available on that site. There will in addition be 2000 spaces on top of the shopping complex and 550 underneath John Lewis.
The Vulcan was opened in 1853 and has retained its original frontage. Three years ago owners Brain's were adamant that they would not sell. However, despite the landlords making good money, the brewery have since been served with a compulsory purchase order. It is institutions like The Vulcan that make a place that bit different and provide some relief from the ubiquitous everytown high rise flats, Starbucks and Walkabouts.
There is a Facebook campaign group and a campaign blog with petition. If you live in Cardiff contact your local Councillor about this atrociously short-sighted, profit-driven decision. We've got about six months to change their minds!
The situation is made worse by the fact that, according to the developers' own leaflet, the demolition of The Vulcan will add a mere 50 parking spaces to the 450 that are already available on that site. There will in addition be 2000 spaces on top of the shopping complex and 550 underneath John Lewis.
The Vulcan was opened in 1853 and has retained its original frontage. Three years ago owners Brain's were adamant that they would not sell. However, despite the landlords making good money, the brewery have since been served with a compulsory purchase order. It is institutions like The Vulcan that make a place that bit different and provide some relief from the ubiquitous everytown high rise flats, Starbucks and Walkabouts.
There is a Facebook campaign group and a campaign blog with petition. If you live in Cardiff contact your local Councillor about this atrociously short-sighted, profit-driven decision. We've got about six months to change their minds!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
