MORE FIDDLES THAN THE LSO

They’re at it again!  A major bank, this time Barclay’s, has been indulging in apparently dubious and probably illegal practices, with more offenders to follow. Barclay’s allegedly fiddled the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) and the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor), which in turn had a knock-on effect on billions of pounds of financial deals between other banks and financial houses, and ultimately on the rates paid by Jo(e) Public for his/her borrowing. Yes folks, you’ve been shafted again!  And the response from Bob Diamond, chief executive of Barclay’s, was to offer to give up his bonus.  They just don’t get it!  These people live in an isolated privileged bubble, with high salaries and bonuses, while the ordinary citizens suffer wage cuts or job losses and attacks on their meagre pension provisions.  Listen up Mr. Diamond, punishment should be metered out for either your complicity in such practices or your ignorance of their existence. The first phase is loss of bonus, the second loss of job and the third phase the length of the potential jail sentence. Comment added July 3rd: Two out of three's not bad for the time being!

FOOTBALL'S COMING HOME

So it’s all over for another four years.  England depart the European championships, knocked out once again in a penalty shootout.  Is in not surprising that these highly paid, superfit, intensively trained athletes can’t hit a target twenty four feet wide and eight feet high?.  Couldn’t hit a barn door  …… but it is actually the size of eight barn doors side by side.  Ah well, at least we can revert to the two syllable version of our country's name instead of three syllable Eng..er..land so beloved by the chanting hoards.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

I am not picking on Michael Gove, I really am not but……  The latest wiz-bang scheme proposed by the educational superbrain is a return to O-levels and the scrapping of GCSEs.  This would involve the abolition of retakes and course work and would rely instead on the highly artificial final exams. I assume Mr. Gove, that you are prepared for the resulting massive drop in results which will expose, once and for all, the truth about “dumbing down”. 

THAT'S NOT FUNNY!

So, Jimmy Carr, using  very elaborate but legal tax arrangements, pays a mere 1% income tax and has been lambasted by the Prime Minister as being “morally wrong”.  Isn’t one percent  the same level of tax paid by the blue chip giant, darling of the Tories, Vodaphone, through a so called “sweetheart deal”?  One man’s lack of morality is another man’s financial alacrity.  

WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE DOING?

The figures for the costs of bailouts of various countries and their banking systems are becoming astronomical and quite literally beyond comprehension. So to help, here is information to put them into context:
The bail out requested recently by Spain was 100 billion euros. If this was paid back at 1 Euro per week, the length of time required to repay the debt would be approximately half the age of the Earth. (not including interest payments.)  If you are a Creationist who believes that the Earth is between 5 and 10,000 years old the situation is even worse.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

The idiot Gove has struck again.  This time, he has upset Lord Justice Leveson, with his comments in the Sunday press, that the enquiry had created a 'chilling atmosphere'  towards the freedom of the Press.  Quite right Mr Gove, we certainly don’t want to restrict the freedom of the press to hack phones, intercept e-mails and bribe policemen do we?  His Lordship, angered by the comments, insisted "I do not need to be told about the importance of freedom of speech, I really don't." and he has even threatened to quit.  He has also demanded that, on the subject of his enquiry, Gove be told to shut up.  Come, come, your Lordship, why restrict Gove’s silence to the subject of your enquiry, is there not a way we can shut him up completely. 

BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY.

Things appear to be taking a turn for the worse in the world of democracy.  The protests of the Arab Spring in Egypt deposed dictator, Hosni Mubarak, with the protesters expecting the move to a Western style democracy.  What did they get?  A choice between a senior member of the previous, murderous regime and an Islamist candidate.  And it looks as though Mohammed Morsi, the Islamist, will be Prime  Minister and that the military generals will retain powers that allow them to manipulate the running of the country from the shadows.  Hardly an outstanding  success!

  Meanwhile in Greece, The Nea Dimokratia  (New Democracy) party has the largest single vote, allowing it to form a coalition with Pasok, another party in favour of keeping the grinding austerity policies of the Eurozone.  However, the majority of Greeks actually voted in favour of parties who wanted to adopt a non-austerity approach, but, as in Egypt, their opposition was hopelessly divided. The result: the citizens end up with the government that the majority did not want. To paraphrase Star Trek, it’s democracy Jim, but not as we know it!

HAVE A BANANA

The Dutch football team were subjected to racial taunts during yesterday's open practice.  A small number of so-called supporters berated the coloured players with monkey noises.  What on Earth do you expect?   When these semi-human, Neo-nazis came through the turnstiles, displaying their shaved heads and offensive tattoos and dragging their knuckles on the ground, it’s obvious that monkey noises would ensue.  Perhaps when evolution kicks in these retards will learn to speak properly.

KICKING THE CAN (OR BUCKET)

I am sure that I can’t be the only one who thinks that, while the Eurozone decends into a pile of poo, the various governments appear to be behaving like headless chickens (even ones with heads are not the world’s best organisers). There’s a re-election here and a referendum there, but nothing is being done to deal with the actual problem.  The only thing that has been achieved is the rejuvenation of a number of good old fashioned clichés. So whilst they collectively kick the can down the road, the Euroleaders fiddle while Rome burns and rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic. All I can say is, “Can you  watch out for that flaming iceberg!”