Normally when I read an opinion on the current ‘war on terror’, as it’s been billed, the article is written by an American. I often find myself getting pissed off; not because i disagree with the content of the article, but i often find the American viewpoint to be somewhat polar in it’s presentation of the facts and reasoning.

What I got to thinking about is this: why do i find it so hard to see this as a war? It occurred to me that the current template for a war over in the UK is probably the second world war – it’s what we think of when considering the term ‘to be at war‘. It’s probably the same in America; after all, it was the biggest war ever fought.

The difference is that to us in Europe, the war was fought on the home front; the blitz bombed London indiscriminantly, the south coast was constantly prepared for a German invasion, and at airfields as far north as Newcastle bombers were stationed for raids against France, Germany, Poland and Norway. Even civilians saw the war first-hand.

In America, men were sent away to fight on foreign shores. Apart from several weak-hearted attempts at bombing the western seaboard from Japan (using hot air balloons and so on), there was no home front in the US.

I’m not saying that America suffered any less, or that American soldiers or civilians were any less brave than their European counterparts; i’m saying that until the bombings in London last week, I found it difficult to see the war on terror as a war that we, as an allegiance of nations, are actively involved in.

I have had much experience with the Bombay call center of an unnamed phone company, and have found most of the staff to be unknowledgeable, unwilling to help and quick to hang up on me – I have even been shouted at by some of the customer service reps. This seems to be down to bad training and probably the stress of having to be first line support for one of the worst service providers I have ever dealt with; HSBC on the other hand are helpful, informed and polite.

Some companies still specify staff must anglicise their names, adopting forenames such as Mary and John, to try to stave off resentment.

This just stinks of a bad employer to me; call center managers are trying to help staff avoid angry customers, but the root of the anger is usually poor service (possibly followed by poorly trained support staff).

The employees are therefore caught in the middle – the jobs they hold are sought after due to (relatively) high pay; the company employs them because to western corporations they are cheap labour, and often these are the companies that also cut financial corners on their products and services, leading to more stress for the first line customer service advisors.

From the BBC website

JP: We’re joined now from his count in Bethnal Green and Bow by George Galloway. Mr Galloway, are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?
GG: What a preposterous question. I know it’s very late in the night, but wouldn’t you be better starting by congratulating me for one of the most sensational election results in modern history?
JP: Are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?

GG: I’m not – Jeremy – move on to your next question.
JP: You’re not answering that one?
GG: No because I don’t believe that people get elected because of the colour of their skin. I believe people get elected because of their record and because of their policies. So move on to your next question.
JP: Are you proud -
GG: Because I’ve got a lot of people who want to speak to me.
JP: – You -
GG: If you ask that question again, I’m going, I warn you now.
JP: Don’t try and threaten me Mr Galloway, please.
GG: You’re the one who’s trying to badger me.
JP: I’m not trying to badger you, I’m merely trying to ask if you’re proud at having driven out of Parliament one of the very few black women there, a woman you accuse of having on her conscience 100,000 people.
GG: Oh well there’s no doubt about that one. There’s absolutely no doubt that all those New Labour MPs who voted for Mr Blair and Mr Bush’s war have on their hands the blood of 100,000 people in Iraq, many of them British soldiers, many of them American soldiers, most of them Iraqis and that’s a more important issue than the colour of her skin.
JP: Absolutely, because you then went on to say “including a lot of women who had blacker faces than her”
GG: Absolutely right, absolutely right. So don’t try and tell me I should feel guilty about one of the most sensational election results in modern electoral history.
JP: I put it to you Mr Galloway that Nick Raynsford had you to a T when he said you were a “demagogue”.
GG: Sorry?
JP: Nick Raynsford. You know who I mean? Nick Raynsford. Labour MP?
GG: No, I don’t know who you mean.
JP: Never heard of him.
GG: I’ve never heard of Nick Raynsford, no.
JP: What else haven’t you heard of?
GG: Well, I’ve been in Parliament a long time…
JP: He was a Parliamentary colleague of yours until very recently.
GG: Well, most of them just blend one into the other, Jeremy, they’re largely a spineless, a supine bunch.
JP: Have you ever heard of Tony Banks?
GG: Yes I have, yes.
JP: Right, Tony Banks was sitting here five minutes ago, and he said that you were behaving inexcusably, that you had deliberately chosen to go to that part of London and to exploit the latent racial tensions there.
GG: You are actually conducting one of the most – even by your standards – one of the most absurd interviews I have ever participated in. I have just won an election. Can you find it within yourself to recognise that fact? To recognise the fact that the people of Bethnal Green and Bow chose me this evening. Why are you insulting them?
JP: I’m not insulting them, I’m not insulting you
GG: You are insulting them, they chose me just a few minutes ago. Can’t you find it within yourself even to congratulate me on this victory?
JP: Congratulations, Mr Galloway.
GG: Thank you very much indeed. [Waves, removes microphone]

Monthly benefit equal to your monthly repayment if you are disabled for 30 days or more through injury, sickness or disease… up to �250…

However, further down the page I find the following exclusion to this cover;

…pre-existing medical conditions, AIDS or infection by HIV, self inflicted injury, taking drugs or alcohol, normal pregnancy, psychotic or mental disorders…

So my insurers cover payments of those who fall sick, but won’t cover the payments should a customer contract HIV or AIDS?

This was the comment made by Chief Superintendent Les Owen, head of the Metropolitan Police Traffic Division, following the installation of five new speed cameras in East London in February 2003.

Ch Supt Owen is currently facing a misconduct hearing after the car he was a passenger in was caught speeding at 82mph in a 40mph zone. His driver, PC Mark Bradley, has been fined �250 and given three points on his licence after magistrates heard that he was speeding because the Chief Superintendant was late for a meeting.

In a seperate case, Constable Mark Milton was caught driving his unmarked police patrol car at 159mph on the M54, as well as 100mph in a 60mph zone and 60mph in a 30mph zone. Milton was testing out a new Vauxhall Vectra GSI police car while on night patrol in December 2003.

Speed cameras are prevalent everywhere in the UK. The general rule is that there is an error margin of 10% + 3mph, so if you are in a 30mph zone, you shouldn’t get a ticket below 36mph. Being caught speeding means a fine and 3 licence points – drivers have 12 points to lose before being banned from driving. The problem is, speed cameras are hidden behind signs, in moving vans and even hand-held by parked police officers. At some sites, cameras can catch the same car speeding four times in the space of a mile – if you get 3 points for each offence, that’s your licence gone over a mile.

These police officers should have their driving licences revoked. Individual cameras at some sites bring in hundreds of thousands of pounds each year for the police force, and then they drive around at more than twice the speed limit, knowing full well they are immune to prosecution.

Rant over.

First up: the Lib Dems…

They say…

More investment in frontline services in our schools and hospitals, 10,000 more police on our streets, the abolition of tuition and top-up fees, better pensions to give older generations dignity in retirement, the abolition of the council tax, free personal care for the elderly, greater protection for the environment and a foreign policy based on honesty so that we never again get led into war in the way that we did in Iraq.

Policies

Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrats, maintains a ‘people and environment’ theme throughout his manifesto, especially pushing tuition fees, pensions and the cost of pensioners’ healthcare, and public safety.

Transport

• Promote more environmentally responsible transport, both in the public and private sector, by linking transport and car taxes to the pollution caused.
• Offer free off-peak public transport on buses to all pensioners.

Crime

• Abolish the national ID card scheme, and use the money saved to fund 10,000 more police officers than the Labour party are planning to provide.
• Make better use of technology to streamline processes within the police force, reducing the amount of time officers spend on paperwork.

Health

• Offer much faster diagnosis procedures for sick patients.
• Remove target systems, allowing hospitals to focus on quality, not quantity.
• Move local healthcare decisions away from centralised government and into the hands of the local authority and community.
• Offer free personal care. This would cover services such as rest homes for the elderly, which are currently privately funded.

Pensions & Benefits

• Axe council tax, and replace it with local income tax.
• Provide better pensions for over 75s to the tune of �100 extra per month.

Environment

• Environmental issues will be dealt with in relation to how they affect other issues, such as personal health, economy & community. Improving environment can vastly improve these areas.
• Pressure other nations into ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.
• Promote public transport.
• Move towards increasing the amount of power generated by renewable energy sources.

Community

• Axe council tax in favour of local income tax.
• Provide more affordable homes.
• Offer subsidies and tax breaks for efficiency improvements in the home, such as insulation and renovation materials.

On the web

kennedycampaign.org is the election blog of the Lib Dems. Only started on April 10th, but they are promising daily entries and their policy on leaving comments/trackbacks open is commendable.

charleskennedy.org.uk is the personal site of Charles Kennedy. I had hoped it would be just that – a personal site – but it seems to be a part of the spin machine. I should have known better, but a well presented and balanced site none the less.

murky.org has a post category entitled ‘Current Affairs’, and is a politically neutral appraisal of the three main parties

Flickr has a number of photos documenting the Lib Dem campaign trail as well as an election photo group.

British newspaper The Guardian has an election blog as well as a flickr gallery.

Update: Help Charles prepare his wedding speech!

Also on the BBC, a 66-year-old grandmother from Northumberland has been spared jail by a judge for drug dealing. Suffering from severe back problems, Patricia Tabram began using cannabis in the form of cookies, soups and casseroles to ease her pain. After friends also expressed interest in using the drug, the gran met with a dealer to procure some more, as the six plants she cultivated at home (thirty in her attic, one on her hallway table) did not produce enough of the drug to share.

Tabram said: “I had a walking stick, I was in constant pain. Now, through ingesting cannabis in my food five times a day, five times a week – minute amounts – I feel great.”

Mrs. Tabram has been given a six month sentence, suspended for two years. She is planning on writing a book about her experiences entitled Grandma Eats Cannabis.

A McDonald’s spokesman said: “This partnership reflects our appreciation and respect for the most dominant youth culture in the world.”