The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: rustyme on February 25, 2009, 07:36:46 pm
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I have read a few little snippets here and there , of what may be on the way to the UK this summer. The government have been discussing using troops to control any civil unrest in the UK from April onwards. It has been revealed that there are factions who are planning protests and worse, in connection with foreign workers taking UK jobs. The numbers of these people will be many more than would normally take such action due to the economic situation which is expected to get much worse as the year goes on . They are expecting unrest on a scale similar to that in Greece a short while ago ,maybe even worse ? The police have been training for such an event for some time now , more so than normal !!, but the numbers of people expected to be involved will mean that the police will not be able to cope , therefore the army is set to act . This sounds seriously close to martial law. So the prospect of some very scary times is very possible. ANy trouble is expected to occur in major towns, cities etc. , therefore anyone living in country areas needn't worry too much . Those in towns and cities however, should watch news reports and keep a general eye open for anything kicking off. This isn't meant as a doom and gloom end of life as we know it thing , just as a warning for anything that MAY occur. Events like this have been happening in Europe for some time now, with very little press coverage , and I can only wonder how it hasn't hit here so far ? Still , take care everyone , and in the words of corpral Jones...."DON'T PANIC ", just be aware of what is going on . Am I glad I live in the middle of nowhere.....? YES ... ::)
cheers
Russ
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As you say Russ, most of the unrest in other countries goes unreported here. It makes you wonder how much our media is being manipulated :-\
I think the government are terrified of another blockade of the oil refineries/terminals. Last time it appears we were only 2 days from anarchy. Supermarkets run on a 3 day supply chain as we are only too aware here on Lewis where we rely on the ferry. No ferry for two days and there are NO staple foods on the shelves at either Tesco or Co-op.
Most people who use this forum will have some idea how to provide for themselves, and some would not be too concerned if Tesco ran out of Milk and sliced bread, but imagine what it would be like in the cities!
Dave
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I think the media is very much manipulated here Dave. Some things have media blocks placed on them and that is it .
The government were very worried by the blockades and they have , very quietly bought in many new laws since then . They say that thay are to do with terrorism , but the way they have worded them , anyone doing anything that goes against what they think we should be doing , can be classed as a terrorist , it is very scary . Anarchy could arise very fast once food or fuel or both become scarce . I would not want to be anywhere near a large town or city , once food was in short supply . I could cope easily for maybe 6 months without buying food , although it would be a bit different to my usual diet. I would have to get my dog's used to a different diet also . Bread I would be ok without buying as I have a large store of flour, and milk I could get from any number of dairy farmers locally. So in general, I would be ok, as you say , so would many on this forum . I hope things don't kick off , but I think they very well may !!! One funny thing ...up till a few months ago, the government said that the army would have to stay in Iraq till at least 2010-11 . Then all of a sudden ..oh our troops will be out of Iraq by this summer!!! I wonder why ?????????
cheers
Russ
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you should all read "The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein
all good stuff about how right wing, free market capitalists are exploiting natural/economic/political "disasters" to pussh through their own free market policies.
scary stuff
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We have the same economic problems here in Ireland. I have always said though that those of us who have land will never go hungry. Sustainable living might make a huge comeback. That being said, I can see us being back to horses and carts before any of us are out of the economic woods. Speaking of woods, I wish i had one...with price of oil and all that! :farmer:
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I have often wondered how we manage to keep virtually "potest free" in this country when it comes to economic problems, whereas you look at France, etc and they appear to be out on the streets because of interest rates, petrol prices, etc.
I do agree that our time is bound to come very soon and I too would be pretty concerned about the outcomes of any such protests.
However, you only have to look around you to see things getting worse everywhere. I have a shop (7-11 convenience) in a not too nice area of my town (I live opposite it at the moment) and I have seen my takings drop by upto £500 per day. Now these are people who are in the main not working or elderly and these times are affecting them badly also. Shop prices seem to be rising everyday due to wholesale prices rising and not one of my customers saw any benefit from the reduction in VAT as I didn't either. Wholesalers put prices up to suit !!! Its these people that I feel for.
I think this country will see protests and I have to ask myself, although I know it will cause a lot problems, whether I blame people for this or support them ????
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Oh dear......... I feel a rant coming on :o apologies in advance !
Although I don't think I'd ever protest myself, I can see why people would. We're a small island and we could barely cope with our population before the joining of Europe and the floodgates opening to thousands of extra people, BUT, I also see the other side where those who come to this country are doing work that many UK people seem to think 'below' them for lower wages than UK residents would be prepared to do. So it's a catch 22, UK people too lazy/uninterested (I blame the benifit system) so the jobs go to people who will do them, then there's a mass outcry of 'they're stealing all our jobs' and most of the money they make is being sent home, out of our economy and not going back in to keep things on an even keel. Result - recession. (Okay that's maybe very over simplified, and I'm not always the sharpest tack in the box, but it's how I see it)
That said, I also put a large portion of blame on the government for increasing cheap imports and all but destroying our own food production in this country. It seems they'd rather get the stamp duty from new build housing estates on agricultural land than protecting our farming industry so that we don't need to rely on others.
I'm so glad I live in the countryside, away from major cities and hopefully the mass riots won't happen - but if they do I hope someone points out to the people in power that they brought this all on themselves! ::)
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As long as they confine they focus their attention on the guilty parties...I have no problem...the whole idea of burning cars and looting shops in the name of a protest doesn't cut it with me. Only the innocent suffer...
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it gets worse .....government talks about compulsery work for under 25 at minimal wage......(in other words FORCED LABOUR ) work brings freedom.....or as was written above the gates of Auschwitz ARBEIT MACHT FREI......this may seem a bit over the top ....but it isn't .. If you go back to the roots of the EU you end up at the Nazi party in the late 1940's. They started it as a way of ruling Europe . After their defeat in 45 they changed from nazism to communism and carried on till it is where it is now. All the evidence is still there ... but it is hard to find . Some of the EU's ruling /directives come right out of those of the NSDAP , scary indeed . They lost the war but have won through the back door..........Even if those that protest against foreign workers were to win the day , it still wouldn't stop anyone from EU STATES from working here. The UK government is already just a puppet government as 80% of legislation is now EU legislation that WILL be passed without question. A year or two down the road they won't need the UK government at all .We will be ( are being) controlled by the Europen government , who in turn are ruled by the EU commision , an UNELECTED body that has complete control over the EU government. The Uk is already divided into sections as in Europe ie section 1 section 2 etc....there is already a Euro police force in the UK , set to take over from our police force and they are talking about a Euro army too. All armed forces are to swear an allegiance to the EU rather than the Queen, oh and the Queen ...you can't have a King or Queen in the EU ... only a Prince or Princess .. so thats them out of the door too..... The times they are a changing ....and as a whole we are letting them do it .....I just think of all those people that died during the war , to keep the UK free , it now seems they died for nothing as the governent has signed our freedom away without ever asking us. The reason they changed the EU constitution to a treaty is we already have a constitution and you can only have one....The EU treaty WILL become a constitution though and we will have a new anthem (not a national anthem , we won't have a nation , we will be a state !!) the Euro anthem and a new flag too , both already there....These are reasons why I think that when the sh*t hits the fan it will happen BIG TIME.....it is just a matter of when will it happen ?????
Russ
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Yup they lost two world wars, yet now they control europe, without having fired a single shot! Europe destroyed Irelands sugar beet industry, Took our fishing rights, plundered out natural resources....and happy days there's more to come. Although when you see the ineffectual lot we have in power at the moment, you have to ask yourself would Europe do a worse job? Possibly. Look at the rules and regulations we have for pig production, which allow us to be undercut by European counteries with an incredibly poor standard of production. It's a scandal what poor standards they get away with. I say even the playing field and let the pigs have quality of life before hitting the plate. A happy pig is a tasty pig! Ban the crappy imports from Germany, Denmark etc. Thank god for jamie Oliver showing up the farce that is Continental European pig production...Harmonisation of legislation my posterior (don't want to be rude!).
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As a former soldier I was trained in containing civil unrest for the United Nations in Cyprus. The marching season over there can get a bit scary,12 of us separating 18,000 Turkish Cypriots on one side and 30,000 Greek Cypriots on the other,all within the confines of a small road by Ledra Palace in Nicosia. I was 19 at the time,and together with a few mates in the line,saw it as a chance to give a few people a good kicking. I've since grown up,my point being,a squaddie's mentality is just that though. Given that a British soldier now spends 8 months,sometimes longer,a year on operations,often in places like Iraq or Afg,the potential for overspill of emotions onto the general public in a 'softer' environment is ever-present. My advice if you go to a demonstration and see squaddies coming out in riot gear...... run!
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hi folks, the civil unrest has already started, albeit in a small way.
My 18 yr old daughter is working part time in the Bank of Scotland, partly as a gap year to fund her uni which starts in sept/oct but also to fund her for her local volunteer youth work. She was saying tonight that, again today she has had to endure verbal abuse at work from customers. today she was called a slag, a thieving bitch etc etc. this is becoming a regular occurrence. Only a few months ago an episode such as this would occur very occasionally...now it is almost daily. People seem to think that the people who serve in the branches are personally responsible for the decisions made by the fat-cats at the top.
She has recently been threatened with physical violence too. She comes home visibly shaken by her experiences....Today was the fifth time she has had to ask for the customer to be escorted from the building! If she has to leave her job because of this sort of unrest and abuse she will not be able to afford to do her volunteer work with the youth drugs initiative. Shame that!!
Emma
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Ree, I know exactly what you mean . MY late dad was in the army for 16 years .Drill sargeant for most of them , and an absolute bar**ard of one at that . He went in in 1948 and was stationed in Egypt and Iraq and it was pretty rough out there even then . He was one of the early riot control guys out there...a dustbin lid and a big f**k off gun ...his words not mine. On night watch the call if they heard a noise should have been .."Halt who goes there ? " spoken clearly 3 times....the reality was BANG BANG BANG "who the f**k was that ?".... As you say they are young lads wound up like coiled springs waiting to kick off .....My sister and brother were in the army too , my sisters ex was in as well Scotts guards. It is a shame though that our boys may be being turned on our own though ....it has already started in the states.....
cheers
Russ
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Ah yes, people unfortunately vent their rage at the first in line. At protest marches it tends to be the cops in the firing line...has no-one got any purple dye anymore in the U.K.? Lol (ref. Blair). The former C.E.O of bank of Ireland is lamenting the fact that his golden handshake has been cut from 2.9 million euro to 2 million. The horror..the horror! Wouldn't mind doing a protest outside his house..then again I could get my toes squashed by his Bently. Rosanna Davison (daughter of Chris de Burgh) former miss Ireland, or Miss World is looking forward to the return to a more traditional Ireland...clearly the wolf, or the repo man for that matter, isn't at her door!
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sorry to hear about your daughter getting the rough end of it Emma people should know better . It isn't the little people that are to blame , but the big greedy bosses and all the government , as it was they who have allowed this to happen and continue to do so . Sausagesandcash 2.9 down to 2 million ...thats nothing the ex boss of the bank of scotland has got a £16 million pension . This was worked out AFTER the government bailed the bank out with OUR money....and they are going to put even more money into it again now BILLIONS ...ye gods what is going on ? Maybe it is time that the whole system crashed , but what will be end up with then ? ....It can't be much worse than the insane world they have created.....or can it ?....
cheers
Russ
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16 million, now that's just obscene by any standards. I swear to god this will all roll over into violence as things get worse, a friend of mine reckons that it will end up in someone getting lynched...Is that the smell of revolution in the air. Hey we could alwys go back to the barter system. I have no problem giving the doctor a chicken for a visit... it sure as hell beats 50 euro, lol.
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In the words of the Kaiser Chiefs 'I predict a riot' :o
But it's all getting a bit much for me, seriously scary stuff (probably worse as I'll shortly be bringing another poor sod into this crazy mixed up world) - blame the hormones ! ;D
Think I'll go and have a wee cup of tea and lie down in a dark room for a while ;)
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I've already brought four into this crazy mixed up world. I have always told them that 'evil triumphs when good men do nothing'. They are learning how to grow crops, raise their own pigs and chickens, and have a healthy distrust for government and taxes. lol. The funny think is I am viewed as a member of the establishment in the community. If only they knew ..... (Manic Laughter!) :farmer:
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Well I think you are all scaremongering :P
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The pot, it is a boiling.....the gas is on high....how long 'til the pot boils over? We have had more protests in the last two weeks than I have ever seen (i'm 38). Sure, it might not descend into anarchy...but if people start losing their houses in great numbers, and their kids are going hungry, while the fat-cats are still lording it up. A cartoon in the Irish papers showed people calling for bread, the politicians said 'can't they eat cake', but the bankers replied 'No, we ate it all!'
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Going back a bit - Look at the rules and regulations we have for pig production, which allow us to be undercut by European counteries with an incredibly poor standard of production. It's a scandal what poor standards they get away with. I say even the playing field and let the pigs have quality of life before hitting the plate. A happy pig is a tasty pig! Ban the crappy imports from Germany, Denmark etc.
Its a matter of educating the consumer not to expect cheap rubbish food. Surely its better to fill children with decent food than to buy the latest Oui game etc.
Rant over!!!!
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Hey we could alwys go back to the barter system.
here here lol
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on this note, when i moved here (tullibody)
their was uproar about the new police station built 'out of the village' but it turns out that there was only a new police station built to help if there was a riot or problem up at the prison so it was near to get help to them (so sod all the residence of tullibody) but the prison will be ok .
on another point (call me a scarmonger) with the world going toward green issues i think one day in the not so distance future the world will be in a post apocalyptic where you'll either sink or swim and those that really on fossil fuel technology will have to re learn the basic before they can start again.
(dum and gloom, all the way!)
hehe
Linz
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Riots, or just the threat might wake up some of our movers and shakers.(politicians, bankers etc who are so self important, you've got to hate em all whatever colour rosette they wear). let us all look after ourselves the best we can, work hard pay some taxes ( not too much mind ), and try to keep food on our plates and the bailiifs from the door. Don't panic as corporal jones used to say, though he also used to say something about them not liking it up them. so draw the curtains or draw your bayonet and lets get on with it. I think I might put some manure on my veg patch on sunday. :farmer: ::)
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Hello Annie,
when a subject such as this is discussed , it will always run the risk of being called scaremongering. In reallity it is just discussing a very topical subject that touches on some very unpleasant situations, that MAY occur if certain circumstances come into being . The situations being discussed here are all very possible at the moment . The police ARE preparing for civil unrest and the armed forces ARE being prepared also if the police are unable to cope . There are certain factions of the population that ARE preparing to protest on a number of subjects that are pertinent at this moment in time, and these factions ARE prepared to go further than just protesting . It is a very dangerous time in many respects , as here in Wales the police have already stated that they are preparing to withdraw their services from the M4 ,due to insufficient funding . They are also preparing to withdraw cover of major events such as football/rugby matches , pop concerts and the like , also due to a lack of funding . This isn't scaremongering but fact, and it will come into effect on the 6th of April , unless substantial extra funding is applied by the government . Such funding will NOT be forthcoming say the government . I try always to discuss matters that are real and pertinent and that may effect those on this forum . This subject would possibly effect many on here as many live in or near towns or cities, or if they don't live in or near, then they work in or near them . As for me ? well it won't really make any difference at all ...lol. I just carry on doing my own little thing , tucked well out of the way of any cr*p that may hit the fan. However , I do like to hear what other people from around the country think of certain situations , always be prepared !!!!! It may all blow over and nothing happen ...GREAT ...but then again it may not ....
Please don't think that this is in any way a dig or a moan at you Annie it isn't , I respect and appreciate your comments on all subjects . I did wonder wether to raise the subject or not ? , in the first place , but thought now a good time to explain why I did .
cheers
Russ
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I have to say I'm shocked :o
The government can't afford to make extra funds available to the POLICE !!!
Yet they can bail out greedy bankers (or should that be ***kers, with my spelling you just never know lol!) - maybe I'm being thick here, but I always thought the police force was a PUBLIC SERVICE provided by all us good taxpaying folk (Is that not the point of taxes after all ???) The last I heard banks were NOT public services?
But hey, if there's not going to be PC Plod then maybe all the taxpayers could go and rob their cash back from the banks without fear of being aprehended ::)
Seriously though - What is happening in the heads of those who run our country ? ???
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good question HH,
what is happening ? The police force running out of money !! and yet they can pay the EX head of RBS a £693,000 per year pension , this was agreed AFTER the government bailed the bank out with OUR money !!! and they are about to bail it out again to the tune of billions this time , to cover TOXIC debts. The only thing Toxic is the people running the banks and the government, all with their hands firmly stuck in the cookie jar.......We already own 84% of RBS and will own even more in the next few days/weeks, but still Mr Goodwin gets his £16 million pension , while the police have to cut huge amounts of cover over a big area, as well as councils having to cut back on services such as rubbish collection , street lighting ,road repair ,and many more public services. While the big wa...errrr sorry bankers get their HUGE payouts there are hundreds of thousands of ordinary people losing and about to lose their homes , and even more people getting stuck in negative equity. Will anyone bail them out ... NOPE.....it will be people like the bankers buying up cheap houses at auction making even more money......
Russ
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Hello Annie,
when a subject such as this is discussed , it will always run the risk of being called scaremongering. In reallity it is just discussing a very topical subject that touches on some very unpleasant situations, that MAY occur if certain circumstances come into being . The situations being discussed here are all very possible at the moment . The police ARE preparing for civil unrest and the armed forces ARE being prepared also if the police are unable to cope . There are certain factions of the population that ARE preparing to protest on a number of subjects that are pertinent at this moment in time, and these factions ARE prepared to go further than just protesting . It is a very dangerous time in many respects , as here in Wales the police have already stated that they are preparing to withdraw their services from the M4 ,due to insufficient funding . They are also preparing to withdraw cover of major events such as football/rugby matches , pop concerts and the like , also due to a lack of funding . This isn't scaremongering but fact, and it will come into effect on the 6th of April , unless substantial extra funding is applied by the government . Such funding will NOT be forthcoming say the government
I'm sorry but I have seen none of these riot reports which is why I said it was scaremongering(I do watch the news regularly) - if you can prove to me that these are facts and not pure supposition then i will certainly warn my kids - do you think Stirling is countrified enough to be safe?
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No riots yet, but time will tell how patient people on an industrial wgae will be will incompetents getting a mini lottery win for screwing up. Sure god if the wanted someone to screw up the banking system, i'd have done it for half that, so technically the tax payers would be better off :)
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hello Annie,
lol... I doubt you would need worry up there too much .....I think it would be mainly a south east thing with a few other major towns and cities targeted as well....as for proof well here are a few links to ordinary news sites:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKTRE51M47P20090223
http://www.newstin.co.uk/rel/uk/en-010-011178317
and not a news site but one giving the same sort of info :
http://www.bitterwallet.com/recession-riots-coming-during-summer-of-mayhem/8167
There are a few other sites that I wouldn't put on here ( too radical or maybe even illegal?) or even give out to anybody . The information is out there , but sometimes it is there for a while and is then taken offline ( By whom you may ask ? )The particular link that mentioned the police training and the armed forces being used , is now a dead link !!!!, but I will have a look to see if I can find it elsewhere.
Police funding and reduction of cover links:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/02/26/south-wales-police-chief-constable-says-crime-will-flourish-91466-23013931/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7910362.stm
There was a tv program that mentioned possible civil unrest in the uk later this year , but try as I may I can't remember which one it was or find it on the web......If I find it I will put any info I find on here .
cheers
Russ
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I'm not being funny here but Scotland isn't England or Wales. I know that might be stating the obvious but we are a very different country. I can't really express the difference but having worked in local government (which is a thousand times simpler than in England, for a start, because we only have one layer), attitudes are different. Scotland is a much more "socialist" country ( I know I am generalising) and I don't mean politically although that's why we hated Thatcher with a passion and why if Cameron gets elected, Scotland will vote for independence. I think because we've always been a relatively poor country, the "me" culture isn't as prevalent here.
Sad that "our" banks have been ruined though.
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Yes, that's certainly true - Clydesdale taken over by the Bank of Australia, RBS run by England bosses, BoS the same, TSB by Lloyds! They've made a f(lipp)ing mess of all of them. I can't honestly see folk up here rioting. Possibly we have the philosophical point of view that it would be a waste of time and effort ::) plus we tend to look after each other in times of trouble. Did you know that if all Scots return for our 'Homecoming' Englandshire will shoot up into the air and all the English will land on Greenland ;)
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Or with a bit of luck the Arctic Ocean ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;) ;) (only joking - we love our neighbours really!)
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Rosemary if Cameron gets elected I will vote for independence and I'm in Yorkshire !?!
Doganjo
"Did you know that if all Scots return for our 'Homecoming' Englandshire will shoot up into the air and all the English will land on Greenland"
- I just cant comment (but did have a little giggle at that) LOL
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Is this coffee lounge unrest? ;D
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What were we saying about Scotland not protesting?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7916040.stm
Beth
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I agree with Rosemary that Scotland is unlikely to get as involved in any riots.
BUT, part of me still believes that rousing 'freedom' speach in Braveheart, as I'm sure many other Scots do and think that if we are pushed enough we will 'rise up and be that nation again'
I'm not a staunch socialist, or in any way biggoted or racist and I really don't want to cause any offence to anyone here as we've all got the right to our own opinions on it (- I think freedom of speach still exists - unless they've made that against the law while I wasn't looking, wouldn't surprise me ::) ) I am the Happy Hippy after all ;) and would love it if we could all just get on and share the peace & love - man ! But people will only take SO MUCH before they take action, as the link that Beth posted shows.
I'm very sure the debate will continue.............................................
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I thought Yorkshire WAS independent?
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No, that's just the locals hun ;D ;D ;D
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I just LOVE it down here!!!! I get called 'hen' by the ladies, 'pal' by the gents and 'hun' by my dog trainer - what more could an old lady want? Except some sleep! :'( Just tell me where to find the ratbag who decided trains were to start running past my bedroom all through the night and then you'll see civil unrest. ::) ::) ;)
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it is the top Bankers moving all their pension money Annie !!! so it may go on for some time ( probably being guarded by the troops training for civil unrest later )...... :o ::) ;D
Russ
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My neighbour's dogs are presently being trained to chase trains, there is a deep gouge up the side of their garden with their practicing, and the trees they planted are all lying at an angle, and my own dogs do a pretty good job of warning them off. They have developed a high pitched howling whine that rivals that of the metal on metal scraping as they go by. But I have gathered a small band of email complainers and any minute now we will revolt! Clacks Council had better watch out!
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It seems they'd rather get the stamp duty from new build housing estates on agricultural land than protecting our farming industry so that we don't need to rely on others.
I'm so glad I live in the countryside, away from major cities and hopefully the mass riots won't happen - but if they do I hope someone points out to the people in power that they brought this all on themselves! ::)
Amen, HH. Nothing unique to the UK with that statement. When we purchased our land 20 years ago it was fronted with a dirt road. Now I live in a "housing estate" on a lot which ajoins my onetime country forest. The road is paved now. An autoparts place, insurance office, civic center, doctor's office, hotel coming soon and a score of other homes in this developement.
Additionally the concerns about mass riots are also not unique...there are concerns here also.
Many times I am flabbergasted that there are few people who know or want to learn how to grow their own food. Just a short distance from me is a family which receives assistance, has a nice yard...but in all the years I have lived in this area (off and on)...nearly 50...I have never seen them plant a garden. This is not unique to this family...our suburbs here in the USA are wastelands of former productive farmland which now only produce lovely grass and flowers.
So, there is little appreciation for the work that is involved in raising one's own food and therefore, as HH discusses, little appreciation for the land or the people who produce food on that land...
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This mornings Sunday Express -
http://www.sundayexpress.co.uk/posts/view/86981/MI5-alert-on-bank-riots (http://www.sundayexpress.co.uk/posts/view/86981/MI5-alert-on-bank-riots)
I like the quote - "How to stay warm during the credit crunch? Burn a banker"
Gill
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I've said for a long time we need the people to rise up and throw out a government, any colour, just once, just to let them know we can. The French did it with their revolution and it seems their government have a different attitude to some other European ones.
So if civil unrest were to happen it would no doubt be painful but there could well be an upside to it.
Now to all the people sitting on their smallholdings with their pigs and chickens and their vegetables all in nice rows who say thank goodness they live in the country not the city, where do you think the city people will head to when they realise there's no food in the shops but their is in you field ??
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Lol, I once wengt to a gun shop to buy shotgun cartridges. I asked the guy behind the counter for some, but didn't specify the number. He asked me what I was shooting. I replied I want to be able to shoot a grown man in the chest and know that he'll never get up (I managed to keep a straight face!). Without missing a beat he replied, well you'll want No.4's so. I just burst out laughing, I couldn't believe it. :farmer:
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;D ;D ;D
Well I for one (with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek) will be setting up trip wires and smoke bombs all round my veggie patch and sitting there greasepainted up to the nines in my cammo gear waiting for them to arrive - just in case, but that's only IF they ever manage to find their way to the middle of nowhere ! ;)
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you are right Davidnchris, but if there was civil unrest to that degree then thats when the police and army lock down the towns and cities, road blocks and curfews etc. It would be more likely that local people who don't have land animals or veg , would be on the lookout , as there would be less rural lock down than urban. If the unrest was due more to fuel problems or fuel problems were caused by civil unrest, then people from the towns etc would only be able to travel as far as they could walk ( or ride a bike maybe ?) so those living further out would be relatively ok ( not perfectly safe just ok ). If however civil unrest turned into total anarchy then , well it would be everyone for themselves, and then the further away from people the better. I do though think we are a long way away from that senario right now , but with world food and fuel problems as they are , it would only take one terrible harvest or some nut to attack an arab/muslim state....or such like, and the situation could change fast. Fingers crossed it will be ok .....However last February/March I read on at least 4 different sources , that the banks were going to crash in about the second week of September !!!! and hay ho ...bang on target. Those same sources stated that that was just the beginning . Where will it all lead ?????? who knows ???? do I sit and worry about it ???? no not really , I just carry on doing my thing . I do watch with concern though and try to be prepared cope with whatever comes along , Que sera sera........ or should that be " don't push me !!!" Rambo style.....
cheers
Russ
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lol has a vision of you in your camo gear with a bump lol
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oh well rusty thats me knakered then lol
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lol.... I think you will be ok for a while yet Linz...... but if they do come looking ... well I am ready here with me bow an arras.....and yes I can use it . I can hit a plastic milk bottle at 100 yards, I can also let loose 12 arrows a minute and could hit something man sized at upto about 125 yards. So if they come at me with shot guns hehehe .. they are going to lose ....if they have rifles ? ... well they can have the bloody veg !!! :chook: :chook: :chook:
cheers
Russ
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thought it about the right time to reserect this post.....it seems even more apt now after recent events...well we had some riots , only small compared to what they were expecting but , at least one person died because of them . The army have now been taken out of Iraq , the bankers have got away with it so far , and now it is the governments turn . This really is hitting the fan now. More strikes are now happening against Polish workers taking our jobs .
I read some 6 months or more ago , that the UK government would crash sometime this summer...well , maybe it will . Thankfully it looks as though UKIP will get many more EU votes due to the corrupt filthy thieves running the UK , and they will try their very best to get us out of the EU . However I did read that the reason behind the UK government collapse was so that the EU could step in and take over completely ?????? Fingers crossed that one won't come about. The nation as a whole now seem to be getting much more vocal about the situation . Maybe because they are losing their jobs and their homes now , while the government take more and more money from us. Even here in Wales , a conservative party EU election walk about was cancelled in Carmarthen by the Police , with them stating it was to volatile a situation , and they couldn't guarantee the MPs safety !!!! Oh and Police cover of the M4 has been withdrawn in the Dyfed Powys Police area, they will now only attend accidents . Things are changing fast now , I can't see normality continuing for much longer.
cheers
Russ
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I think some of the comments here about the EU are over the top. Swearing allegiance to the EU and not the Queen for example, pure Daily mail that. As for not allowing a Queen or King within the EU..... sheer rubbish. I am not an avid supporter of the EU either, but I think such amazing comments need to be binned.
If you want to look at scary stuff you need not venture across the channel. There are plenty of thnigs to be worried about, and they are all home grown. Restriction of your freedoms under the guise of terrorism, a Englidh plot not an EU one, is a good example. Health and safety taken to dizzy mad heights, blame the EU ? I think not.
Just my euro cents worth
Kevin in Brussels....complete with Monarchy ( allowed )
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I have just heard (from her parents)that a friend of mine who is bi-polar and on the verge of suicide can't have her medication changed for the better because it is up to her to say if she wants it changed or not. She's not in a fit state to decide, but that is the law under the Mental Health Act. I know we have come along way since frontal lobotomy, electric shock treatment, and mental institutions, but is this not taking things a bit far? She needs to have her medication changed but her poor husband is powerless - even their GP is in agreement but the Psychiatrist is insisting on sticking with the rules of giving her the decision to make. Law gone mad!
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I was under the impression that the King of the Belgians ,was just that ....and not the King of Belgium !!!!!, that is a big difference !!! King of Belgium would indicate Monarchy of the State , this is clearly NOT allowed under EU law . However the European Constitution ,although still rolling on even after the French , the Dutch and the Irish voted NO, doesn't come into force until 2010 . That may well be a bit later now due the the no votes. If the EU has no intent on controlling the UK why is the UK already divided up into 12 sections, under EU law again ,that will be just more areas of a European Union when it really does become so . I am not a royalist in any way and would not mind at all getting shot of them , if we, WE the people of the UK voted to do so . I do however object to any such ruling coming from the EU . A body that not one person in the UK has been allowed to vote on , either in to or out of !!!! I was born in the UK and being so , I am allowed as a free man ,under the constitution of this country , to speak my views good or bad . As long as they do not insight people to riot or cause harm or injury . I will continue to use that RIGHT , and will not bin any comments I believe to be true , perhaps you have been in Brussels too long ???? We were lied to in 1972 by Edward Heath , the UK PM. We were told that the Common Market was purely a place for us to trade within Europe , and that there would never be ANY surrender of our powers or sovereignty to ANY body in Europe . That was a complete lie . Subsequent governments have done the same , and we now are in the position that only 20-25% of our legislation is directly from the UK government . The other 80% being directly from the EU GOVERNMENT , who in turn get the DIRECTIVES/LAWS from the EU commission. These being an unelected body of some 24 people who decide themselves who will be part of the commission. This is a dictatorship !!! whichever way you look at it . I am being told by an unelected body of people what I can and can't do . I can not even vote them out !!! all I can do is vote someone like UKIP into the EU parliament to get us out of the EU . Once out, we can then trade with the rest of the world , some 90-95% of the world population of the planet, as we did before we gave up our freedom and our sovereignty to an almost exact replica of the old Soviet Union, the EU ,only some 5-10% of world population .The EU needs us more than we need the EU , and I, as a free man, can only hope that the UK sees what has been done to our country, and gets us OUT of the EU. All polls done so far state that somewhere between 65 and 85 % of the country want out of Europe , that is a majority .....under democratic rules that means we should be taken OUT of it . However under EU laws that have been imposed on us , we are unable to do so . This looks set to change ,gladly . For people like yourself, who although maybe unhappy with some things in the EU , are prepared to accept what a dictatorship imposes upon you . I am not . My comments may be over the top and amazing, but they are the comments of a free man, deluded, mistaken , confused , insane , bigoted, arrogant or just plain wrong , they are the comments of a FREE man and I will not BIN any comment I make either for you or for ANY dictatorship . If you or anybody doesn't like my comments, then as free people , you have the right not to read them , or to read and comment as you have done . But please do not TELL me to BIN my comments . I WILL NOT DO SO . I thank you for your comments ,( apart from the bin one !!), and look forward to any future posts you may make . We must all listen to what others have to say , not tell them what they may say because their views differ from others.
This forum , being a friendly place on the whole , would not be the place for a slanging match , nor do I want one . But if one is wanted ? it would be best to carry it out over PM , that way other people who don't want to read it, are allowed that privilege. I am of the old school , if anyone has a problem with me or comments I may make , then step outside and sort it out there !!
cheers
Russ
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WOW! way to go Russ!
I may not always agree with all your comments (Though most of them) but you have the right to hold them and express them as long as they do not harm others. You are quite right about the EU but as you say, not one citizen of this country can do a thing to change it, the best we can hope for is to get out before it cripples our country for ever >:( >:(
I, like you I think, am a little selective as to which dictates I adhere to and which I ignore.
Dave
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lol.... I may disagree with someone about something , I may even be told I am talking crap , without any hurt feelings or dented pride , I am a big boy and can look after myself pretty well. I will not , however , be told what comments or statements I may make about a subject that is open for all to discuss. I know full well my intellectual limitations , and that my grasp on certain situations can be , shall we say, a bit far out . As for adhering to dictates ....er nope , not me . I will abide by what was once our normal UK law , but I will not adhere to any dictates from the EU or anywhere or anybody else . I am not in the EU , never voted to be in , never been asked if I want to be in ,I therefore am not in it ...full stop . There are somethings that the EU has brought into being , that I can do nothing about . I can only accept this and hope that things change, but I will not follow any law that is direct from the EU unless it were to be something like 'thou shall not kill ' . Kevin is as entitled, as me and everyone else , to his opinion . He can disagree with some, or all that I say, and say so , I have no problem with that at all . I do have a problem with being TOLD to bin certain comments, because they don't fit in with someone Else's thoughts , beliefs or ideals . Very few things really get up my nose these days , but the EU is one that does , and another is someone trying to control my thoughts beliefs etc etc.....No way is that going to happen , wether I am right or wrong .
I have had terrible stomach cramps all yesterday and today, maybe that has made me somewhat touchy . But whatever , I will NOT be TOLD what to say by anyone. Is that some deep seated objection to authority ? God knows , I have neither the intelect nor the knowledge to judge, nor do I really care a stuff ... ::) I am what I am , good or bad. I always enjoy others comments on any subject , even if they differ greatly from mine . I will always try to see things from their perspective , and will look into what they say, to see if they are right or wrong . I will admit without any delay or question , if I am wrong . I will not though, be brow beaten or controlled. I am sorry for ranting on about this, but there are some things I hold dear to me .. my family , my animals , and my freedom. Freedom being something we have all given up to a big degree over the past 20 years or so . I think it is something we will take back as a country, and I certainly will as a man .
cheers
Russ
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Winston Churchill once said......'"If Britain must choose between Europe and the open sea, she must always choose the open sea."
The magna carta was writen and even the king was not above the law of the magna carta....
Brief extracts from the Magna Carta:
"...and to all freemen of this our realm, these liberties following, to be kept in our kingdom of England for ever."
"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or disseised of his Freehold ... except by the lawful judgement of his peers."
"We will sell to no man, we will not deny or defer to any man either Justice or Right."
OOOPPPPSS i think anti terrorism laws now overide our civil liberties :o AND Please dont get me started on government and bankers
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I forgot to add.... using troops to control civil unrest in the uk is not a new thing.
Troops were deployed during the miners strike in the 80's, dressed as police, but just a little too short ??? Police has hight restrictions nd some of the 'police' were not much over 5ft >:(
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Does the army not have a height restriction then?
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it used to be 5ft 2inch, not sure if there is one now
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Well Russ you can certainly put forward your argument in a forceful way , which is good. However amongst all your comments, I can see no evidence of " swearing allegiance to the EU " I think it was such a big statement on your part, that I had to reply to it initially. Also any speculation of reducing or not allowing royal families within the EU, is simply not true. Its kind of a ' EU to impose straight banana ' headline. never happened ,never will.
As for being in Belgium for too long, I think not. I still make frequent visits back to the UK , but as far as I am concerned its no longer home for me. When I look at the creeping invasion of privacy, stressful life, over population, immigrant problems, high cost of living etc etc,and the amount of nonsense you have to put up with,It saddens me greatly.
I live in a remote area, in a large hunting lodge that costs a mere fraction of UK prices. I get one of the best health covers in the world, for peanuts , uncrowded roads and motorways and lay back lifestyle. Utility bills over 40% less, and land rates for a huge house and 15 acres costing 120 euros a year !
Judging by your long rants and stomach problems its a lifestyle that could be just for you.
Kevin
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Hello Kevin ,
the stomach cramps have nothing to do with my lifestyle really , or do they ...? I ate a fast food takeaway , which I am not used to doing . I eat nearly all homegrown veg etc and my system just isn't used to fast food carp ...lol. As for the rest, well I doubt we are going to agree , so I will just say that on all big issues I do research , and I did read in EU official documents what is and isn't on the cards. IT is available to read, although it does take forever to find . I do appreciate your comments especially as you live in Europe and know first hand what it is like out there. My lifestyle is very laid back and almost medieval really , thats how I like it , and my very rare RANTS .... ::)... are not really how I live my life :o. It would sound that we live sort of similar ways..very laid back and easy going , although the details may differ. One thing I will do from now on , is keep records of all information I collect off the internet , as it is absolute murder trying to find individual slices of info that you read a couple of months ago.
cheers
Russ
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Glad your rants are rare, I could feel it on the back of my neck. Just feeling a bit sorry it was me that provoked it ! Anyway I am glad to see the stomach ache is down to a fast food chain and not me...
I make every effort possible to simplify my life. I gave up driving modern cars with electronics in them around 4 years back for example. Driving costs are way down now on insurance, road tax, and depreciation. I have a 1983 mercedes W123 that runs on , well anything you care to put in it more or less, and a Toyota HiLux, African spec with no electronics. Easy fix cars.
I am very bad at saving stuff I find on the net. Must do better there.
Kevin
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OMG Kev - can cars run without electronics LOL. Must be before my era ::)
Reading through the posts I can see and agree some of yours and Rusty's points and you both seem to have a lot of good things going for both of your lifestyles. I know I really ought to keep my nose out, but my thinking is
1
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Omg got chucked out there - does that tell me something or what LOL
ok here we try again
1 Can I have the 40% less costs on utilities
2 Can I have the medievil lifestlye
3 Can I have the fantastic healthcare (ours is good and all in it work hard but not enough money in the system for the basics is my thinking)
4 While I'm at it I love my teeth and can we sort out the dentistry system as well
5 OK we don't need a monarchy really, but come on they have always been there and they are a part of our culture to my thinking and I hope they are for a long time to come
6 OMg 120 euros for council tax - I want that too
7 EU - do the euro MP's get paid expenses like ours ? If so where do I sign up
8 .......
....Most of all I want my little house and the bit of the UK I own because I love it, even with all the faults, the bent MP's, the long waiting lists, the costs of land tax, the numerous rules and regulations, I wake up every morning and I feel good these days because I am happy - it took me a long time to get here with a lot of woes along the way - but basically I am happy and content.
Yes we all have problems - I am 42 years old and I have had MS since 1993, my husband broke his neck and back down the pit (and by the way no compensation) between us we have had 4 children and now only have 2 on this earth, but we have a grandchild and we love every minute with her on own little bit of land.
What I would say is put everything in perspective and find the good things in your lives because everything is worth it in the end - that is life and we have to live it no matter what things throw at us. Don't let things effect you if you can help it, be involved if you think you need to, walk away if not.
Simple - never !?!
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I think it really was the fast food that did it ...it took a while to realize what was the cause but then it fitted. The rants...well they are rare really ...but I know I do tend to kick off if something gets up my nose . I am also a grumpy old man ...make that a very grumpy old man , and years ago I had a car smash lots of bits broken including my head ....well that left me with anger problems for ages , got them under control , but I think grumpy old man syndrome is what I am left with !!! ::) I to only drive old cars, pre modern electrics, a Daihatsu fourtrack 21 years old , and when I get a decent chassis, a series 3 LWB landrover. Both will run with virtually no electrics at all. The fourtrack runs on whatever I put in it too , so would the land rover but at the mo it has a petrol engine in it . I have a diesel to go in, that would run on anything but, the chassis is so rotten I am waiting to get a better one, and then change everything over . The amount of miles I do in a car , I can grow enough sunflower or rapeseed to supply all I need.
I too have simplified my life to a huge degree, I am only one or two steps from being in the 16th century in many respects really. I prefer to live this way , but it is hard Milly....So many people in modern western life just don't seem to DO anything themselves. It seems just one long trip of buy this buy that , get someone to do this or that , drive here and there and almost never walk ..and so on . If I want anything done there is no choice really , I have to do it myself. I also broke my neck and back plus loads of other bits and bobs, so I have had to learn to do things different to how I did them before. The one thing I worry about is what I will be able to do in ten or more years time . I am nearly 52 now and life may well catchup sometime soon, arthritis and so on . I already have the beginnings of it but like you Milly , you just have to get on with it and make the most of what you have now . Oh and by the way , EU MPs get even more in expenses than our MPs, they get more wages , expenses ,travel allowances ,office allowances etc etc , the list goes on and on.
Ahhhhhh the simple life !!!! as you say, never, It is hard work . It is also very rewarding and satisfying and although hard work , it is also a laidback way of life too .... it is very hard to explain that , hard work but laidback ???? But that is how it is for me. If things get even worse than they are now in the UK , all the laws and control etc, I could easily slip out of the way completely , on my little bit of the 16th century. I could live quite happily that way . If THEY tried to interfere or stop me ...then in true Rambo style , the sh*t will surely hit the fan BIG time.
cheers
Russ
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They drew first blood Rustyme....they drew first blood!
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yup....DON'T PUSH ME , DON'T PUSH ME !!!! :o :o ;D ;D
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Milly, Firstly I have to tell you that our families favourite ewe is called '' Milly ' She is known for her strength to survive all. Reading your comments about your life I can see that you are the same kind of Milly !
You are of course right in saying, that you can make the best of what you have and where you are. We do the same. My move to the Ardennes was 14 years back ,and it was an opportunity that I took, and have never looked back.My wife being Belgian also made the change easier. Having said that if I for some reason I moved back to the UK I would make the best of what I had or didnt have.
Thanks for joining in
Kevin
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Russ,
Hmm you say you live in almost medival times, chez vous, but what about the computer ? Or is it the year 1206 model , stone case, wrought iron keyboard and plough attachements ?
I would imagine that KNOWING you can ' slip away ' as you put it in the event of state interference etc , must give you great satisfaction.
Kevin
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Kevin,
have you never been to the YE OLDE COMPUTER SHOPPE ??? ::) I like the idea of a pc with plough attachments though ...(I was in a modern tractor the other day ,and it worked by sat nav !!! you just hit a few buttons once in the field, and away it goes, you just sit there....didn't like that at all). However, I do like the pc and a few other modern bits and bobs but I could easily just walk away from them if need be, although the breadmaker would be hard to give up, along with the electric light bulb and the good old wellies. I lived without electricity for 2 or 3 years , and although I got used to it , I got really cheesed off with the doom and gloom of candles and oil lamps and the craziest thing of all is living with candles and oil lamps, is dearer than paying for electric !!! Plus no matter how well you trim the wick on the oil lamp etc , everything ends up covered in a black film that never comes off. So , reading back that last bit , it wouldn't be SO easy to walk away from ALL mod cons !!! ::)
OH and Milly my Weimaraner is called Millie I know that is spelt wrong , but Millie is wrong in the head anyway , she is out there on Pluto most of the time , but I do love her anyway ;D ;D
cheers
Russ
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yes troops were used in the miners strike. I have many photos to prove it. make no mistake. it won't matter which party is in power, the state machinary will come into play if needs be.
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well if there's another miners strike, Longannet won't run out of coal again - they are stock piling it at the rate of 18000 tons a day by my reckoning - I wonder why? Hidden agendas abound, methinks! Where's my mole when I need her? ;) Out sunning herself I bet! ;D ;D ;D
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hello Annie,
is that a conspiracy theory you have there ??? surely not !!! ::) ;D ;D I thought that was my job .. ;D
cheers
Russ
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There's more, There's more!!! ;)
EWS/DBSchenker and Transport Scotland were at loggerheads with each other ion the subject of the East Coast Line with EWS/DBS insisting on their right and franchise to carry freight over it, while Transport Scotland wanted to enhance passenger services. Till all of a sudden a good fairy came along and it was all sweetness and light and bingo
!!!!
EWS/DBS back off - guess why? Because they were given the franchise to put whatever they wanted and whenever they wanted over the SAK line.
I think it's a theory that stands up, and in fact when I was speaking to Gordon Banks the other day he svoiced concerns of that ilk too!
In addition, guess where your electricity comes from - Longannet uses coal from Australia, Russia, and South America - now where is the economic or ecofriendly sense in that!
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yes exactly ..what sort of eco footprint is that ...? same with the LNG going to Wales now... still it is all about money for the big boys again . Governments will always allow this sort of thing as many of them are sitting on boards of the said companies, or at least have very well hidden connections , or the companies DONATE ???? lots of £ to the government .
cheers
Russ