differentview

So, the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has been suspended for insensitive comments made to an Evening Standard reporter.  Whilst his comments were out of order, and his subsequent refusal to show much contrition bordering on crass stupidity, lets keep things in context here…

Associated Newspapers, owners of the Evening Standard, the Daily Mail and the daily Metro free-sheet, have for some time hounded, corralled and just generally been less than nice to the man simply because he wasn’t perceived as a champion of middle-England values.

And I guess it’s a bit ironic that a paper that was pro-Nazi, like the Daily Mail, should finally get their man on a Jewish / Nazi slur.  I hope Mister Livingstone also sees the irony. 

Ooh, and one other thing… isn’t it a bit weird that the Mayor is suspended for insensitive comments to a newspaper reporter, yet the Prime Minister can, against the wishes of the British people, lead the country into an illegal war and be responsible for a sizable loss of British life (from David Kelly, the government scientist, our armed services personnel and the innocent people killed and injured during the London Tube bombings) and yet there are no such controls in place to stop, or even reprimand, him?  That sound you can hear is the sound of democracy being sucked up the arse of Tony Blair.

Thank goodness the panel that onerously punished the Mayor didn't witness John Prescott punching that guy in the street (twice).  He might have lost one of his Jags as punishment.  Maybe.

why are we paying?

Isn't it funny that as more things are paid for by the private sector, as opposed to the State, that our taxes keep increasing?

Things like the back-door privatisation of the NHS, the rail network, the tube, the probation service, local council services, etc, are now operated by private companies who recoup their operating costs from the users.

Strange.

I'm in the wrong job...

So, car mechanics charge more than barristers?  Does this mean that they’ll take years to bring repairs to justice and start wearing ridiculous grey wigs along with their greasy overalls?  Ooh, ooh… can I claim legal aid to get my exhaust fixed?  Bonus.