10 december 2020
All original writing
2014, 2015, 2016,
2017, 2018, 2019,
2020, 2021, 2022,
2023, 2024
Dr Ian McLauchlin
OPINION page 2
20 Nov 17
EU Divorce Bill: If I'm presented with a bill, I ignore it unless:
- it's clear that the bill is legitimate and I've actually agreed to incur the cost and
- it's itemised so that I can check it and agree that I owe money for each item on the list.
What I can't understand is that reports seem to indicate that the 'EU Divorce Bill' contains no such information.
So, does it and we are led to believe that it doesn't? If so, someone's telling lies . . .
Or doesn't it so why don't we demand that it does?
(After writing this I learned that an itemised list DOES exist:
They promised to go through it ‘line by line’. We’re still waiting for a response . . . .)
19 Nov 17
It’s clear that not enough people think about anything much at all. Some of them probably don’t want to think deeply. That’s OK. But wouldn’t it be good if they thought a little bit sideways?
19 Nov 17
The government’s new Universal Credit scheme: No payment to people with no food and precarious housing for 6 WEEKS, then vast improvement announced to fanfare of trumpets -
Any money due could and should be paid within 24 hours. Reasons why not?
- The design of the system was faulty -
claim damages from the designers and pay within 24 hours. - The people operating the system are falling down on the job -
punish them. And pay within 24 hours. - The system was intended not only to demonise claimants but to punish them for being ill, disabled or otherwise unfortunate or disadvantaged -
where do we start? Well first thing is to get rid of this evil government asap. And punish them.
18 Nov 17
Worked out what's wrong with Capitalism, well Company Law and it's effects anyway. Companies are responsible only to their shareholders. Not you, not me, not anybody else. No mention of the Good of Society, not a word about leaving the place better than they found it. And why not incorporate in Company Law the requirement to Pay all Your Taxes, ALL of them -
18 Nov 17
What's it like when you die? Imagine what it was like before you were born. It's just like that.
18 Nov 17
The more I see of what's currently going on in this country, the more I'm reminded of Nazi Germany. Nobody liked it, nobody thought it'd get worse, and nobody stopped it. We know the rest . . . . . and we should be worried.
18 Nov 17
“But we are clear and I am clear that what we need to do is move forwards together and that’s how we can ensure that we are going to get the best deal for the UK and for the EU,” the prime minister said. Absolute meaningless nonsense. Why are these inadequates, with no discernible talent or understanding, allowed to strut around self-
17 Nov 17
Health and Safety: I was walking up some stairs in a Railway Station the other day. On every tread riser was a notice “Please take care on the stairs”. You see notices warning you to keep away from the cliff edge, don’t touch the white hot steel. And the rest. So it’s clear that the government thinks that everyone’s stupid. So what does it then go and do? Asks them to decide on the future direction of the country, that’s what. You couldn’t make it up . . .
16 Nov 17
Isn't it interesting, and very telling, that in a particular circumstance when they have no other argument, the evil tories are all for 'the will of the people' but in every other circumstance, like saving the NHS or looking after the poor, vulnerable and disabled, or those at risk from fire in tower blocks, they decide to ignore what the people want.
11 Nov 17
Queen’s taxes. Many are saying that it’s a witch hunt and there can’t be a problem. But if there’s no problem with taxes, why would her finance people want to shelter some of her money?
10 Nov 17
History is full of people who are extremely arrogant but know nothing. I'll go further. If you know sufficient, you know enough not to be extremely arrogant.
5 Nov 17
There's something seriously wrong with priorities when people get upset about a sex scandal or two (which is, of course, important to the people involved) but don't bat an eyelid in the face of the cruelty dished out by this government to the poor, sick and disabled and all the other evil things they get up to.
5 Nov 17
One effect of Brexit not so far considered:
EU citizens sent home. All UK football teams then have only 3 players and no Manager.
3 Nov 17
Interesting that given all the sheer incompetence, lack of preparation for Brexit, lying, cruelty, xenophobia, buffoonery, back stabbing, power grabbing, sidelining of Parliament, demonisation of vulnerable groups and the rest, it looks possible that the evil tories may be taken down by that old favourite the sex scandal!
3 Nov 17
Dreams: It’s not too hard to understand that, when we’re asleep, the brain sorts through our various thoughts and experiences, say to decide which are important or worth keeping and which can be thrown away. What’s a bit surprising, to me, is that the brain weaves them into a semi-
2 Nov 17
There’s something wrong with the classification ‘Mental Health’ as though it was a different kind of health, a second class kind of health and somehow not worthy of the same support and funding as ‘proper’ health. Good health is good physical and mental health combined. You can’t have one without the other. We shouldn’t allow separation of the two. It’s not good for either and it’s certainly not good for those suffering the consequences of such a separation.
2 Nov 17
The media actively promote the idea that women are very different from men. And so does the advertising industry. All to make money. The fact is that the similarities are very much greater than the differences, but the differences are deliberately and mercilessly exaggerated. The norm is deliberately shifted and, surprise surprise, people conform to it. That’s a pity because it can promote an unhealthy view and possibly encourage unacceptable behaviour by men. And men should know better.
1 Nov 17
If the EU Impact Studies showed huge, or even small, benefits of leaving the EU, you can bet that we'd all have been shown them by now. We might even have had summaries posted through our letterboxes. We haven't. That tells you all you need to know.
1 Nov 17
"The will of the people".
Like me you're probably sick of hearing this phrase parroted at every opportunity by the evil tories. Just to be clear, it isn't the will of the people. It was the will, in June 2016, of about half the people who voted. For a nearly equal number it wasn't their will at all. So, given the stupid, blatant and wilful black-
Let me hazard a guess. Could it be because that's the only argument they've got in support of Brexit? Could it be that they've been scrambling around for any benefit whatsoever, commissioned reports, at great cost to us, looking for any glimmer of an upside, sifted through expert opinion and still found nothing in favour? What to do? I know, all we've got to fall back on is "the will of the people". So let's use that. Constantly. All the time.
