Afghanistan has always been a warground, because of it's strategic position. This is why the Afghanistan people have such good fighting skills. It is the countries around Afghanistan that need to create peace, and stop fighting their own wars over Afghani borders, and in their territories. The Brits have a terrible record of war in Afghanistan, and even did not report the first massacre 1840/1 in the British papers for 12 years. So what's new? the actual 'news' we get as citizens is always doctored by political spin.
How can anyone truly know what the Afghani people truly want for themselves? They have always lived in a war zone, and had to defend their territory. The emerging situation in Libya may well be the pattern for Afghanistan when all troops are moved out. It has been evident that the 'western' involvement in Libya has created a country where civil war will now have to resolve the power struggles.
For me the only way I can see that any stability can come is for everyone to run out of ammunition, then they will have to either slit each others throats or come to the table and negotiate.
On Multiculturalism;
For myself, I don't really have a 'sense of identity' when I am home here in Jersey, although I do when I go to France (or on holiday somewhere). I am so obviously not French, although I am a Francophile. I appreciate all the wonderful things about France. Culture, food, investment into identity, family values and community. The rural way of life suits me. That French people are much more politically active than us. We have a small group of English friends who live in the area, but we hardly ever have 'just English' evenings, mostly French friends and English are mixed. Our French friends 'mix us' as well.
There was a peaceful demonstration by all the youngsters on the La Madelene roundabout just outside St Servin (St Malo) not so long ago (about pensions). We had a nice detour to get around them! Well done you guys, you are an inspiration. Peaceful demonstrations are much more effective, just make sure you know everybody who is there, so you don't get rioting started by infiltrators that want to start pitched battles with the police.
I wonder if it is a good idea to have proper head counts before and after demonstrations, how about the solidarity of cuffing everyone together in groups of 50 to represent the desire for jubilee against debt?
If you have both hands cuffed toso you can't fight, how can you be anything but peaceful. We are slaves to the way politics, banking structures, giant corporations, and stock markets rule the world anyway. Let's just behave like peaceful citizens, and get the world changed by what we don't do, rather than fight like vandals and mobs.
The beaurocracy, red tape and enslavement of people by poverty, has been a long term strategy by the very people elected to represent us.
Peaceful co-operation between the poverty stricken people of this world will overcome this Big Brother manipulation, and bring about the realisation of our genuine desire for a better world for the next generations.
Besides breaking up the buildings and shop fronts, and stealing from local traders won't reduce your tax burden, or inflation, it will increase it, because more money will have to be invested in civil defense and policing. We want our money invested in schools, hospitals, infrastructure, and services, not in more policing, armies, weapons, and espionage, and propping up the elitist minority that are simply skimming it.
Just personal experience on a street level to underline the seriousness of the banking catastrophe... you might have trouble following this.
I ordered a new debit card and pin from Lloyds TSB on the 31st of August. I got the debit card in 4 days, which is good... I am still waiting for a pin. So I can't use the card yet. This means I still have to use my credit card until I can get the pin.. .. .. ..
I managed to get rid of the payment protection cover on my Lloyds credit card, but there is still another security charge I was unable to cancel, thank goodness I was on the banks phone, because the girl on the other end was doing an incredible 'fear pitch', to ensure I did not cancel this, it went on for about 5 minutes.
As I had to put a payment for £11 on this card in this month, I decided to see if I did indeed get the credit report, and a breakdown of what this payment actually covers me for before cancelling it, what the heck, I have been unquestioningly paying it like a boiled frog for years, another payment wouldn't make a big difference to the £100s I have already paid. I was told when I got this card years ago I had to have both.
I asked to be sent a summary of exactly what this security charge covers, and the credit report that is meant to be free with it, just to see what I am paying for before I close the card altogether. I haven't got that after 6 working days! You can bet this will take it into another payment period, so they get another dibbs of £7 before I close the card!
I ordered a new debit card pin from Nat West on the 19th August, now nearly 4 weeks on, I do not have the pin! I have chased this up, and I was told the pin had been issued but not sent.
Another request has been made.. .. .. .. .. (that's finger tapping).
I haven't been able to close my business account for over three months, as bungling ineptitude has meant the credit card for this account can't be closed. It was in credit, and this needed to be transferred back to the business acount. I gave up, and phoned the business card division to send me a cheque, then I can pay this into the business account, then close it. It is a small amount but there is a priciple here, and if the card is in credit, it obviously isn't closed.
I also can't get a hold put on the £10 monthly fees for the business acount. Because Scottish Provident mortgage cover (which is being contested) who have the direct debit from the business account won't return my calls, or answer the phone. I haven't been able to move the direct debit to my personal account. I am going to try an e-mail now, as sending a letter costs 60p!
Since asking to have this personal account downgraded from the Nat West Advantage fee paying account which costs £12 a month, to a non fee paying category, I felt I have become the scum of the Earth. However having gone into the branch and obviously dealt with the receptionist, who was very helpful and polite, I actually have a direct line to my business adviser who has since been polite and helpful. I still have a business adviser, as I have a business account.
Now having been assured that the small balance from the business account had been transferred to my personal account, and not having a usable debit card, I went to the bank to draw cash, well I think I put myself overdrawn on my personal account, which means I may get charges for that too, as the balance hadn't been transferred.. .. .. ..
From all this irritating, time consuming and ridiculous bungling, I came to a crystal conclusion here.
I am not overdrawn on any account (normally). I never have outstanding credit card bills, because I don't spend money I haven't got, and pay the card every month. Yet the bank still wants to bleed my accounts with charges even though I am in credit! I think that term needs to be re-defined as 'credit', normally refers now to getting a loan, so you get credit, rather than 'have credit' these days!
How about calling people that actually have an account with 'money' in it, 'virtual savers/losers/idiots', that's because the stuff is virtually useless even if you do have any.
I think this is probably the closest term I can think of, because I came to the conclusion both of these banks are making it as difficult for me to spend any of this 'virtual money' as possible. (That's because they don't have any money! All they have are debts, that's why they have to ask the Government for taxpayers money to lend back to us at a minimum rate of 9%).
I realised that in order to draw 'my money' out of the bank, the bank has to get 'my money' off the UK government as well, who get it out of the UK tax payer. I thought the girl in the bank was going to ask me for my passport, drivers licence, and a utility bill to get this money out, she looked so shocked, did she think I was 'robbing the bank'.... and all I was after was £150 to pay some bills, and leave me with £32 quid to top up my monthly pocket money.
Just to tell you how careful I am, I drew £40 as personal spending and petrol money last month, and I still had £8 left when I gave myself a top up this month, And I bought Himself a book of parking tickets to pay back the ones I have been cadging off him out of last months money as well. My Husband makes jokes about this and says I am (rude word) tight. They are never happy are they! If I liked spending, and getting all the time He would moan.
Right, the post has just arrived and Lloyds have now sent me a pin, so I now have one account functioning! (no money in it, so don't get excited!).
However, having re-requested a pin for the personal account at Nat West, what I actually just got this morning was a notification to say I have ordered a new business credit card (for the one that I am trying to close with the £3.15 credit in it). So now I have to ring them again and make sure they don't send it! How come I have a new card ordered for a different account, when all I want is a pin number for a card I already have for a personal account.
I wonder if a pin number will ever be sent! I notice that Nat west still puts 'Helpful Banking' on it's letterhead. I think this is a cryptic coded subversive anagram for 'Lose hope, all ye who enter here'.
Perhaps, what I should do is move all these accounts to Lloyds, at least I got very good service from their advisor, and a nice coffee, and I got to make those expensive phone calls from her nice warm office.
I do have better things to do, but then what would I put on my blog/diary.. .. .. .. .. ..
Are you keeping up with this or getting well bored?
Well, talking about problems obviously helps, I got through to Nat West Company Card division!
I wonder how much it actually costs to listen to all the number options, the advertising, and then stay on the phone like a lemon waiting to speak to someone? Do they get a rake of of this too? Anyway the account is definitely closed. I said you might want to stop sending me automated letters and save yourself some money.
I also got through to Scottish Provident, boy do they talk fast, I had to ask the girl to slow down so I could understand the terms of switching direct debits. Now interestingly, they need 14 working days to change a direct debit, which means I will definaely be charged at least £10 extra from the business account as I have to keep it open past the 14th September so they can take their debit. Then it switches to my personal account.
Had Nat West informed me on the 19th August I needed to phone Scottish Provident directly to switch the direct debit I would have done it then. I was given to understand this was done internally by Nat West. So more disinformation to keep the account open longer and get more bank charges.. .. .. Still, at least I should be able to close the account soon, then Nat West will say that as the charges are a month in hand, I will have to pay another £10 to get it closed. I wonder if they charge me for closing it as well?
Perhaps if I just go and withdraw everything except the next direct debit to Scottish Widows, and tell them to take me to court over the rest I could get away with it? Nah, bad idea, I would lose and have to pay their costs.