how one picture can scare a nation

Does this man look like he's in control of his mind or his sphincter, let alone
the economy of one of the world's biggest countries?




Well, at his alma mater, Eton, there is a statue of Heracles/Hercules
holding one of the heads of the hydra. Herc kept cutting off heads
and they kept growing back.
It sounds like the banks. You just can't kill them. This world needs a Herc.
NOW!

stamped 'FAIL'

a couple of report cards just came in for the Ruling Classes, and the marks
are similar to Greece's Fitch rating. Caa with a 'K', for knockout. caak. sh*t

George Osbourne is lambasted for not rearranging the bank thing. The bonehead
writing in the Guardian (see below) actually thinks that Ozzie or anybody else would
do the right thing. I wonder how stunned he is, but he is correct.
The great thing is that the rest of the media is still selling the

"all is well" message
to keep the protests to a minimum
and to make sure that the poorest will lose the most
when it all comes crashing down.
They probably know the date and time.

Trashing #2 the Universities minister,

One boot to the head from that guy's university
(see below)

checkitout: 2 texts
The UK could be leading with a new economic approach, instead we follow
A consensus in favour of stimulus has disappeared – and Britain is leading the way in the wrong direction
o Will Hutton
o guardian.co.uk, Saturday 4 June 2011 21.36 BST
Two years ago the world was agreed that the aftermath of the banking crisis required the most delicate handling. World leaders were alert to the example of the United States in the 1930s and Japan in the 1990s after its financial crash. In both cases a too-early return to the principles of good housekeeping and premature public belt-tightening caused a terrible wobble in the recovery.

This time it would be different. Governments would spend and borrow to keep the recovery going, recognising their special responsibilities while both consumers and businesses were carrying enormous levels of private debt – and banks were crippled. They would spend to compensate.

Today that consensus has vanished. The varying stimulus packages in 2009, along with a worldwide bank bailout that cost some $14 trillion, worked almost too well. Everybody believes recovery is established and that they can focus on restoring their national balance sheets to order.

European governments, quailing before the markets' assault on Greece, Portugal and Ireland – with Spain and even Italy facing the tremors – are united in a belief that the defence of the euro requires budgetary stringency.
2
David Willetts's former tutor says: 'I have no confidence in him'

Universities minister faces votes of no confidence from Oxford and Cambridge dons calling for his removal from office
* Daniel Boffey, Policy editor
* guardian.co.uk, Saturday 4 June 2011 21.55 BST

Oxford and Cambridge dons attempting to force the resignation of the universities minister, David Willetts, have been given a boost by a declaration from the politician's former economics tutor that he had "no confidence in him".

The controlling bodies of the universities are due to stage a vote calling for the minister's removal from office amid growing unrest over the government's trebling of the limit on tuition fees and recent announcements on higher education policy.

Now, speaking to the Observer, Peter Oppenheimer, an emeritus professor at Christ Church, Oxford, and a tutor to the beleaguered minister in the mid-1970s, has admitted: "I have no confidence in him, absolutely. He was a highly intelligent and thoughtful person, very able – but no politician. He has got the kind of open-mindedness which enables him to see the value of a whole range of points of view, especially that of the person he last talked to."

Senior academics at Cambridge and Oxford are calling on Willetts, nicknamed "Two Brains" for his reputed intelligence, to reconsider the hike in undergraduate tuition fees, cuts to higher education and what they say are "incoherent" messages on university admissions. Almost 150 academics at Cambridge, including the renowned poet Jeremy Halvard Prynne, have signed a motion of no confidence in the minister. It will be sent to the university's council, which is expected to endorse it and the university will then need to tell the government that it has passed a vote of no confidence in Willetts by the end of this month.

this is the caring guy we need to help our children

@sarc Education Minister David Willetts, and in the painting, just Dave

a glowering technocrat, with a painting of his vainglorious boss.
Really approachable and down-to-earth bunch... for Oxford, anyway.

What is he really saying? Here's an American translation:

"One way or the other, you're kids are screwed."

From the interviews I've seen of Willetts, he does not really care to engage in debate. He shuts down any kind of real discussion of his policies, and notice how he's not even invited to the BBC anymore. That's democracy at work.

What he should be doing is smoothing the progress of students into university, especially into the courses that the UK needs, like engineering, visual arts (e.g. video game technology), sciences. You never know what advanced education will bring to the UK. As it stands, because kids are not well-educated and have few role-models for the above subjects, and ZERO encouragement, this has created a problem. It seems kids here need encouragement.
However, Oxbridge graduates don't really care, as long as they get to rule the roost in Westminster. They've never really worked in their lives before. So, there's your education ministry. Ministering to sycophants and the rich only.

Prime directive:
Arrangements for their buddies kids to work at Finnish banks,
like the one Clegg-er worked for.

Finnishing school! AHAAHAhahAhAhAHAhAh
xD

-Cosine67 ~~

corruption needs a puritan response

I'm working on a cycle of British history which arrives once every 500 years or so.
When the populace is so displeased with the sleaze and corruption of government,
that they get off their barstools and take things into their own hands.
The last time it happened was in the 17th century, with the English civil war.
Cromwell's puritans took over government.
They were a bit severe, though. They wanted to cancel Christmas.

The King they beheaded was Charles I.

Today, we're seeing the government allowing the bankers to run roughshod over the
whole economy and doing nothing while thousands lose their jobs and benefits.

Also, there's the issue of a weak, unpopular heir to the throne, Charles.
I watched "would I lie to you", a tv game show. I'll explain when I can get the URL.
the humour used means that Chuckles is not going to have a good time, once he takes
over from the Iron Queen.

Is it the name, Charles, which causes me to expect a repeat?

more later