This has been a terrible week with events that affect pensions and pensioners both directly and indirectly.
Like many I was appalled at the senseless violence, destruction and looting that occurred in our major cities for which there was no excuse. The attitude that “what is yours is mine” and take any steps to get it, endemic in some undeveloped countries, appears to have been imported into this country and organised through the Internet.
Since early ages, humans gathered together in Tribal Societies for protection and mutual gain and accepted responsibilities and duties in exchange. At that time it was black and white, the tribe against the external threat and anyone who broke the rules was cast out.
Now the situation is more complex and we have become bogged down in human rights and a multitude of excuses for not obeying Society Law and rules, whose need is essential if we are to continue to survive. If you break the Law , it is common sense, that you should lose the protection and be cast out until reparation is made.
Human rights are part of Society and criminals should lose those rights and all claim to the benefits of Society, although they should still be treated humanely. An inherent part of social gathering or tribes is the respect for other members, their lives, property, rights and well being, whether this be in a village, town or nation.
This involves accepting the responsibility and of ensuring children are brought up with this knowledge and attitude otherwise we shall all revert to the jungle, with survival of the fittest and most ruthless. Deprivation, poverty, social position are no excuse for ignoring the basic rules and failure to instill them.
We live in a culture of violence, greed, envy, blame and competition in the acquisition of worldly goods and this needs to be controlled to minimise the threat from within. At the same time we must ensure that Society gives hope and opportunity to all, particularly the young, which appears to have been lost in the obsession for wealth.
I did two years National Service, I do not regret it and found it a good experience and life training exercise. Taking someone from the home environment, giving them independence, a basic income , training, social mixing and a sense of responsibility is not wasted time. It does not have to be in the armed forces, it can be an apprenticeship, course of education, charitable and social work in this Country or or even third world.
We need to do something urgently both in punishment and reward before it is too late.
The other event which directly affected pensions, particularly those about to retire, was the upheaval on the Stock Market, which is becoming more unstable and volatile. There must be a better way to manage Commercial affairs than this speculative free for all circus, which appears to pay little attention to actual worth but more to rumour and hearsay and the attempt at the fast buck.
The two events are connected, the latter being theft from hard earned pension savings and from wages in speculative commodity activity raising retail prices, particularly oil and gas. The Country is in the doldrums under threat by mindless hooligans and global conglomerates driven by self interest and of questionable judgement. Lost are the true investors of the 19th century who built Britain up.
The Government needs to take control and avoid the blame game, the present recession and current social ills will only be beaten, as in the past, by growth using the Country’s assets of labour and own materials without incurring foreign debt.
Funded pension schemes offer the potential Capital to fund such growth in infrastructure of affordable housing, transport, energy and social buildings; to take youth off the street in worthwhile work. Most of such expenditure offers modest stable returns, whilst benefitting all.
Many such projects are at an advanced stage or can quickly be realised, one such is the Severn barrage which with upper dams could supply 20% of our energy needs, current cost estimates at £35bn it uses internal supplies of mainly concrete, steel and labour with few imports. Compared with the London Birmingham high speed rail link at the same price and large imports, there is no contest, such obsession with speed offers little benefit, double the speed gives half the traffic flow due to four times the stopping distance and spacing.
All this may sound insular with buy British, but perhaps we need to be, to reduce foreign debt and influence and regain our independence, to get the nation working and growing again
Savings Annuities Public Sector NHS Teachers Police Local Government Hutton State
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