Labour losing the plot (even more)

Labour's recent  announcement concerning foreign workers made me sad. Not because Tesco or Next supposedly employ foreign workers over natives, not because of an immigration problem 'out of control' but because I:

a) Could not care less about immigration, and
b) Cements my refusal to not vote labour at the next election.

Throughout the course of the New Labour regime the party crept further and further right until it occupied broadly the same space as the Tory party. Law and Order, Immigration and demonising the poor where the order of the day and there was no one to occupy that vacuum. Unless your Scottish or Welsh as Plaid and the The SNP quite comfortably filled the gap and doomed the concept of Britain to a footnote in the history books. See what I did there, come the break up of the United Kingdom it is not the SNP that will be responsible, not even the Scottish people who, correct me if I am wrong, don't really care that much about independence per se just getting out of under the yoke of the right wing neo-liberal agenda. Can't say I blame them, but it is Labour's fault for giving up on its core values and condemning political discourse in this country to being akin to this Futurama clip. Ok, so the Liberal Party tried to do the same thing - opposing the war, and tuition fee increases and promising free cotton candy to all and sundry but when given a whiff (and that is all they got) of power they traded in their principles and promises for a shot at electoral reform that, frankly, no one else cared about. Except me, I was and am in favour of PR but I was more in favour of not, you know, crippling students with debt levels akin to the average home owner.

So now Labour are in opposition and of course all the Tory niceties (Greenest party ever was it? Fracking is it?) are dispensed with and we are down to business what do the labour party do? Well they complain about foreign workers coming over here and taking our jobs. I recall the brilliant South Park episode where this happened: They took our jobs. They took er jobs. Thtooerjbs!!

See, the thing is, I don't mind if people want to come over here and work. Just as I have the freedom to go elsewhere and work myself. Money can travel across borders freely why can't people? If governments change the regulations to prohibit the worst excesses of capitalism the threat is always that factories will go elsewhere - well, why shouldn't people? I welcome immigration.

I WELCOME IMMIGRATION

God, you don't hear that very often do you? I think it is a good thing to be exposed to different cultures, ways of life, food and music and I think it is also a good thing for people to seek out a better life for themselves and their family. Where it depresses wages and stops 'nationals' working then that is only because wages are too low elsewhere in the world - that is the problem to be fixed - not forcing people to stay in poverty. Not fomenting racism and perpetuating racist discourse.

Humanity is a commonality. We are all one species and national boundaries are an infantile disease, the measles of mankind, and the sooner we grow up and begin to act as one people united under our own faith in ourselves the better. Peace, equality and diversity. And we can explore space together. In the meantime, come the next general election I am left with very little choice ...the puppet on the left, or the puppet on the right? Oh, wait, it is the same guy controlling both puppets...or, at least it will be when labour finally cuts the cord tying it to the unions once and for all and becomes the Tories by any other name.

I like windfarms

I have been reading some blogs and comments about people protesting the building of wind-farms near their homes and villages in South Wales. Personally, I don't understand the fuss and the furore about wind-farms. Why don't people like them? Ok, so that is why I was reading these commentaries but I am still none the wiser, the arguments don't make much sense to me. They spoil the view, apparently. Well, maybe but no more than pylons do already surely? And no more than the view will be spoiled when climate change floods the plains and food security goes down the toilet and millions starve. Somehow I think in that nightmare scenario very few people will stop to enjoy the view.

But, climate skeptic or not, I cannot help but disagree with the aesthetic problem people have regarding wind-farms. And it seems I am not alone. An offshore wind-farm in Ulster is something of a tourist attraction in its own right. On clear days folk congregate in a coffee shop on the shore and enjoy the view, or so I am told by a local resident I know personally. They might be lying and in the pocket of the evil green energy corporations. I know Donald Trump hates them. After being a little too cosy for my liking with the SNP for years he has had a massive falling out with Alex Salmond over a proposed offshore wind-farm next to his half built golf course. I know the Scots invented the game but really, Aberdeenshire seems like the worst location for outdoor pursuits of any kind. Particularly because it is a bit windswept at times. Ideal for a wind-farm really you might think?

Let us not cover the globe in them, I think a nice mix of Tidal (I note Swansea might be building its own Tidal Lagoon soon which is very cool, click the link above to see what it will look like. Perhaps a tourist destination in its own right too? Solar power where appropriate and whatever else the brightest and best minds of the world dream up in the future. I have no problem with nuclear either by the way, but that is for a separate blog post I suspect.

I think a clean, cheap, renewable source of energy that does not leave us at the mercy of OPEC, Gazprom or whatever is fairly sensible and they have to be in someone's back yard! And, that backyard usually gets a nice amount of money in grants to improve the community too. Many of the new wind-farms are being built in the Welsh Valleys and, fair play they are beautiful, but these are depressed communities following the collapse of the coal mining industry (another blog post in itself) and a bit of inward investment seems like a good idea and fitting that these regions still produce the energy for the nation?

So, yes. If you wanted to build one in my back yard, or near my home, or in my local beauty spot you would hear no complaint from me. Like the mobile phone mast protests of the 90s I think that we will seriously regret making such a fuss in the future. Plus, they look pretty! Serene! Graceful!