Malcolm Robinson

No apologies for this cut and paste job......... Might not agree with it 100% but there is an honesty in this 38yr old speech which shines through. 'Alienation is the precise and correctly applied word for describing the major social problem in Britain today. People feel alienated by society. In some intellectual circles it is treated almost as a new phenomenon. It has, however, been with us for years. What I believe is true is that today it is more widespread, more pervasive than ever before. Let me right at the outset define what I mean by alienation. It is the cry of men who feel themselves the victims of blind economic forces beyond their control. It's the frustration of ordinary people excluded from the processes of decision-making. The feeling of despair and hopelessness that pervades people who feel with justification that they have no real say in shaping or determining their own destinies. Many may not have rationalised it. May not even understand, may not be able to articulate it. But they feel it. It therefore conditions and colours their social attitudes. Alienation expresses itself in different ways in different people. It is to be found in what our courts often describe as the criminal antisocial behaviour of a section of the community. It is expressed by those young people who want to opt out of society, by drop-outs, the so-called maladjusted, those who seek to escape permanently from the reality of society through intoxicants and narcotics. Of course, it would be wrong to say it was the sole reason for these things. But it is a much greater factor in all of them than is generally recognised. Society and its prevailing sense of values leads to another form of alienation. It alienates some from humanity. It partially de-humanises some people, makes them insensitive, ruthless in their handling of fellow human beings, self-centred and grasping. The irony is, they are often considered normal and well-adjusted. It is my sincere contention that anyone who can be totally adjusted to our society is in greater need of psychiatric analysis and treatment than anyone else. They remind me of the character in the novel, Catch 22, the father of Major Major. He was a farmer in the American Mid-West. He hated suggestions for things like medi-care, social services, unemployment benefits or civil rights. He was, however, an enthusiast for the agricultural policies that paid farmers for not bringing their fields under cultivation. From the money he got for not growing alfalfa he bought more land in order not to grow alfalfa. He became rich. Pilgrims came from all over the state to sit at his feet and learn how to be a successful non-grower of alfalfa. His philosophy was simple. The poor didn't work hard enough and so they were poor. He believed that the good Lord gave him two strong hands to grab as much as he could for himself. He is a comic figure. But think – have you not met his like here in Britain? Here in Scotland? I have. It is easy and tempting to hate such people. However, it is wrong. They are as much products of society, and of a consequence of that society, human alienation, as the poor drop-out. They are losers. They have lost the essential elements of our common humanity. Man is a social being. Real fulfilment for any person lies in service to his fellow men and women. The big challenge to our civilisation is not Oz, a magazine I haven't seen, let alone read. Nor is it permissiveness, although I agree our society is too permissive. Any society which, for example, permits over one million people to be unemployed is far too permissive for my liking. Nor is it moral laxity in the narrow sense that this word is generally employed – although in a sense here we come nearer to the problem. It does involve morality, ethics, and our concept of human values. The challenge we face is that of rooting out anything and everything that distorts and devalues human relations. Let me give two examples from contemporary experience to illustrate the point. Recently on television I saw an advert. The scene is a banquet. A gentleman is on his feet proposing a toast. His speech is full of phrases like "this full-bodied specimen". Sitting beside him is a young, buxom woman. The image she projects is not pompous but foolish. She is visibly preening herself, believing that she is the object of the bloke's eulogy. Then he concludes – "and now I give...", then a brand name of what used to be described as Empire sherry. Then the laughter. Derisive and cruel laughter. The real point, of course, is this. In this charade, the viewers were obviously expected to identify not with the victim but with her tormentors. The other illustration is the widespread, implicit acceptance of the concept and term "the rat race". The picture it conjures up is one where we are scurrying around scrambling for position, trampling on others, back-stabbing, all in pursuit of personal success. Even genuinely intended, friendly advice can sometimes take the form of someone saying to you, "Listen, you look after number one." Or as they say in London, "Bang the bell, Jack, I'm on the bus." To the students [of Glasgow University] I address this appeal. Reject these attitudes. Reject the values and false morality that underlie these attitudes. A rat race is for rats. We're not rats. We're human beings. Reject the insidious pressures in society that would blunt your critical faculties to all that is happening around you, that would caution silence in the face of injustice lest you jeopardise your chances of promotion and self-advancement. This is how it starts, and before you know where you are, you're a fully paid-up member of the rat-pack. The price is too high. It entails the loss of your dignity and human spirit. Or as Christ put it, "What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?"Profit is the sole criterion used by the establishment to evaluate economic activity. From the rat race to lame ducks. The vocabulary in vogue is a give-away. It's more reminiscent of a human menagerie than human society. The power structures that have inevitably emerged from this approach threaten and undermine our hard-won democratic rights. The whole process is towards the centralisation and concentration of power in fewer and fewer hands. The facts are there for all who want to see. Giant monopoly companies and consortia dominate almost every branch of our economy. The men who wield effective control within these giants exercise a power over their fellow men which is frightening and is a negation of democracy. Government by the people for the people becomes meaningless unless it includes major economic decision-making by the people for the people. This is not simply an economic matter. In essence it is an ethical and moral question, for whoever takes the important economic decisions in society ipso facto determines the social priorities of that society. From the Olympian heights of an executive suite, in an atmosphere where your success is judged by the extent to which you can maximise profits, the overwhelming tendency must be to see people as units of production, as indices in your accountants' books. To appreciate fully the inhumanity of this situation, you have to see the hurt and despair in the eyes of a man suddenly told he is redundant, without provision made for suitable alternative employment, with the prospect in the West of Scotland, if he is in his late forties or fifties, of spending the rest of his life in the Labour Exchange. Someone, somewhere has decided he is unwanted, unneeded, and is to be thrown on the industrial scrap heap. From the very depth of my being, I challenge the right of any man or any group of men, in business or in government, to tell a fellow human being that he or she is expendable. The concentration of power in the economic field is matched by the centralisation of decision-making in the political institutions of society. The power of Parliament has undoubtedly been eroded over past decades, with more and more authority being invested in the Executive. The power of local authorities has been and is being systematically undermined. The only justification I can see for local government is as a counter- balance to the centralised character of national government. Local government is to be restructured. What an opportunity, one would think, for de-centralising as much power as possible back to the local communities. Instead, the proposals are for centralising local government. It's once again a blue-print for bureaucracy, not democracy. If these proposals are implemented, in a few years when asked "Where do you come from?" I can reply: "The Western Region." It even sounds like a hospital board. It stretches from Oban to Girvan and eastwards to include most of the Glasgow conurbation. As in other matters, I must ask the politicians who favour these proposals – where and how in your calculations did you quantify the value of a community? Of community life? Of a sense of belonging? Of the feeling of identification? These are rhetorical questions. I know the answer. Such human considerations do not feature in their thought processes. Everything that is proposed from the establishment seems almost calculated to minimise the role of the people, to miniaturise man. I can understand how attractive this prospect must be to those at the top. Those of us who refuse to be pawns in their power game can be picked up by their bureaucratic tweezers and dropped in a filing cabinet under "M" for malcontent or maladjusted. When you think of some of the high flats around us, it can hardly be an accident that they are as near as one could get to an architectural representation of a filing cabinet. If modern technology requires greater and larger productive units, let's make our wealth-producing resources and potential subject to public control and to social accountability. Let's gear our society to social need, not personal greed. Given such creative re-orientation of society, there is no doubt in my mind that in a few years we could eradicate in our country the scourge of poverty, the underprivileged, slums, and insecurity. Even this is not enough. To measure social progress purely by material advance is not enough. Our aim must be the enrichment of the whole quality of life. It requires a social and cultural, or if you wish, a spiritual transformation of our country. A necessary part of this must be the restructuring of the institutions of government and, where necessary, the evolution of additional structures so as to involve the people in the decision-making processes of our society. The so-called experts will tell you that this would be cumbersome or marginally inefficient. I am prepared to sacrifice a margin of efficiency for the value of the people's participation. Anyway, in the longer term, I reject this argument. To unleash the latent potential of our people requires that we give them responsibility. The untapped resources of the North Sea are as nothing compared to the untapped resources of our people. I am convinced that the great mass of our people go through life without even a glimmer of what they could have contributed to their fellow human beings. This is a personal tragedy. It's a social crime. The flowering of each individual's personality and talents is the pre-condition for everyone's development. In this context education has a vital role to play. If automation and technology is accompanied as it must be with a full employment, then the leisure time available to man will be enormously increased. If that is so, then our whole concept of education must change. The whole object must be to equip and educate people for life, not solely for work or a profession. The creative use of leisure, in communion with and in service to our fellow human beings, can and must become an important element in self-fulfilment. Universities must be in the forefront of development, must meet social needs and not lag behind them. It is my earnest desire that this great University of Glasgow should be in the vanguard, initiating changes and setting the example for others to follow. Part of our educational process must be the involvement of all sections of the university on the governing bodies. The case for student representation is unanswerable. It is inevitable. My conclusion is to re-affirm what I hope and certainly intend to be the spirit permeating this address. It's an affirmation of faith in humanity. All that is good in man's heritage involves recognition of our common humanity, an unashamed acknowledgement that man is good by nature. It's my belief that all the factors to make a practical reality of such a world are maturing now. I would like to think that our generation took mankind some way along the road towards this goal. It's a goal worth fighting for.'

This is not a hoax!!!!!!

This is hilarious..............

'Informed sources party to talks taking place in Washington have confirmed in the last hour that big players Google and Verizon are about to announce an agreement to effectively end free information flow on the Internet. It seems that the pair are close to an agreement whereby 'premium' services will be available to those who pay and/or pay more; basically, it would allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content's creators were willing to pay for the privilege.' This ain't Rupert trying to make us pay to see a daily newspaper!

What are Vegemite, Promite, Bovril and Yeast Extract? Answer: They are not Marmite in any way, shape or form. Vegemite, is an Australian product, manufactured by Kraft Foods Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is generally described by Marmite fans as a weaker version spread than British-produced Marmite. Vegemite fans have claimed that it is stronger than some non-British-produced Marmite, but that doesn't say much for that "Marmite". Its ingredients are: Yeast Extract Salt Caramel Malt Extract Natural Flavor

Ah yes the infamous Marmite…………. Yeast Extract Salt Vegetable Extract Vitamin: Niacin Spices Vitamins: B1, B2, Folic Acid, B12 'It is a natural by-product from brewer's yeast. The by-products of fermentation—yeast, barm, or leaven—had long since been known about, but it was not until Louis Pasteur's time that the secrets of living yeast were unlocked. A German chemist named Liebig discovered that the waste of yeast used in brewing beer could be self-digested and made into a concentrate, resulting in a protein-rich paste (some would say "sludge") with a more or less meaty flavour. (So Marmite is actually a Continental, not a British, invention! But the Brits were the first to make it commercially viable.)' I thought it was just reduced ear wax!

There is a new council tax evaluation policy which wants to charge more for those who live in a nice area. That ought to mean discounts for those of us who live in a rough area. There is a huge council house in our street. The extended family is run by a grumpy old woman with a pack of fierce dogs. Her car isn't taxed or insured and doesn't even have a number plate, but the police do nothing. Her bad tempered old man is notorious for racist comments. A shopkeeper blames him for ordering the murder of his son and his son's girlfriend but nothing has been proved yet. All the kids have broken marriages except the youngest, who everyone thought was gay. Two grandsons are meant to be in the Army but are always out partying in nightclubs. They are out of control. I hate living near Windsor Castle !

LOL.............

Unlikely as it might seem we are now probably going to see a massive rise in staple food inflation owing to shortages because of spoilt harvests. Watch the prices of wheat and soya based foodstuffs. This could easily knock everyone's economic theories into a cocked hat. I know but be aware.

Close enough......

This will get you the clerks telephone number and e-mail, just scroll down the list......... http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=387

Bernard, The councillors Cympil mentions are Northumberland County Councillors not Parish ones. East Bedlington parish council meets in the office next to Keenlysides once a month. Chair now is Alex Wallace. I know there are people on this site who can fill you in with full contact details etc……….

It would seem certain that we are seeing a change in the climate of the planet. Why, might be a far more difficult question to answer and might hinge on a personal belief as there would seem a dearth of unambiguous empirical evidence. However without knowing the 'Why' can we really make the changes needed to alter the situation? We can make an educated guess of course and proceed with changes along those lines. The path to hell is paved with good intentions! Put two people in a room and measure the temperature. Now fill the same room with 50 people and measure the same ambient temperature. This is what we have done with the planet. Interaction between these people will have an effect, individually quite small but cumulative never-the-less. Now get everyone to light a cigarette and switch on an overhead bank of 500w halogen lights……. As for solar flares we are supposed to be in a time of 'Maunder minimum', irrespective of a single huge event. What we cannot dismiss is the albedo effect and our impact onto that.

Ok Denzel tell you what………..I'll wager a pint of their finest that within 6 months of opening we see a reaction. At the mo we have one pub in the town up for lease. As I said we want the upgrade but……… it's the Catch 22 Bedlington has always been in. Personally I would rather have seen the multi-use plans the old owner had in mind for the building....

Teacher…….Geordie, give me a sentence beginning with I. Geordie……..'I is……….' Teacher………No, no, you know you should always start…….'I am'……… Geordie……..OK then Miss, 'I am' the 9th letter of the alphabet!

Teacher………..Geordie, what's the chemical composition of water? Geordie…………H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O. Teacher……….Don't be stupid what's that all about? Geordie……….Well yesterday you said it was H to O!

Looks to be far more interesting 'going's on' behind the scenes! Harriet might not be on the ballots but she is making herself a force to be reckoned with and trying to shape the party to her own style.

Well Mr D thanks very much for that! I do actually write the stuff up using Word and using spacing's, it's just I use the quick editor to post and that seems to squash it all up together. It's more to do with the time I have rather than a deliberate measure……………

Ah.......em,

Yep, either that or we start to use the system to our advantage for a change!

Ok guys I get it! Having now been berated by Monsta, Merlin and Mr D for my verbosity please indulge me one last time in a swansong! Let me try and explain some of the reasons and ramifications behind this thread. First of all I used 'Chat' deliberately because it is an open forum within our web site in an attempt to show anyone surfing into the site, for a look, there is more to it than the normal small town gossiping and back biting. It might just pique their interest enough to join up and explore the other member areas. While I don't assume any kudos for it really a 50% jump in our membership over the last few months has to mean something. It certainly gives a different dimension to our site and so differentiates it from others. The page view and user stats go up monthly so there would seem a certain amount of readership? Or maybe a few closet masochists wanting the beat themselves with a literary whip as you suggest! The information presented is complicated and I have trouble digesting it but I find writing it down is cathartic and clarifying in my mind. Having to work it out and then write a sentence is helpful in understanding the complex intricacies at play. I realise it is a subject most people only give a cursory glance to but a bit like politics it touches everyone. I would say if you guys have read it through and understood it you would know why your car insurances have gone up! The fact that you find it too arduous is down to me and I apologise for the presentation style, I just don't know how else to do it! I hope at the very least you have seen some of the moves behind the financial headlines of late and understand the degenerate relationship between our governments and the financial sector. In the flower power 1960s' parlance, the Man is sticking it to you! And with that I will retire my quill…………………………

Jim, I really get what you are saying overall and heartedly agree, I just don't understand the 'available parking as a reason to limit investment in the town' bit? Were/are NCC investing in the Town, have they even got any plans to? I know there is a group trying to make that happen but it's a bit like moving a sand dune with a fork! Are you having a go at possible parking charges in the Town? I have a bet on with several people that we will see that re-emerge before we take our next sup to Auld Lang Syne! There is one area which always gets in the way of possible developments in the Town and that's the conservation tag the Front Street, and now surrounding area, has. Good thing…….bad thing…….I dunno. Without it we wouldn't have had the Market Place regeneration, and even if some people don't like what it turned out to be it does represent a million squid inward investment.

Whoever is still reading this stuff might like to see one of the latest ECB documents about imbalances and sustainability within the Eurozone. http://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/key/date/2010/html/sp100709_2.en.pdf?d4726975fcbf52956e1d112928b71dcb There are several observations I would make but perhaps the issues regarding currency devaluations by way of increasing exports, AKA the UK solution, would seem worthy of mention. It would seem quite clear the required result in terms of export driven sales and increased employment is anything but certain. In fact letting a currency devalue will have a less than desired effect on factory gate prices because costing's will go up. If a company maintains it's 'spreads' it can easily run the risk of losing out on any benefits from a currency devaluation. Not quite the easy fix the politicos thought! If we look at the reasons behind the current rise in euro value what can be seen? Err, nowt really! It looks more likely we will see this sort of thing applied to all 'world' currencies in a sort of 'your turn next' scenario. It is bad news for Eurozone exporters though as looking at one of the graphs above we see the need for Eurozone 'external' export growth. No doubt the safe haven of the Dollar will come under pressure soon and a reversal of the Euro/Dollar value ensue! Hungary has booted the IMF into touch, well almost; they have walked away from the table just as they were negotiating a new loan package. Hungary has implemented its own austerity package since about 2005 and now realises just what a drag on its economy that has been. With no realistic hopes of economic growth allowing the (now cash strapped) IMF to demand further cuts is a bridge too far! Worth watching the Canadians at the moment. Having already 'fixed' their domestic economy before the world went mad they now seem intent on picking up foreign cash generative safe companies who are somewhat insulated from the worst effects of recession.

In the best traditions of that late Max Bygraves, 'I wanna tell you a story'. If anyone is wondering why interest rates are being held at zero percent penalising savers and you still cannot get a loan or sensible mortgage the answer is somewhat shocking. We have to look across the Pond and peer into the murky world of American finance and Government. First up we saw American banks, and some UK ones, begin unqualified lending practices then packaging these debts up into units which took quantum physics mathematicians to value and selling them on. These were made up of, or at least large parts of them were, what became known as toxic debts, so radioactive they could burn through titanium! As more and more banks jumped onto the bandwagon the appetite for these debts started waning and they were now being passed around in something resembling pass the parcel. Bit like the old Lloyd's asbestos insurance scam and where they stopped no one knew! The big players then just stopped all and any activities and in so doing brought the while rotten house of cards down. Did the big boys suffer, not really because they invested in government bonds instead. While the politicos were running around with their heads up their arses the banks sat back, did nothing and made a good return! What an obnoxious relationship! Before anyone is taken in by utterings about bashing the banks just remember who is bankrolling a lot of governments at the moment! Could our political class not see what was happening? Again looking across the Atlantic let's see what happened to all that $700B Hank Paulson bailout money. It was supposed to buy up these bad debts and save homeowners etc. As soon as Congress authorised it Paulson used it to buy banking equity. Now why should they take this approach? Because it immediately came back as punters for government bonds! The banks cannot foreclose on the government, they would lose everything but they can foreclose on Joe Soap and his overdue mortgage, they can offer punitive loan rates to small businesses and they can load up credit cards and other small loans for us mere mortals! Ah, but that's America, well no the same sort of thing happened here! Conspiracy theory? I don't think it is…………… Anyone wanting the full SP try reading John R. Talbott.

:lol: