Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Labour rattled by Defence Review

Alastair's Campbell's Blog: The Master of New Labour spin is rattled by the professional defence review of the Coalition Government, AC has a go at the press, AC writes the following, “ The Cold War may be over. But Pravda style journalism remains all around us. ”. This shows that the Coalition Government has gotten the Defence Review just about right, its not perfect, a carrier that will need to be axed and no planes for the carrier we will used but that down to the foolish defence policies of Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The Coalition Government could not axe the one of the two carriers due to the fact that it would cost more that building the bloody thing in the first place. On the whole giving the bankrupt nature of the UK’s Governments funding the Defence Review was a professional job and also keeps the UK a nuclear armed power, as always it’s the Tories that have to clean up the mess of Labour.

The UK Cuts and Jobs

Guardian: Reports that the Coalition Government predicts that nearly half million people will lose their jobs due to the cuts. It does have the feel of the 1980s folks, the early 80s it should be stated, after the rough period of those years we had the boom years, lets hope that is the model folks, otherwise its going to be pretty dire out there on the job front, very dire folks. Lets recall that there is a prediction that due to the cuts in the public sector another half million jobs will go in the private sector, yes a million new on the dole, lets hope the reform of the welfare system can cope with this level of unemployment.

Good Advice from PM Cameron - POTUS should READ

10 Downing Street: Read PM Cameron’s statement on the Strategic Defence and Security Review. In the speech there is a good piece of advice to President Obama when it comes to national security and the economy, PM Cameron stated the following, “ Our National Security depends on our economic strength and vice versa. ”. When looking at recent UK history the British Empire become to expensive after World War Two, thus if your broke your no longer a power, the American economy is going the way of the old British Empire, sooner or later there will be a new power to take over from the US, one can postulate it could be China, its has the money and the army, even if it cant control its satellite of North Korea. In less the US economy can be turned around the US will follow the examples of other great powers, its not the enemy that gets you but your own internal shortcomings, in this case Obama attempt to make the US like Western Europe, welfare dependent. The point of the US was it was never meant to be liked old Europe, that’s the part the American left never got, if they did they would have understood the US.

The Defence Cuts - UK Defence Review

BBC News: Reports on the defence cuts, as was leaked the upgrade to the UK’s Nuclear Ability will be decided in five years but prep with start this year. The Coalition PM David Cameron was on good form today, very PM in mode, its suits him, the verdict on Ed Miliband was lot more negative. I thought Ed Miliband was very weak in his response to PM Cameron’s statement on the Defence cuts, he seems unsure of the subject, and stumbled over his words, even the Labour Front Bench did not look happy, one can even postulate by the expression on the face of the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer that he even he found it hard not to show his dismay with the speech of his boss.

New Labour Spin Master and the Coalition Government

Alastair's Campbell's Blog: Even New Labour’s Master Spinner AC has some respect for the political strategy of the Coalition Government, AC states the following, “ The Tories are making a political set of choices…..For sheer nerve, you have to doff your caps to them.” If I was Ed Miliband I would worry, AC is always be Labour but he can see a good political operation in play. This is why it can be postulated that when Ed Miliband makes a real political mistake, and he has five years to do that, the old New Labour hands will not give him a hand up but a knife in the back, as long as Ed Miliband is in charge the AC’s of this world are looking from the outside in the cold, Ed Miliband cant afford to have AC as part of his team due to Iraq. The press hate him, thus when Miliband junior make a mistake one can see Campbell, Mandelson and Blair removing him and getting his brother to take over, then they can come back from the cold.

Mad Men End of Season 4


Just read a Q/A session with Mathew Weiner the creator of Mad Men, very interesting developments for us in the UK. Will not do a link as the Q/A session has a few surprises for the UK. Watch Mad Men, the perfect TV show after Dr Who.

US Unemployment at 10% - Mid Term Elections

Gallup: Reports that in Mid - October the US unemployment rate is at 10% and by end of the month the Government figure will be between 9.7% - 9.9%. This will not be good for Democrats, after the Mid Term Elections the Oval really has to think about getting people back to work, Obama knows that US elections start early these days, in fact after the 2012 race starts on November 3rd 2011. The question is can President Obama pivot to the centre, does he understand that the new centre in US politics is to his right, the US voter wants the Oval to get people back to work, Reagan got Reagan Democrats back to work by cutting taxes, the Oval is for getting taxes up, can Obama keep his base but also get tax cuts through a Republican Congress that does not want to give him any credit. Also the Congress will try to repeal ObamaCare, what will Obama do, veto the bill or reform the bill, that will decide if President Obama wins in 2012.

The Joke HMS Carrier

Telegraph: Reports that one of the two new Carriers being built for the Royal Navy will only have shelf life of three years before being axed. This odd decision is based on the fact that the UK Coalition Government could not axe the building because it would cost to much in costs, thus the Navy has a Carrier on loan in many respects in till its axed or sold as to get some of the money back due to its cost of building. The new Coalition Government has been left a minefield by the last Labour Government, the public spending cuts will be harsh, the Defence cuts came under 10% of the Defence Budget, God help those Government Departments with a cut of 25% to 40%. One gets the austerity image of the 1950s coming to mind but in colour.

Replacing Trident ? Defence Review by UK Government

Guardian: Reports that the decision to replace the Trident nuclear system will now be taken in five years. Although this delay will keep the Liberal Democrats happy in the Coalition Government it still keeps the UK a nuclear armed nation, it’s a matter of when the UK decides to upgrade its nuclear arsenal, even Ed Miliband the new Labour leader supports the UK being a nuclear armed power, that is one reform from New Labour that has stuck with the new leadership. The downside to the Defence Review as reported by the BBC is that HMS Ark Royal will be axed early than expected as to save money, lets hope we don’t have another Falklands War 11. These tough Defence decisions are based on the economic mess left to the Coalition Government by the Government of Gordon Brown. Also lets hope down the line that Iran does not try some kind of nuclear blackmail, its always the unexpected that gets you, it’s the unknown of the unknown to misquote a former US Defence Secretary.