THE DUCHESS OF PORK
While it may seem odd to my readers, I do believe in a Constitutional Monarchy over a Republic. A titular head outside of politics brings a certain stability and credibility to government that a politically appointed head of state can’t. For instance all judicial appointments in Constitutional Monarchies are made through the crown. Having the law adjudicated by apolitical appointees guarantees a greater fairness. The example is of Great Britain’s highest court, the Privy Council is even used by other countries as the final court of appeal, because Privy Counselors have garnered huge respect over the years for their decision making.
It is fair to say I believe every British Royal Family has made a huge contribution to society within the borders of the United Kingdom and around the world. Once that horrible, ugly little Australian (who by the way loves referring to his mother as Dame Elisabeth Murdoch) who runs Newscorp created the tabloid press in England thirty years ago, the Royal Family have become “perfect” fodder to sell his newspapers. Anything slightly salacious is blown out of proportion and for the last quarter century, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have had their dignity stripped from them and all their good work totally undermined.
The only legitimate negativity I see emanating from the present Royal Family has been three of the Queen’s four children making terrible judgments in choosing their spouses. The fact that Lady Di ended up with an Egyptian deadbeat says it all, Princess Anne’s failed marriage to a worthless commoner horseman was a total embarrassment, but the one who takes the cake is the ex missus of Prince Andrew. He certainly didn’t do his homework on that piece of work when he decided to walk her down the aisle.
I am going to give full credit to tabloid News of the World for exposing her for what she truly is; a lowlife of the first order. Unfortunately she chose to run and hide in America once the scandal broke only to receive a hero’s welcome from none other than Oprah Winfrey! The loud mouth former Duchess of York was aptly named a few years ago (until she joined Weight Watchers and became their spokesperson) the Duchess of Pork because of her size. Now she has re-earned her title in a different way; for extorting large sums of money, peddling the Duke of York as a corrupt royal, by pretending she could influence her husband over handing out commercial favors. Shame on you, you rude, crude and ugly bitch. America may accept you as great entertainment value but the British Commonwealth hold you in nothing but contempt and disgust.
STOP KICKING ISRAEL!
There are many things I don’t agree with about Israel’s behavior on the world stage. Examples; far and away the greatest spy inside America and user of our secrets is Israel. The clock and dagger operations of Mossad, their secret service, in issuing fake passports of allies to operatives to infiltrate enemy countries is in my opinion highly disrespectful and absolutely offensive. In putting these niggles to one side, I believe Israel is one incredible country. In fifty short years they have turned a desert into an oasis. Look at their worthless neighbors, they either live off their oil or bludge from those who have. Israel is a productive and industrious nation, home to a Silicone Valley that even the original Californian one is beginning to envy. It is surrounded by dictatorships or countries run by corrupt “royal families”, yet it is a beacon of democracy and one of the best examples of such on earth.
In sympathy for the local Muslim population, Israeli leaders have worked tirelessly at accommodating them into broader society. In fact in terms of a secular society, Israelis truly practice tolerance in such a way America could learn a few things from. Muslims live in better conditions inside Israel than they do in any other Middle Eastern country. By and large the descendants of Palestine have no gripes whatsoever. They have benefited from Israel’s system of social justice and vibrant economy for as long as Palestine changed its name to Israel.
Just as is the case in Iraq, insurgents have taken over and dominated the Palestinian cause. I tend to agree with observers on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq when they state the Taliban and al Qaeda numbers are made up of outsiders pushing a whole other social agenda, viz. radical Islam. The Gaza Strip has been taken over by Hamas and Israel rightly will not recognize them as the voice of the Palestinians. Look at how radical Muslim terrorists attacked America nearly nine years ago. If Israel doesn’t watch closely over its borders and within, Muslim terrorists in a short space of time could wreak such havoc that 9/11 would look like it was a practice round. We have to understand the U.N. is controlled by the “loony tune” nations of the world and have never used common sense in any of its decision making since the Security Council was rendered useless soon after its formation. Israel does more to guard against Islamic terrorism than any other nation on earth and that includes the United States. We must display unnerving loyalty to this great ally if we believe in peace for they hold the key.
POOR OLD BP
Great Britain once was a great country, full of pride and less than 100 years ago the most productive nation on earth. Now reliant upon financial services for 35% of its gross national product, most former industrial cities look almost the same as Detroit excepting the local populations are dominated by new immigrants from the poorest nations on earth. A very smart politician, Enoch Powell, in the sixties predicted Britain’s demise to the letter and because his views were so radical, he was the subject of all sorts of abuse and ridicule for the socialist left. No-one can now deny he was exactly on the money. If we think our manufacturing base has been on the decline in the last twenty-five years, take a trip to England and Scotland and you will see hundreds of Detroits.
Most flag carriers proudly paint their aircraft with national cultural emblems and usually the flag will prominently appear somewhere on the fuselage. Not so with British Airways; ten years ago they decided to take the flag (it didn’t really even resemble the Union Jack) of the tails and paint each aircraft individually in pop art fashion, mainly resembling the colors Willie Mandela, Nelson’s ex Missus, dressed herself up in. They should have renamed the airline as well. Ugandan International would have been appropriate. They started calling themselves BA instead of British Airways and the rest is history. When they directors of BA realized how much damage was done through loss of identity, they reverted back to their old colors and today the airline, just like BP, is also fighting for its very life as its flight attendants are taking them to the cleaners.
BP was once British Petroleum and until Margaret Thatcher’s government was 100% state owned. British Petroleum was a huge company even then but in so many ways because of its heritage it kept its competitors in check. Any dividends declared went straight into the government’s coffers. There were probably thirty large petroleum companies in the eighties all competing for the shrinking resource. The only cowboys in the business were independent “wild catters” based in Houston. Whenever they screwed up and were responsible for blow outs, along came Red Adair and his team to snuff the fires out.
When closet gay, John Brown rose to the top of British Petroleum in the early nineties, he wanted to show off his masculinity (that is until he was outed and ousted by a twenty-five-year old rent boy) by reinventing the darling of the London Stock Exchange. The first thing he did was to give it the generic name BP. He then set about colluding with Shell, Exxon and Chevron and within ten years the big four transformed what was once a very competitive global business into an oligopoly. In the States, BP purchased amongst others, Amoco and Atlantic Richfield with the result BP now controls the vast majority of crude which comes out of the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. That is why apart from CEO Tony Hayward, every BP official we see on television is American. They either were employees of the old ARCO or Amoco.
As an oligopoly, successive administrations (particularly the Bush/Cheney outfit) have been bought and sold by the oil “magnates” heading the oligopoly. The result is they can do what like, where they like and how they like. The culmination to date of this new order is the disaster in the gulf. Just weeks ago President Obama was proud to declare he was behind more drilling. What a fool he looks now. And what a bunch of idiots BP executives look too. Why? Because of all the changes within BP, the company is totally bereft of either a soul or a conscience. Had BP remained as it was twenty years ago, it would be Amoco (or whoever else might have taken them over) fighting for its life. The oil oligopoly has proven to be bigger than President Obama’s administration and until we re-invoke the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and totally regulate the energy business, this disaster will pale into insignificance to what could take place into the future,
GM TURNS A PROFIT, A VERY GOOD PROFIT
What a difference a year makes. This first quarter of 2010, American operations contributed a net $1.3 billion. The rest of the world cost GM $500 million. We know Europe has been a drain on GM for decades and quite frankly GM should have had the guts last year to tell Sweden, Germany and England that if Saab, Opel and Vauxhall were so important to them, then as the good smoked salmon socialist countries they are, nationalize them. Chris Liddell, CFO of GM and a fellow old boy of my school, Mt Albert Grammar in Auckland N.Z., also should have had the guts to tell us the real truth about their Chinese operations, instead of briefly mentioning sales were slowing. China is in fact a huge financial drain upon the company, not Europe or Australia, and always will be. The joint ventures foreign corporations have to invest in are completely one sided. Heads the Communists win and tails they lose. SAIC, GM’s partner, now possesses all of GM’s technology and as the dominant partner, they cook the books so GM never makes a dime. Chris, you were known as a top Rugby player who could foot it against the best. Don’t hide behind political correctness, tackle China head on and with a “king hit” tell them as it should be and that is you’re packing up your toys and going home.
GM is currently making cars America wants and it is selling them at full price, none of this Toyota discount nonsense. The cars are outwardly good looking but most of all they are beautifully designed from the floor up and most importantly, they are well engineered. A Cadillac CTS-V (my next car when this recession ends) is thirty grand cheaper than its Mercedes or BMW equivalent and is twice the car. The Chevy Volt (I am praying the battery is American made!) is the most awaited model GM can claim it has had in decades. Car dealers already tell of long waiting lists and they expect the car to resell for far above MSRP until GM’s production can catch up with the public’s demand. Compare the beauty of the Volt to the stark ugliness of Toyota’s Prius. It is night and day. As much as I hate to concede the Japanese have been the trendsetter for small cars over the last twenty years, but they have awoken the sleeping giants. Within two years Ford and GM will leave their Japanese competitors in the dust and they will regain their positions of number one and number two respectively in the world.
Chris Liddell says GM’s public offering could be just months away. I have already got my order in with my stockbroker. My 401K portfolio will be dominated by GM. My only disappointment is they shed the Pontiac brand. Maybe it will be resurrected as GM has to extend its range of models to keep production matching demand! Sure, this might be wishful thinking. After driving Pontiacs for years I will have to get used to telling people, I drive a Caddy, the best car money can buy. If I hold onto my Pontiacs I could have valuable collectors’ items in ten years time!
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