Grombles

I started writing this before the decision by Theresa May to hold a 'snap general election'. Has anyone else noticed it will be held at the end of May ? The urgency to create a new political movement uniting the principle of collaboration in the face of division has never been so great. I've been a lifelong Conservative Party supporter. Or at least I was. I've always believed you need to earn money before you spend it, and that well regulated market forces will always trump (sic) state attempts to create wealth. I still believe in this, which is why any party who believes leaving the EU assists this objective is deceiving its citizens. It's irrelevant what the People SAY. They should never have been asked to make decisions in the first place. That's why we elect representatives. To make important and usual complex decisions for us. Not for us to tell them what to do. Democracy means everyone is represented, not a ruler. The day after last year's Brexit r...

The post's title was meant to surprise and possibly even anger you. I am a Remainer who blames our resistance to leaving the EU as the reason our parliament is unable to slam the door in the face of the EU and leave. But why do we even still exist? We were beaten at the referendum in 2016 and by rights should have held our hands up, taken a deep breath and got on with making it work. But we refuse to roll over. The reasons we still exist, and are consequently trying everything in our power (and beyond it) to prevent the country from leaving the EU (today as it happens... 29th March 2019) is down to four things: We only just lost. 51.9% voted Leave. The gap was 1.27 million. So if just 650,000 changed their vote (a quarter the population of Birmingham), or most of the 1.5 million 16/17 year olds who can now vote, or most of the 2 million excluded British ex-pats, or even half the 3 million EU citizens living here permanently, now voted for Remain, democracy would dictate we rem...

While wandering the streets of Kuching in Sarawak, Northern Borneo, my son and his girlfriend were approached by an elderly man who "wanted to practice his English". Their immediate reaction was of course that he wanted to sell them something - which he did, but not in exchange for money. He persisted and because they're polite people, a conversation ensued. Turned out he wanted to share some advice in the only way he knew how. By meeting people in the street. At the end of the chat, he handed them this photocopied sheet of paper which I've transcribed as best I can below. As far as I can see, the thoughts it contains seem in line with what I understand to be broadly Buddhism, but judge for yourself. Wise words whatever the label. Comments in [  ] are mine... "Shared [and possibly written] by Y T Ong (age 78) Malaysian/Chinese in Nov 2015 at Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia. The followings [sic] 'What really is worthwhile' 3 Ps... Passion + Persi...