Immigration gone mad

Though deprived of media links during my half-term retreat, much sad news reached me via another's mobile phone. Amongst stories of the tragic loss of life and destruction in the New Zealand earthquake and in the turmoil in the Middle East was a report that 3.2 million foreign migrants were added to the UK population during the Labour party’s 13 years in power (enough foreign nationals to fill Birmingham three times over) and that the level of net migration into the UK rose by 36 per cent last year. Regardless of party politics, this is a staggering figure which is devastating the lives of thousands of young people in the UK. Three-quarters of all new jobs have gone to foreigners according to a report in The Sun. Meanwhile employers complain about skill shortages!

It is hardly surprising therefore that a new poll found that almost half of those questioned were open to supporting a new non-violent, far-right anti-immigration party provided it eschewed 'fascist imagery'. Enoch Powell's prophetic 1968 speech angered many but in general what he had to say was spot on. Despite all the rubbish talked about Islamophobia, over half of respondents (52%) agreed with the proposition that "Muslims create problems in the UK". Meanwhile, lawyers continue to peddle their trade joining with big business adding to the Immigration figures while lining their pockets at our expense. As Mr Powell said, "we must be mad, literally mad". 

Ponder these things

While taking a half-term break I thought I might leave some video links to ponder. Above is the 'pale blue dot that we call home' taken from the video linked under my Blog header. As Carl Sagan said, that is where every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. It is useful to watch it when things get out of perspective. Perspective is difficult to grasp in the vastness of space. To start, take a look at this video which puts the Earth, the 'pale blue dot' into perspective compared with other heavenly bodies. We are microscopic specks of star dust in space and time yet we often feel that we are at the centre of the universe with everything going on around us. But how big is the universe? This video offers a clue. Mind boggling?

"Lord, I do not seek to understand so that I can believe,

but I believe so that I may understand;

and what is more,

I believe that unless I do believe, I shall not understand."

Anselm of Canterbury

Not such a gay day

There is a delicious irony in today's announcement  of government plans to allow churches in England and Wales to host civil partnership ceremonies. The church is complaining of "a breach of undertakings made by government ministers during debates on the Civil Partnership Bill". That has a familiar ring about it here and here and here and here. Need I go on?

Success!

Welcome news this morning of a U turn on the forest sell-off farce. Thanks to 38 Degrees and all the Big Society people who signed the petition and for "Making it happen".

Windbag or saviour?

Mr Cameron's Big Society is under the spotlight again (Photo: Getty)

Back in the news is the Big Society. As a former communications man one would have thought that the Prime Minister would be able to put over his big idea with the utmost clarity but people still struggle with it. Could it be that it is all wind and no substance? I thought Cameron's interview with the BBC's political editor revealing in the sense that Nick Robinson asked tougher questions than usual suggesting that even he, a former President of the Oxford University Conservative Association, had doubts. The government were simply  washing their hands of responsibility by letting local councils take the flack after starving them of the funds needed to make the project work. 

People at the local level are being played off against each other as the Prime Minister claims that in a "grown up society" people have to make tough decisions but empowerment is not that simple. Ministers keep reminding us that it is going to be a tough year. The elderly have been hit particularly hard by inflation, shrinking pensions and erosion of savings but how much worse for the young unemployed with little or no prospect of work, fuelling fears of a lost generation. The current inflation rate of 4% is double that of the Bank of England's target rate of 2% making life even more difficult for many while the few carry on regardless. Barclay's today announced profits of £6.1 billion increasing pay packages by 20% despite reduced bonuses.

In his interview with Nick Robinson, the prime Minister let slip that it was not the previous government who dropped us in the mess but bankers. With an army of unemployed left roaming boarded-up streets in the Big (divided) Society there could there be big trouble ahead.  Oak trees from acorns grow.


Postscript


Thanks to Charon QC (see Blog list) I've just picked up this video of Francis Maude, the Minister responsible for pushing the Big Society, explaining his contribution. Brilliant! One comment suggested the the clip had been doctored so you can see a fuller version here. Well at least he goes to church.

Oh what gay day!

If God had intended this, why did He make male and female? He could have done without men and perhaps tucked something under Eve's arm to go with her hand bag. 

Apparently the Church of England has pledged not to allow any of its buildings to be used for civil partnership ceremonies. Now call me cynical but haven't we had promises and pledges before? Civil partnerships were not weddings but that didn't last long. As the Google headline puts it:

  Gay and lesbian couples will get right to marry in church. 

I have no problem with civil partnerships or with gay and lesbian couples. The treatment that many have experienced and still experience around the world is shameful but why is it that liberals can't let things be? Grab an inch and take a mile is their motto with the consequence that religion is becoming irrelevant to many leaving a vacuum to be filled by the one that appears untouchable.

Ass Bishop

What a shame we no longer have the Llandaffchester Chronicles to comment on the state of the Church in Wales, ruled as it is with the rusty iron hand of Bazzer, the boy from Neath. Unable to find anyone worthy in the Principality, His Darkness appointed David Wilbourne as Ass Bishop in his campaign to reduce the church to complete irrelevance to society.  Browsing through Church matters as she does, my wife happened upon a Church in Wales report of the address given by the Ass Bishop at a recent induction. Still incandescent after reading it I asked her to give her reaction which follows.

"So now we have the Gospel according to David Wilbourne. The ordination of women will rid the world of homophobia, misogyny, brutalisation of women in all situations including those in war zones.

Those of us who cannot in all conscience succumb to this modern day form of feminism and political correctness are therefore responsible for all the horrors inflicted on women in the world.

What a complete and utter fool this man is!

Pope Benedict has put all in perspective with his customary thoughtfulness, prayerfulness and indeed holiness - all far removed from the Ass Bishop of Llandaff. The Church cannot change what Our Lord started. Read Light of the World David Wilbourne and learn true religion."

For years those who have remained faithful to Christ's example have been belittled and abused, not only by people who have invaded the Anglican church bending it to their will, but by the general population which has been infected by frequent false claims of misogyny and discrimination but this silly Ass has taken criticism of the faithful to an absurd level.

An Englishman's word is his bond?

An Englishman's word  is  was (?) his bond.

Promises are in the news again, this time the promises that were made in the winning of the 2012 Olympic Games for London - as if we need them with huge cuts in essential services plus the security implications but broken promises are my concern here. 

Political pledges such as those given on tuition fees are often looked at with scepticism in the shifting ground of politics but what excuse can there be for the Church of England breaking its promise to traditionalist Anglicans as it ponders the question of women bishops? - A 'Broken Promises' summary was published in Forward in Faith's "New Directions" last month (page 10). 

For some MPs it is not faith but political correctness that counts as they attempt a fix regardless of the wishes of the new Synod.  If honour means nothing at the highest levels of government in Church and State with promises continually broken, as the question goes to dioceses for discussion it will be interesting to see if, for the grass roots, still "An Englishman's word IS his bond".

Cameron goes Merkel on Multiculturalism

Not before time, David Cameron has echoed Angela Merkel's claim that "State multiculturalism has failed." In his speech at a security conference in Munich today, the Prime Minister accepted that multiculturalism has left some members of the white community feeling unfairly treated. He said that racism and intolerance are rightly condemned “but when equally unacceptable views or practices have come from someone who isn’t white, we’ve been too cautious, frankly too fearful, to stand up to them.” 


Predictably Muslim organisations are already playing the victim with ridiculous cries of Islamophobia and racism which are designed to silence critics of abhorrent practices. Whether or not their complaints are genuine we cannot tell because their religion encourages deception to further its cause. This highlights the essential problem which Cameron glosses over. At the heart of Islam is a totally alien creed which not only condones violence but actively encourages it to extend its influence to the detriment of other religions. Under Islamic regimes Christian churches are burnt often with worshippers inside them while we allow mosques and so called Islamic centres to expand producing more and more Islamic communities within, rather than integrated with British society. This is a well tried religious strategy, particularly in deprived areas. The local population is drawn into a culture which provides recreational facilities people might not otherwise enjoy. People are thereby encouraged to become Muslims, a simple procedure but once in, the way out is punishable by prison or death under Sharia law. 


David Cameron makes a distinction between "Islam [which] is a religion observed peacefully and devoutly by over a billion people" and political Islam. The problem for non-believers is that there is no difference. A majority of Muslims may worship peacefully but non-believers are still regarded as inferior in their own land because Muslims regard all land as belonging to Allah. That view leads to the Islamification of communities. Integration should not be an optional extra. To avoid further expansion there should be no more mosques, no exceptions for state support of multiple wives and their families (which would give rise to charges of bigamy in other circumstances) and a change in our education system which currently favours non-English speakers at the expense of indigenous families by soaking up scarce resources in our schools.

Today also saw what turned out to be a peaceful protest by the English Defence League. Whatever one's views about the EDL, apart from lone voices worried about their children and grandchildren, this is one organisation that takes the threat of Islamisation seriously. Rather late in the day our politicians are catching up but Cameron has already been criticised. He must now maintain the lead encouraging other parties to join him in a united front in defence of our Christian values and not bow to the sort of intimidation he referred to in his speech.


Postscript


There is an excellent response 07 February 2011 at 02:13 by 'Kate' in reply to comments on a New Statesman article here.


Still not convinced? try this video.

Prisoner votes for profit

Prison vote vultures: No-win, no-fee lawyers line up thousands of convicts to claim compensation for being denied their polling rights

Bankers' bonuses, obscene football fees and now compensation for convicts. According the the Mail online article highlighted above, "lawyers have set up shop in dozens of prisons, encouraging inmates to claim compensation for not having the right to vote. They have already collected 2,500 clients seeking payouts at the European Court of Human Rights."

People go to prison for breaking the law which is what many Members of Parliament propose we should do. Others suggest we simply defy European Human Rights law. The Prime Minister reportedly felt physically ill at the prospect of giving prisoners the vote, so much so that it has caused impotency leaving MPs on the backbenches to put a motion before the Commons to do something about it. 

Voters fed up with the 'ambulance chasing' culture that pollutes our justice system don't want to see it spread to aid convicts rip-off taxpayers. We are constantly told to tighten our belts while others get fat at our expense. Some problems simply can't be left to 'localism', the Big Society or simply laissez faire.

"We are all in this together" (12)

Nat Wei, the man charged by the government with making the big society happen, is to cut down his government role from three days to two, because he needs more time to earn money, see his family and "have a life" after discovering that working for free three days a week is incompatible with "having a life".

Church in Wales fake marriages

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) says it is working with the Church in Wales to train clergy to spot fake marriages.

Meanwhile their Archbishop has been otherwise engaged in business, care of the elderly and tracing ancient footsteps for a TV series although he did have some time for religious duties over the Christmas period when he preached about happiness and serving others. In his sermon at Llandaff Cathedral Archbishop Morgan said, "We would be a happier nation if we stopped thinking of ourselves and learnt to put other people first, treating them with fairness and compassion." 

That must be provided they are not traditionalist Anglicans trying to exercise their catholic faith under his authoritarian regime.