Letters: November 10, 2016

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Austerity ideology

FURTHER to Steve Halden’s letter Impact on Open Borders (Adver 5/11/16 ).

His latest ‘we cannot afford this’ echoes Thatcher’s ‘TINA’ phrase - ‘There is no alternative.’

His new role appears to be the propaganda mouthpiece of the present political ruling class.

We are the sixth richest country in the world. Government is starving the funds to local councils not because there isn’t enough money, but because of ideology.

Such hypocrites taint the Labour Party with Marxism when it suits them, yet ignore their own.

For example, when in power, Cameron addressed the bankers and brokers, stating categorically that austerity is ideological and would be permanent under a Tory government.

The ruling class’s choice, not essential cuts notice, simply attacks on ordinary people’s living standards, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Austerity is planned hunger, planned poverty and planned homelessness.

It is the deliberate destitution of the many to benefit the few, nothing to do with Halden’s ‘we cannot afford it.’

Austerity is not a short-term disruption to balance the books. It is the demolition of the welfare state – transferring the UK from social democracy to corporate power.

The endgame is to break public services by financialising them to bankruptcy and, at the point of failure, to replace them entirely with privately owned, profit-making services.

One example:

In 2013 the NHS celebrated its 65th birthday. While politicians cut celebratory ribbons, they were also busy cutting the lifelines that make the service viable.

Ceaseless scare stories; never ending costly reorganisations; rampart commercialisation and privatisation and the deliberate loading of unsustainable debt on to hospital balance sheets: all acts which are killing the NHS.

Politicians constantly use vague concepts like ‘choice’ and ‘competition’ - euphemisms for privatisation.

The NHS is stuffed with such individuals who favour their own short-term interests above the health of the nation.

Those MPs and Lords voting for privatisation legislation have a personal financial interest in the outcome.

In 2014 investigative journalists discovered disturbing results:

206 parliamentarians have recent or present financial private healthcare connections;

142 Lords have recent or present financial connections to companies involved in healthcare;

124 peers benefit from the financial services sector;

One in four Conservatives peers have recent or present financial connections to companies involved in private healthcare.

One in six Labour peers have recent or present financial connections to companies involved in healthcare;

One in six crossbench peers have recent or present financial connections to companies involved in healthcare;

One in 10 Liberal Democrat peers have recent or present financial connections to companies invlolved in healthcare and 64 MPs have recent or present financial links to companies involved in healthcare; 79 per cent of these are Conservatives - vultures simply playing the waiting game!

Placing self-interest over the public interest in matters of health has far-reaching and potentially catastrophic human costs.

Austerity is ripping apart the services, institutions, and safety nets that make the UK a social democracy.

In 2013/14 tax cuts gifted to the richest in the land cost the Treasury £3bn a year. This is three times the entire cost of the Legal Aid budget.

There is public money, enough it seems, to provide tax cuts for the wealthiest, yet not enough to provide justice for the poorest.

These were not essential cuts, they were choices. One nation?

If the past teaches us anything it is this: If we want a better future, we can, and must create it ourselves.

The cavalry are not coming - we are the cavalry.

JEFF ADAMS

Bloomsbury, Swindon

....

No trust in politicians

NEVER in my lifetime have I felt such a distrust in politicians of all parties.

Europe is heading towards disaster regarding unlimited immigration, terrorist attacks and massive youth unemployment - we all know what the devil does with idle hands.

Not to mention financial Armageddon.

Now an array of self-interested money vultures have challenged the will of the British nation. Be careful what you wish for comes to mind.

I have decided that, after a lifetime of never missing a vote at General Elections or council election level, to never vote again.

It seems I have been wasting my time as a true believer in the democratic system.

Perhaps it is my age and lifetime disillusionment regarding the so-called self-interested establishment.

But if Mrs May acts as she should immediately I will without a shadow of a doubt change my course of direction and then cast my vote as is my democratic right.

Finally, I must ask a fundamental question which has made me lose faith in our so-called democracy.

Keith Vaz, after allegedly abusing rent boys and offering them drugs, has now joined the Justice selective committee by the vote of the House of Westminster.

Now they control the fate of the British public regarding the European Disunion.

Do the readers blame me for my disillusionment?

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way, Covingham, Swindon

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Not fit for purpose

SOME very troubling facts have emerged about both Wiltshire Health and Care and its arbitrary closure of Trowbridge Minor Injury Unit, the only all night MIU in North and Central Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Health and Care is a limited liability partnership. Such a partnership is set up as a profit-making business – they cannot be used for non-profit enterprises or charities.

In other words, Wiltshire Health and Care is set up to make a profit - the assumption must be that Trowbridge MIU was closed at night because its running costs cut into those profits.

Stealth privatisation of the NHS and services cut to increase profit.

Moreover. there is a massive accountability deficit with Wiltshire Health and Care. Not only was there no public consultation over the closure, the WHC has NO lay [community] representatives, and NO GP representatives on their board as is required. They are supposed to have a Public and Patient Advisory Network chaired by a lay representative – this is not in place.

WHC has been in existence for four months. If there have been board meetings, no agendas or minutes are reported on its website.

This secrecy was apparent from the start. All discussions about its formation by the board of the Great Western Hospital were held behind closed doors with both public and press excluded.

It is crystal clear that Wiltshire Health and Care is simply not fit for purpose.

The necessary checks and balances to protect the public interest have not been put in place.

They are spending tax payers’ money but seem to be deliberately avoiding any kind of accountability.

They are cutting services without reference to the people they are supposed to be serving.

ANDY MILROY

Bellefield Crescent, Trowbridge

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The minority group

THERE are two groups of people. The first group are called minority and the second group majority.

The members of minority group are educated, selfless and humble. They hold in high esteem for knowledge.

They observe, reason, experiment, question and understand. They have great affection for language, art, religion, spirituality and philosophy.

In their use of language, the minority group strive for humanity, truth, honesty, precision, and eloquence.

And they adore people who have these characteristics. They are well mannered and do not backbite. They are unconventional and pariah. They have a healthy self-image and therefore comfortable in their skins.

They understand they are here to serve the unfortunate people and make a difference in their lives.

They focus on the importance of life; humanity, love, beauty, work, family, community, reality, animals and nature.

The members of majority group are different. Their motivation is ‘what is in it for me?’ They do things for themselves and have no sense of community. They seek what is popular, easy and convenient.

The majority group, the quest for knowledge is useless unless it can help them to earn money or to gain power over other people.

The majority group language aspire nothing higher than the cliché, manipulation and illusion.

To the majority group, those people who could not make it as they did become lazy.

To the majority group, image is everything because they are shallow and empty inside.

They have low self-esteem. Thus, they seek endless entertainment and fun!

The world will be a better place if the members of majority group possess the qualities of the minority group.

We all must aspire to become and remain in the minority group if we want to make a better world.

AXMED BAHJAD

Fleet Street, Swindon