Sad Lives Lost

The photographs of world leaders marching in Paris are decidedly odd I think. It must be very difficult to know just how to hit the right public note when tragedies happen. Prime Ministers link arms with Chancellors and they all look terribly uncomfortable but allied in their show of grief and support for the bereaved families: a truly dreadful situation! There can be no worse feeling than the loss of a close family member but I wonder if it helps to have a public outpouring of grief and 'solidarity'. People have to deal with it in their individual ways....like all kinds of death experience. Coming to terms with tragedy and destruction seems an odd concept....how is this possible? Can one ever come to terms with heart wrenching sadness or do we just get used to the pain it causes?
The amazing photograph used in an Israeli newspaper, where all the women leaders had been photoshopped out, is one of the most bizarre records. Why? I have absolutely no experience of ultra Orthodox Jews, who seem very different to me and my contemporaries. I find what little I've learned about them to be alien and hard to accept....but each to their own!

The overarching concern in my mind is how we come to be in the situation where a few young chaps, with everything to live for, throw away their lives along with other totally innocent lives, in the name of a god who, to all intents and purposes, wants these poor souls to kill in his name. Apart from the promise of a few virgins in the after life, there seems to be no rhyme or reason. And...if they are dead how are they going to be able to deflower the poor virgins?...and then what? Not a lot of logic here...to my mind. Perhaps I'm missing a vital ingredient of this mess...perhaps if I believed in a god it would be easier.

I have a friend who has had two years of serious illness. She is very well just now and has an amazing attitude to life. It's so precious and she wants to experience new things, enjoy old things....including her husband, family and friends, and be happy sharing and caring. These young boys in France can have no conception of these ideas...and I want to cry for them and the waste of all their lives. Zealots for a cause which overrides all other considerations....maybe this gives a point to existence but we really don't need a point or a reason to be here....we just are.

So back to mundane tasks and petty concerns.....back to deciding what to eat and when to do the laundry. I might build a snowman tomorrow if the snow stays....

Tax Inequality

http://paperblogwriter49.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/laffer-curve-dead-in-water.html

I agree with Bernie. Tax has become a dirty word in this nefarious government. It's time the Labour  Party reverted back to it's socialist roots and agreed to tax the rich like Thomas Picketty suggests....up to 80% The mega rich would hardly notice & the benefits to the community would be immense. Of course these taxes would have to be ruthlessly imposed & rigorously collected....more jobs for the Tax Office? I can see no earthly reason for these ideas not to be agreed by 'my' Labour Party unless to pacify the mega rich of their own....and the greed of the Snivelling Tories & LibDems....not to mention the unimaginably dreadful, xenophobic, racist ukippers.
I worry about what will happen after the Independence Referendum....whatever decision is made.
On the one hand we have Tories, Labour & LibDems (agreeing!) telling us we should stay together for the financial betterment of all sides: and the YES voters that we can do it better alone.
Devolution offered the chance to the UK Parliament for improvement in financial arrangements with Scotland but promises came to not-very-much. We have consistently been treated as second class citizens. Why should we believe they would honour any future promises after a NO vote? I am too cynical to accept any promise from Cameron & Clegg and fear that the Labour Party is so scared of losing the middle England vote that they will renege on promises even though they might have been made in good faith.
If I were sure that higher taxes (much higher) would be imposed on mega rich people....and that these would be collected not dismissed as uncollectable, I might reconsider my decision to vote YES. So far I don't see this happening and there are only 3 months to go!

Ambulance Service

Today I wrote to all the UK newspapers I could think of.
I am very concerned about the insidious diminution of the NHS and especially just now, about the Ambulance Service for which my husband worked for nearly 30 years. I know they struggled in the past to provide paramedics for all emergency calls and to see this erosion of those struggles enrages me.
I've copied Pride's Purge on the subject to everyone I think might care both in England and Scotland including my utterly useless LibDem MP Alan Reid & our excellent Labour candidate for Argyll, Mary Galbraith. Not sure what anyone can do apart from get rid of this wicked coalition at next year's GE and vote YES in Scotland to prevent similar appalling changes happening here in the future....whatever government is in charge. Depressingly, I fear it's too late to reverse most of the changes imposed on the NHS despite Andy Burnham's very well meant promises. I trust him to do his utmost, as always but his hands will be tied.
On that note....I need some fresh air!

14.06.14
Dear Editor,

I write to express my serious concern regarding the latest diminution of the precious Ambulance Service in England. I understand that in some parts of the country, in some emergency ambulances there will no longer be a paramedic....to save money. Some ambulances are run by privateers who can be expected to count profit before the care of patients; they have to make money for shareholders and they seem able, some how, to salve their consciences about making profits from the sickness and need of their patients.
This is another insidious example of the iniquitous privatisation of the NHS for which I worked for 40 years - as did members of my family before me and some still do so.
I find this incredible and totally unacceptable. Why are we as a country not shouting this from the rooftops? Where are UK Labour? I suggest that people ARE shouting from the rooftops and UK Labour ARE objecting (Andy Burhnam must be quite hoarse) but it's not being reported in mainstream media for nefarious political reasons.
From my Scotland perspective, where we have not accepted privatisation of our health service, I worry that should there be a NO vote in the Independence Referendum we too will suffer the same fate as those in Englandshire; maybe not immediately but inevitably.
This reinforces my decision to vote YES.

Yours sincerely,
Patricia M Farrington MBE
Bla'bheinn,
Cruach,
Bowmore,
Isle of Islay,
Argyll.

Over the last couple of days I've been having a Twitter discussion about availability of GP appointments....in England. I must be honest and say that I have had no problem here in Scotland where Health is devolved....so far! The local Service is falling apart but appointments seem available. I live on a small island and this is a great advantage. I suspect in many Scottish urban areas the picture might be different.
However I am concerned for my fellow citizens even though they live over the Border and my MP tells me I shouldn't bother (not quite....'my pretty little head' but almost!) 
I worked in the NHS for about 40 years on both sides of the Border. I campaigned for better conditions for patients & staff, to the detriment of my career and for all of it. 
I have enormous respect for the GPs on Twitter. As one of them said we rarely disagree. My worry is that this government, ideologically committed to dismember the welfare state, is running down the amazing service provided by GPs so that the unscrupulous Jeremy Hunt can say 'it's not working' and can hand what's left of it over to greedy privateer pals so they can make as much profit as possible from the sick and disabled in our communities.
My GP contacts seem to have been persuade that waiting times can be managed better if patients' health worries are triaged better....in other words: if you 'just' have a cold or a verucca you should wait 3 weeks to see a GP. If you have a 'serious' complaint you should be seen as soon as possible. Here lies the crux of my argument.
I reckon GP training is intensive and a vast amount of information is absorbed by these excellent providers. This qualifies them to diagnose health problems and decide if further action or help is required. Great! 
The rest of the population are not qualified in this area....and why the heck should they be? Each to their own....surely?
So ....if I have an irritating cough or a rash I can't explain should I be allowed to consult a GP asking for advice and reassurance as soon as I can or should I be denied an appointment for 3 weeks because it's not life threatening ? Who knows if it might be TB or meningitis or myriad other dangerous diseases....not me?

Devolution of Cash for Regions

Labour List's Mark Ferguson wrote today about Labour's plans to devolve spending to the regions....of England. This is my reply :
Good news from the Labour camp.....for England! No mention from you or those commenting on your otherwise excellent piece, about Scotland. It's as if we don't exist in the calculations or is it that possible Independence cannot be discussed? 
I suspect Labour officials cannot believe an independent Scotland will ever happen ....so it's conveniently avoided due to complexity. Which ever way the vote goes there will need to be enormous changes regarding funding for Scotland. It is already a different country rather than a region but I suspect most residents of Englandshire never give this a thought. I am a staunch Labour supporter. I was knocking doors with Argyll's candidate Mary Galbraith at the weekend but I continue to be frustrated at this attitude that Scotland doesn't deserve the status of a country....that we cannot run our own affairs....that Alec Salmond isn't fit for the job. 
Against Labour Party advice I am very tempted to vote YES and endure any adverse consequences we may bring upon ourselves. At least we would be rid of these ghastly, greedy patronising, arrogant Tories & LibDems who are running our lives so they can make unprecedented profits....and stuff the proles!

My pal put it really well...thanks Beryl!

"Alan does not take any interest in issues that don't affect his constituents but does VOTE on them eg the government commissioned a risk assessment on the proposed changes to the NHS, Alan voted with them NOT to publish this before votes on the changes. A highly significantly unhelpful vote which denied decision-makers crucial information on an issue which he's supposed to keep out of.

I understand that the Labour Party does not contribute to discussion of specifically Scottish affairs...but neither does it vote on those issues. Talk about power without responsibility Mr Reid.

The sloppy thinking of the Libdems is really really dismaying."

Surely there is some restriction on this kind of behaviour....isn't there? Al Reid seems to think it's OK but he's a pompous arrogant LibDem MP with an eye on his future prospects....regardless of the constituents he represents. Not seen him in Islay since the Islay Show last August when celebrations are the norm!

To Alan Reid MP ....14.06.13

Dear Mr Reid,

I must thank you for all your replies to mine and Beryl's letters. Strange how the thought of publication galvanises....

The quote below is gobsmacking!

Al Reid...12 June 2013

"Regarding the English NHS I strongly hold the view that this is a matter for the people of England and their elected representatives and that we Scots should not be interfering in their decision making. That is why I have not devoted much time to that subject, concentrating instead on those issues which do affect my constituents."

You seem to be of the opinion that although you are paid, particularly generously in my opinion, to represent your constituents in Westminster, you feel able to pick and chose in which areas you want to be involved and can justify ignoring the rest. It's comfortable I'm sure, but not acceptable.

I think Beryl has taken you to task in this area too.

 Nice work if you can get it Mr Reid!

I previously suspected that you never read any of the information I sent you regarding my concerns about the NHS in England or the knock-on effects I expect in Scotland: and now I am convinced I was correct! 

Perhaps Independence from England isn't such a bad idea after all. We would conceiveably be more honestly represented by all our parliamentarians.

Your comments about previous governments using private healthcare services is perfectly valid. 

I disagreed with this in the past, so my position hasn't altered. Having worked in the NHS in both England and Scotland for about 40 years, I find it absolutely immoral to allow personal and corporate profit to be made from sickness and disablement. In a Utopian world this would not be possible but we have to live with what we have now. We have a moral duty to strive to improve life for patients now and in the future. Allowing privateers to make huge profits from taxes paid by UK residents, to provide "free" healthcare for all, cannot be condoned. You say that services are still "free" for patients but that is not true. In some areas, some services which were previously provided "free" have now been removed from NHS lists and patients have to "go private". Varicose vein and cataract surgery have been quoted to me but you must have access to much more information than I, and will be able to verify these reports.

Retorts quoting lack of adequate government funds to provide comprehensive healthcare will not wash. Your obfuscations about the £3billion are ridiculous. This money should have been borrowed, as originally promised, and used to fund healthcare services. A penny or two on working peoples'  tax is a drop in the ocean. Had this been presented as (reliable) hypothecation to be spent entirely on healthcare, it would have been accepted by the residents of the UK. It is perfectly obvious that the decimation of the NHS is an ideological plan by greedy Tories, which you LibDems should be ashamed of facilitating! In my naïveté I could not at first accept this....but there is no alternative explanation.

Beryl and I are spending unprecedented numbers of hours, voluntarily, attempting to support a local, comprehensive healthcare review in Islay, about which you may or may not be aware. Our commitment to a better future for patients here goes without saying. I hope you will revise your opinion and take some interest in what is happening to patients in your constituency. I assure you that Alex Neil MSP and Michael Russell MSP are involved. 

Yours sincerely,

Patricia Farrington.