POLICE, FIRE SERVICE AND AMBULANCES - HEALTH AND SAFETY

Reading recent reports of the firemen who recently refused to retrieve a person from a few inches of water because they had insufficient training suggests to me that there might well be a lack of personal moral fibre around in that particular "service" these days?  Not to suggest that the firemen concerned were necessarily such persons;  maybe they were just following orders.  Maybe the rules put more fear into the firemen than venturing into the shallow water - an act which might have saved a life.  That would be the moral fibre bit.  And the Bobby who wanted to help was evidently restrained by these sorts.

The report I saw suggested that the Fire Officer concerned deduced that the victim was probably beyond saving anyway and so it made sense to wait for personnel trained in retrieving persons or bodies from several inches of water. For goodness sake ! So that's alright then?

These are the guys we rely upon to deal with life saving in emergency situations.  If the reports are true then heaven help us - the "emergency" Fire service more than likely will not.  If the reports are true then "Tossers" springs to mind - and I must say not the first time we have heard such reports?  

If they are untrue then let's here from some of our brave emergency Fire and Rescue service - what used to be known, and respected  as the Fire Brigade.  I cannot believe they are really wimps - but that's what the reports suggest.  Here's an opportunity to tell their side of the story - and I hope the reports are proved wrong.     

EUROZONE - EUROPE AND ITS VICE PRESIDENT

Just watched an interview of this woman on BBC World.  It confirmed my suspicions that the UK should have absolutely nothing to do with Europe as forced down the throats of its participants by "Brussels."  The woman was asked many interesting questions; she didn't give one straighforward answer, bless her.  But marks out of ten? Nil points.

However the impression she gave was that pretty much everyone in the European Community will fall in line - repeat will fall in line - with dictates from Brussels.  Even when asked about the threat to put Hungary into liquidation unless it changed its laws to comply with a particular dictate she ducked.  Nevertheless the impression I was left with was one of blackmail; change your law or you don't get the money!  Perhaps I'm wrong; maybe it was a language problem?  But whatever - that's the impression I got.

And the final killer question?  What will happen to Greece?  Well of course she didn't get anywhere near answering that one.  But we'll find out any day now.  Will Brussels ditch them?  I'm going to say yes. Sooner than you think.  But if not, then definitely later.

No the UK ( or England and Wales if it comes to that ) can do without any further "Brussels" involvement.  Quite frankly, unlike the majority of real people in Europe ( including the real residents of Belgium !),  they're just not our type.

UNITED STATES JOB NUMBERS

Most rewarding to learn that US job numbers are showing strong growth.  And good to see the U.S. President talking things up. Congratulations to him on such a positive approach. His political opponents might like to think about the benefits of agreeing on this occasion?

But now then, over in the U.K. one wonders quite what's going on.  Evidently London is now the worst major centre in the world to do banking.  Well, according to the U.K. Daily Mail so says a "senior executive" at a Wall Street Bank.  No doubt just transferred to London, then ? And at bonus time too? How unfortunate.  In fact, of course, London remains the foremost financial centre of the world and continues to attract rather clever people. And yes that does irritate a few people not the least of which reside in central Europe!!

The U.K. has that strange and enviable ability to get through things rather well in spite of its own apparent stupidity. For example paying invalidity allowances to lottery winners, or giving overseas aid to countries who clearly don't need it!  

But Brits don't care because they live in the certain knowledge that cream always rises to the top......

PORTUGAL AND GREECE FINANCIAL EMBARRASSMENT

Portugal.  What a lovely country and great people. But what a shame their economy, like many in the eurozone is screwed. How could things have got to this sorry state?  Maybe it's something to do with the futile dream of some of their northern European neighbours for a "United States of Europe"? 


How can you have a united anything when, quite reasonably, each of the countries in Europe, and each of the countries in the Eurozone consider themselves first and foremost independent countries?  Unlike the splendid role model across the Atlantic, the countries of mainland Europe  show  no signs of becoming happily united  - except of course to the extent of being a sort of expensive social club.


The current European practise of bunging these failing countries more money, and so increasing their financial and moral debt is flawed. It simply beats them up some more and hangs them out to dry. Nice eh? To add insult to injury they then poke rather large European noses into the struggling countrys' fiscal and social governments  . Ask yourself how you would feel if another country began to interfere with the running of your country.    

Beware! If interference continues then, God forbid, social unrest moves up the agenda. 


The Greek situation has now gone rapidly down the drain and the only long-term solution - which should be clear for all to see  - is to let them escape the Eurozone and get on with governing themselves once more without interference from grossly overpaid Brussels Eurocrats.  And the same goes for Portugal.  Leave them both alone for heaven's sake!! Let their own currencies re-emerge, let their economies rebalance, and give them back the respect they deserve.