The Crucifix - A 'Human Rights' Tragedy

What is it today about people and 'Human Rights'? In too many cases, the arguement for human rights is used as an excuse by some, to get their our own way in the face of opposition, or just because they feel like it. 
We have pressure groups that will stand beside anyone who thinks they have been wronged, for any reason, and demonstrate on the streets or run into the nearest court. 

I read in the news yesterday of perhaps one of the more ridiculous cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights (CHR) in Strasbourg, with an even more ludicrous result. 

This court ruled that crucifixes may not be displayed in the classrooms of Italian schools, as a direct result of an action brought by Soili Lautsi, an Italian mother who wants to give her children a secular education.  It reasoned that the practice of "the compulsory display of a symbol of a given confession in premises used by public authorities ....restricted the right of parents to educate their children in conformity with their convictions". Apparantly, the crucifixes also "Restricted the right of children to believe or not to believe". What a load of cobblers! 

This judgement was deliberated on, and delivered, by seven respectable judges in one of the highest courts in Europe. Personally, I think they were idiots!

Italy, as most people know is deeply catholic, and it has been law in the country since 1920 (almost 90 years) for crucifixes to be hung in every school in the land. Britain and many other countries have always had crucifixes in the schools, law or no law! 

So here we have a situation where one person has turned tradition and the law of Italy on its head, just because she wants to be different with her children. Funnier still, She actually got awarded compensation of €5000 from the court. (Now we are probably getting to the main reason for the court action; Money!) Her case rested on the fact that her children had to attend a school with crucifixes hanging in every room. 

So What!!! I see buses every day but it doesn't mean I have to be a bus driver for crying out loud!!!

Needless to say, the whole of Italy is up in arms at the ruling, both the politicians, and the people. The Vatican was shocked at the idea of ruling out the crucifix in education, calling the it "Wrong and myopic", and I must agree. A spokesman at the Vatican, Reverend Frederico Lombardi, said the court had no right to interfere in profoundly Italian affairs, and once again, I agree. He went further, saying, "It seems as if the court wanted to ignore the role of Christianity in forming Europe's identity.... It is unpleasant that it (the crucifix) is considered a sign of division, exclusion or a restriction of freedom". Quite right Sir!

Basic human rights are essential, and should be protected at all costs, but when the Barmy Brigade become involved, it sours the milk to such an extent it should be thrown away.

I am sure if one were to peruse the files of the C.H.R there are many more such rulings that do nothing to enhance the cause of human rights. To me this ruling is shameful, and I for one think the Italian Government should tell the court to take their ruling, and shove it where the sun don't shine (and I cleaned that up!).

In my view, religion in schools is essential as part of growing up. It helps us determine good from bad, and what is acceptable and what is not. I had religious education at school and it never did me any harm, quite the opposite. 

Many years ago in Britain, religion along with physical education was dropped from the national curriculum as being unneccessary, and look at how the youth since then has turned out. Today we have for example,  obese drunken louts, and girls, urinating in the streets after an evening of heavy drinking. The saddest part is they see nothing wrong in their behaviour. To them its normal and perfectly acceptable. No-one of the older generation would even consider doing such a thing.

No! I believe Mrs. Lautsi has not done Italy, its people, or its future generations any good with her action. Eventually it could well cascade into the rest of Europe with, as an example, Muslims or some other religious group complaining about any form of religious symbology. Already, some schools no longer have the traditional Nativity Plays for fear of upsetting the Muslim children. 

What sad times we live in. Will the insanity never end? 

Roy.

New Short Story.

Oh Dear, I've done it again! Yet another short story has rolled off the press and is here for your delight (I'm joking).

Although my subject matter is war, I have tried to spread the jam widely so to speak, and not be harnessed by a particular branch of the armed services, or even a particular war. So far my stories have covered the RAF in The Battle of Britain,  RAF Bomber Command and the air war over Germany, The British Army's survival at Dunkirk, a tale of today's Afghanistan, plus the Royal Navy Submarine Service.

Now the scene is set in France and relates to the fight by S.O.E. operatives and the French Resistance against the German occupiers.

If you hate it or loved it let me know. You know what they say, praise may be good for the ego, but critsicm is better because it helps you improve.

Happy reading.

Roy.

The BNP - Racist or Saviours?

This article may get me into trouble with some readers, but I always speak my mind on any contentious issue. A few days ago there was furor and mass hysteria in the British Press about the appearance of Nick Clegg, leader of The British Nationlist Party, on the BBC's flagship programme Question Time.

The gutter press, which encompasses all British newspapers in my view, were screaming for blood to flow in the BBC Boardroom because they intended allowing a 'committed racist' and 'fascist' on to 'the tube'. The enshrined concepts of British fair play,  freedom of speech and tolerance  were conveniently forgotten as they found someone to lash out at with banner headlines.

The British Press is so pure, at least when they are not reporting on something, but give them a hint of a story that will trash someone's reputation, stir up racial unrest, cause widespread panic or riots in the streets, and they are beaming with happiness. Anyway, it is not my intention to write about the short-comings of the British press, that would take too long.

Nick Clegg dutifully made his appearance on the programme, and once again the papers are full of it. Unfortunately I did not get the chance to join the 8,000,000 viewers who watched it, but that is not necessary, you only have to read the newspapers to know what it was all about. 

Clegg did not come over very well it seems. He has been described as "an inarticulate blusterer of questionable intelligence". His message it seems was not put over too well, but the basic concept......?

His denial of the Holocaust, and admitted sympathies with the Klu Klux Klan must have done some damage to his cause, and detracted from his main message. While most will speak openly about their distaste for him and his Party, he only says out loud what a large section of the British population is thinking. Evidence of this is in the increasing number of votes cast for the BNP in recent elections.

When the Labour Government under Tony Blair decided to foster a muli-cultural Britain, they really let the tiger out of its cage, and now they cannot get it back in. The constant stream of immigrants has grown to such proportions, that in the opinion of some experts, the country may not be able to sustain its population in twenty years time, due to the steadily increasing numbers, and the soaring birthrate within the immigrant population. And they keep on coming by the thousands every day!

Each one receives financial assistance and a fully furnished place to stay which is costing the tax payer billions every year. If the flow of immigrants were to be halted immediately, and an end put to all subsistance payments, Gordon Brown could pay off the national debt and have a lot left over!

I must admit to agreeing with the stance that immigration, pandering to ethnic minorities, and all this human rights crap must end immediately. Our borders should be sealed, deportation and voluntary repatriation stepped up to the extent that we are getting rid of all undersireable elements as soon as possible.

Don't misunderstand me!! I am all for legal immigrants who are willing to come to our country and work for a living, and most important of all, integrate with us rather than try to make us integrate with them. If they are willing to accept the British way of life and live among us as British citizens, speaking english, I am all for it. I am not a supporter of the BNP, and nor will I ever be, but the writing is on the wall for some form of government intent on doing something about the immigration problem in Britain. In truth, I think the answer lies somewhere in between the basic idea of the BNP, and a sane government.

I am truly sick and tired of hearing yet another mosque is to be built, and another school is going over to teaching its pupils the national curiculum in Hindi or Arabic.

It is also sickening to see on the High Streets of Britain shops showing signs in Hindi, Polish, Arabic, and a myriad of other languages. They must be made to 'sign' in English, with the option of their own language underneath. The very fabric of English culture is being threatened from within, and nobody seems to care enough to do anything about it, except perhaps in a twisted way, the BNP.

Many immigrants who come to Britain are soon involved in crime, and in some cases outright terrorism, then spend years (at a cost of millions), fighting extradition. How often have we heard the cry 'If you send me back I'll be tortured" even from known terrorists!  My answer is: So What! You sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind!

All the while they and their families are being given handouts by the government. So what does the government finally do? Give them a Briitish passport and the right to continue sponging off the state!!! It's too stupid for words.

All appeals against deportation should last a maximum of three months, and any immigrant convicted of a serious crime should be deported immediately with no right of appeal at all.

It is also time for the government to lay down laws forbidding immigrants access to such things as the National Health and Social Service benefits until they have been in the country for at least a year, held a legitimate job for that period, be fluent in English and have a good knowledge of English history. This would result in the National Health Service not having a fatal heart attack, and save billions from the countries coffers. The same law should prohibit the holding of public office for any immigrant for a period of at least five years. The only reason immigrants from all over the world want to come to Britain is because they see us as a soft touch. We feed them, we clothe them, we pay them, and then allow their families to come over too and the whole process starts again!

Another bone of contention is the continuing erosion of the British religious holidays like Christmas and Easter. Christmas is actually becoming less popular for fear of upsetting the Muslims!!! I care not what religious holidays Muslims, Hindu's and the like have. You live in Britain, you respect our traditions. We do not expect you to visit our churches, but you must respect our beliefs and holidays, even if they mean nothing to you.

I have ranted on long enough, but one thing remains to be said. Although we all carry these thoughts around in our heads, it is only people like the BNP who are willing to put it into words spoken out loud. Unfortunately their ideology is corrupted with disageeable retoric, which has tarnished the real message. I do not agree with many of the things this party stands for, but their basic concept is one that will eventually bring trouble to the streets of Britan.

Enoch Powell, a man of vision way back in the 1960's predicted; "There will be blood in the streets" when the wave of resentment against immigrants reachs a certain level, and judging from the reactions of many, and what we read in the news, that day is not too far in the future. 

The immigrant pampering Human Rights/Politically Correct Groups are unwittingly stoking the fire with increasing diligence, but at some point in the future, the British - I hope - will stand up and say; "Enough is enough!"

That day may well come when people are so sickened by what is happening they will vote enmass for the BNP at some future election. I hope it never gets that bad!

I used to be proud to be English, but now........?

Roy.

At Last The Knife Goes In

Finally a brave politician has put the knife into the banking sector, and companies that received government aid at the start of the current financial crisis. The income of these bank executives and CEO's has been slashed from it's previously outrageous levels to, what I would call, a more acceptable level, but all is not what it seems.

President Obama has been the first world leader with guts enough to attempt cutting the exorbitant salaries of these people. He appointed Kenneth Feinberg this summer to look into the huge payments, and he has just released the first phase results. 

I can hear the moans in the Boardrooms across America now; "Damn! I was going to get myself another Ferrari, a new villa in the Bahamas, a massive yacht, and a huge new cabin cruiser to park in Puerto Banus Harbour in Spain (the most expensive), and oh, the wife wanted a new ironing board. I was even thinking of buying Yellowstone National Park to build some condo's. Now I guess all that will go on hold. Damn that Obama fella!. Doesn't he understand I want to be super-rich?"

Of the top seven companies bailed out by the US tax payer, 136 employees from; AIG, Citigroup, Bank of America, General Motors, Chrysler, and Chrysler Financial have all taken a hit. 

According to the news, bank executives and CEO's will have to take a 90% pay cut, while their employees, traders etc, would take a cut of up to 50%. Bosses would no longer receive huge bonuses, but get stock in their company they could not sell until 2011.  

It is staggering to see the pay-packets some of these individuals take home. Top of the tree is Sanjay Jha, Co-CEO of struggling Motorola, who took home a massive $104.4 million in 2008. His salary was a mere $484,615, but he made a further $412,096 in 'Perks', $36 million in stock grants and $67,59 million in stock options. 

He and his fellow CEO Gregory Brown ($24.2 million), were magnanamous in December last year and took a 25% salary cut. At the same time, Motorola froze all employees salaries and retirement contributions. It sounds like a case of; "Pull up the ladder Jack, I'm on board".

Mr Jah no doubt owns several Ferrari's, probably one for each day of the week. His only problem would be to decide which colour to drive on which day! "Let me see. Monday the blue one, Tuesday the black one......."

I wish I had those problems, the only trouble is I would find it hard to decide; I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure!

Mr. Jah is of course not alone with this problem. The CEO's of; Oracle, Walt Disney, American Express, Citigroup, Hewlett Packard, Calpine, News Corp, Honeywell International and Proctor and Gambell all face the same agonizing problems, and I haven't mentioned the car industry yet!

Among the "Money Men', under the new rules AIG's top executive will get the highest salary at $10.5 Million which will include a salary of $3 million, a $3.5 million bonus, and $4 million in stock options. AIG is still one of the companies bailed out by the tax payer. But there's worse to come!

The top 22 executives of Citigroup, bailed out with billions, will share a staggering $118 million in salary, stock options, and restricted stock options that will increase over the next four years. Mama! I want to be a bank executive. Please, can I????

All I can say is; firstly, I should have chosen banking as a career instead of the military and aircraft industry, and secondly; everyone should start keeping their money under the mattress and let the bankers starve.

Of course, the bankers and CEO's are complaining. Their arguement is, that without the current bonus scheme they will lose all their star performers to companies that are not covered by the new ruling. Citbank and Bank of America have already reported losing key personnel to companies like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase who managed to escape from the governments clutches during the summer. Some companies are activly engaged in luring away these people with promises of even double their previous bonuses and salaries. Who can refuse that. 

The downside is, the loss of key personnel may affect the recovery of the institution concerned, putting repayment of the government loans in jeopardy.

But when all is said and done, these people may not lose as much as first thought. The ruling on bonuses put in place by Ken Feinberg is not watertight. Instead of bonuses they will get 'Incentive Pay' in the form of company stock, so all may not be lost after all, just be a little more complicated. 

Scrutiny on the part of the general public is advised to see how all this ends, but I for one hope the money trail dries up for these people because they have been milking us for far too long. 

All we need now is for the heads of state and governments around the world to take action on this despicable practice once and for all. 

May your mattress bulge in all the right places!

Roy. 

The Lust For Power

For millenia people have lusted for money or fame, but in today's high power world this has been replaced by the sheer unadulterated lust for power.

That is not to say people no  longer yearn for money, most of us do for one reason or another, but among the power mongers of this world, it is a position of dominance over everyone else that drives them on. 

Over the past decades, we have seen many dominant individuals or groups using every trick in the book (plus a few outside it) to hang on to the power base they have achieved.

With rulers, it is most often dictators who will cheat, steal, and even murder, to prevent any loss of superiority they have. As most of us know, Germany's Adolf Hitler and Russia's Stalin were in a class of thier own before, during, and after the time of the Second World War. They were by no means the last of their kind however, for even in the seventies there were cruel dictators like Idi Amin of Uganda, who ruled with unconscionable savagery. Anyone who stood in his way just 'disappeared', and we all know what that means. 

In the eighties, the ruling military junta in Argentina threw the whole country into war with Great Britain over the disputed Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. Their aim, to distract the attention of the population away from their poor living standards and of course the 'disappearances'.

Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is another who falls into the category of 'The Power Hungry'. During his years in power, Mugabe has turned the 'breadbasket' of Africa into one of the poorest on the continent, and despite what he is doing to his people, he will not give up the Presidency.

It has been reported enough in the press about his machete-wielding thugs going around killing or maiming anyone who supported the opposition during the last election. 

All that however was the past. Today's power maniacs have found a new way to stay where they are - election rigging.

The latest to attempt it is President Karzei of Afghanistan. It was necessary for a joint UN/Afghan body to inspect the election results for fraudulent practices during the recently held national elections. 

The resulting investigation showed one third of the votes cast for Karzei had to be discounted, thus requiring a run-off with his rival Abdullah Abdullah. In the past weeks it has only been intense political pressure from the United States, Europe, and other countries that has finally made Karzei agree to run-off elections. 

In the past decade, various countries have been through the same turmoil at election time, among the most well known is Georgia, and more recently Iran. 

Another tactic common today is changing the countries constitution to allow presidents to run for longer periods than that laid down in the statute books. 

Among the countries that have extended, or done away with limits on presidential terms of office are, to name but a few; Algeria, Camaroon, Chad, Bolivia, Equador,Gabon, Honduras, Tunisia, Uganda and Venzuela. 

Of these, perhaps Venzuela is the most significant. Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president, manipulated the government into renouncing all restrictions on his term of office. He has carved for himself such a strong power-base that now, only the foolhardy will ever challenge him in future 'elections'. 

The maintenance of continued power, and the methods by which it is achieved, has taken a subtle turn to bring it more in line with the modern world. 

While the rich and powerful get more so, the only losers are the common people - as always.

Thank God the world is not all doom and gloom!

Roy.

Where Do These People Come From?

I am sure there are people who live on a different planet to the rest of us! A few days ago I saw a news article on BBC that confirmed my belief that there are indeed strange individuals living amongst us. 

It concerns a new religion, based would you believe on the Star Wars movies! We now have a religious sect of Jedi Knights!

It came to my attention when the founder of the Jedi 'Church', Daniel Jones, entered a Tesco Supermarket in Bangor Wales, with a hood over his head. Naturally enough, what with all the problems with hooded youths today ('Hoodies'), the supermarket staff asked him to lower his hood. He refused, and was therefore told he must leave the premises. 

As the argument became more heated, he complained the hood was an essential part of his religion as a Jedi Knight, and accused the staff of 'religious ' persecution, and threatened to sue. 

Jones, otherwise known as Morda Hehol, claimed; "It states in our Jedi doctrine that I can wear headware. It just covers the back of my head". He further stated; "You have a choice of wearing headware in your home or at work, but you have to wear a cover for your head when you are in public". 

In it's defence, the store staff replied that Obi Wan Kanobi, Yoda and Luke Skywalker all appeared without headgear in public. It did not seem to influence Jones's opinion however, who said it was part of their doctrine, which incidentally, as leader he wrote! After telling the staff he was thinking of boycotting the store and may seek legal advice, he left.

A little research has shown the Jedi Church has 500,000 followers world wide, and the whole thing was started by this Jones character. 

The tale however does not end here because two Jedi Knights and Chewbacca all demonstrated outside the London UN Building for recognition of their 'Faith'. Umada and Yunyun, or John Wilkinson and Charlotte Law as they are called in the real world, wanted recognition of their faith from the UN. 

Wilkinson stated; “We have come here today to ask that we are recognised as the fourth largest religion in this country”, after stating the religion had 339.000 members at the last (2001) British census. 

Like I said, the world is full of nuts, and I guess George Lucas is laughing fit to bust!

If there are any more nuts out there looking for inspiration, I saw the film 'Transformers' recently, so perhaps we could have a Transformer Church and all dress up in discarded car parts!!! Now there's an idea!!!

Keep the True Faith,

Roy.

Another New Short Story - They Just Keep on Coming

Hi Folks,

My other half is away visiting friends so it gave me the chance to finish my latest short story.

For some reason, when I was thinking about what to write about, submarines came to mind, anyway, for those interested it is now published.

You can find it, as with my other offerings, by going to 'My Profile' and clicking on 'Short Stories 5'.

I have no idea if any of them will tickle your fancy, but my pleasure is in writing them, not getting good Press Reviews. It would be nice however if you had the time to give me your opinion. It could help me improve, and that cannot be a bad thing, now can it?

Happy reading.

A Mathematical Projection of How Things Were, Are, and Will Be!

Jokes are continually passed on from one to another on the e-mail circuit, but sometimes a gem comes along that is really a veiled image of the truth. My Brother passed this one on to me, and reading it, I found it quiet indicative of the way life has changed in England over the past thirty years. 

TEACHING MATHS PROGRESS                                              

1.  Teaching maths in 1970 

A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100. His production cost is 4/5 of the price. 

Assignment: What is his profit? 

2.  Teaching Maths In 1980 

A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100. His production cost is 80% of the price. 

Assignment: What is his profit?

                                                                                3.Teaching Maths In 1990 

A logger sells a load of timber for £100. His production cost   is £80. 

Assignment: What was was his profit? 

                 

4.  Teaching Maths In 2000

A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100. 

His cost of production is £80 and his profit is £20. 

Assignment: Underline the number 20. 

5.  Teaching Maths In 2005 

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate, and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. 

Assignment: Discuss how the birds and squirrels might feel as the logger cuts down their homes for a measly profit of £20. 

6. Teaching Maths In 2009 

A logger is arrested and fined £100 for trying to cut down a tree in case it may be offensive to Muslims or other religious groups. 

He is also fined a £100 because his chainsaw is in breach of Health and Safety legislation, and is deemed too dangerous and could cut something. He has used the chainsaw for over 20 years without incident, however, he does not have the correct Certificate of Competence, and is therefore considered to be a recidivist and habitual criminal. 

His DNA is sampled, and his personal details circulated throughout all government agencies. He protests and is taken to court and fined another £100 because he is such an easy target. 

When released, he returns to find Gypsies have cut down half his wood to build a camp on his land. He tries to throw them off, but is prosecuted for harassing an ethnic minority, imprisoned, and fined a further £100. 

While he is in jail, the Gypsies cut down the rest of his wood and sell it on the black market for £100 cash. They also have a BBQ of squirrel and pheasant, and depart leaving behind several tonnes of rubbish. 

Upon release from prison, the forester is warned that failure to clear the fly tipped rubbish immediately at his own expense is an offence. He complains and is arrested for environmental pollution, breach of the peace, and invoiced £12,000 plus VAT for safe disposal by a regulated government contractor. 

Assignment: How many times is the logger going to be arrested and fined before he realises that he is never going to make £20 profit by hard work, give up, sign on the dole and live off the state for the rest of his life? 

7. Teaching Maths In 2010 

A logger can't sell a lorry load of timber because he can’t get a loan to buy a new lorry. His bank has spent all his, and their, money buying derivatives of securitised debt related to sub-prime mortgages in Alabama. 

They lost the lot, with only some government money left to pay a few million pound bonuses to their senior directors and the traders, who made the biggest losses. 

The logger struggles to pay the £1,200 road tax on his old lorry however, as it was built in the 1970s, it no longer meets the emissions regulations and he is forced to scrap it. 

Some Bulgarian loggers buy the lorry from the scrap merchant and put it back on the road. They undercut everyone on price for haulage and send their cash back home, while claiming unemployment for themselves and their relatives. When questioned, they speak no English and it is easier to deport them at the governments expense. Following their holiday back home, they return to the UK with different names and fresh girls and start again. 

The logger protests, is accused of being a bigoted racist, and as his name is on the side of his old lorry he is forced to pay £1,500 registration fees as a gang master. 

The Government borrows money to pay more to the bankers, who take it as bonus's.   

The parliamentarians feel they are missing out and claim their share on expenses and allowances.         

You do the maths!!! 

8. Teaching Maths In 2017  

أ المسجل تبيع حموله شاحنة من الخشب من اجل 100 دولار . صاحب تكلفة الانت =D 8 ج منالثمن

This is a prime indication of how firstly, between the 70's and 2000, teaching standards dropped, with the inevitable result that exam pass rates fell significantly. The Ministry of Education reacted in a predictable way, by making the exams easier.

Secondly, from 2000 onwards, it epitomises the ever increasing influence of immigrants, minority groups, and the 'Pat me on the back, I LOVE immigrants' Brigade. 

I like the joke, if it wasn't so typical it would be funny. As it is, the hidden message is quite sad to say the least.

Will the last Englishman to leave the country please turn out the lights! (I think I said that already!)

Roy.

Swim in the Med, and Glow in the Dark!

It never ceases to amaze me how low some people will stoop in worship of money. One of the most horrific cases of pure greed unfolded today, when it was announced that members of the Calabrian Mafia had been deliberately sinking ships full of toxic and radioactive waste in the Mediterranean Sea.

In response to a Mafia informant, who claimed to have set explosive charges to sink a ship loaded with toxic and radioactive waste, a robotic camera has been to the bed of the Mediterranean some 18 miles off the south west coast of Italy. The robot found and photographed yellow barrels clearly marked 'Toxic Waste' lying alongside the intact wreck. 

The same informant stated he had personally blown up two other ships containing toxic and radioactive materials. 

The disposal of these materials is, by necessity, a very tightly controlled business, but there are many who see bypassing these laws and dumping the material illegally as a lucrative business. 

It has been rumoured for years that the Mafia had gotten involved in this filthy trade as a way of making easy money. Officials have said that should samples taken from the wreck prove positive, a search will be made for a further 30 vessels sunk with their cargoes over recent years by the Mafia. 

I am well aware of what some people consider 'acceptable' practices to make money, you can't get away from it these days, but to do this without a thought as to what they are doing to the environment is to say the least, unthinkable! 

The fact that the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean have been used as a dumping ground for decades is bad enough, but in the 'Med', being a semi-closed sea, the results would be catastrophic for future generations. 

Already the 'Med' has to absorb 650 million tons of sewage, 129,000 tons of mineral oil, 60,000 tons of mercury, 3,800 tons of lead and 36,000 tons of phosphates annually. 

A 1994 study of the seabed around Spain, France and Italy using trawl nets, revealed an average of 1,935 objects of debris per square kilometre. Of this 76% was plastic, and of that, 94% consisted of plastic bags. 

Pollution in the Eastern Med, which can be attributed to oil tankers using the Suez Canal, has already killed off all the coral reefs (and the life it supported) off the coasts of Egypt and Israel. Must we now do the same thing to the rest of the Mediterranean? 

Has pure greed now reached proportions where we will deliberately poison the entire 2.5 million square kilometres of the Mediterranean? For What! An few thousand lousy Dollars?

Although the 'Med' is a semi-closed sea, through the Straits of Gibtaltar two mighty currents flow opposite each other. One flows from the Atlantic into the "Med', and the other in the opposite direction. This ensures, over a very long period of time, that the water is refreshed. The only problem is, we are polluting it at a far greater rate than the Atlantic current can cope with. 

If we continue on our present course, in a few hundred years you will not even be able to approach the shoreline because of the stink. And now, to top off all that, these senseless Mafia idiots are polluting the waters with radioactive waste. 

If they have indeed sunk 30 cargo ships loaded with radioactive and toxic waste, that means we have literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tons of this deadly cocktail lying on the bottom waiting for the salt water to corrode through the barrels and release it into the water, where it will then be spread far and wide by the currents. 

If that becomes a reality, your beach kit will comprise of, sunbed, towels, water bottle, sun tan lotion, book, and finally, Geiger Counter so you can measure your radioactivity dose after going for a swim!
If at some time in the future we all start glowing in the dark after a swim, I am sure it will catch on as the 'new vogue' in the disco's!

I hope all of these Mafia animals are caught quickly, so the Italian Government can start cleaning up the bed of the Mediterranean as soon as possible, hopefully before any of this waste starts leaking into the water.

As for punishment, if they are even caught, let them live their final days after being exposed to the core of a nuclear reactor! As their hair starts to fall out, and the radiation burns start to eat their flesh, perhaps it will be a warning to any other prospective polluters. The only problem is: There is no real justice in this world!

Heaven help our children, for we do not deserve this fine planet of ours!

Roy.

Another New Story

Once again I have taxed my writing talents (such as they are) severely, and brought forth a new short story.

This one, for a change, is a little more up to date and focuses on the struggle in Afghanistan. Daily, troops from the United States and Britain are in constant battle with the Taliban insurgency to save the people of Afghanistan, and preserve democracy. Other nations play it safe and insist on their forces being used in (a) a non-combatant role, or (b) operations in safe areas of Afghanistan only.

Some will not agree with this statement, being content to bury their collective heads in the sand. This is in my view, caused by ignorance, and a lack of understanding for the big picture.

If we pull all the troops out of Afghanistan today, what will be the end result? It will surely be that the forces of the Taliban will once more rule the country in tyranny and terror, all in the name of religion, and Bin Laden and his cronies will once more have a safe haven from which to strike at the rest of us!

This is of course all politics, but I hope it will not detract from the enjoyment of anyone who feels like reading a short story.

It is possible to access the story by going to 'My Profile' and clicking on 'MY SHORT STORIES 4.

I enjoy the writing, be it good or bad is for you to decide.

Happy Reading.

Roy