The General Strike of 2011

On Wednesday there is likely to be the largest strike Britain has seen since the General Strike of 1926. Many Conservatives have condemned the strike but do the workers of this country have the right to not go to work?

Occupy Clearance: Clean-up or Subjugation?

Over the past few days the eviction notices have been served to the campers outside Saint Paul's and those across America have been forced to leave. These moves of defiance across the globe by governments are said to be on the grounds of health and safety or cleaning up the area but is this just a smoke screen for the ruthless crack down on the world wide protests.

They came in the middle of the night and told people they had to leave, the ones who didn't were forcibly moved and arrested. The following two days the Occupy Wall St. protestors have been on the streets and the police have arrested them for any offence they can. About 80 people were arrested for not using the sidewalk. This heavy handed policing has not been seen in the UK but the legal process is in motion for a forceful eviction. But why?

Health and Safety

One of the arguments that is being used to justify these methods is health and safety. The protestors are a harm to themselves and the people around them. In what way I am unsure, is it the well organised system each camp has. Which involves a kitchen, a toilet and congregation areas? Is it the clear outlines of camps and the brightly coloured tents which allow people to choose whether to walk through them or not? I'm not sure, maybe health and safety regulations really have gone mad and camping isn't safe anymore but whose going to tell the scouts? Or maybe there is another reason?

Clean the Streets

The other argument the authorities are using is that the camps are messing up the streets, they produce large amounts of litter (even though most camps have an extensive recycling programme) and are an eye sore. This is not only annoying to local people but is also bad for tourism. The one problem with this argument is that this is world wide! There are camps in Berlin, Tokyo and Paris. Cities across America from Denver to LA and across the UK from Sheffield to Leeds. Hundreds of cities have seen camps pop up so the likely hood is that tourists will have seen it all before.

REVOLUTION?

Both of these arguments to me feel like excuses,they don't hold a great deal of water so why is this action being taken with such urgency? The mass world wide protest has got governments scared, this crisis has been going for nearly three years and does not look like it will finish for another two at least. People are finding it hard already and it looks like its about to get worse. So are the authorities clearing these protests in fear they will spread and create a challenge to their power? Maybe not that extreme but they definitely have politicians across the world on the edge of their seats and that is when the police come in with an iron fist.

Who Really Runs Britain?

To answer the question in the title, David Cameron... Or does he? The government seem to be increasingly constrained by different entities most of all the financial markets. So who really does run Britain?

The Problems With Parliament

The Houses of Parliament in Westminster are grand buildings full of history and tradition. However, some of the ways in which parliament is run are outdated and effecting the democratic process for the worse. In this blog I will outline three ways in which I think we can transform parliament into a modern and dynamic centre of democracy.  

The White Poppy - Hated and Confused

As the 11th of November approaches I decided to think about whether or not to wear a poppy and if so which colour. After a few internet searches I realised the hostility many felt towards the white poppy and some confusions about exactly what it is and what it signifies. 

The Month in Updates

This month has seen the resignation of a cabinet Minister, the death of a great mind and the death of a dictator. You may notice that at J.G.W. Politics we write updates on a regular basis and here are some of the most influential, shocking or important moments of October.

David Cameron - Revolt to Resignation?

As the Libyan rebels announce the liberation of their country, the Conservative backbenchers have discovered their own revolutionary spirit. So was the vote on an EU referendum just a hiccup in Cameron's premiership or is it the start of a slippery slope to a resignation?

Occupy Everywhere - Too Lazy to Care

A small group of activists who decided to set up camp in Wall St. and voice there concerns about the financial system in America has created a global phenomenon, with camps popping up all over America and recently in London outside St. Paul's cathedral. However, these are relatively small groups of people and many have voiced there amazement at how few people are protesting. So have we, as a country or even as a world lost the drive to protest or do we now believe it makes no difference. 

Data: 'Religion, Ethnicity and Immigration in the UK' Survey

This is the raw data of the survey I took about religion, ethnicity and immigration in the UK. If you scroll down you will be able to see the blog I wrote about my findings, 'Race, Religion and Ethnicity - Bombarded by Lies'.

SPECIAL: Race, Religion and Ethnicity - Bombarded by Lies

It can sometimes feel like Britain is threatened by the introduction of Islamic law and the whole of Eastern Europe is moving onto building sites across the UK. I asked a group of people a series of questions to try and grasp how people feel about religion and ethnicity in the UK and whether what we constantly get told about the state of affairs is true.

NHS Bill - For Better or For Worse?

Today the NHS bill will be voted on by the Lords, it comes among concerns being raised from health professionals and protesters from many areas of the public. The confusion lies in the intentions of the bill, the Conservatives say it will make a more efficient health service, where as opponents say it is another move towards the destruction of public owned healthcare. So who is telling the truth? 

Is World Peace Too Much To Ask?

Yesterday was the ten year anniversary for the American led invasion of Afgahnistan, America has also led forces in to Iraq and with more help from Britain and France, Libya. Last week I wrote a post about how the army cuts might lead to an end to Britian feeling the need to stick to America like glue every time they pick the next place they want to attack. This week I want to look at the idea of world peace, can the United Nations fulfill its prime goal or is it just pure idealism?

The Tories Dilemma

David Cameron gave his speech to the Conservative Party Conference on the day that the British growth forecast was cut, a general strike started in Greece and Tesco announced 'subdued' sales in the UK. This is all on top of the euro crisis and the fact we have not had growth in the economy for 9 months. Does all this not scream 'change your plan!' to Mr Cameron.

The Final Degradation of British Imperialism

The British Empire crumbled before our eyes in the late forties and early fifties but our imperialistic tendencies did not stop there. We continued to feel the need to export our beliefs and ideals of liberal democracies and more importantly free markets to the world but with the coming cuts in defense spending, is this the end to our need to send troops to foreign lands for personal gain?

Can We Trust Labour? Can We Trust Anyone?

It seems that Labour is spending their conference trying to get us to trust them again in all policy areas, most of all the economy. But was it all their fault? Can we truly trust anyone else in the political world? Or is distrust just the name-of-the-game in modern politics?

Capital Punishment - Retribution or Revenge?

I have never agreed with execution but in the light of the Troy Davis case I wanted to look at the reality of capital punishment, find out if it actually works and if it can ever be justified. (If you want to find out about Troy's case see the 'Daily Updates' page)

The Greek Problem - A Social Theory

We all know that the Greek economy has ground to a halt, the only way apparently to save them is to lend them more and more money on top of the billions that have gone before. But every time they get their next installment from the EU (Germany) they are forced into severe austerity measures. Is this fair? And is there a way to stop this constant attack on the Greek public?