All systems fail (and Capitalism is no exception), because of the unaccountability of the offices of state, in whatever form they take. Through the centuries of history we can see the copious examples and evidence for this, yet we still bury our heads in the sand, and blindly ignore the stark obvious, and worse, convincing ourselves that policies and principles which have failed in the past and continue to fail are the answer to whatever ‘problem’ happens to be the concern of the moment. Capitalism and the 'free market' have singularly failed to address and resolve the issues of equality, and ensure that the majority of the inhabitants of this planet (that includes all living species) are faced with the prospect of suffering. However it is not the fault of economic,political or religious dogma, the fault lies with us the PEOPLE.

There are many who simply do not care about the conditions that anyone else has to put up with, even if their suffering is not of their making, and they are powerless to be able to do anything about it. As long as this state of affairs exists, there is little or no prospect of any change, as it is the wealthy and privileged that control each countries basic economic and political systems. Hence nearly all significant changes in society to improve the well-being of all have been made through conflict, in many cases bloody. There is no point 'arguing' with those who 'control', as most do not want to 'share' the wealth of the planet, and do not care about the lot of the common man, who is just a means to an end (theirs), and is seen as something that needs to be controlled so they can still continue to enjoy the wealth and privilege they are fortunate to have. They do not see everyone as being 'equal', far from it. They believe in their superiority, or do not think about it at all, which is easy to do in the safety of their wealth and privilege. 250 years ago, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, 98% of the wealth of Britain was owned by just 2% of the population. That proportion has not significantly changed!  Capitalism and Democracy merely allow them to dress the inequalities in the appearance of acceptability, but the moment anyone tries to introduce any reform which involves any re-distribution of wealth (which is the only way that there will ever be any kind of global equality), you just watch them fight!

Mankind is as far away from a state of universal equality as it has ever been. The divide between the haves and have not's has never been wider, and continues to widen. The only issue is whether you care about it or not. If you do not, then any debate on the issue is dead in the water. If you do, then there is little prospect in trying to preach to the converted, as most of you are powerless to do anything about it, and ignorance at all levels ensures that little will be done about it. Whatever the solutions are, they lie in the attitudes of people, not the systems.

The recent economic policy of 'quantitative easing', creating money to repay our own debt, cannot possibly make this or any other country, more solvent, since it is removing the need to repay debt. Downgrading national debt is a shot across the bows of a government that has increased investment in the public sector in recent years - the latest move by the privateers to re establish their power over our national economic life following a time when the government has introduced a more “social” NOT socialist regime. It reinforces that massive transfer of value to the rich that the bank bailout represents, and reinforces the rules of the capitalist game that those who earn must work for their living, while those who own ,need not.

Karl Marx [Famous son of a factory owner] said, “The ruling ideas are nothing more than the ideal expression of the dominant material relationships, the dominant material relationships grasped as ideas. The class overthrowing it can only in a revolution succeed by ridding itself of all the muck of ages and become fitted to found society anew.”

No revolution in the last 300 years has in fact founded a ‘new’ society with a social conscience – the victors have merely replaced the scoundrels they fought to replace.

A commemoration has taken place marking the bicentenary of the opening of Dartmoor Prison in the English county of Devon according to a BBC news item. .

The prison was opened on 24 May 1809 after three years of construction. It was built by Isbell Rowe & Co for £132,000 in a star shape circled by a perimeter wall, with five wings housing 1,000 men each on two floors. It was high, remote and cold: when they arrived from the prison hulks in Plymouth, there was snow on the ground.  It was originally built to hold French prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars. Plymouth's honorary French Consul, Alain Sibiril, said tracing the descendents of some of the jail's original prisoners had been an "interesting journey". During the Napoleonic Wars, thousands of prisoners were taken and confined in prison ships until the prison was built and they could be transferred. At one time, the prison population numbered almost 6,000.

Wreaths were laid at the memorial to pay homage to the 1,129 French prisoners of war who died at Dartmoor Prison . With the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 the surviving prisoners were re patriated.

Five police officers, who have not been named, were seasoned veterans but acted in what was called a "shameful" manner. One officer on foot was hurt when a van swerved through traffic; it then overturned on a ramp, throwing the driver from the vehicle, he lay motionless as officers ran towards him. A video shows officers punching, kicking and hitting the driver with a truncheon. Hospitalised after the chase he did not realise he had been beaten up until viewing the tape. He pleaded guilty to assault and driving charges for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The five police officers have been sacked.

Two traffic police officers and three traffic assistants were involved in beating a 19-year-old male cyclist after he failed to stop at a red light. Around 200 protesters then moved to surround government buildings and overturned a police car before around 100 backup police arrived, ten police officers and government officials were injured as the crowd threw bricks at them. Later an official statement said the traffic assistants would be dismissed; no mention was made as to how the police officers would be dealt with.

The Metre Convention of 20 May 1875 is a treaty which established three international organizations to oversee the keeping of metric standards. It is written in French, in which it is called the Convention du Mètre. In English it is also called the Treaty of the Meter. It was revised in 1921. In 1960, the system of units it established was renamed the "International System of Units" (Système international d'unités or SI).

The Convention created three main organizations:

General Conference on Weights and Measures (Conférence générale des poids et mesures or CGPM) - a meeting every four to six years of delegates from all member states;

International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Bureau international des poids et mesures or BIPM) - an international metrology centre at Sèvres in France; and International Committee for Weights and Measures (Comité international des poids et mesures or CIPM) - an administrative committee which meets annually at the BIPM.

The metric system was conceived by a group of scientists (among them, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, who is known as the "father of modern chemistry") who had been commissioned by Louis XVI of France to create a unified and rational system of measures. After the French Revolution, the system was adopted by the new government. On August 1, 1793, the National Convention adopted the new decimal "metre" with a provisional length as well as the other decimal units with preliminary definitions and terms. On April 7, 1795 (Loi du 18 germinal, an III) the terms "gramme" and "kilogramme" replaced the former terms "gravet" (correctly "milligrave") and "grave". On December 10, 1799 (a month after Napoleon's coup d'état), the metric system was definitively adopted in France.

The history of the metric system has seen a number of variations, whose use has spread around the world, to replace many traditional measurement systems. At the end of World War II a number of different systems of measurement were still in use throughout the world. Some of these systems were metric-system variations, whereas others were based on customary systems. It was recognised that additional steps were needed to promote a worldwide measurement system. As a result the 9th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM), in 1948, asked the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) to conduct an international study of the measurement needs of the scientific, technical, and educational communities. Based on the findings of this study, the 10th CGPM in 1954 decided that an international system should be derived from six base units to provide for the measurement of temperature and optical radiation in addition to mechanical and electromagnetic quantities.

The failure of a recent space flight costing $millions was directly due to data in metric measurement being interpreted as local US units! A recent example of The six base units that were recommended are the metre, kilogram, second, ampere, degree Kelvin (later renamed the kelvin), and the candela. In 1960, the 11th CGPM named the system the International System of Units, abbreviated SI from the French name: Le Système international d'unités. The seventh base unit, the mole, was added in 1971 by the 14th CGPM. There were originally 17 signatories to the treaty. This number grew to 52 in 2008. The near-worldwide adoption of the metric system as a tool of economy and everyday commerce was based to some extent on the lack of customary systems in many countries to adequately describe some concepts, or as a result of an attempt to standardise the many regional variations in the customary system. International factors also affected the adoption of the metric system, as many countries increased their trade.Liquids, especially alcoholic ones, are often sold in units whose origins are historical (for example, pints for beer and cider in glasses in the UK — although pint means 568 ml; champagne in Jeroboams in France). In Britain imperial measurements are permitted indefinitely alongside the metric system as supplementary indications.

The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent nation. The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students and others from early on. However, Norway was at that time under Swedish rule (following the Convention of Moss in August 1814) and for some years the King of Sweden was reluctant to allow the celebrations. For a couple of years in the 1820s, king Carl Johan actually forbade it, as he thought the celebrations a kind of protest and disregard—even revolt—against Swedish sovereignty. The king's attitude changed slightly after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an incident which resulted in such a commotion that the King had to allow it. It was, however, not until 1833, that anyone ventured to hold a public address on behalf of the day. That year, official celebration was initiated by the monument of the late politician Christian Krogh, known to have stopped the King from gaining too much personal power. The address was held by Henrik Wergeland.

May 17th is also the day students in their last year of upper secondary school celebrate the end of 13 years of school, even though many still have to pass final exams. They call themselves "russ" and illustrate their standing through colourful overalls depending on their line of study. High spirits are the norm and the festivities usually last day and night. Many transport themselves around town in self-decorated buses and vans with slogans and booming music.

Cherokee occasionally refer to themselves as Ani-Kituhwagi, (Keetoowah) 'the people of Kituhwagi', after the ancient nucleus city of the Cherokee. The Legend of the Keetoowahs places the tribe on an island in the Atlantic Ocean east of South America. Seventy tribes attempted attack on the Keetoowahs, but the Keetoowah were granted victory through the assistance of spirit-warriors.

As the story tells us, Ner-du-er-gi, the last warrior of the attackers, was overlooking the valley camp below, from upon a mountain top, when he saw smoke arising from the camp that extended up beyond the clouds, divided into three parts, with an arrow-holding eagle in the center. The warrior and his followers witnessed this miraculous event. Ner-du-er-gi then ordered his warriors not to attack the Keetoowahs for they were protected, and if attacked, the warrior knew he would surely be destroyed.

The Great Spirit granted the Keetoowahs a grand mysterious power to only be utilized in the best interest of their people. However, some of the wise people began to use their wisdom for unfruitful purposes. The Great Spirit instructed them to take their white fire and move away, heading to Asia, India and North America. Some of the large cities the new travelers claimed sank into the ocean and were no more.

Legend has it The Great Spirit turned to the peoples of northern america and guided them. They too began to violate their teachings by committing murders and feuding with the seven clans. The seven clans with their medicine men met around a fire to request guidance from The Great Spirit. The most truthful seven holy men selflessly gave of themselves for the tribe.

They carried medicine deerskin and medicine tobacco. The medicine men spread out the deerskin and prayed. They blew smoke over the deerskin, and watched the smoke trails for a sign from The Great Spirit. Inspiration led the medicine men to travel up to the top of a mountain, each day one new medicine man for seven days.

On day seven, a messenger came down from The Great Spirit, appeared in a bright light, and stated that The Great Spirit heard the prayers of the medicine men and held passion for their people. First, the men were told that they would someday fly in the air. The messenger warned of an enemy white ball from the east traveling their way, but that their grandchildren¹s feet were facing toward Tsusginai - west - the 'ghost land'.

The messenger warned of trials on the edge of the prairie, with tribes dividing into different factions and their blood evolving into only half of their heritage. The messenger forewarned that families would divide and disregard chiefs, leaders and medicine men. The schools would teach important knowledge to all the people and the young people would return to point rudely at the elders.

However, if the younger generation would heed The Great Spirit's instruction, a chance would exist for the people to turn back east, otherwise they would go to Tsusginai then to the coast, then leave by boat, never to return. They were given the 'Keetoowah' namesake and were instructed to return to their fire for worship, and prophesy to their people.

Once hailed as a food with a long list of superpowers, health experts are now questioning whether soya could in fact pose a serious health risk. Research in Japan suggests that high levels of soy-based products can play havoc with your thyroid gland, leading to major weight gain and fatigue. Soya apparently blocks the uptake of the chemical iodine, which keeps your thyroid healthy. And it is not as easy to avoid as you would think; it is estimated that soya is found in 60% of processed foods, including breakfast cereals, cheese, cakes, noodles, soups, and sandwich spreads. Experts recommend limiting intake and eating natural, unprocessed foods to avoid any problems.

The tradition with soya is that it was fermented for a long time, from six months to three years and then eaten as a condiment, not as a replacement for animal foods. The so-called Asian diet - far from centering around soya - is based on meat. Approximately 65% of Japanese calorie intake comes from fish, while in China the same percentage comes from pork. They are not using a lot of soya in Asia - an average of 2 teaspoons a day in China and up to a quarter cup in some parts of Japan. So, while Asians were using limited to moderate amounts of painstakingly prepared soya foods - the alleged benefits of which are still controversial - Americans, especially vegetarians, are consuming more soya products and isoflavones than any culture in human history! It is alleged [ "The Simple Soya Truth" by Patrick Quanten MD], that Soya protein is also in breach of the World Health Organisation Standards. They state "when tested by appropriate methods of sampling and examination, the product shall not contain other poisonous substances which may represent a hazard to health". Soya protein is known to contain several toxins, dangerous to health.

As global demand for soya has increased, Brazil has matched that demand by clearing huge areas of the Amazon rainforest to make room for plantations. In 2005, it became the world leader in soya exports but this has been at a terrible price. Soya farming is now one of the leading causes of deforestation in Brazil - in 2004-5 alone, 1.2 million hectares [an area equivalent in size to the State of Conneticut], of soya were planted in the rainforest where land-grabbing and illegal deforestation are common.  Land grabbing goes hand in hand with violence and even murder, while communities are forced from their homes and slave labour is used to clear the land. More than half of all reported incidents of slavery in Brazil are in Parà and Mato Grosso states, where much Amazon soya is grown. The soya is then fed to millions of chickens in the farms that supply McDonald's. This means that every time you buy a Chicken McNugget you're taking a bite out of the Amazon.

I will not mention  genetically manufactured soya products which taint natural foods without our knowledge. That is another issue . . . . !

Parents who lost their children in China's earthquake on May 12^th last year are fearful they will not be allowed to properly commemorate the disaster's first anniversary. The government has admitted that nearly 14,000 schools - some of them poorly or hastily built - were damaged in the magnitude-8 earthquake. Official figures number "5,335  students dead or missing  and  another 546 were left disabled." [Tu Wentao, head of the Sichuan Province education department. 06.05.2009].

Parents are still seeking answers about why so many schools collapsed during the earthquake. Many parents want to return to the site of the schools in Sichuan that killed their children when they collapsed. On every occasion that parents have wanted to pay their respects to their children, the whole school and nearby area have been sealed off and parents have been prevented from visiting the sites on a number of occasions notably on last month's Qīngmíngjié [Tomb Sweeping Festival], when for centuries Chinese people traditionally visit family graves and pay homage to the dead.

Where I wonder are the bloggers who were swift to condemn outside influences on the run up to Beijing 2008?  They seem more concerned about boycotting Carrefour than the plight of fellow citizens.  The silence is deafening.

Another example of the crazy,  politically correct world of Britain . . . .