Tax is a moral issue? Bollocks!

What a load of muddled thinking which demonstrates a breath-taking ignorance of how the tax system works.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18521468
The amount of tax paid by anyone in this Country is down to our Tax Laws and Jimmy Carr did nothing illegal.

I will pose a question to all of you.  Do you reclaim tax through a P11D for mileage, expenses or pension contributions (or any other means)?  So do you do this to avoid paying tax?  So, according to Cameron you are clearly 'morally repugnant' if you avoid paying some tax.  Or do you do this because you are legally (and this is the point) entitled to do so?  It therefore follows, that as Jimmy Carr did nothing illegal the Tax Laws must, by Cameron's reckoning, be 'morally repugnant' if they allow this to happen.

Ask yourself who is currently responsible for legislation in this Country?  Oh, that would be Cameron.  How hypocritical can you get?

I feel sure that in a Civilised Society, the tax affairs of individuals should not be governed by an envious lynch mob but by well thought out Laws that ensure everyone pays a fair level of Tax.  Just close the tax loop holes.  It really is that simple.

Governments have been talking about a general tax avoidance rule for years.  But you need to ask yourself, why are they dragging their feet on this issue?  Self interest maybe?  Just a thought.

I know someone who in purchasing a £475,000 house 'legally' paid no Stamp Duty.  So why do any of us pay Stamp Duty if it is legal to avoid paying it?  This has nothing to do with morals but much to do with poorly drafted Laws.

We believe collectively as a Country that it is morally wrong to kill another person.  As such, we pass a Law that states it is illegal to kill another person.  We do not rely on people's moral judgement.  A murderer does not say I have just killed someone and so I'll go and stay in Wormwood Scrubs for 25 years because I am morally bound to do so.  That would never happen.

The key is the Law and the operation of the Tax system has absolutely nothing to do with morals.  However, the formulation of the Laws that govern the Tax system must have a moral basis, so over to you Cameron, the man who can change things if he wants to.

Immigration - I am ashamed to be British

I first became aware of moronic decisions regarding immigration with the Gurkhas.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8037181.stm
Where was this dim Minister's head at?  These guys are willing to give their lives for Great Britain and all we do is shit on them.  Thank goodness common sense prevailed in the end thanks to Joanna Lumley.

Then there is the recent case of Isimeli Baleiwai (a Fijian National) who is required to leave the UK by 9 August 2012.  A man who has served in the British Army for 13 years, has a British wife and two British children.  So, breaking up families, is that what we do now in Great Britain?
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18940236
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4zEdK4Q6rA
This goes against everything this Country stands for.  Who are these faceless bastards who make these thoroughly evil decisions?  Can they sleep at night?  It makes me very ashamed to be British and really very angry.

Finally a quiz for you.
Who has more rights to live in the UK?
1) The illegitimate offspring of a British Citizen whose grandmother is a British Citizen and who lives and was born in a country whose Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II.  The father is named on the birth certificate and the family can pretty much trace their history back to the Normans.  In other words a blood relative of a British family.
2) Someone from the EU who has no links with this country, has no relatives in this country and has no historical connection with this country, ever.
The answer is (2) and I cannot begin to express just how unbelievably WRONG this is.

This has nothing to do with racism but has a lot to do with Justice and fair play.  I mean it is just not cricket!

How is it that we have sleepwalked into this appalling situation?  We protect terrorists for decades and yet throw out people who wish to protect us or it seems, our blood relatives.

Surely the 'man on the Clapham omnibus' cannot tolerate this much longer?  Family is really very important.  It is the foundations of a State.

Bank of Dave (Channel 4)

I am old enough to remember when banks offered personal banking, just like the Bank of Dave.  The high street banks used to only charged 3% over Bank of England base rate.  Now, they seem to charge rates which I would call usury (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usury), which I thought was illegal in the UK.  Don't get me started on Wonga et al, even loan sharks don't charge that much!  They should change their name to Dick Turpin.  Maybe anyone taken in by their bullshit deserves everything they get.  Isn't there an expression about parting a fool from his money?

And, what is the Government doing to protect citizens?  As usual, nothing.  Must be all those expenses forms!

Bank of Dave (Channel 4)
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/bank-of-dave/episode-guide/series-1
Link opens in new window

There is another way that does not involve poor service, misselling and generally ripping customers off.

Do you still bank with lying cheating thieves?

Record fine for Barclays and 19 other banks being investigated over fixing the LIBOR rate.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18982406
Standard Chartered in serious trouble now.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19161362
Lloyds TSB former head of security prosecuted for fraud.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18204188

When will it all end?  I'll tell you when.  When you, the citizen's of the World, stop banking with lying cheating thieves.

Trust your money to a Mutual.

PS  Links open in new window.

Capital Punishment

"Capital punishment is where the men with out the capital get the punishment."  Clive Stafford Smith author of "Injustice" on BBC Meet the Author 30 July 2012

I think that this can be more universally applied than just to the American Justice system.

Barclays

Well, with the £290m fine of Barclays for lying about LIBOR do I hear the sound of chickens roosting?  Can someone explain why we should trust any bank with our money?  I think we should vote with our feet and only use Friendly (Building) Societies, Credit Unions, Peer-to-Peer Lending and The Post Office.  I am!

A pox on all their houses.

I would not trust Bob Diamond to buy me a Mars Bar with my money.

An example of the Law of Unintended Consequences

I am concerned about all those dangerous people who firmly believe that they are saving the World, when in fact they are doing the exact opposite.

I think that recycling is a case in point.  I have a suspicion that water usage has increased since the widespread introduction of recycling.  I mean who wants stinking cans and stuff hanging around for 2 weeks, especially in the Summer months.

Well, this year the UK suffered it's second dry Winter in a row (I'm sure this has happened before and will happen again).  Our increased water usage makes a drought more likely, as we have developed a less robust system of dealing with a changing climate.  

It is unfortunate, that the private water companies do not monitor water usage sufficiently robustly to prove my view one way or the other.  But, I for one, wash my stinking recycling and so it stands to reason that I must be using more water than I used to.   But it would be really good to actually know the facts of the matter.