Pensions and Weapons

[carnatic]

Read an article in our Advertiser newspaper (31/05/06), page 8, by Kim Briscoe. Apparently the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) have discovered (thanks to the Freedom of Information Act) that our County Council have invested £13.1 in the world's 15 biggest arms manufacturers.

Marvellous.

To compound matters, some council spokesperson is quoted, '...the authority employed an investment manager who drew up a criteria for socially responsible investments'

God's Teeth! Who is this investment manager and what, I wonder, would they consider to be a socially irresponsible investment?

And who is the Council person that thought 'oh that's a good idea!'. Who signed off this policy? What post do they have now? How much was this 'consultant' paid, and for that matter, how much was the councillor involved paid in wages to reach such a decision? How much of the deferred responsibility was included in their salary?

Are we going to read that future investments will be made in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan? Or perhaps in prostitution?

The article was placed beneath a picture of a soldier pointing a gun at the camera taking the picture. Was this so we'd all think, 'ah yes, but our weapons are only used by good guys!'

Where do folk think the weapons come from that wreck lives? The 'gangsta' sporting the latest fashionable gun has bought (or stolen) it from somewhere. It's unlikely he knocked it up in the garage. And that's not even mentioning the masses of deadly weapons sent off to all the corners of the world from OUR nation.

I remember once seeing a magazine of what some weapons can do. For each gun featured there was a child's imitation (in wood or somesuch), a picture of the real thing, and another of the damage it inflicted on humans. I don't want any part of that. I can't help wondering why the police and fire service and other council pensioned folk want to be part of it either.

 

[UZmaster]

Hi Carnatic,

Good post... why not attend the 'Ask The Leaders' session on Friday at the Uttoxeter Town Hall!

I really wish people of Uttoxeter would show some interest in their community website, especially with people like you posting comments like this!

Cheers,

UZmaster

[carnatic]

Did you see the news article this week about BAE and the Saudi arms deal? Amazing. These businesses are now openly taunting the UK gov and police. "Arrest us or shut up!" I'd naively thought the police had to compile evidence or somesuch first!

They don't even bother to deny the charges of bribery anymore, just stating that it was a long time ago!!! Is there now a seven year statute of Limitations on fraud for all of us?

For anyone who doesn't know or remember, BAE allegedly paid large bribes to secure a $9 Billion deal with Saudi Arabia. They're also alleged to have paid a $60 milion bribe to be chosen as the primary contractor in the AL Yamamah arms deal - also with the Saudis.

For anyone who might still think BAE are sound chaps you'd like round for tea with the vicar, remember that these are the people that manufacture cluster bombs (Lady Di campaigned against the use of these weapons, as they tend to leave unexploded bombs around, similar to landmines really, killing indiscriminately long after the intended target has departed).

And our County Council thinks it's a 'socially responsible investment policy' to plough £4,766,382 million into BAE!!!!

Some people were arrested last week for selling guns on British streets. They've been locked up for a long time. Why is it ok to flog guns abroad but not here? This is rancid hypocrisy.

Btw, I did go to the council do at the town hall but it was the BC, not CC. However, I talked with someone from the council called Fox, who thought it was ok to profit from sales to Mugabe but that we should invade Zimbabwe!?!?! He also said arms trading was good, but tobacco sales should be banned!!!!!!Furthermore, he wrongly thought that the council was investing its £13.1 million in British Arms dealers - a big part of the economy he said. Yet our council invests more in overseas arms dealers than in our lot, thereby actively supporting the competitors to our brave lads selling weapons wherever possible. They are actively endangering those jobs in a way.

Only five councils in England & Wales invested only in UK arms dealers. Only two councils thought it wasn't a good idea to invest in weapons at all.

I suppose it's easy to shut out the world and embrace greed, living as we do, in this beautiful part of England.

[carnatic]

So now it's a matter of National Security that we flog weapons to Saudi Arabia. There's evidence available that our gov 'turned a blind eye' years ago (The don't hold me responsible for what I did till I'm dead, sorry, State secrets legislation, lasts for 30 years or so), if not actively participated, and that some leading politicians were openly opposed to such practices. Those were the days when some politicians ran on principles though I suppose, rather than all of 'em obeying the hottest popularity consultancy guru.

Anyway, our council is still investing in foreign arms dealers/manufacturers. If, as Bliar would have it, our ability to flog weapons is a matter of national security, then why is our honourable council investing in competitors to this noble national industry. Surely they should only invest in cluster bombs and rockets that are made here! Five other councils in England and Wales restricted their investments to UK weapons manufacturers.

Basically, the message from our glorious leaders seems to be that a 'sweetner', or 'motivator', or 'bonus', is a much more positive euphemism for 'bribe' than 'back-hander' or, er, 'bribe'. Also that corruption is the norm and holds the fabric of our society together. Have I got this right?

How much should a bribe be? Is there a list of appropriate bribes somewhere? Presumably one should bribe a politician more than a councillor? Or is it a percentage thing?

It was much clearer in the south of Italy!