Who IS In Charge?....Just Wondering....

Now when Britain holds a General Election nobody wins. Sometimes Labour or Conservative get 30 odd percent of the vote outright and form a Government. This has always struck me as slightly bizarre seeing as a good 60 odd percent clearly haven't voted for them so it puzzles me quite how they can claim to have 'won' and got a mandate from the electorate. Perhaps I'm just stupid.

In a nutshell, this is more or less how the 'first past the post' system of democracy works. The only alternative seemingly being 'proportional representation' whereby nobody can ever win, ever.... and we're left with a constant 'hung Parliament' - which would be good if it meant we could hang them but sadly it doesn't - and we would probably have what we have now in perpetuity. Two political parties joining forces to 'run the show'.

However, it appears that two political parties joining up to 'run the show' are no better at being in charge than one party on its own has shown itself to be historically. (or if you prefer, hysterically)...

As you gaze at a map you see to Britain's East a rather large bit called Europe. We are, unfortunately, currently considered a part of this large bit called Europe thus enabling lots of other people who are part of this large bit to come to our own small bit (Britain).

This has proven to be not a good thing as many shops on our high streets previously with signs saying 'Grocers' and/or 'Newsagents' and/or 'General Stores' now say 'Polskie Sklep' thereby rendering them entirely useless to English people as we have no idea what worrying things may lurk within.

At least when the Asians took over our Bonaparte mantle of 'a nation of shokeepers' they kept the words on the signs so we knew more or less what to expect inside - admittedly, initially, odd looking things like Chicken Korma's appeared in the freezers but, in general, this was a small price to pay for being able to get a pint of milk on a Sunday or at 8 o'clock in the evening and know that, whatever else was in the shop you could get a newspaper, a pint of milk and a loaf of bread......

As Brussels, which for the geographically challenged is not a foul tasting vegetable but the capital of Belgium, is the home of lots of things 'European' including the awful 'European Court of Human Rights' it appears that 'they' may actually be 'in charge' over here too.

With the permission of Fuehrer Merkel and Germany of course....

They won't let us kick out terrorists as said terrorists are entitled to a family life and their pet cat would suffer terribly if they were kicked out to face quite reasonable charges in another country.

It's bad enough that the 'Europeans' seem to be in charge rather more than our dubiously elected home grown politicians but it's really coming to something when the bloody Americans are in charge over here too!!!

If you're still looking at the map you'll find America is on the left after the big blue thing......

Now I like America and Americans generally speaking. Those I have met have been incredibly open and friendly and the country itself is always good for a laugh - The Tea Party spring eternally to mind - and let's face it, what other country on Earth would elect as their President a man whose first name sounds like he's clearing his throat?

Gary McKinnon suffers from Aspergers Syndrome - a form of Autism. Like many who suffer this awful affliction, he is extraordinarily talented at a specific thing. In his case computers. So talented that he successfully 'hacked' into top secret things in America. He didn't do this to 'spy' but to look for evidence of aliens - and not the illegal type Europe won't let us kick out either - the 'little green men' type.

As a result America want him extradited so they can incarcerate him for 128 years or whatever.

The natural assumption of anybody, even if mildly short of seriously deranged, would be that Britain would respond to America with a polite "Sorry chaps, he's English and a sandwich short of a picnic so leave it to us chaps. Tally Ho!"

But no. We apparently have signed a treaty allowing Gary to be extradited and, despite all common sense thought on the matter being that he should be dealt with carefully and humanely in his own country, given his Autism, and was clearly searching for little green men and not trying to sabotage Western Democracy the intention is to send him over to the Yanks for trial.

And now there is another one!

Richard O'Dwyer has not broken any laws in Britain - as Gary McKinnon hadn't.

Richard found a loop hole and used it. He put up links on his website that guided people to sites where they could watch and download movies for free thereby avioding any payment to the appropriate people who should have been paid for said movie watching.

A bit dodgy certainly. Unethical perhaps, but not illegal.

Now he is to be extradited to America to serve 952 years or whatever once found guilty. (Actually I think it's more in the region of 20 odd years but does that actually matter?)

He certainly made a good sum of money off the site through advertising - as the site was understandly popular he was paid by some to advertise their stuff on it - but he wasn't actually breaking any law.

So.

WHO IS IN CHARGE?

Apparently everybody apart from the British people.

Right. I'm off to the Polskie Sklep to see if they have any Chicken Korma's......

Laters and let's be careful out there...The Europeans, Americans and, quite possibly, the little green men are watching you!