BERLIN {Where next}

[j.sabourn]

Don't elect them in the first instance. I think the majority of American people have woken up to the fact that their system of government is directed towards a harmony of old established families, who are more or less considered Royalty in their own terms. They have voted they do not want this. You see the same abroad when the US has enforced Regime change, they always choose the wrong people.There is talk now of problems with Taiwan, what I remember of the old Formosa, he was another useless puppet they backed and was just another out of step warlord. China has its own problems and has come on very well since the days of Mao, they should be applauded not critisized. Mao was the start of getting rid of all the old war lords, but by the outside world was made the villain in all moves. As regards Regime Change that should be considered an act of war, which it is, and unless a country declares war there should be no room for. The US was the first to shout foul at Pearl Harbour, yet they had plenty of intelligence that it was going to happen ,but preferred to stay in bed as it was Sunday. JS

[John Arton]

The biggest problem that I see with all those do-gooders, like Brians Bishop of Manchester, is that they think that terrorists are only a small minority amongst the millions of refugees flooding into Europe but what they fail to realise that there are millions of their fellow religious believers already here (who have been here for a number of generations) who SYMPATHISE with the views of those terrorists and may even support them by sending money to them via legitimate Bank transfers to Banks in Pakistan, Afghanistan etc. The amount of money flowing out of the U.K. from small (and large) business owners here in the U.K. owned by people of that faith, is huge. It is supposedly going to support family members back in the country of origin but there is absolutely no way of checking where it ends up once it has left the U.K. and as to regard to their country of origin, if they are 2nd or 3rd g3eneration persons born here in the U.K., then surely their country of origin is the U.K., not some far flung outpost of the Commonwealth?
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

The likes of Politicians and high up members of the Church know how to sermonise others, but are incapable of receiving sermons from mere mortals Brian. JS

[John Arton]

We had a Christmas Market in Newcastle up until last week and very nice it was too. There were a fair few armed police patrolling it and it went off with no trouble whatsoever, thank god.
The only trouble was when someone posted a photo of their child happily posing with one of the armed police on the internet. The next thing was the do-gooders were up in arms (no pun intended) saying the poor child would be traumatised having seen a policeman with a gun..........as if.
rgds
JA

[cappy]

We had a Christmas Market in Newcastle up until last week and very nice it was too. There were a fair few armed police patrolling it and it went off with no trouble whatsoever, thank god.
The only trouble was when someone posted a photo of their child happily posing with one of the armed police on the internet. The next thing was the do-gooders were up in arms (no pun intended) saying the poor child would be traumatised having seen a policeman with a gun..........as if.
rgds
JA

this again is the PC world we have to live in whether we like it or not...so many donkeys on a mission .....sad sad world.......cappy

[Red Lead Ted]

We had a Christmas Market in Newcastle up until last week and very nice it was too. There were a fair few armed police patrolling it and it went off with no trouble whatsoever, thank god.
The only trouble was when someone posted a photo of their child happily posing with one of the armed police on the internet. The next thing was the do-gooders were up in arms (no pun intended) saying the poor child would be traumatised having seen a policeman with a gun..........as if.
rgds
JA

John, i have spent all day today shopping with the wife in Liverpool city center, I never looked over my shoulder once, This is my home town and there is know way anyone will stop me living my life the way i want, We cant let terrorism alter our way of life that would be giving them what they want the population shuddering indoors no way hozay............. Not in my household if these terrorists where in any way brave men they would crawl out of there holes and bring it on but there not brave they are the weak scum of the earth driving loaded lorry's into a market full of family s with young children looking forward to a yearly one off of christian celebration, There are reports that isis amongst others trawl the net for posts like this condemning them, So i might well be shortlisted, Every rose has its thorns including me a proud British citizen Terry.

[cappy]

bang on there ted we must not let it worry us i havnt even thought about it .....what will be will be......but we have a brave marine inside for seeing one of these filth of this mortal coil as he put it ...but we pussy foot around they even preach against us in our own streets ...catch them and give them to the marines..thats my view....cappy been shopping with beloved today jeez it does my head in .....but its xmas so i grit my teeth and say yes lovie no lovie.......and smile.......cappy

[Rodney Mills]

In that wonderful country at one time called the middle kingdom and today China there are more millionaires there than in any other country. Why? because they changed from collectivism economy to a form of capitalism.

If you weren't one of those capitalists though and say born in a village, at birth you would be given a "Hukou" ( Household registration).* A Hukou will be with you wherever you go in this wonderland.

This village child can only go to a village school and participates in the village health program. Tough if there's no school or doctor in the village.

Only one third of the elderly are entitled to a "rural pension" at age 70, but husbands or males only. Oh! It's paid at one third the rate of a city pension, which if you moved to live with a city relation you would still draw the rural pension. Oh again! Children cannot move to the city but must stay in the village until work age.

Health care is "patchy" to non-existent throughout the Middle Kingdom.

These new millionaires are the ones that came up with a good idea, nothing wrong with that, I'm all for millionaires. But they needed workers, so back in the 1990s the largest migration in China's history began. Hundreds of millions migrated from rural areas to find work in the cities. The whole family couldn't go, the Hukou said kids had to stay in the village remember. Accommodations were barracks, and the rural pension ruled out elders going to the city, so grandparents stayed behind and raised the children. Children saw/see their parents perhaps once or twice a year. Cities are filled with young workers and villages are filled with children and elders. Slowly small changes in the Hukou have allowed some families to be united in the cities; however, a poll of 300 migrant schools found only 68 where legal.

More drastic changes have arrived, Cambodians have said "I can sew a button on a shirt, or wrap a T-shirt and I'll do it cheaper"...the Viets said "I can sew even cheaper." Thus lay-offs are common in wonderland and unemployment is rising rapidly forcing many back to the villages. Those too old or sick have to go back in any case as they can't go to city hospitals or doctors, remember?

The labor minister Yin Weimin said that 1.3 million coal workers and 500,000 steel workers could lose theirjobs over the next five years. Other estimates say 3m-5m people may be thrown out of work in these industries as well as aluminium production and glassmaking.

Labor unrest is rising everywhere said a Hong Kong NGO, there were 2,700 strikes this year leading up to the China New Year holidsay, in February there were 1,000 strikes all related to non-payment of wages.

If you are a male in China you are definitely not alone, back in the one child per couple years daughters, thanks to easy ultra-sound, girls were aborted or died of "natural causes" at birth. Consequently there are 1.7 males for every female and rising as among the young upwardly mobile families less children means a higher standard of living. Women approaching marriage age expect the male to all ready have a home and car...losers need not apply.

Once upon a time in wonderland the children where expected to take care of their parents, not anymore.

China, much to the distress of the West has held its currency, the yaun, at a low fixed rate keeping China's products cheap (think steel, dumping on the market).

Premier Xi's fiscal policy actually weakened the yaun, meaning they had to pay more for their imports and losing market share to other countries at the same time, which is a recipe for another lower adjustment for the yaun.

In the last six months about 1 trillion $s of capital has left the country. The yaun is still depreciating on foreign money markets. True they have a healthy surplus stored, but they are actually showing an unhealthy loss plus this huge flight of capital and heavy financial debt caused by business borrowing.

From Rodders, safely ensconced in South Carolina with no interest in emigrating to China. (or Russia for that matter).

[j.sabourn]

Why should anyone else bother about them then. Let sleeping dogs lie. Let them sort their own problems out. Why bring them into the light, and let the media and those who think they are doing the wrong thing make such a big deal of it. Its their own business and no ones else"s. Especially the West with our own set of morals which are probably unhealthy to others. Todays morals are unhealthy to me but I live with them. The only difference is at present I the same as others can make it known when not happy with any decisions made. I can see that disappearing with totalarian governments of the future, as with too much criticism comes failure for any government by their own people, there is no reason for any outside influences which the west appears to be doing in respect of other sovereign countries. For Obama to insinuate that because of Russia the Democrats failed to get in, says something, that he has knowledge probably committed by his own CIA and is referring to his own knowledge on how to do it. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
Just read about this cowardly basward who sent his two daughters to a police station in Damascus Syria with bombs strapped to them, one was 7 the other 9 ,pictures showing the father and mother[sic] hugging the girls and saying you will kill the policemen and the girls saying God willing, the 9 year old walked into the police station and the bomb was set off by remote control, injured three policemen, but spattered the girl.
I think an atom bomb is needed there.
Cheers Des