Conservatives especially Mr Osborne had killer's instinct. It's a fact that Britain is growing faster that any of the G7 nations. Employment is at the lowest level, wages in the private sector are rising but the 1% limit on the public sector could create unexpected complications. Apart from resentment and resistance of the public sector employees, chances are that some talented and skilled people could move to the private sector.
Yes, the deficit reduction is a sterling achievement, especially in view of what is happening in Greece. All self respecting Britons are surely impressed that the government that was able to reduce a deficit from 10% in 2010 to 5% of GDP last year.
The Chancellor has proclaimed that the public finances will be in surplus by 2018-19 and now he has extended that by one more year, which would surely be of some small relief, to all those affected by almost 20% cuts in 'non guarded' departments. The Office for Budgetary Responsibilities has forecast that the government deficit will now be £65bn in 2015/16. One need not remind that it was a whopping £110bn in 2010. All such good news are welcome. It is important to recognise that Tory ambition of One Nation idea remains more on paper than in practice, at least for the time being. The living wage is a euphemism. From £7.20 today will rise £9 by 2020. It's not that dramatic and yet it has its own tangent. It could force or inspire companies to expect more productivity from the existing staff, if it happens. How realistic is it? Eventually customers would be expected to pay.
Labour Party has its own problems in how to react to some of the most burdensome budget proposals, especially for young or about or supplementary benefit. When the child benefit was introduced in 2003/04, the logic was perhaps acceptable. Those at the lowest rung of income needed some form of supplementary benefit. In the initial year, the cost was £1bn. It has now ballooned to £30bn and the Chancellor used this logic very tactfully and beneficially. The restrains proposed on the expenditure under this category, though more palatable to most people, it's going to hurt very seriously, low income earners with large families. Perhaps a more gradual time span could have been little less painful.
Mr Ian Duncan smith is very happy indeed. Even Frank Field could not be too unhappy. The notion of welfare is certainly not free for all. To each according to his input is more important than to each according to his or her need. (Labour Party was brave enough to remove clause 4 long time back).
Perhaps Labour Party should not or would not have serous objection, or rather they would welcome the idea of a training levy on a big company, a new super tax on banks and £2.5bn increase in share dividend taxation. Some Tories may not approve of this strategy.
So many people are willing to take employment at lower wages indicate that they do not want to depend on the state, but they should not overburdened in some sort of social engineering.
Remembering the genocide at Srebrenica
Two decades ago the horrible and heartless massacre of the 2000 Bosnian Muslim boys and boys by Bosnian Serb forces on July 11th 1995 has been marked with solemnity befitting the democratic and humanitarian values of the Western nations.
It was American led NATO forces, supported by Britain and other countries which stopped the genocide by bombing and direct military action. If Germany and the other world wide Jewry mark the Auschwitz equally Bosnian Auschwitz has to be remembered and recognised for what it was- a barbarous and inhuman act.
Germany has atoned for nazi barbarism, some other countries, say Japan to a certain extend has recognised it's overkill in Manchuria. Democratic nations especially Great Britain has a tradition of justice going back to Warren Hastings after 1857 or General Dyer after Jallianwalabagh of 1919.
Unfortunately such a notion of accepting one's own atrocities, let alone atonement is not yet happening in the Islamic world, especially the Middle eastern countries. Why?
In South Africa Truth and Reconciliation commission helped to heal the wounds of apartheid to a large extend. Nelson Mandela, the giant of a man led his people to this level of maturity and humanity.
Any civilisation which can look back and learn, can last longer and acquire more dignity and honour. USA and Western Europe have recently shown that. There is a message for others who are yet to learn. It is not right and proper to keep on blaming others.
- CB
