Food Security Matters

The single most important thing in your life is Food, this is no exaggeration without food and water you will die, so why is it people don't think food security matters as much as other things like what's on the television tonight or the latest celebrity gossip. The reason people in the west care so little for food is almost all of us have always had the grocery store or supermarket open and waiting for us to come in and buy the essentials when we need them.
But what if you woke up tomorrow and the shop was closed in fact all of the shops were closed or, if the shops were all of a sudden unable to provide us with food just how much supplies do you have in your kitchen to sustain you and your family.

Food has always been there a false sense of security

For my entire life food has never been a problem and therefore it never will be for me food has always been there but is this a false sense of security as many do not actually realize how fragile the world's food supply has become, we live in a world of just in time were food is held in suspended animation and then delivered as and when needed to keep down the cost of storage. The result of this system is a very efficient but unsafe system.
We have been lead down a path of ignorance about our world where we are told from cradle to grave food, water and security are guaranteed, this has been done in order to allow us to worry about other things in life such as work to improve productivity and it has been largely successful because we have not had a serious food shortage for nearly sixty years. The downside to this kind of thinking is that people are now so used to having food available that they refuse to believe that it may not always be, as a friend of mine said “we're to advanced to fail”.
This mentality is caused by our own success coupled with the media industry seeing a big money making market in being able to sell any trash to people to help them forget about the rest of the world.

The United Kingdom is not food self sufficient

The United Kingdom currently imports approximately 40% of its yearly food requirements, or you could say that we cannot currently feed 40% of the population at the current food consumption levels if something was to happen to the food chain. So why should we worry because if something did happen we could easily reroute food from exports to our shop shelves and thinking this you would be absolutely wrong. People often forget that the food we export has been bought and paid for long before it ever leaves our shores and our government would have no choice but to export the food if they was able to do so or they could face serious political ramifications.

The other problem is that for the first seven to ten days you would probably not even be aware that there is a problem with the food supply as the authorities would force a media blackout to stop any kind of panic buying which could or would result in food riots so by the time you do realize that something is wrong it will already be to late for you to stock up.
The reasons for a food shortage are to many to list but many of them are not actually to far beyond the imagination to happen for example droughts like the one currently in the United States could wipe out a large portion of the worlds grain supply resulting in the price of wheat based products quadrupling or floods in Asia disrupting the worlds rice supplies and sending rice based products spiralling high or even regional civil unrest could see the closure of the Suez canal increasing the world's shipping lanes by some weeks increasing and of course upsetting the oil supplies from the middle east causing massive spikes in oil prices and therefore the dribbling effect of prices going up all through the supply chain. These are but a few of the reasons we could see a sharp increase in food prices and a reduction in food availability all resulting in the same thing mass starvation and civil unrest.

How can we protect ourselves and our families

You do not have to be paranoid or a prepper to know what our predecessors knew, that we should all hope for the best and prepare for the worst. In the second world war the British people pulled together and managed to supply themselves with enough self grown food to supply the nation during the north Atlantic blockades you however have to bear in mind that the UK's population was half what it is now and that nearly everybody had gardens and or allotments on which to grow food. Now less than a fraction of the UK population know how to grow vegetables let alone have the space to grow them.
But not everything is lost if you are reading this before any kind of disruption has happened then you have time to get online and by storable foods that can be kept for years and if the worst should happen then you will be in a far better position than most people. You should also make sure you have fifteen to twenty litres of bottled water at all times to ensure that if the water stops coming out of the tap you can survive more than a few days. Also make allowances for cooking by keeping a camping stove and spare gas cannisters so that if you need to cook you can do this also.

It is your responsibility

The results of not taking simple steps to ensure that you can feed you and your family for a minimum of 90 days is that if or when the crisis comes you will be like millions of others waiting for handouts in refugee camps slowly starving and once the food has run out you will be left to fend for yourself in a violent and unyielding environment. If you want to know what happens to a nation that has food shortages you only need to look at Sudan while you enjoy a cup of tea. Make no mistake that if the worst happens the authorities will apply a triage system of who is important to feed it will go something like this

1. Government
2. Military
3. Emergency Services
4. Civil Engineers
5. Farmers
6. Scientists
7. Everybody else

Number 1 and 2 will be the most well fed for the simple reason that government will be required to rebuild and the military to defend those in power also the military will also initially provide everything needed to continue such as Engineers, Doctors, Nurses and Fire-fighters and the rest on the list will be saved if possible in the descending order of importance, I am not being pessimistic by putting the general public last its a simple hard truth of survival of the fittest.

At first the government will attempt to save everybody but it will be futile once civil unrest sets in and public disorder get to the point of social collapse the military will intervene and evacuate those predetermined in the contingency plans that were considered important to rebuild society.
I hope that it never comes to pass and that we all live into our old age and that the world will continue to spin but as we have seen and I hope you now realize that the world can change very quickly and that we should all be looking to make sure if it does that we are in the best possible place to stop our families from falling prey to a terrible fate caused by means out of your or my control and I would advise you to make you and those who depend on you Food Secure.

Bill of British Rights

Constitutional Monarchy

The British government is classified as a Constitutional Monarchy Government this means that although we have an elected prime minister our head of state is actually a monarch however in the UK this has been largely ceremonial since the passing of the Bill of rights passed in 1689. Although the head of state has to write off on laws and the opening and closing of Parliament the monarchs ability to rule is very limited within the United Kingdom.

The other part of the title Constitutional is also quite fictitious as the ruling class otherwise known as politicians are able to change and amend the bill of rights as it suites them and the constitution is based across various documents and laws so in reality we do not have a strong solid legal precedent which actually defends the right of the individual.

Old as the Union

British law is quite literally as old the Union itself and many countries around the world including the mighty American Empire can trace its legal lineage back to the small island of England and this is something every British citizen can be proud of but all this history has a side effect.

The problem is now the system is so old and archaic and so entwined with business that it seems to have forgotten the little people and the gulf between individuals and courts have become so wide that many people within the United Kingdom do not actually know their rights which were set down by better politicians than we have today. Edmund Burke once said that Britain is likened to an “Organic Society” where things change slowly by evolution rather than revolution and I have to say I agree with this statement.

I think that being an organic society has allowed the United Kingdom to stay at the forefront of many other nations by showing restraint where others have powered ahead sometimes to devastating effect just as we saw in the French Revolution of the 1700s, This restraint however has been pushed to the extreme and has become antiquated and in cumbersome, its time to let go.

Rights of the Individual

In the western world we pride ourselves on our freedoms such as the freedom to live without fear of oppression but interestingly all of our freedoms are of society and can sometimes side step the rights of the individual. In law the person is defined as:

1. a human being. 2) a corporation treated as having the rights and obligations of a person. Counties and cities can be treated as a person in the same manner as a corporation. However, corporations, counties and cities cannot have the emotions of humans such as malice, and therefore are not liable for punitive damages unless there is a statute authorizing the award of punitive damages. http://dictionary.law.com/Default.aspx?selected=1516

But nowhere is it said that a person is an individual and therefore they must only look at the rights of people or persons based as a whole society I think this to be the wrong way of looking at things as it becomes very easy to pass laws which may be of detriment to an individual but seem on the surface to benefit society. Under British law it appears to me that as a Human Being you have rights and as a person you have rights but as an individual you do not have rights.

The importance of defining the Human being as an Individual to me is the Key to ensuring that corporations do not continue to move into the realm where they become one of us, this is important because certain rules such as land ownership and privacy rights and that should be unique to the individual citizen.

Why change the Bill Of Rights

In my personal opinion I think we do not need a constitution but we do need an up to date and modern Bill of Rights that is governed by the people in the form of any amendments to be made must have the backing of the electorate by a vote of 70% or more for any change to be made.

The issue I have with our current bill of rights is that people who wrote it did not see the rise of mega corporations or the single minded way in which they strive for control of the individual and they couldn't even comprehend the way in which we use information and they way it is thrown around the internet so carelessly.

Right To Representation

You reading this currently do not have a set of rights tailored to you or to the needs of your family and unlike the large corporations who share the rights you currently do have, you don't have the understanding influence or money to lobby for changes that can affect your life. I find it very worrying that a non human entity has the above mentioned things to get the law changed to favour the corporation that could have a devastating effect on the way in which we live.

In law we have the right to fair legal representation so why is this not applied when it comes to how the law looks at us, simply because the legal system panders to the person with the most money. Is it fair that when a person (corporation) finds a law that stops it doing something it can lobby to have that amended in order to circumvent it? Is that fair representation.

By defining you and me as individuals we can write a Bill of rights that will truly champion people and not persons it will stop this massive invasion of our privacy and our rights to live in a society that is truly free.

Conflicts of interest

The vast majority of politicians active in politics today have either come from business or are guaranteed a position in business companies in highly valued positions when they leave office, many will argue that they get the jobs based on previous experience and contacts built up while working in government, But at what point does contact building become a conflict of interest I would like to see it put that if a politician is for example the minister for energy then they are not permitted to work that industry.

Even though the evidence is clear that Government and Business are bedfellows we will never be able to prove that key positions are held open for votes, but as the Cash for Honours Scandal in 2007 showed we do need to be vigilant and we do need a cast iron legal document to protect us from such abuses.

Bill of Rights 2012

If we do have a bill of rights we need to ensure it contains clauses clearly defined for the individual and not the corporation persons with no ambiguity.

1. The bill must be clear and definitive.
2. it must not allow corporations to abuse/harass individuals including families.
3. all amendments must be publicly voted on by the electorate to keep stability
4. it must include a mechanism that allows the individual that effects the state as a whole such as decelerations of war to avoid abuses such as Tony Blair forcing people into unlawful conflicts.
5. Have a clause which protects the individuals assets from seizure by the state.
6. A maximum cap on taxation to stop the government and corporations from returning us to feudelist state where people are taxed into poverty.

The above are in my opinion the bare minimum of what should be enforced to protect not just me and you but also the future generations of this country. The quicker we get a bill of rights enforced the less damage that I think will be done to society.

The electorate are disheartened with democracy because the will of the people is no longer enforced and this has been proven in the low turn out at the last few general elections. The reason people vote in droves for things like the X-factor is because they can see that their vote has a direct impact on the show in politics this is sadly no longer the case.

The United Kingdom may no longer be the power it once was but we can still show the world why we are the oldest continuous democracy in the history of the world it is time for us evolve once more enact a bill of rights for the rights of the people let us be the world leader again showing why Great Britain is still Great

Protecting your wealth

            Why should we all be interested in real assets?

I am not a economist or silver/gold smith I am not even rich although I wish I was but what I am is a normal guy who see's the common sense in having real assets. Now what do I mean by real assets for the purpose of this blog I will say they are something that can be held or touched and will not devalue in price when the banks fail. Why do I think this is important, well simply put its because we have become used to the idea that the banking system is there serving us and keeping our money safe. Well as we have seen since 2008 this is clearly not the case.

                                                   Invisible Money

 

We live in a society that uses fiat currency and this is the back bone of our way of life. It gives us the expendable cash to do what we want. It does not matter whether you spend pounds or dollars the basic concept is the same you are spending money that does not exist. Think about that for a second nearly everybody in the west is spending money that does not exist. Now I know you think I am crazy but although you may hold a note or coin in your hand that money is based on a promise to pay system if you look at your british pound not it says in plain English "I Promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of" that note you hold is little more than a I owe you from the Bank of England (BoE). This type of money system allows an unlimited amount of money to be created as long as the going is good and the world economies are expanding and nobody asks for the debt to be paid. In 2008 the banking system took this magic bullet and shot themselves with it resulting in a catastrophic failure to give credit to each other which in effect caused all the woes we have today in the financial sector.

So why do I advocate that we all have to get our act together and get some Real Assets in our possession such as Gold and Silver coins because as previously stated the banking system is in a mess and if you have not noticed the banking fraud has not dissipated but in fact increased,  London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) just one example of the colossal arrogance of the banking industry you may also have noticed that no one is going to prison and neither are they likely to. All this is pointing to things continuing to spiral out of control and this means for me and you the people who have our money in the very banks proven to be stealing from our accounts whether through clever fraud or blatant theft the result is the same mine and your money declines while theirs increases.

                                                   Now is the time

 

 Now is the time that we take back our wealth and secure it in Real Assets away from the banks and their greed. How do we do this simple we purchase things that will not devalue over the longer term. The most obvious of these would be of course Gold and Silver in every single depression or economic downturn the result has been the same Gold and Silver prices have increased because this is the prefered choice of commerce and has been for as long as man has been interested in trade but at a £1000 pounds an ounce this can be a little steep. I often listen to the GoldMoney podcast and it is well worth a listen to help you in your quest for financial security. But Silver on the other hand is well within our price range and I will say that this in my personal opinion is the best place to hold your savings for a number of reasons

1. Silver is still relatively cheap in comparison to Gold
2. It will be easier to sell if you need to and can be split to last.
3. Silver also has industrial applications which can cause sudden spikes in price.
4. Silver has many antibacterial uses
5. Silver and Gold can be easily sold at a bullion dealer

                                      

                                             Is it all about Gold and Silver

 

Of course not some will say to you it is all about Gold and Silver but I will say do not put all your eggs in one basket, as long as you research your products you will see that many things in this word do lose value and some can even increase but be aware of how to move these things on if you need to, having a Painting worth £500,000 is a great asset but you have to be able to sell it to unlock its capital. So as I said you can invest your money into anything you want but Research Research Research. Also you can put money into property another great place to hold money but only if you can buy it outright, Taking a mortgage is nothing more than a longterm loan which leaves you at the whim of the banks and in todays market where prices although lower than 2008 levels is still way way higher than in the 80s and 90s and you would need to see your house price increase by a 100k just to earn back what you pay on the mortgage.

                                                    I want to get rich 

 

Funnily enough so do I want to get rich but let us be honest here I am no guru and this is my opinion not financial advise you want that your in the wrong place. When I say to you get into Real Assets what I am saying is protect your self when I say hold Gold and Silver coins I am talking long term don't expect to be able to sell at the height of the crash when Gold could be trading at 8-10,000 pounds an ounce because that may not even be possible what I say is hold it until the worst is over I am saying that I advocate protecting your wealth not making millions, if you can great but the reality is it you probably wont. Truth be told once the crash begins you will be priced out of the market in hours as the big players start moving billions of pounds into gold you will see the price rocket by then it will be to late.

                                   If this was possible someone would tell me

 

Now I know many people will use the argument of if the end is coming someone would tell me, well someone is telling you right now as you read this I am saying I strongly believe the real banking crisis has not begun yet. I know it is hard to believe something being said in a blog that is not being said in the national press, but the real reason we are not being told the truth is the same reason a pilot would not tell his passengers that he has lost all engine power to avoid panic and if you don't think the press is complicit then please take a look at the heads of the banks and the heads of the media industry and you will see a very incestuous relationship. The truth is we will not learn the truth until it is already to late and if you do doubt me I challenge you to look for news outside of the mainstream media and open your eyes to the PrisonPlanet we find ourselves in. Why should we all be interested in real assets simple they belong to you and nobody else.  Take care and god bless.

London Olympic Legacy

                                      London Olympic Legacy

Now that we are coming to the end of the 2012 Olympics I cant help but to try and look ahead to see the effect that the London Olympic Legacy will have on the future of this already great city. We have already been told that the main arena will be sold off and that the aquatics centre will continue in its current role but with reduced seating and the athletes village will be converted into flats.

Olympic Park 2005

All this sounds fantastic but this will all cost money to be implemented and lets face it the economy is in a really bad place so who is going to be footing the bill for these changes to the Olympic park? I am afraid to say that it will more than likely be the public as usual through the already bloated tax system. I was talking to a friend about the legacy of the games and he seemed to think that would see a similar story to places like the 2004 games in Athens were the facilities are left to bake in the mediterranean sun. I however have a different view I think that we will not recognize the park as we see it today purely based on the price of the once wasteland the were Olympic park now stands.

Before we won the bid to host the the 2012 games the land around the Stratford park was a wasteland and any attempt to clean it up would have been seriously detrimental to the cost of the development were as now the land is already decontaminated and all paid for by the tax payer at a whopping 7 Billion pounds, now the land is prime real estate ready for development and much of what is there today I believe will be demolished and replaced with flats designed for the young professional that London seems to covet so much.

                                         The Public Mood

Right now as you can see on the live coverage of the games the public mood is that of jubilation, we have had the Queens Diamond Jubilee now the Olympics and
we will very shortly be starting Paralympics in a couple of weeks time so as expected people are high and enjoying themselves but one cant help but think that this is calm before the storm. I often hear said that the British people know how to throw a party and I would like to agree but after every party comes the hangover and lets face it we have had one hell of a summer party. But in the
cold grey morning of winter will we still be so happy with the party that may have just ruined our beautiful home. Will the jubilation of today turn into the harsh headache of financial burden tomorrow, and will we be willing to pay for the for what the media are calling the party of a lifetime? We have spent an enormous amount
of money hosting the games and the Diamond Jubilee earlier this year and come 2013/14 we have to pay all that back with interest.

                                                          
                                  

                                             Was It Worth It?

It must be asked was worth all the effort and money spent on the games worth it. I think in many ways that the debt we accumulated over this summer will seem like nothing. Currently the bill looks to be around £17,000,000,000 mark and although this sounds like a lot, when you look at it in regards to the banking bailouts we have to be honest this is a drop in the ocean in comparison to our countries national debt and so all the good will that has been built up may just be what we need for the winter of discontent that we were going to get with or without the Olympics being hosted by London. I for one do not want to see the likes of the 1979 winter where rubbish went uncollected for weeks.

1979 Winter of discontent.

So what is the real legacy of the Olympics, for other cities is has been huge debts and a crumbling set of buildings that are a shadow of their former glory. For London I think it will be the fact that huge areas of London have now been opened up for redevelopments the transport infrastructure has been improved and expanded and now for the first time in decades east London has something good to look at even if it is only for a short while. Once all the hype has dissipated and the media have moved on, the contractors will move in and continue the building work of transforming the Olympic park into a place fit for people to live in. I don't however think we will see a massive upsurge in sporting venues or events largely due to the financial constraints which have caused most councils in England to close many public swimming pools even before the games began and I would be extremely surprised if we continued to see the current level of expenses currently being lathered onto the athletes in the form of support teams. I think this will be a great shame to the future of our sports industry but it would also be a classically British thing to do, as we have seen with the armed forces Whitehall is the master of cutting the legs from the very people who support it.

Only time will tell if the London Olympic legacy will be at the benefit of the rich corporations via multibillion pound development contracts sure to come or for the local Stratford area and its community in the form of superb sporting facilities renewed interest in not just professional but also family acomodations being brought up to the world class standard London renouned for. I for one do hope that we can make this work and use the momentum to get us back on track, all I do know is the overall cost will not be realized for quite sometime.