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Re  help stop the world going backwards here in 2013'.            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    a sobering but excellent post Eric. The underlying trouble is this country is in a worse financial mess than practically any other, our debt mountain  almost unsurpassed except I think by Japan. Basically we are bust and whereas some of what you refer to goes back a decade or two, the momentun was racked up  in the Blair/Brown years, so the hands of the current " administrators " are largely tied. And yes, I think, or hope , most of us  do  help others less fortunate than ourselves. Whether it is always appreciated is another matter and sometimes we may well be conned, but I say to myself I can go to bed with a clear conscience whereas others may  not have that luxury. It is better in the wider scheme of life  to be the victim and not the perpetrator. Sadly mans' inhumanity to man knows few bounds. In this country traditionally I like to think we are better than most. I spoke to an Iraqi friend  two nights ago who had just come back from his home country, but which will that no more. His tale from his trip there was most harrowing, he loves this country and will stay here with his family permanently, which is good as he is a very good person. He is doing what I have long since been saying to my Muslim friends, become Westernised and he is allowing his three children to think for themselves, do and dress as they wish but with acceptable standards of course in all things. There is apparently no way they would want to leave this country for Iraq or any other neighbouring country there.

Tony Price ● 4854d

As we slip into Christmas things do look somewhat bleak here in Ealing.  Our basic human rights suggest we should all have a roof over our heads, feel safe, kept healthy and alive, and give all our children a free, good, local education.No-one is building what we used to call Council Houses any more - and this has mainly been the case since 1978. So called 'Affordable Homes' (AH) are beyond the reach of the poor, disabled and vulnerable. £700 /month rental for a new AH one bed flat in Hanwell (if you can find one) is not affordable for those in real need.  Numbers have been cut in our Police force. Stories of closing Ealing Police Station and the staff moving into the Town Hall are not being denied. 1960s/1970s built Council estates appear to continue to be unsafe, dangerous places. A 3 hour riot with hundreds of wrecking, looting miscreants; huge brawls with guns, acid, and knives; and a  fatal shooting - and this is just during the last 16 months in the centre of W13.The Accident and Emergency Unit at Ealing Hospital (EH) will no doubt close in 2013, even in spite of legal challenges by the London Borough of Ealing (LBE). The 30,000 people who turn up every year with serious injuries and conditions at EH each year will somehow have to get to West Middlesex and Northwick Park Hospitals and queue for pain relieving/life saving treatment. Moves to Academy and Free School status will increasingly take schools like Drayton Manor High School out of local democratic control. Bossed by Whitehall they will be able to dream up their own rules like admissions' criteria and possibly 'only take in the bright ones'. It's been apparent for a while that we need 2/3 new State secondary schools in W3/W5/W13/W7. An unseemly fight is in progress right now to 'bag' suitable sites for new schools. It's Gove's Academy/Free Schoolers versus the LBE. And finding piles of our cash to build these new schools won't be easy for either Gove or LBE.I have every sympathy with hard pressed LBE Housing Officers,Police Officers, Doctors, Nurses and LBE Education Officers. Sadly the up coming cuts will relieve some of them of their posts in 2013.So when you are mulling over eating for too much turkey and having one brandy too many - ask yourself  'What am I going to do to help stop the world going backwards here in 2013'.Jingle bells, jingle bells.....

Eric Alan Leach ● 4855d

It's quite true that London's population is changing and very, very fast.It will only be a matter of 10 years and all white europeans collectively, will be a minority. Unimaginable even 15 years ago.But the collectives that will make up the majority will not be all black or all asian or all chinese etc.However, that  should not mean that society disintegrates .Respect for the law, civility, manners, decency and family solidity are generally values that are held by almost all who resettle in this country.More so than many of the indigenous to Britain who set a really poor example.Many are here simply because these simple parameters to community life are prevented in their own countries.But to maintain and reinforce this way of life is going to need great strength by example and tolerance and needs to be underpinned in stone.Gun crime, knife crime, gangs,corruption, those who wish to divide and abuse our society and ways, need to be dealt with very firmly.It should be very clear, if you do not want to be part of this way of life then find another country. It's not a tall order, this is a very tolerant, flexible and accepting country as a whole even compared to most european countries.Gang culture has to be seriously tackled and knife and gun stuff with serious consequences.Otherwise when the time comes, the thugs and the gangs will lead to ghettos and anarchy and no-one will be able to do a thing about it.Many 'Community leaders' have done their utmost to reign in the troublesome but it's is too tough a job for many to sustain.Politicians have a lot to answer for. Too many are weak and blinkered, too many use intellect over reality, and the answer is always to throw money at it and hope it won't come back and smack them is the face before they have moved on.

Michael Brandt ● 4855d