WW's Weekend Window on the World

Two Stories interested me this week; the first is the spectacle of three Labour MPs and a Conservative Peer in the dock on charges under section 17 of the Theft Act, crystalises, for me, the depth of our collective depravity. I use the word depravity carefully. One definition of the word is

corruption: moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles; "the luxury and corruption among the upper classes"; "moral degeneracy ...

I also use the word collective with care. These people were voted in by the public and there are still a lot of people who will vote Labour in the forthcoming election. Fifty nine of Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidates are either members of powerful unions or former employees. The Unions in this country have bought New Labour by the back door. Labour is in hock to the Unions and would go bankrupt without them. Be in no doubt, there has been a very significant shift in who pulls the strings in this country, and it is anti-democratic and covert.

As for those on trial, we await justice. Interesting that Baroness Uddin, the Labour Peer who fraudulently claimed £100,000 by claiming that an empty flat was her main residence. But of course, she is not only a woman, but she gets to play the race card too, for the noble baroness is a Muzzie, and as we all know, Muzzies are treated differently here, and either rarely come to justice at all or get of with derisory penalties, like Lord Ahmed, who texted whilst driving and killed man. That of course was presided over by a judge who was so close to New Labour and Jack Straw, as to raise questions about impartiality.

The second story of the week is the news that senior workers at Toyota warned the management right at the top of the firm that fundamental design briefs for new cars were cutting safety corners.

According to the Telegraph

An internal memo, written in October 2006 by a dissident union member to Katsuaki Watanabe, Toyota's chief executive until July 2009, blasted the car manufacturer for putting "amateurs in charge of the factory" and for failing to act on safety information in spite of continued problems. 

And this, after a week in which another Prius nearly killed its occupants after the now notorious accelerator fault appeared.

This Toyota story has wider impications about company ethos. I am well aware of how this can happen. Some twit in the boardroom says "We need new blood, new ideas and a modern management approach" Then they head hunt some embryo who is interviewed with white powder still smeared on his upper lip, who tells them what they want to hear. He tells them he can increase productivity by 15%, reduce the workforce, and increase sales. And they all go "wow" and give him £750,000 dollars and stock options and bonuses. And this filters down to a mature workforce who know the business. They have seen "Charlie" before, he has come and gone a few times. Like a super nova they soar and then futter out, leaving the old faithfulls to pick up the carnage. And dare I say it, this is about depravity too.

I am glad the cool posts generated some discussion. You, know, we all want to be cool. Sorry.

I devised this little graphic before I heard about Sir Andrew Aguecheek and the new musical wot he wrote.

Any way peeps, have a nice weekend and if you have any of your own incisive and coruscating views on the week, please feel free.

PS. I was saddened to hear that regular commenter and friend Dave has had another bout of illness this week. Think of him if you will please. He is going through it. In the meantime, you can listen to one of his own compositions, Here to There, which is a fantastic road song that must be played very loud as you boogie down the B25.