No Euthanasia for Brown

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has spoken his opinion for the first time on a long-contentious issue in Britain: doctor-assisted suicide, or euthanasia.

The PM has long been opposed to the issue, but Wednesday marks the first time that he has clearly and publicly elucidated his stance on the issue. Brown cites the "pressure" that sick persons would be under to end their lives is not acceptable.

In his words:

"The risk of pressures – however subtle – on the frail and the vulnerable, who may feel their existences burdensome to others, cannot ever be entirely excluded. And the inevitable erosion of trust in the caring professions – if they were in a position to end life – would be to lose something very precious."

He claims that the change in the law would "fundamentally change the way we think about mortality".

"I know in my heart that there is such a thing as a good death," he says. "And I believe it is our duty as a society to provide the skilled and loving care that makes it possible; and to use the laws we have well, rather than rush to change them."

Although the possibility that external pressure might convince a person to prematurely end their own life is a concern, I can't accept that the majority of persons who consider assisted suicide are blindly encouraged to do so by their families. I'm under the impression that persons who consider this option have suffered, or continually suffer, from illnesses and injuries that make death preferable to life. With the proper legal protections and emotional support from doctors or other medical professionals, I believe an individual can decide to end their own life when they so desire.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brown-takes-stand-against-assisted-suicide-1908651.html

Brown Apologizes for Britain's historically "Shameful Episodes

BY Elizabeth Cutbirth


Gordon Brown offered an apology this Wednesday to a group of an estimated 500,000 people who were sent over to Canada, New Zealand, and Australia in a program in the 1920's up until the 1970s. British children from ages 7 to 14 were forced to leave their families for a new life. The children were often from impoverished families benefiting from welfare. In some cases the children were told that their parents were dead and were promised a "better life", and the parents were told little about where their children were going. These post-WWI migration programs were set up to relieve Britain's social services. It also gave the British colonies a workforce.

When the orphans arrived to the new country, they were separated from siblings, forced to work as laborers, encountered brutality and sexual abuse from their "caretakers".
One survivor reports:
"Hennessey said his stutter began with a particularly violent and harrowing assault at the orphanage when he was 12 years old. He was stripped naked and nearly beaten to death by the headmaster for eating grapes he had taken from a vineyard without permission because he was hungry."

During WWII, Australia feared Japanese invasion and immigration so their immigration policy favored British and white immigrants until the 1970s.

"The Archbishop met us at Fremantle (in Western Australia)," Hennessey said. "I can still remember his words. He said: 'Welcome to Australia. We want white stock because we're terrified of the yellow peril.'"

A 1998 British parliamentary inquiry, meanwhile, noted "a further motive was racist: the importation of 'good white stock' was seen as a desirable policy objective in the developing British Colonies." ( http://us.asiancorrespondent.com/breakingnews/australia-apologizes-for-child-abus.htm)

Australia's Prime Minister, Rudd, has also recently offered his apology to the mistreated orphans.



Web article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/7298874/Gordon-Brown-to-apologise-to-British-child-migrants.html

The Problem of the Falklands

Twenty-eight years after the war and the sovereignty of the Falklands islands remains in dispute.

A British oil tanker bound for the islands has reignited tensions between the two countries over the small piece of land off the coast of Argentina. While the islands have been legally recognized as British territory since the U.K. won the 1982 war, Argentina claims that it is the rightful sovereign of the islands, and thus the potentially substantial oil reserves surrounding the islands which Britain has claimed.

In response to the British's action, the Argentinian government has called for a blockade of the islands to prevent the tanker from docking in the Falklands.

While there was been little thought given to the islands for some time in Britain, the status of the islands remains a pressing issue in Argentinian politics as Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner struggles to unite the country behind her government. The islands are seen as an opportunity for her government to gain popular support for next year's elections, with polls claiming that she is losing popularity as a result of her country's dire economic situation.

While the Argentinians' claims aren't entirely just, I still feel that they have a more viable claim over the islands than the Brits. Besides Argentina's close proximity to the islands (380 km, compared with 9,000 for Britain) and their shared language, Britain's claim of sovereignty seems based on nothing other than the fact that it was the legal owner of the land before the Argentinians invaded. While this argument might seem justified, the Brits (as well as the French, the Americans, the Portuguese, the Spanish, etc.) all gave the same excuse when confronted with their blatant exploitation of past colonies. Britain's continued control over this relatively unimportant piece of real estate seems to be motivated by nothing other than an outdated reluctance to accept Britain's place as a less-than-superpower in world politics.

When its motivation for holding on to a colony amounts to no more than a simple desire for said colony's resources than little can be said in favor of the colonizer.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7031163.ece

Political Map

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/2432632/UK-General-Election-2010-political-map.html

Map showing how voters are likely to swing for the election.

Apparently there's a Respect Party which is taking the lead in Bethnal Green & Bow.

Brits, fraudulent passports, murder, and a global mess!!!

By Elizabeth Cutbirth

The British Foreign Affairs office is investigating how the use of 6 UK fraudulent passports were used in the murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's Dubai January 19th 2010 . Apparently Mahmoud, one of the founders of Hamas, a palestinian military wing, was allegedley in the area to buy weapons for the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas.
There is speculation that the Israeli's national intelligence agency, Mossad, was involved in the murder.
The 11 suspects, some of whose identities remain unclear, have been issued arrest warrants. The investigation is also trying to understand how six dual British-Israeli citizens were involved (though their pictures did not match the names on the false passports). All of these people deny their involvement in the killing.

The investigations have also expanded to the U.S. and Austria because the suspects also used the false passports to open 5 credit-card accounts in U.S. banks.

Great Britain, Ireland, France and other nations have been discussing the matter and the British have called Israeli ambassadors over to discuss the fraudulent passports.

If Mossad is proven guilty then this may have implications of future strained relations with UK and Israel.

This situation has also given increased the tensions between the two Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah.

Hamas: (Ïslamic Resistance movement) a Palestinian Islamic organization with is deemed as a terrorist organization. Uses paramilitary force. They heavily dislike Israel, but the previous leader of the organization said they would have an armed truce with Israel if they agreed to withdraw from territory occupied in 1967.

Fatah:Attitude toward Israel : they advocate restarting the peace process, and they have disdain for the "armed resistance attacks" on Israelis.

Meanwhile, the British foreign secretary shadow, William Hague, is currently criticizing the foreign affairs office and asking how long they new about the fake passport claims.
Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8521246.stm

Geoff Hoon to stand down as MP at election

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7023278.ece

This former defense secretary is resign from Parliament when the elections are called this year. He had been an MP since 1992. Hoon, along with fellow MP Patricia Hewitt, launched a failed coup earlier in the year, and are still dealing with the fallout from angry activists.

They called for a secret vote on Brown's leadership, but met humiliation and defeat when they only receives support for a couple Labour MPs.

He quit "Government" last June, but expressed a wish to be UK's EU commissioner. He did not receive support from Brown.

Brown wins Commons victory for Electoral Reform

Gordon Brown's proposed referendum on replacing first-past-the-post with the Alternative Vote won a majority in the Commons Tuesday night, meaning that a popular vote will be made on the subject by October 2011.

The resolution was passed by a vote of 365 to 187 after the Liberal Democrats joined the vast majority of Labour MPs to support the move; while partisan interests have been vehemently denied as reasons for both parties' support of the reform, both parties stand to gain seats through the new system.

The battle over electoral reform, which is strongly opposed by the Conservatives, will now go to the House of Lords for final approval. Labour and the Liberal Democrats hope last night's majority of 178 will increase pressure on peers not to stall the measure.

Tuesday's result came after a four-hour debate in the Commons during which the Tories accused Labour of attempting to rig the voting system in its favour.

The expected rebellion by large numbers of Labour MPs against the AV vote failed to materialise after they heeded their whips' pleas for unity.

Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, denied the move was for electoral gain or designed to pave the way to a deal with the Liberal Democrats in a hung parliament, both arguments made by interests opposed to the adoption of Alternative Vote.

But the former Tory cabinet minister Douglas Hogg said Mr Brown had displayed not the "slightest interest" in electoral reform during 12 years in high office, claiming his interest only appeared when Labour began to drop in the polls.

The Conservatives also claimed that staging the referendum would cost £80m, arguing that the expenditure would be difficult to justify in the current financial climate.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brown-wins-big-commons-victory-for-vote-reform-1894554.html

More than 7 million cars recalled in the UK

by Aly Monroe

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7175883/More-than-seven-million-cars-recalled-in-UK.html

Recently, Toyota has recalled over 480,000 cars. However, if you look at the numbers since 2000, Toyota will have recalled more than 7 million cars in the decade.

It is becoming clear that recalls are getting much more serious and affecting more and more cars, because different cars have started being built with the same parts en masse, so even if it's a different model, chances are it has similar parts of those of the same make. This is certainly apparent, as the United States is facing major recalls as well, and is likely to see more. Japan just had a reported 5 car accidents in brand new Priuses due to break failure, However, this is not the only issue, Toyotas have been suffering lately from faulty gears, airbags, and accelerator pedals as well as what could be termed the most serious issue-breaks.

The head of Toyota has apologized for the huge number of recalls and pledges to set up a new "quality control group" to try to get the daunting problem under control.

Toyota is not the only faulty car maker. Between them, just Britain's top 5 car companies have recalled more than 5 million automobiles since 2000; cost cutting is to blame. While models look different on the outside, the insides are becoming increasingly similar.

Apparently cars are yet another thing that was made far more reliable before 2000.

Labour Considers Changes in Government

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Labour are seeking several changes in government, among them a change in the country's electoral system, a rearrangement of the composition and power of the House of Lords, and the creation of a written constitution by 2015, the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta.

Mr Brown said that the switch to the proposed Alternative Vote system, which would replace the first-past-the-post system which has been practiced in Britain for centuries, could be part of a "new politics" which would restore public trust in Parliament and its members in the wake of last year's expenses scandal.

Brown today confirmed that he will campaign for a move to AV - under which voters rank candidates in numerical order, rather than simply placing an X on the ballot paper, a system reminiscent of proportional representation - in the referendum, which he said should be held by October 2011. However, Parliament must first approve the referendum before sending it out to the people, a process that could be laborious and troublesome for the passage of the new system. It will most likely vote before its break beginning on June 3rd.

Despite the popularity of the proposed electoral change, opposition exists to the reforms. Conservatives accused the Prime Minister of wanting to "fiddle the electoral system" in order to cling on to power, while Labour backbencher Tom Harris, an opponent of electoral reform, claimed a majority of Labour MPs wanted to stick with first-past-the-post voting.

But he said, if there was a whipped vote next week, then the "vast majority" of Labour MPs would probably support the Government.

Brown also confirmed that a draft Bill to create a democratically accountable House of Lords, which would, among other changes, eliminate all permanently reserved hereditary seats, will be published within the next few weeks.

Brown said that "a modern democracy cannot tolerate power to initiate and revise legislation being held forever by those without a mandate for the people". There is "simply no space" for a hereditary principle in Parliament, he says, which would be removed by legislation to prevent the appointment of new hereditary peers.

As part of moves towards the creation of a written constitution by the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta in 2015, Mr Brown announced that he had asked Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to codify the unwritten rules governing the operation of central government.

In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research in London, Mr Brown said the public had been "rightly outraged" by the expenses scandal, and change was needed to restore trust in politics.

While Labour had already taken great steps through devolution, the introduction of freedom of information legislation, the creation of an independent Bank of England and a Supreme Court and the removal of most hereditary peers from the Lords, Mr Brown said he was "frustrated" that the process had not gone further.

Now was the time for "a radical, modern, open and democratic agenda to change the way our country governs itself", he said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/gordon-brown-to-ditch-firstpastthepost-vote-system-1886907.html

Irish Peace Process Documentary-

Part 2:

More coming next week...

~~~Elizabeth Cutbirth

Devolution in Northern Ireland???

By Elizabeth Cutbirth

Background For this Article:

Northern Ireland has been plagued by decades of discrimination, violence, and death between Catholics and Protestants. The generalization is that Catholics have advocated Irish independence and the conjoining of of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland whereas

the Protestants, a majority, are pro-unionism and advocate the political and cultural ties with Ireland and Great Britain be maintained.

The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, was signed in 1998 and has proved significant in the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Despite the agreement's positive effects and improvement in partisan party relations, there is still occasional illegal paramilitary activity that has occurred.

However, this Agreement provided for the eventual devolution of justice/ policing powers to N. Ireland, and that is what is being contended presently.

Major Parties in Northern Ireland: (and for this article)

Sinn Fein: (Irish for "we ourselves" ) The major party of Irish Republicanism (a desire for Irish Independence). Irish Nationalists tend to be Catholic. This party has been associated with IRA and has been known to use physical force to accomplish political goals.

The party believes that a devolved justice to N. Ireland would make it "more accountable" to the people.

IRA (Irish Republican Army): Has had a long history, dating back to 1900's advocating Irish independence through the Easter Rising, and Irish Volunteers.

DUP (Democratic Unionist Party): Unionist Party (advocation of the connection between Great Britain and Northern Ireland). It is also considered to be a Protestant Political Party

This party is in favor, but very "cautious" and skeptical of the devolution of policing powers to N. Ireland. It says it wants to be sure that the "community supports" this process.

Article:

Finally after ten days of negotiations, the Hillsborough talks have come to a conclusion.

The DUP and Sinn Fein, two major, opposing political parties from Northern Ireland, have finally come to an agreement for the devolution of policing and justice powers from England's Westminster to Northern Ireland's Storemont. This is a big deal because it is one more step forward from the Good Friday Agreement twelve years ago. Depending how this deal is received in Ireland's assembly, will determine the progression of devolution in Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and the Irish Minister Brian Cowen encouraged the two parties to come to an agreement.

For more info:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8484352.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8299103.stm