Class War? What Class War?

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/31/labour-class-war-private-schools

I'm amazed Mr Jones managed to keep a straight face for the photo.

He manages to simultaneously work in a claim that many parents who send their children to private schools make 'huge sacrifices' to do so while also accusing Labour of returning to 'Class War' by considering ending tax breaks (that favourite tool of oppression of revolutionary parties!).

Surely if anybody who is willing to sacrifice can make use of private school services then there is no 'class' here to be victimised. That argument only holds together if such schools really are over privileged havens for grooming the children of the rich.

Typical woolly-headed thinking from a defender of the establishment.

P.s. Happy New Year to one and all. Please consider not voting Conservative or UKIP as a potential new year's resolution.

Russia today, Britain tomorrow

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30326253

Putin's economy is in a mess due mainly to his alienation of key trading partners in America and Europe (unless you subscribe to the fantasy that OPEC are keeping oil prices down as an early Christmas present to all the motorists and industrialists out there).

The British coalition government should be carefully taking notes. A departure from Europe would not piss the international community off as much as Russia's annexation of Crimea and blatant intervention in Ukraine but no amount of austerity scrimping will suffice if we too succeed in annoying our main trading partners.