Standing with the people means being cut down by the state!

It was good to read the above posts and replies.  I was at Wigtown Book Festival yesterday when I heard Robin Yassin-Kassab speak very powerfully and assuredly about Syria.  He said, "I stand with the people not the states".  His oratory brought a round of applause.  For me, this is all very well but when the people get clobbered when they stand up to their oppressive dictator, is it really worth all the bloodshed and mayhem?

In both Christianity and Islam, aren't the adherents urged to obey the earthly powers, the authorities of the land that have been ordained of God/Allah?  I have not been impressed with the behaviour and foreign policy of our English monarchs and rulers down the centuries.  However, I would not dream of trying to overthrow them, knowing I would simply end up in jail or with my head cut off or being burnt at the stake!  Here in Wigtown, two women were drowned at the stake in 1685 because they would not acknowledge the authority of their earthly king over and above that of their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

Today, we Westerners continue to enjoy great comforts and ease of life.  But then we are the top dogs in the world, still.  Our economic wealth has partly come from the armaments and ammunition that we make and sell that end up in the hands of any old dodgy regime.  Far better to gain employment in more ethical ways.  But then the Scots will get their wages from building and maintaining WMD at Faslane for the English to sail beneath the high seas to threaten nuclear annihilation on a huge section of humanity!  Our own aggression, immorality and illegality sets a very bad example to other countries and peoples, like Assad and Islamic State.  Tim Weller

REPLY:
Tim, I think it’s a misconception that people in Syria in 2011 (or Russia 1917, or France 1789) all decided to have a revolution. It doesn’t happen like that. Instead, regimes collapse when they can no longer bear the weight of their own economic/social/political contradictions. And yes, Islam has an idea about loyalty to the ruler even if he’s unjust – but it’s not an idea I agree with. I don’t blame the revolution for what’s happened in Syria, but the violence of the counter-revolution.

I do blame the revolution in Syria, Robin because State violence was met with protester violence.  Pretty impossible for most of us not to, I know.  But then that shows how important it is to rebel only if you are of the amazing calibre and of the heroic stature of a Gandhi or a Dr Martin Luther King Jnr or one of their many tens of thousands of followers who resisted even revenge over the decades of  suffering.  But, in the process, slowly wearing down the powers that be - and winning!

I think governments (if they do what America, Britain and France want) or regimes (if they don't), Robin will always stifle any opposition either by force as in Syria in 2011 or, much more sensibly as in London by Police action (like kettling) to allow dissent on the streets but only up to a point.  Like last year, the Establishment put the fear of God up some Scots to make them vote 'No' to independence.  The English government and all major parties threatened the Scots with all kinds of dire consequences if they rebelled and voted 'Yes'.  In countries like Ukraine, Syria and Israel, dissent is met with violence.  The West uses violence, coercion and coups to get their way in countries that are not part of their supposedly so very free and democratic Club of nations that toe their line (the Western aligned countries).

NOTES:
Wikipedia has:
"The unrest began in the early spring of 2011 within the context of Arab Spring protests, with nationwide protests against President Bashar al-Assad's government, whose forces responded with violent crackdowns. The conflict gradually morphed from prominent protests to an armed rebellion after months of military sieges."

"The Arab Spring (Arabic: الربيع العربي‎, ar-rabīˁ al-ˁarabī) was a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests (both non-violent and violent), riots, and civil wars in the Arab world that began on 18 December 2010 in Tunisia with the Tunisian Revolution, and spread throughout the countries of the Arab League and its surroundings."

"Many Arab Spring demonstrations were met with violent responses from authorities,^[23][24][25] as well as from pro-government militias and counter-demonstrators. These attacks were answered with violence from protestors in some cases.^[26][27][28] A major slogan of the demonstrators in the Arab world is Ash-sha`b yurid isqat an-nizam ("the people want to bring down the regime")."

Rich World Poor World: which half has had enough?

Migrants, after centuries of missing out want a slice of the good, rich life

It seems to me that for centuries the white nations have dominated and controlled the world very much more than the Arab or black nations.  We don't like it, one little bit, that the dreaded foreigner has had enough and wants the rich, good life of plenty, too.

European and American slavery was far more extensive than Arab slavery.  The white countries grew very rich from

• the slave trade,
• from collecting colonies and exploiting our power over others,
• from our wars around the world and the world wars that became thus because of the Europeans had their colonies fighting for them;
• from the white man's successful interference and spread of his culture, his civilisation and Christian faith;
• economic and trading domination  - and military might - keep the traditional white nations in world control and running the show.

Wearing blood red on Fridays

05/05/2009

Cllr Ken Turner has written in the News (23 April) of his intention to dress in something red on Fridays to show support for our heroic soldiers battling it out in the Middle East.  The only problem is that you'll get some mischievous devil, linking blood red not with the 16,000 UK fighters who have been killed but with the rather greater number they have killed in our numerous wars around the globe since 1945.

 

I am a sensitive soul and was shocked to read that the US/UK, with our Western allies, have bombed or rocketed 19 nations since 1945.  Thankfully, this friendly fire to bring democracy, freedom and Western culture and civilisation to the poor, benighted nations in their darkness and sin, has not resulted in many of us civilians being bombed and killed.  So that's all right, then.

 

In the Vietnam War, alone, encyclopaedias tell me that some unknown figure between two and four million men, women and children were napalmed, rocketed and murdered in cold blood by our ally and friend who had only 58,000 of their number killed in the sixteen year war.  I suppose it was the fault of the Vietnamese in not letting us show them how to run their country and, instead, defending their homeland from our well-intentioned troops.

 

That war showed just how many times more the people of foreign lands are killed than our own heroes invading their countries.  In our two current wars, this trend continues.

Perhaps, Cllr Ken is remembering the slaughter of the wholly innocents - many directly at the hands of our armed forces - even to this day.

Perhaps, he does ALSO mean red for the buckets of blood shed of those pesky foreigners who won't let us invade and occupy their countries without killing some of our heroes in the process.  How dare they kill our brave boys.

Our stupid, barbaric behaviour in Gaza

28/12/2008

Dear Sir/Madam

We are seeing collective capital punishment by our side on the Palestinian families of Gaza.  Just two days after Christmas, hundreds of men, women and children are being killed, wounded and traumatised by the armaments and ammunition we have produced and sold to our good friends and close ally, the Israelis.

Rather than understanding the reasons for rockets being fired into the border towns of Israel from Gaza, we prefer to make, yet again, a wholly disproportionate response.  Revenge is sweet for our side and for the Palestinians.  It ups the anti and invites ever more rockets into border towns that kill Israelis infrequently.  Therefore, ours is a counter productive response, too.  For us and the Israelis, we have to wipe out every Palestinian to stop their rockets.  Stupid and  barbaric indeed.

Our aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan sets a very bad example to our friends the Israelis who, quite understandably, use killing of civilians to similarly 'defend' their expansionist policies into ever more of the West Bank.

On the very same day that hundreds of men, women and children have died at the hands of the Israelis, our church leaders prefer to condemn the immorality of government policy.  Yet, that did not include condemning government immorality in a decade of supporting the Israeli terrorism to supposedly stop the Palestinian terrorism.

As Peter Ustinov once said, "The Palestinians are the second victims of the Nazis".  The one time oppressed are still the oppressors.

Yours

Heavens Above!

FAO: the Editor of 'Premier Christianity' - and copied to my MP, James Morris and Rt Hon Michael Portillo who is quoted here (in case both may like to put me right).

HEAVENS ABOVE!

For me, "Defying ISIS" (issue dated, August 2015) 

• by not selling our armaments to other countries that may end up in the hands of Isis;
• through abiding by the resolutions of the General Assembly of the UN;
• by leaving the Middle East to the peoples of the Book and their governments (regardless of whether or not they toe the Western line);
• by never again interfering, occupying and drawing boundaries of straight lines on the map;
• by never again destabilising, overthrowing or supporting coups in the Middle East, Libya and Egypt;
• by repenting of our behaviour that reminds me of dictatorial, know it all, Roman Emperors;
• by renouncing our unethical, hypocritical and duplicitous foreign policy that makes sure those Muslim majority countries know who is boss around their countries;

No wonder whites can never dare to show their faces in some Muslim countries for fear of kidnap or murder.

Our example is terrible - and, they see us as the Christian West, too.  What is good for the goose is good for the gander.  No wonder some Muslims want their own Islamic State, like the Jewish state of Israel.

Our disgraceful examples in Muslim countries may have spawned Islamic State.  We even used chemical weapons in our foolish, nonsensical, Christian European war that began 101 years ago this month.  In every single year since, the UK alone has waged war somewhere around the globe according to research by the 'Guardian' in February 2014, including US/UK atomic bombs 70 years ago on civilians.  Mass slaughter of those made in God's image by us clean living British and American believers - and, now, we again impose a vapourised death by fire and flame from the heavens above.  But, our terrorist enemy, in revenge, uses eyeball to eyeball individual slaughter of those they view as too closely identified with the wicked West.

In addition, truly barbaric behaviour by our good friend and ally, Israel in July and August 2014 when Isis also hit the headlines for the first time.  Co-incidence or, after 100 years exactly, did we begin to reap the whirlwind of Muslim temper finally snapping?

OR, this piece:

We have never taught non-violence in our homes, churches and schools.  It always goes without saying that the West can take violent initiatives in the Middle East without a by your leave.

We breed children who take it for granted that Western coercion, force and violence is a done deal every time.  And this has gone on for 101 years as the West has violently interfered in the Middle East.  No wonder, having set such a disgraceful and violent example, some Muslims who are so angry with the West, have now well and truly got the message.  The message of violence and aggression from us sinful reprobates.

Last year, on the 'Moral Maze', I heard wonderful Michael Portillo (a 1990's Secretary of State for Defence) sadly conclude,

"One of the reasons why I think people are being so violent in these countries is that so much violence is happening in those countries.  The alternative to violence is to talk."  (Moral Maze, 15 October 2014)

Was he saying in effect, 'There has been too much violence in the Middle East', as if he was reflecting on NATO action in Afghanistan and Iraq and feeling uncomfortable with his own party's role in it all with, perhaps, giving birth to Isis?

Or, was he saying in effect, 'There has been too much violence in the Middle East, so what else can we expect but more violence?'

War, violence and aggression are the norm for the rich West and set a dreadful example

We must work to end all wars because it leads to yet more wars, revenge, bitterness and spiraling violence.  The colonies were captured by the western European Great Powers and their empires were maintained by violence to put down unrest.  Centuries of warfare between the western European powers made violence the norm.  This led to WW1 led to WW2 that led to the Cold War that led to the War of Terrorism that includes killing by remote control from thousands of miles away.

No empires would have meant much less killing down the centuries and the Christian nations actually complying with their Founders rejection of empire building.  Extraordinary that such a clear and simple command was so soundly and outrageously flouted by the vast majority of good Christians for the last 1700 years!

Why always Iraq but never Afghanistan?

John Payne has quoted from Wikipedia, "A strong supporter of the Blair government, he supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq,[7]"

Am I alone in thinking that so many, rightly, condemn the Labour Party for attacking and invading Iraq but seem to excuse or even agree with the attack on, and invasion of, Afghanistan that began the War/Crusade of (not 'on', in my opinion) Terrorism on the 7 October 2001?

Afghanistan then got it in the neck from us upright, peace loving and law abiding Westerners for the next 13 years (to Dec 2014).  All this slaughter as revenge and punishment for having Al Qaeda in the country, who launched the 11 September 2001 attacks in New York.

Am I completely off beam in thinking like this?

Midland Metro history and costs

Dear all

The Wikipedia account of Midland Metro tells us that it was in 1981 that a joint planning committee between the West Midlands County Council and Centro "formed a joint planning committee to look at light rail as a means of solving the conurbation's congestion problems.  In the summer of 1984 they produced a report entitled "Rapid Transit for the West Midlands" which set out ambitious proposals for a £500 million network of ten light rail routes which would be predominantly street running, but would include some underground sections in Birmingham city centre."

In 34 years and, still to this day, there has never been any kind of consideration given, it seems, to reversing the urban Beeching cuts for our own national and local trains that had been so successful for about 100 years.  To this day, no trams, let alone the much easier to achieve trains, on nearly 50 miles of freight lines for 50 years in a densely populated and growing urban conurbation!

When you don't deliver even just the ten Metro tramlines from 1984 when you are paid to do so, it must be a mixture of corrupt practice, incompetence and negligence.  Especially, when you were given 31 years to get it done.

Even after many years of many people working on the project, it was never delivered - yet, you all came up with even more!  Hence, I read: 

"The first of up to 15 lines was intended to be operating by the end of 1993, and a network of 200 kilometres was planned to be in use by 2000.^[7]   Annual Report 1988–1989, West Midlands PTE."  Fifteen lines and 200 Km (124 miles) in 12 years is preposterous and totally unrealistic, especially after their previous experience, above!

When after, say 10 years (1994) you are not being given the money to do the three tram lines - and, most were to be on rail lines that should never have had their trains and stations removed - you should have got the message and changed to something more obvious, cheaper and, therefore, easier to achieve, namely putting right the idiocies of the 1960s urban rail closures.  Yet, you and your predecessors have all gone on taking the money in salaries and expenses without, it seems, any feeling of unease, let alone guilt.

The Wikipedia account of Midland Metro history ends with this:

In 2005, "The Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT) gave an overall cost estimate for British systems of £3.79 per light-rail vehicle-kilometre in 2003–2004, compared with £0.94 per bus kilometre in 2002–2003, according to Rapid Transit Monitor 2004. CfIT estimated that the fare required for Midland Metro to break even was twice that of Manchester Metrolink, London Tramlink and the Tyne and Wear Metro.^[89]"

Therefore, Midland Metro's running cost is four times more expensive than buses.  In addition, it seems, from the figures I have been given in recent weeks, Metro is ten times more expensive to build than reversing the rural Beeching cuts in depopulated southern Scotland for the return of trains.  That cost is £294 million for 29 miles, according to RailNews (March 2015).

In a letter dated 18.9.2000, from Tom Magrath, Passenger Services Director, wrote, "light rail investment provides the basis for restoring heavy rail services at the appropriate time."  To tell me that light rail Metro was needed to be put on the Black Country Line in order to be able to restore heavy rail services at a later date on that line is complete nonsense.  That idiocy is now repeated with the insistence that Very Light Rail must go on that intercity line but that it will not stop express and local trains returning at a later date (conversation with David Golding, Principal Strategic Planner, Network Rail at ITA meeting on 16.7.2015)  No wonder, I am thinking that there is something very corrupt, very wrong at the heart of Network Rail, ITA, Centro - and, for decades, too.  They all want express and local trains returning but want Light Rail and/or Very Light Rail, first to help get the everyday trains back!

This scandal over the misappropriation of public funds for trams on rail lines instead of trains (and stations rebuilt) has gone on for long enough.

Yours sincerely

Letter from Cllr Peter Lowe, Leader of Dudley MBC

21 July 2015

Dear Mr Weller

Re The Rail Crisis and HS2

Further to your letter to the Times of the 29 of June copied to the Council I would make the

following comments.

I am sure you will be aware that the Staffordshire line fell to Dr Beeching’s axe in the early

1960’s as part of swinging cuts to those parts of the railway network which were uneconomic in

this case for passenger heavy rail services.  Although it continued to be used for freight services

the line was finally mothballed in the 1980’s.

The reintroduction of heavy rail services on the Staffordshire line, as you discuss in your letter,

has been investigated a number of times since its closure but has proved to be as uneconomic

as when it was originally closed in the 1960’s.  Unfortunately heavy rail cannot deliver the

frequency and accessibility provided by the latest tram technology and so although apparently

easier to implement struggles to compete in the inter urban context.

The Black Country District Councils, although still strong supporters of the Metro proposals,

recognise the difficulties in bringing them forward.  We have therefore recently commissioned a

new rapid transit study to consider the best way to deliver improvements to passengers’

services and in particular utilising the abandoned rail lines.  I believe you may have provided

input to the study being overseen by Walsall Council on behalf of the Black Country.

With regard to the development of a new lighter and cheaper light rail passenger system known

as Very Light Rail you will also be aware that Dudley Council are working with Warwick

Manufacturing Group to build an innovation centre at Castle Hill.  I can assure you that the

centre which will include a test track on the mothballed line will not affect any of the current

proposals for passenger services or the need to reintroduce freight services at some future date

as demand dictates.  The development of the centre and of the technology it will produce is not

a pre-requisite for its use in the Black Country but I assume if successful could be considered at

some future time.

I hope this clarifies the situation and allays some of your concerns regarding the future

reintroduction of passengers’ services on the old Staffordshire line.

Yours sincerely

Sarah Norman          Peter Lowe

Chief Executive Leader of the Council

Cfi. M.Holloway - Head of Traffic & Transportation

Letter to Peter Lowe, Leader of Dudley MBC

Dear Peter

I am really sorry that I find it necessary to speak/write like this.  I don't like doing it.  However, only your good self and Khurshid can put a stop to this nonsense, below.  The sooner you do so, the quicker you will shut me up.

How is it that you and all your councillors have no sense of shame, let alone guilt, for your odd behaviour?

First, you keep express and local trains off your very own railway line for 50 years.  This is the Black Country ICE (inter city express) Line that runs literally alongside commuter congested main roads in places from Stourbridge, past the Waterfront and on to all of our Black Country tourist attractions at Castle Hill.

Next, last December, you announced that you were going to use one track for a shuttle service by a still to be developed Very Light Railcar on one mile of your 13 miles Black Country Line to shuttle passengers to the next inter city express line in your neighbouring borough of Sandwell.  Not to run your own smart, sleek ICE trains, mind you but, to rely on the next line that crosses yours one mile down the line in Sandwell!

The second track, for all of one mile, will be a test track for this university based project.  Elsewhere in Dudley is a much more suitable site for the Warwick Manufacturing Group to develop the Very Light Railcar.

However, our dear councillors' stupidity is now capped by your intention to put a speedway stadium on Halesowen's farmland and Green Belt.  You don't want our food grown on fertile soil but, instead, even more greenhouse gases from motorbikes racing round in circles to further mess up our climate and threaten, eventually, our very existence.

Can these councillors' abnormal behaviour get anymore weird and wonderful in their work on our behalf?

Will just one councillor resign to disassociate him/herself from these peculiar antics?

Yours sincerely

Sustainable Society or Growth (and wrong growth!) Society

Haven't all the parties in power, over the years, found land for some use or other to cope with rising/growing expectations, standards of living, population growth, hyper-mobility ... ?

The Greens are unique for pointing out that this cannot go on for ever and a day.  Hence our 'Manifesto for a Sustainable Society'.  Living for tomorrow, living within our means, our limits and our boundaries.  Living for others.

Don't be impressed by 'Combined Authority' or 'Enterprise Zone'.  We have seen it all before.  There is nothing new under the sun.  Always more of the same - unethical and aggressive foreign policy, more for us less for you, fortress Europe!

Extravagance for the authorities; austerity for the rest of us - my definition of corruption!

Extravagance for the authorities; austerity for the rest of us - my definition of corruption!

£750 million for the grand Grand Central Shopping Centre, atrium and concourse with the mainline station put in the basement - tagged along as an afterthought.  Still, on the platforms and in the ‘Stop and Crawl’ car tunnel, poisonous diesel fumes for us all to harm our health.

£190 million magnificent New Library of Brum opened as smaller libraries closed or were given restricted opening hours.  Just like the new library in its second year of opening!

£86.6 million for Midland Metro trams to Centenary Square from Snow Hill Station (less than one mile).

£62 million to promote cycling in Birmingham and to give away 5,000 free bikes to Brummies.

£10 million per mile for Beeching rural line re-opening in depopulated southern Scotland in September.  In this age of austerity, a strong business case was made.  Yet, nothing for the Black Country ICE (inter city express) Line that remains closed.

£100 million per mile for smooth, sleek electric trams to return to Brum city centre to replace hybrid buses.  In this age of austerity, a robust business case made the funding vital.  Yet, nothing for the Black Country ICE Line that remains closed.

£130 million for 1.5 Km (just under one mile) that includes some new trams for the Eastside extension.  In this age of austerity, an unassailable business case was made for the project to go ahead. This is 13 times more expensive than reinstating passenger trains and stations on nearly 50 miles of freight only lines, like the unused Black Country ICE (inter city express) Line.

£1,000 million per mile for HS2 to come to Curzon Street Station in 2026.  In this age of austerity, the business case made this project impossible to deny.  It is absolutely vital for the transport and economic health of the nation.  Isn't it funny, that there is still nothing for the Black Country ICE Line that remains closed to passengers?

"The rail crisis" The Times 27 June 2015

COPIED TO: Birmingham City Council, Dudley MBC and Network Rail Chief Executives, for their urgent action

Sir,  How bizarre can Birmingham and the Black Country get when it comes to rail?  Is this not a bigger scandal than FIFA?

For fifty years, Network Rail and the authorities have deliberately kept nearly fifty miles of double track freight lines without passenger trains and stations.  Lines that are literally alongside or near to commuter congested roads.  All of them had successful passenger services for about 100 years, until fifty years ago.

Our transport aficionados have been so mesmerised by Midland Metro trams that in 34 years of enthusiastic endeavour, costing taxpayers millions of pounds, they will have finally achieved their one and only tram line by Christmas when it finally delivers shoppers to our dazzling, mirror-like, brand new Grand Central Shopping Centre and station at a cost of £750 million (the old New Street Station).  Cost for the 0.7 mile tram extension at £75.4 million is £100 million per mile!  A network of 200 Km Light Rail (LR) tram lines were planned to be in use by 2000. In 2015, they achieve 22 Km (mostly on a rail line) while 78 Km of double track freight lines remain devoid of commuter and ICE (inter city express) trains!

France, Switzerland and Germany have stunning ICE trains.  Our 13 miles Black Country Line had express trains for about 100 years until the 1960s.  Nothing since then - not even Midland Metro (LR) trams that, extraordinarily, remains their intention after 34 years.  With growing road and rail congestion, why are our experts still wanting to see trams?  The very latest plan is for Very Light Rail (VLR) trams on this local and nationally vital rail line.  This strategic line is to shuttle passengers for only one mile, on one track down our ICE line, to the inter-city line in our neighbouring borough of Sandwell.  The other track will be the test track for VLR.  Why not connect Dudley directly with all parts of the UK with ICE trains to increase capacity and to reduce train congestion at our shiny new Grand Central Shopping Centre and station and, on our road and rail network?

14 examples of public money misappropriated in Brum and the Black Country

TO RAIL MINISTER, CLAIRE PERRY and other eminences for their action - please

Dear Claire - and copied to four members of the Lords and my own MP, James Morris

I know you are not my MP.  I am trying to get my own MP, James Morris (see below) to arrange an appointment with you and Patrick McLoughlin.  Please will you see us?  I believe you are from Bromsgrove, Claire - not far from my home of Halesowen where I am writing this.  Therefore, you must know what I have written here is correct.  My concerns:

1. Millions of pounds squandered in destroying our Birmingham and Black Country tram network in the 1950s.
2. Millions of pounds squandered in destroying, in B'ham and Black Country, about 100 miles of our urban rail network in the 1960s.
3. Millions spent in demolishing stations and building fast roads, homes, hotels and trading estates on about 50 miles of the 100 miles.
4. 12 miles of an urban train line turned into a tram line costing tens of millions of pounds.
5. Nearly 50 miles of former passenger and freight lines, still used only for freight in the last 50 years.
6. In that same decade, millions of pounds wasted in demolishing New Street Station and rebuilding it to make for an underground mainline station perfumed with coal and diesel smoke on the enclosed platforms.
7. In this decade £700 million misappropriated to address passenger congestion at New Street and nothing about train congestion.  £700 million to turn it into Grand Central Shopping Centre with the station demoted to the basement; tagged along as an afterthought.
8. Millions misspent with demolishing Snow Hill Station in the 1970s, only for it to be rebuilt to half its former size.  Now, new plans for a new station!
9. Many tens of millions misallocated since 1981 for building a 200 Km, £500 million tram network by 2000.  Yet, only one tramline of 22 Km, finally, may get completed by Christmas with the extension to Grand Central Shopping Centre and station but, still no connection to Wolverhampton Rail Station, as we did have in the days of trains using that line.
10. Electrification started in the 1950s but, still, nowhere near being completed.
11. Nationally, £1 billion spent in the 1990s in privatising our UK rail network instead of modernising it.
12. Network Rail refuses to co-operate with returning local passenger and ICE trains to the Black Country Rail Line, with its extension to Lichfield.
13. Millions squandered in building and then removing a monorail at Merry Hill Shopping Centre in the 1980s but then failing to connect it to the Black Country Line at the Waterfront in Brierley Hill.  The monorail fell short by only 400 metres.  No connection, no passenger trains were allowed on the Black Country Line; therefore, too few shoppers and office workers were using the monorail, so it was quickly closed!  Sheer incompetence by the transport authorities.
14. The West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority, Network Rail and Centro have spent millions over the years writing studies and strategies, plans and policies.  Umpteen glossy brochures have been produced with their expensive intents for the future.  Yet, very little is actually delivered.  It has all resulted in the above scandal stretching over six decades and with no sign of any reform or even small improvement.

Please will you see James and me?

'Booming Brum' says Railnews; Birmingham is a rail desert, in fact

In Brum and the Black Country, there has been 50 years of nearly 50 miles of freight lines that used to have successful passenger trains for 100 years.  This is disgraceful negligence for 50 years.

There are a further 50 miles of urban rail lines in Brum and the Black Country that were closed 50 years ago and now all built on.  Not even one mile was mothballed out of these 50 miles!  This is disgraceful incompetence and thoughtlessness.

Now, we are to see all of one mile of the 50 miles of freight only lines, that is to get a shuttle tram when the full 13 miles of the Black Country Line would give much better value for money, would return it to a mainline instead of a new branch line and, do much more to increase capacity and reduce congestion.

“(The UK) has one of the biggest deficits in the world”  Nick Robinson BBC Chief Political Correspondent on ‘Today’, 8 May 2015

ABOUT TEN TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE FOR TRAMS ON RAIL LINES THAN REINSTATING THE MISSING TRAINS!

Public expenditure for 34 years has been syphoned away, by the West Midlands Integrated (actually, Disintegrated) Transport Authority (ITA), into one very expensive project to put LR trams on railway lines to replace trains and, on roads, to replace buses.

Yet, in 34 years, only one tramline out of the dozen or more that ITA, PTA, Centro wanted, finally gets opened - and, finally completed, in September.  Yet, nearly fifty miles (80 Km) of successful passenger lines for 100 years remain closed and stations demolished.  This is negligence, incompetence and an improper use of public funds; and, serious failures in transport policy and practice.  It needs investigating, stopped and turned round.

It is further compounded by the utter and complete idiocy of now developing and testing Very Light Rail trams on one mile of the 13 miles (21 Km), Black Country high speed Line.  This is the UK’s only north-south line that can easily be reinstated.  It is the most important but wasted asset for 50 years in our national rail network.  It will remain so for the next 50 years by Centro’s and the ITA’s decision to deliberately reduce rail capacity and increase road and rail congestion by this one, stupid decision.

Survey - do you want VLR shuttle trams, LR trams, heavy rail passenger trains on Stourbridge, Dudley, Walsall, Lichfield line?

Charles Loft is author of 'Last Trains: Dr Beeching and the Death of Rural England'.  He said on the BBC World Service on 28 March 2015, "The future of rail investment is in high speed inter urban lines and light rail commuter services and trams."

1. Do you know if, in the 19th and/or 20th centuries, we have ever had express trains on the existing but, part, still unused Oxford, Worcester, Wolverhampton Railway Co line (part is now the empty Black Country Line)?
2. If so, did we also have a local train service on this same line?
3. In the 21st century, is it feasible to put both express and local trains back on the Black Country Line from Stourbridge Jct, through Dudley, Walsall and on to Lichfield?  Is it possible to have regional and national passenger trains in the daytime and freight trains at night?
4. Or, should we be putting Very Light Rail, instead of Light Rail Metro on that line because "light rail investment provides the basis for restoring heavy rail services at the appropriate time" - letter to Tim Weller from Tom Magrath, Passenger Services Director of Centro, dated 18.9.2000.
5. As we are now seeing Beeching rural rail lines being reopened (48Km in depopulated southern Scotland at £10 million per mile), do you agree that it is even more essential that we have the Beeching urban rail lines reinstated with trains and stations?  There remain nearly 80 Km still not concreted, bricked or tarmaced over in Birmingham and the Black Country and still no stations have been rebuilt at Winson Green and Handsworth (areas of chronic deprivation, including being deprived of their stations) after 50 years.
6. Do you want the Beeching urban rail lines reopened for trains or, do you want them, instead, for Metro LR trams at about, on average, £100 million per mile in Brum city centre - at about ten times the cost of reinstating what we had for about 100 years?
7. Why is Birmingham City Council jumping the queue and getting further Metro extensions ahead of all the policies, plans and strategies that certainly, at one time, stated that Metro Line 3 (on the Black Country Line) was to be next after the tram line to Hagley Road, Edgbaston?
8. In an age of a continuing huge deficit, supposed austerity and, severer public spending cuts now due, how do you justify the spending that is so extravagant but still misses out on making full use of our rail assets or even misses out on building the much needed rail tunnels at Grand Central?  And the Black Country still misses out completely -  apart from getting the £25 million for one mile of VLR and, the short extension of £54 million to, finally, bring Metro One to the one remaining rail station in Wolverhampton!
9. How come the electric trams of old ran on roads (instead of buses) but most of the new ones in Brum and the Black Country run on many more miles of rail lines than roads (replacing more trains than buses)?
10. What is your individual list of rail spending, in order of priority, please?  If increasing rail capacity and reducing rail/road congestion is the number one priority for you, how does this work out in your spending wish list, in order of priority?
11. Or, do you feel, we can only ever have everything that is on offer from the rail authorities, regardless of any order of priority, their competence or, of more decades of the Black Country missing out?
12. A second rail service used to run from Stourbridge Jct.  It CAN be re-opened.  What do you want on it - VLR, LR, heavy rail freight, heavy rail passenger services?  If you agree with Charles Loft, at the head, what should go on our Black Country Line?  He said, "The future of rail investment is in high speed inter urban lines and light rail commuter services and trams."  For 100 years, the BCL was inter-urban, it seems, running between Oxford and Wolverhampton.  Dudley to Wolverhampton and Dudley to Birmingham are both now built on - yet another example of failure/idiocy by our leaders and chief officers who should have advised the members better.

More on inheriting the earth

I heard Stephen Simcox speak this afternoon on the subject, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

I did speak to him at the close of the Tuesday talk to make one or two of these points.  He is welcome to come back at me, again, of course:
1) That he seemed proud of his 27 years of military service, having mentioned it twice, I believe.  Perhaps, rightly proud.
2) I thought it was inappropriate for him to tell us so much about the work of a Roman centurion.  I felt that he was somewhat carried away by his background and work in the military and, therefore, that explained all the details.
3) I would have liked Stephen/Steve to have mentioned that Jesus was a man of non-violence and NOT a man of violence.
4) From my reading of the Jesus of the Gospels, it is unacceptable for any true disciple to want to inherit any part of the earth - let alone the lot!  But we have inherited so much, with our so good and perfect Western and Christian European empires in recent centuries.  And, we 'Christians' inherited the earth by militarism and certainly not meekness!
5) I think all of us Christians should have the meekness to understand that we belong to the earth (NOT that the earth belongs to us); that we are part of Nature; and, that it is none of our business to even begin to contemplate that we could  start owning the earth - but, of course, only on the Lord's behalf to make it better for Him and His return!
6) For me, having any kind of authority or power over others is not in line with the Jesus of the Gospels who rejected any such earthly power and dominion in the Temptations and throughout His ministry.  Our modern day Caesars need to exercise their power and authority with extreme caution and wisdom.  Preferably, only with the clear mandate of the General Assembly of the United Nations.  Our modern day Christs should stay well out of it!
7) I hope that you will not ask Stephen to deliver the talk on "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God", although it might be fascinating to hear what he has to say.  No doubt, he would say that the modern day centurions of our angelic British armed forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and countless other countries we have fought in, every single year, over the last 101 years, are the true peacemakers!
8) I do take and understand that Steve did do sterling and exemplary work during his time in the military, especially in Bosnia and Rwanda - if violence was no part of it.

Important but missing essentials

Missing words/ideas

Replenish

Sustain

Non-violence/non-aggression

     even, Non-intervention - unless with the clear mandate of the General Assembly of the United Nations to intervene in a peacekeeping mission

Distinguishing marks of which world faith?

no homosexuals in position of leadership

no abortion

no physician assisted suicide

no stem cell research

no killing of cells, foetuses

no physician assisted suicide for the elderly terminally ill, even with their informed consent and when they have full capacity and the

pro-life only for the unborn

pro the armed forces whenever the state says it is right to attack, invade and occupy other nations

Does Christian belief ever fall out with science?  It has done in the past over the age of the earth and its shape as a sphere and not as a flat surface.

God given truths are true for eternity.  Scientific truths are only true until the next theory is proved and verified and the work peer reviewed in a recognised journal.  Scientific truths are only true for as long as the evidence allows or the truth remains substantiated.

Values are:

too right wing when the life and teaching of Jesus is very left wing

not Sermon on the Mount compliant

personal salvation predominates instead of Jesus Christ as role model dominant

humanity is expected to exploit, consume and control nature, the earth and life support systems

The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof actually means that the Lord’s people own the world and can do with it as they want.  Only the Lord's people have the divine right to rule, on behalf of the Creator, over the rest of His Creation. In other words, the earth belongs to them, rather than they belonging to the earth - a fatal misconception in the Bible, a flawed book.