Rant 300 26/10/12 Subject: The heating vultures

Rant number 300

After yesterdays 'fantastic' news - I'm sure we have all been feeling elated about the recession being over with and all the extra money that will be instantly arriving in our laps as brought by small tame aardvarks - whilst pigs fly past the windows and Lucifer pops on his ice skates to get to work

(just as aside, to expand upon the 'hell frozen over' metaphor I have expressed, I have done this for the reasons of convention however, many visions of hell feature ice as a tormentor as much fire - thus making the point somewhat moot. For the sake of my sarcastic statement however - I feel it is acceptable to make this somewhat non-axiomatic statement.)

Yes, the 'end of recession' really hasn't made any difference between yesterday and today - and will continue not to make a difference for many months to come.

There are many reasons for this. Not nearly because the whole thing is complete bullshit.

One big reason however, was revealed today:

The heating folks are putting their prices up again.

We don't have a centralised system for gas and electric in this country - which is to encourage competition - to ensure the best prices for the consumer - which has worked about as well as a napalm fireguard.

The reason for this is simple: competition only works so well and doesn't pay shareholders too well. As such - the business has become appallingly incestuous and the prices are kept high and keep getting higher. They have no need to compete with each other - because not one of the top 6 companies has the gall to actually put their neck out as cheaper. As such - we're fucking well stuck with it.

The government were booing about it today and were 'disappointed,' that they had raised fuel costs just as winter is about to begin (just like they did last year, and the year before that and the year before that ad infinitum.) The fact that their stupid party privatised everything in the first place somewhat lessens my faith in the sincerity of their statements.

Every year they do this to us - just as winter sets in. By all accounts it could cost the average family £1500 a year - which is a big deal to anyone who is not doing rather well. It particularly hits out again at the vulnerable people: the old, the disabled and those on small incomes. If the fuel system was centralised - it would be much easier to help those in need - rather than having to pay ever increasing allowances that will still not cover needs properly.

I think rather than consistently screwing everyday people who actually make the effort to go out and work - they should tighten the controls on these greedy bastards. Surely what they are doing by colluding in this way is not something that should be allowed to continue. If they are supposed to be 6 competing companies - make them compete - and make sure that they pass on some of the savings to us normal folk!

Me and the wife are quite acclimatised to using blankets and the like in place of having the heating blasting on. With children though - it isn't possible - so those with young families out there wholeheartedly have my sympathy.

When I finally get away from renting and can purchase a property - I'm going to invest in a wood burning stove and put a resounding two fingers up to the lot of the bastards. Government - for once in your lives do something useful - and put a stop to this disgusting behaviour.

Rant over.

Rant 299 25/10/12 Subject: The 'end of reccession'

Rant number 209

Past the big 300 mark - I make that 65 to go - the downward slope.

Anyway - back to the present.

Today on the news - they proudly announced that the recession in the UK is over with.

Don't you feel better now? No me neither.

The recession has been a constant news story for years now.

First it was: the recession is coming
Then: the recession is going to be here soon
Then: its arrived
Then: crap its bad
Then: its got a bit better
Then: its worse

etc. etc. until today.

I may be no expert in these matters - but it strikes me that the worse is far from over. They have quantified that the recession has ended because over the last quarter the GDP grew a little. We did however, have rather a boost from the olympics this summer - making continued growth this quarter seem less than certain.

Also, the whole thing about this being good news for us normal folks seems to be somewhat of a naive attitude.

If the economy has grown and if it continues to do so - this will be by continuing in the current vain of austerity and robbing the poor to prop up the rich.

They aren't going to start giving you more money - cutting taxes, cutting duty, spending more money on public services or actually giving you a worthwhile pension. They're just going to keep on rinsing you for all you've got and watching you work until you die.

So what do I think of the end of recession?

I think its fucking irrelevant.

Rant over.