"250,000 march against service cuts
LONDON — About 250,000 mostly peaceful demonstrators marched through central London yesterday against the toughest cuts to public spending since World War II, with some small groups smashing windows at banks and shops and spray painting logos on the walls.
Government agent provocateurs. Every country has got 'em.
Another group of protesters hurled paint bombs and ammonia-filled light bulbs at police. Organizers of the March for the Alternative said it was the biggest protest in London since rallies against the Iraq war in 2003 (AP)."
Why would they be protesting spending cuts when the WaPo tells me the Brits are embracing them?
"Public volunteers help Britain battle deficit" by Anthony Faiola, Washington Post / March 6, 2011
LONDON — The new Conservative-led government here envisions the creation of an army of volunteers and charities to pitch in for queen and country, a notion Prime Minister David Cameron calls part of his vision for a “Big Society.’’
Related: British Tighten Their Belts
What could you do with $60 million for the household, taxpayers?
Bailed-out banker gets a big bonus
And there is ENOUGH MONEY for a NO-FLY ZONE over LIBYA, hanh?!!!
Yeah, PITCH IN for QUEEN and COUNTRY, right!
One of Europe’s most indebted nations, Britain is becoming a testing ground for fiscal cures just as the United States is poised to embark on its own effort to tackle the deficit.
On this side of the Atlantic, Cameron’s Big Society movement is hoping to enlist a new class of citizen activists to take on roles as varied as postal clerk and librarian, park ranger and police officer, to help fill the gap.
The thumping you hear is George Orwell rotating at warp speed inside his coffin.
As the nation begins to absorb just how deep and fast the cuts will come, the Big Society has come under intense fire here. The government, critics say, is being a Pollyanna if it thinks the good will of the citizenry can make up for Draconian state cuts.
But the government is calling a revolution in volunteerism at least part of the answer. In some cases, job hopefuls will have little choice. Cash-strapped Scotland Yard, for instance, has instituted a policy mandating that most recruits spend a minimum of one year on the job for free....
Their ranks are swelling with volunteers such as Whitney, a strapping young swimming instructor who has long dreamed of working for storied Scotland Yard. When not giving swimming lessons to pay his bills, he dedicates 10 to 30 hours a week to patrolling the shopping district around Oxford Circus, all in the hopes of landing a hard-won salaried slot.
Cameron’s Big Society also aims to transfer power to local governments and cut bureaucratic red tape. Wherever possible, the government is seeking to find alternatives to the state.
In recent months, the government has moved to grant parents and teachers the right to set up their own schools, and to establish a Big Society Bank to help “social entrepreneurs’’ fund civil projects on their own.
Some of it sounds good; however, this working for free crap while tax loot is doled out for war and to banks is a non-starter.
But the pushback has become increasingly fierce, with the government’s entire plan now appearing in jeopardy and disarray.
Amid massive pubic opposition, the government abandoned a plan to sell 15 percent of Britain’s publicly owned forests to charities and other groups, which could have theoretically staffed them in part with volunteer rangers and maintenance workers to cut costs.
One problem is that most charities in Britain still derive most of their budgets not from philanthropy, but from the national government, which often provides funding for nonprofits via annual allotments to town and city councils.
Yeah, God forbid government ever does what its people want.
For instance, the city of Manchester may be forced to close all of its 30 youth centers and cut back on programs aiding the elderly and disabled. At the same time, city officials say they are being forced to cut funding to charities that could have picked up the slack.
But the jets are flying the Libyan skies!
The government has tried, however, to reassure the public that its plan is not to cut public services and expect an army of volunteers to pick up all the slack.
Officials cite plans already underway to use volunteers in museums and libraries to expand hours, not replace current staff.
Now they are backtracking?
--more--"
Also see:
Race shouldn’t be key in adoption, UK says
Ex-airline worker guilty in bomb plot
Britain to ban promotion, display of tobacco
Britain’s fraud office arrests 7 in inquiry into Icelandic banks
Soldier, loyal dog make final journey
For royal wedding guests, a list of don’ts
UK man guilty in ‘Night Stalker’ rapes
British POW says he snuck into Auschwitz
Related: Cutting Down British Posts
I did give you fair warning, readers.
