comments to Guardian Comment is free- what do you think?

Please find below some copies of my comments in relation to Guardian articles under Comment is Free. Please have a read and either send comments or forward to others, thanks

Reply to How much does Donald Trump care about winning the midterms? Apparently, not much at all

 What this article ignores are all the moves he is making or threatening to gerrymander the vote. He is trying to stop or limit postal voting, to gerrymander the voting districts, to limit access to voting opps to non whites and threaten to either make democrats iligitimate or even worse introduce martial law.
As a Putin admirer who wants to also become a dictator and to consolidate his crimes and ill gotten billions from his position it is not unreasonable to fear his aim is the total elimination of the democratic process.
He has to be stopped and the rule of law reinstated, but whether mainstream Democrats have the balls to do this remains in doubt ( 495 likes)

Reply to Polly Toynbee about  how Labour could be beaten in Kings Cross byelection.

 I have just found out that Feinstein - the independent who stood against Starmer and got 8000+ votes is not standing, so I hope that the Greens, who ever their candidate is get the support of Feinstein and the Camden Peoples Alliance and together we can get another Red/ Green into Parliament. I fear that unless Burnham and Labour realise that they need to work with progressives to enact his commitment to end neo liberalism, help working people, have fair taxation, give tenants decent housing and commit to net zero and a Green New Deal then Burnham will fail as did Starmer. Now Farage is being revealed as the seedy spiv he is then a progressive alliance around progressive actions can transform our lives for the better.

 Reply about young people becoming isolated through reliance on social media

 As a babyboomer I was lucky enough to be allowed to play with other children on our quiet street and after going to police bike riding classes was able to ride to the nearest wood maybe at age 10. This was both because there was less traffic, we were able to receive highway code and riding lessons but also I think that after the war our parents were far more relaxed about allowing you to explore and face dangers and there was a greater sense of community and less worry about strangers ( though we were told never to take sweets or get in a car with a stranger).
The hollowing out of children and youth services has made a big impact, so there are practically no youth clubs , fewer community centres, few well maintained public parks, less athletic and leisure centres for young and old alike ( unless you can afford an expensive gym) and less subsidies for child and youth activities and trips, thus excluding poorer children ( who apparently make up to 50% of under 16s.
So while we need to regulate the tech companies and limit social media to young people we also need to be offering and supporting the space, resources and freedom for young people to grow, make friends and just enjoy themselves

 

 

 

     hi here

am trying to upgrade my social media posts starting by having my latest posts come up first when you look at the  blog plus now trying to link to other sites I have. 

Please see this link below which is my attempt at a website about life as an expat englishman in France

https://soloist.ai/travelswithoutadonkey 

Can we make an age friendly uk- open letter to Andy Burnham

 

 We hope that you will soon by our new Prime Minister

One early win which ticks a lot of your stated aims is to draw on another Manchester success story, which does not get enough attention, namely Manchester as the leading UK’s Age Friendly city.

May I ask you to spread that vision of an age friendly and age diverse environment  across the UK.

Both seniors ( over 50s and pensioners) and youth ( children and young people up to 25) have large numbers of  people facing exclusion, discrimination and poverty. Long term unemployment is highest among over 60s and there are nearly a million young NEETs. Generations in the same household, often in deprived areas, continue the cycle of unemployment, misery and depression  and so live under or near the poverty line. Where heads of households are unemployed this often lead to their children and grand children facing the same  fate.

The lack of free public spaces – libraries , community and leisure centres – impact disproportionality on young and old alike for whom these facilities, along with trained expert staff, are key to personal development and community cohesion. Properly maintained parks offer places to relax, enjoy, share positive passtimes and be healthy. These are public spaces and facilities which take young people off the streets, give them meaning and out of crime, and where social isolation and loneliness among seniors can be reduced and the overall levels of human interaction and happiness can be increased.

This requires you to offer leadership and inspiration as well as resource re-allocation to local cities and towns across the UK, in the forgotten places of the North, Midlands, Wales, Scotland in particular.

It also means drawing on your experience of building civic partnerships with community organisations representing seniors and youth alike. It brings focus on the need for local community led initiatives properly resourced to reverse the neo liberal emphasis on the richest and global corporations, and replaces it with an emphasis on making everyone, but particularly the poorest and most deprived better off in both their private and public lives.

Wise Age have been promoting positive inclusive age diversity, age friendly environments and intergenerational solidarity for many years  in partnership with  the London Age Friendly forum, the Age Active Alliance, EngAgeNet and other  age related organisations and networks across  the UK for getting on for 20 years now. During this time we and older people have faced barriers, blockages, ignorance and indifference.

We really hope you can shine the beacon  of hope  in the coming months and can assure you that there will be thousands of us willing to help in any way we can to make the UK truly age friendly for old and young alike.

Best wishes

Chris Walsh

Chief Executive

Wise Age Ltd

www.wiseage.org.uk

Can younger people and seniors be friends?

 After the new report submitted to the  government about the million and rising  NEETs  it is likely that quite rightly there will be more resources allocated to providing further support and opportunities for young people to gain qualifications, apprenticeships and employment.

However the risk is that seniors ( 50+ including pensioners)  who are long term unemployed or who are part of the million plus Economically Inactive  older population ( those needing and seeking work but not in receipt of unemployment pay or support from DWP) will lose out on the meagre support and access to training and employment currently offered.

There is a widespread myth that older people are job blocking younger ones when in fact companies that retain and / or hire older staff and have an age diverse workforce offer greater opportunities for younger ( under 25)people to gain employment.

UK and EU wide research shows that when companies make older people redundant they do not ( and often cannot) offer young people those vacancies as they are not yet able to carry out the level of skilled work required, instead it is a downsizing operation which usually just leads to core age working people( 25- 49) having to shoulder extra workloads. 

There is a virtuous circle in age diverse staff, with seniors able to support, train, guide and mentor newly recruited younger staff enabling them to understand and apply the requirements of the job and the company. Also companies with age diverse staff have found that their productivity, profitability and staff retention all increase.Younger people bring new skills, social media awareness and innovative ideas into the workplace, while seniors offer experience, skills and an understanding of work culture to the mutual benefit of all and the company itself.

There are similar problems for the young and old alike in terms of poverty, lack of training and employment opportunities resulting from ageism as well as the closure of public services required by both ( libraries, community centres, well maintained parks and leisure facilities). There is a similar division of class and wealth so that while there maybe 25% senior millionaires, half of pensioners are near or below the poverty line (especially carers and single older women), while the only younger people able to start buying their own home are the children of the already wealthy.

The impact of senior unemployment is such that their family members are also likely to be unemployed.

This is why the charity Wise Age Ltd ( www.wiseage.org.uk) along with Age Platform Europe and our partners embrace the approach of Intergenerational Solidarity

Changing the Narrative on ageing

 Hi 

Wise Owler is back up and blogging,  on behalf of myself  not as a formal representative of Wise Age but will include time to time  promotion of wise age activities when they take place .

Yesterday as a member of the London Age Friendly forum I was able to listen to and talk with Paul McGarry, Head of Greater Manchester Ageing Hub,.

    During his excellent conversation he raised the issue that we in the age movement need to Change the Conversation' around age.

  This reminded me of the importance of the 'Silver Economy' in relation to economic growth and inclusivity. There seems to be a  gap in the minds of National, Regional and local government of the key  role that older people play both in terms of  economic and social production and consumption.

Over 70% of over 50s up to state retirement age  are in employment, often in key roles in management, in health and social care, finance, Universities, education, housing and other public services as well as in large corporations, SMEs and the voluntary sector. Even after state retirement age there are over 1.2 million pensioners in the UK still working or in self employment.

We are crucial in the implementation of growth strategies yet hardly feature in senior strategic and policy decision making. Besides our role as workers older people, especially older women play a major role in caring for those in need of care, children, grandchildren and our parents, as well as the wider community. Meanwhile the voluntary and community sector would fall apart if it were not for older ( often pensioner) people   did not give their time, expertise and commitment to being volunteers.

In addition the silver economy is made up of the tens of millions of we 50+  many of whom have more disposable income than younger people and act as a dynamic force for consumer driven growth. There are whole sectors and environments now dependent on older consumers, viz tourism, health and leasure  and even including IT - as we are the ones buying the new technology both for ourselves and our families.

Woe betide any employer who  ignores this consumer group or who does not understand the benefits of having and age diverse workforce.

Yet still the focus on government at all levels is predominantly on youth- who while also suffering from ageism have less to offer than older people as workers and consumers. The argument around older people is nearly always around the Supply side, of how to get more people back into work while ignoring the clear and real problem of  the Demand side- the institutional ageism of employers and recruitment agencies which is cited by over half of older people seeking employment as the biggest barrier.

The other  mistake made by Ministers, including the departments of Work and Pensions, Health, Education and Skills, plus the Mayors of London, boroughs and other cities is to see older people only as a burden, in terms of health and social care, when in fact the vast majority of older people are active both as cosumers and producers plus the skills they offer, of experience, wisdom, social skills and commitment  are often ignored despite the urgent need to fill skilled labour market gaps.

So my message to decision makers, government, and employers is simple. There is an enormous untapped labour and consumer market which is embraced and supported - along with younger people- could bring the growth and redistribution of income and wealth so urgently needed

Will it be a happy year?

 A very belated Happy New Year or should it be hope we see out 2025 in one piece. 

As a baby boomer I have spent a lot of my life believing that progressive changes was both happening and possible.

Now I am left hoping that things can just stay as they are and not get worse, but realising that means fighting hard against the tide of reaction, lies and even neo fascism. After hoping that we would wake up to a better more equal fair world we are facing a return to feudalism and rabid nationalism with our new overlords being the billionaires now not just scooping up the worlds wealth and resources but increasing control over the media and now government.

But maybe because I am an optimist I see that there is incrwasing resistance to this and a blossoming of humanity, humanism, scientific and medical progress and an understanding that there is a majority of people who are still basically cooperative and caring.

So in this spirit of hope I want to try to facilitate older people engaging with each other and younger generations  to learn lessons from our past to help us overcomethese rising tides of reaction which our own parents succeeded in overcoming 

 Welcome to 2025, or rather good luck, as it seems like a year with may problems ahead.

This is my personal blog and does not represent wise age but it does reflect my knowledge, experience and commitment towards informing  people about the problems faced and the benefits offered by older people ( 50+) and tries to represent older people's interests in matters and debates around age and ageism.

Firstly a big up for the contribution we older people make to the economy and society, which is often overlooked in the media and Parliament where the costs and problems of an ageing society are discussed.

Up to State Retirment Age there are over 70% of over 50s in employment or self employment, offering our wisdom and experience to business and staff alike. There would be more ( 10% more under 50s are in employment) if it were not for the ageism from employers and especially recruitment agencies , feeding on myths and prejudices widely spread by the media.

After SRA there are still over 1.2 million people in work, though many are part time. The reasons for this are both because many people want to and enjoy their work but more because they are forced to through economic necessity.

On top of this fgure over 50% of all carers ( mostly but not exclusively women) are over 50, many either on  very limited carers allowance or totally unpaid. They care for their children, dsabled members of their fmilies, grandchildren and also their own parents or partners.

Finally those who are retired make up the bulk of volunteers and without them the majority of voluntary agencies and charities would fold.

More positive news about older working people and the problems we face later

 

Trying to restart my wiseager blog on a free site blogger.com

 back again after being ripped off by wix, which has tried to charge me £240 renewal and yet did not help me promote my blog. Back here and hoping for a better deal and help  in promoting my blogs which are a combination of age related info and support plus a way of both spreading whatever my thoughts are about life now plus a little social relaxation around my life and pets. Hope you will enjoy some of what i publish. Hers my wonderful, gentle dog

 It is really hard to avoid doomscrolling at the moment as there is so much terrible news and ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing, but for my own and close family and friend sake  it seems necessary to only keep abreast of events to keep motivating oneself to continue to protest, write and support demonstrations and resistance movements. On the other hand it seems necessary to also focus on positive news and to try and live and enjoy the here and now. Without hope it is hard to stay personally optimistic or to encourage others to 'keep on trucking' to use the old Fabulous Freak brothers mantra.

So I have been encouraged by the return of a few different species of butterfly, a few more plaaces around us where the sound of daytime cicadas can be heard and even in early Summer a few frogs still crying out for mates in the basin of a friend's garden. 

While knowing that the Democrats can hardly be called socialist or radical at least they have a couple of candidates who are to the left of the party, offer improvement in the lives of ordinary Americans and hopefully see off the Trump MAGA racist neofascist wave. only can only hope that if they win then maybe just maybe they can bring an end to the genocide and  ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. In the mean time bit by bit the horror of Gaza is forcing some companies to stop their embrace and arming of the Israeli government and there is some hope that we and France will be forced to stop arming the IDF's offensive

When are we seniors going to see a better future with a new government

 As someone who is both a senior, campaigning for age equality, friendliness and age diversity as well being someone who tries to persuade other elders to embrace their earlier baby boomer identities and vote for progressive change, I am both hopeful yet fearful of whether the new government  can deliver the changes we so desperately need.

Only if people of all ages see that their private and public lives are improving can we hope to stem the tide of reactionary, racist and anti equalitarian movements that are gaining ground via a biased hard right media, funded by hard right billionaires and  supported by global corporate lobbying.

So what do we seniors want and need and are there similarities between the needs of the elders and the young? Well lets take one thing at a time.

Improved local services  for starters, re-opening libraries, community and sports centres, providing safe open spaces with accessible and clean toilets. This means funding for local government, for the voluntary sector and social enterprises to provide facilities accessible and welcoming to all that enable us to meet, to read, research, use computing facilities, have access to training and support, meals and meeting places, encouraging healthy activities and social interaction. If this is done then there are many problems which will be addressed, the isolation and loneliness of many older people, the poor mental and physical health of many particularly the poor.

These investments - which would be new and refurbished buildings and spaces but also require ongoing staffing and volunteers and would also be welcomed by young parents with small children, who also need these types of facilities, including soft play and creches as well as young people who need access to social and sporting and leisure facilities that are free or affordable.

It may also open the way to more intergenerational connections and even friendships.

Lets hope that devolving power to local authorities and mayors and providing the resources and investment long term facilities and being properly staffed can start us down the road to  better more communal, happy and healthy lives which should lower the anger, hate and hopelessness which undermines our society now

its heating up

 Well for all those who still don't realise our climate and environment is reaching tipping point, how does the weather seem to you.

In the hills of Southern France we have been experiencing a long drawn drawn out  hot and dry summer. Even with the occasional heavy storm the rivers are low and we are being told to prepare for a drought.

We are comparatively lucky being in the hills so the temperature under the trees is just about bearable, but even here nature is taking a beating. Hardly any sounds from the daytime cicadas any more, the noise of frogs and toads is sadly diminished, there are less varieties of butterfly around our flowers, less insects so less bats.

Back in UK it seems after constant rain and flooding you are now  experiencing hot spells followed by heavy storms.

So as we watch our world slowly disintegrate why are governments criminalising peaceful demonstrators protesting against the permanent damage being done by by big oil and gas plus the banks and hedge funds that profit from our planet's loss.

Could it be that billionaires and their media are now so powerful and have sufficient funds to bribe, control or take over our governments instead of representing the needs, beliefs and interests of the majority of people particularly the young.

As a senior I would like to say that the young and old protestors have my support   and hope that soon we can beat those who would  kill off our diverse natural world and watch from their mansions, yachts and jets as the rest of us slowly burn

What older working age people want from the next government

 There are hundreds of thousands of registered unemployed over 50s plus millions categorised as economically inactive who want to work but are not registered with or by the DWP.

We need a commitment from the next government of whatever colour that they will offer serious age specific and local support for all who wish to return to work.

But we also need the elephant in the room addressing: ageism among recruiters and employers.

This requires a major promotional and educational  programme through partnership between national, regional and local government, the voluntary sector, trade unions and employers networks.

Only when this happens will millions of older working age ( 50- 66+) and pensioners wanting and needing work be able to return to the workforce and the labour shortages currently facing employers be addressed. This requires serious training, re-training, skills and qualifications updated.

Until then there will be many many older people and their families i poverty and facing isolation and depresion

why babyboomers should vote for change

We the older working age need to show solidarity with all of our generation who face discrimination and exclusion on the basis of age and to ensure a fair and just allocation of resources for all ages and the elimination of poverty. This to be coupled with  a commitment to  fair taxation so that the rich - as individuals and corporations- pay their fair share of income and wealth tax.
There are 3.5 million older working age (50- 65+) who are out of work, millions of us who are in or face poverty, including over 1 million women carers in poverty as a result of sacrificing wages, National Insurance contributions and thus pension entitlements to look after their parents, children and grandchildren.
We are also the ones that are suffering from the privatisation of utilities, the creeping privatisation and cuts to the NHS and the austerity cuts to such public services as social and health care, library and community / health centre closures.
our generation was successful in the 60s and 70s fighting for social and economic justice and raising the banner of youthful change - we should now support the new generation of youth fighting for social and economic fairness. We benefitted from high levels of wages compared to the allocation of  profits and  senior managers / directors, which is why we had an ongoing economic boom and we all gained. We should surely not forget this and join the struggle to maintain  workers and trade union rights and an end to austerity paid for through fair taxation and the redistribution of wealth from the 1% to the rest of us , especially those at the n bottom.
This can be done in many ways bit one is to vote for parties and candidates supporting these principles - such as the Greens and the SNP in Scotland, and certainly not the Tories, Lib Dems or YUKIP

what can the over 50s expect from the elections - your views please

Hi
As the UK election gets underway Wise Age would like to  challenge all the main parties and candidates to be MPS this May to commit to supporting the interests and needs of older working age people. We want them to support our Charter for Older workers and our age diversity Declaration  to ensure we get a fair and just reward for our work, overcome the ageism prevalent in our society and economy and help overcome poverty and discrimination facing many of us today.
Wise Age  want to launch  this campaign as a follow up the success of Age Platform Europe's successful lobbying of MEP candidates to get them to commit to supporting older people.
We would like to hear from older working age people( 50-65+) and organisations representing seniors about your views as to what we should be focusing on in our questioning of all the parties and candidates.
please respond to contact@wiseage.org.uk

seniors and youth both suffer from poverty

Hi there
yet again the media trying to set up the young vs the old.
Younger workers are facing greater poverty as out unequal society hits the poorest hardest.
However the older section of society are also badly affected by poverty. Over 3.5 million 50 - 65 year olds out of employment ( but only 400,000 approx. accepted / registered on Job Seekers Allowance). Carers ( 50% of whom are 50-65- mainly women) suffer from inability to get flexible work, low or no carer benefits plus lack of National Insurance contributions) Result 1 million single women pensioners live in poverty
Yes there are more wealthy and comfortably off older working age and pensioners but there are a large number of older working age( 50 - 65+, active  pensioners ( 65- 75+) and the frail elderly (mainly 80+) who do not have their own homes, do not have adequate state or employer pensions, do not have savings or private pensions and live on or below the breadline
we need more awareness of the benefits of intergenerational solidarity with young and old alike taking on ageism and confronting low wages, poor pensions, austerity and cuts in public services.
The problem is tax avoidance and an absence of fair universally applied tax on income and wealth

WHY WEALTH MUST PAY THE SAME TAXES AS INCOME

All the statistics point the same way - as highlighted by Capital and by such blogs as Michael Meachers- wealth - the ownership of capital, land, shares, property,money etc - is increasing its value every day but even more so in relation to income earned, but is hardly being taxed. This is a moral, social but particularly economic outrage and is leading to greater inequality across the UK  and globally.
The richest top 100 in the world now own more than  the bottom 25% of the world - if not more. In the UK earned income arising from the growth in wealth of the top 100 people in 2000 owned £150 billion - by 2011 the top 100 owned £450 billion and rising.
We the ordinary working people of all classes are taxed between 20- 40% the wealth owners pay nothing as it is hidden in tax havens or through tax avoidence  or at the most they pay  a small percentage of their increased wealth.
This disparity in taxation means that the  very rich get richer with no benefit accruing to the majority
The result is that  as the rich do not spend much of their wealth but hord it or speculate with it there is no  economic dynamic  for growth. Where ordinary people get more money they spend it which gives a boost to demand and thus to economic growth. Without fair taxation on wealth and income there is no long term sustaianble growth.
Who are these top 1%? the children of the rich from times past with unearned wealth, the aristocracies of the world, plus the new gangster capitalists from Russia and their satelite states, the oil billionaires and the dictators and military leaders bleeding their countries dry plus of course the gangsters beghind the world's drugs trade, people trafficking, monet laundering, financial malpractice and speculation - parasites all.
Where does a lot of this money go - through the greedy corrupt hands of British and international banks in the City of London - now the world's centre for money laundering - and  through the tax havens- over 50% of which are under UK jurisdictiion . What is the  current tax avioding money laundering  wheeze? buying multi million pound properties in london  - where you pay no tax if a foreign rsident, no purchase tax on the property, a pittance in rates - same as for a property worth £500k - while paying maybe max 4% when sold. and you dont even live there, but have  met police - who you dont pay to maintain- protect your property from squatting - now illegal.
What can be done - well first - make everyone  from abroad with an investment in the UK pay to own a property -  make a mansion tax for properties over £5 million pay a windfall tax now on the increase in avlue since ownership minimum £500,000 each, with a proper rate of council tax charge on property - say  5% a year. Make all companies trading in the UK pay the 20% on  profits generated here, make all transactions in financial speculation subject to the EU Robin Hood tax.
Introduce a full vigilence tax regime to get every single person generating money from their wealth pay the same as those who pay income tax, raise income tax to 60% for all those earning over £1 million per year but most of all pursue all tax avoiders for every penny  avioded - no more Vodaphone deals letting them off billions.
What can we do - well UK Uncut is trying some good publicity and direct actions, boycott the tax avioders, vote for redistribtion, join the fair tax movement, and express your hatred and contempt of these parasitical and sociapathic scum when ever and where ever you can,  - carry on with online campaigns, write in to the media, take peaceful direct action, slag them off on the streets and in their clubs  mass mobilise  - make them realise that we know who arnd what they are.
It will take time but we cannot just go on passively being ripped off for ever

why are we babyboomers always lablled as reactionary

Every time I read a poll broken down by age the over 50s / over 60s are shown as having a majority of coionservative / reactionary opinions. Why is this? for all of my life I have known hundreds of progressive people from the babyboomer generation - after all we started the 68 libvertarian and socialist mass opposition to the reactionary regimes of the time including sexual freedom for all, anti racism and sexism,  against imperialism and the Vietnam war - yet now we ae always on the right in opion polls.
Is it really true that the older you get the more right wing you become - it has not happened to me. Maybe we need a little more differentiation between the older working age - babyboomers ( 50- 65+) the active pensioner genration ( 65- 75/80) and the 'frail elderly ( 80+) and apologies to all of us who dont think we fit into those age groups - but by and large we do. Thiose are separate generations just like the youngsters and we should not all be shoved together - after all the older woking age make up nearly 25% of the working poulation and do over half of all caring ( especially the women) and we still think and act - or many of us do in an actuve progressive way enjoying life and adventures - we are not in old people's homes - yet.
Also maybe the questions asked are not approrpiate - I cannot imagine that all of those active trade unionists form the 50s - 80s who fought for and benefitted from trade union membership can now have forgotten how iportant solidarity is and how you can only gctively to force employers to pay us our due.
Maybe we are the ones who dont respond to opinion polls. Or maybe we  - the progressive seniors need  to take our arguements to our own generastion as well as supporting the youth - who will always be in the vabguard of change and progress and the fight for freedom, democracy, fairness  and equality
what do you think?