No Place For Cheats

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It now seems beyond reasonable doubt that the great American cyclist and seven times winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong, is not so great after all and, if the evidence revealed this week by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is true, he is no more than a liar and a cheat.

Like many people, I find the whole episode quite astounding though, for me, the overwhelming emotion is one of disappointment followed by sadness. Here was a man who, defeating the curse of cancer, went on to become one of the greatest cyclists of all time. A man who, when he wasn’t racing, devoted much of his time to charitable causes. How on earth can he have turned out to be a fraud? 
Here was a man admired and respected by the world of sport and beyond. He was a hero to many and maybe that is why the USADA revelations, that he regularly took performance-enhancing drugs in his successful quests for glory, are so shocking. The fact that he was held in such high esteem has meant that his fall from grace has been that much more dramatic. He had longer to fall but fall he has and the rest of us mere mortals can only shake our heads in wonder. 
Sport must learn from this and so must we all. There is a lot of good in the world of sport but there is clearly a lot that is not so good. Whatever your views on the man, one thing should be a given, there can never be a place for cheats in any sport, nor in life for that matter.

Where it all Began

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They say that travel broadens the mind, though whether or not this applies to all travellers is a moot point.  I travel for a living and it certainly helps me gain a true sense of perspective of not only myself but, much more importantly, of our country. There are those among us who are constantly critical, always seeking to have a moan about the UK, a trait which most foreigners who I encounter find truly astounding.

I make no apology for the fact that I am both a proud Briton and a proud Englishman and I mean  that in a matter of fact and positive manner and not through any misplaced sense of superiority. In my work I travel all over the world particularly Canada and the USA , from where I am writing this blog. I’m actually in Memphis today and have been guiding a group through the beautiful states of Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. These are lands steeped in history, though compared to our history they (at least as far as the history of non-native Americans is concerned) are a mere five minutes old!
I’m in the land of cotton and the more I research the history of cotton I am struck by how much our own recent history is linked to that of the southern USA. For many years, at the height of the Industrial Revolution and the height of Empire, the British were the biggest purchasers of American cotton and much of Britain, particularly northern England grew very wealthy on the back of it. Thousands of mills were constructed in the north of England to process cotton purchased from the USA and other parts of the world and hundreds of thousands of people found work in those mills. At one time Britain was the world’s leading exporter of cotton products. The Industrial Revolution began in England and our country was the first industrial super power with mainly English inventions leading the way for the rest of the world to follow.
Most of the mills have gone of course but the legacy remains. As somebody who works in tourism, taking British people around the world, it occurs to me that we should turn it on its head and invite more tourists to our country. Just think of the jobs that would be created for a start and the sense of pride that could be engendered in our own people as they show foreigners around our country. We have a history and a heritage second to none and wouldn’t it be marvellous to invite coach loads of Chinese, Indians and Americans to these shores to show them where it all began and from where their own current prosperity originated?

The Ugly Face of the Unions

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`In an interview with the Sunday Times last week, the General Secretary of the Unite Trade Union, Len McCluskey, said that he and his union would “kick the New Labour cuckoos out of our nest” in their attempt to “reclaim Labour” and promote a “renewed socialist agenda”. Since Unite is the largest trade union in the country, with over a million and  a half members, and is the Labour Party’s biggest donor (having given £6 million over the last two years) his threats are not to be taken lightly. In a typically anti-democratic move by a typically dictatorial trade unionist, McCluskey has said that Unite will not provide financial support for any Labour MP who doesn’t  share the aims and views of Unite. Welcome back to the 1970s.

Those of us who were around during that troublesome decade will recall how the unions  brought the country to its knees with almost constant industrial action and strikes called regularly whenever things weren’t going quite the way they wished. It seemed as though the Labour government of then Prime Minister James Callaghan was at the mercy and beck and call of the unions and in many ways, of course, it (and he) was. Now it looks as though the Labour Party  (irrespective of the fact that they, like any other political party, are beholden to the public who democratically elected their MPs) will once more dance to the tune of unions like Unite. Should the Labour Party, as seems perfectly possible, gain power in the 2015 general election then the whole country can look forward (an unfortunate  expression I know) to government by trade union.
Unite’s “struggle for Labour’s soul” is illustrated by its aim of persuading 5,000 trade unionists to sign up to the Labour Party (and thus increase their control) by December of this year. Evidently they are on target to achieve that aim so it looks like the Labour Party will once more be home to socialist firebrands whose dogmatic aims will always be put before the prosperity of the nation as a whole.  
We’ve already seen how destructive Unite can be with its call for strikes to disrupt the recent Olympics and its support for the petrol tanker drivers strike earlier this year. They have amassed a £25 million fighting fund to back further strikes over the next few months so their threats are clearly not hollow. Book your flight tickets now since a winter of discontent to match that of 1978-9 is a distinct possibility.

Sporting Ecstasy

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I was going to write a blog about politics today, something mundane and depressing about a political party conference, something suited to a dull, chilly Autumnal morning. Then I read the online BBC headlines “Europe pull off record comeback” and “Europe in shock Ryder Cup Victory” and suddenly nothing else seemed to matter! Could this be the same competition that the Sunday Times had described as “threatening to turn into a rout” and the Mail on Sunday had contrasted with the Boston Tea Party, “Europe tipped overboard as US take control”? Was this the same tournament, of which I’d seen television highlights the previous two days, where the home crowd were exulting in glory and bellowing victory to the heavens?

Yes it was and by the end of the first two days of the tournament in which Europe, for the most part, had taken a battering, it would have been a brave man (or fool) who would have predicted a European victory when their American opponents had, in the opinion of most experts, taken a seemingly unassailable lead. The Americans no doubt thought, and with good reason, that victory was theirs for the taking but the Goddess of Sport is the most capricious of deities and as many hard bitten competitors will tell you “It aint over till it’s over”.

This was sport showing us, once again in this wonderful year of sport, how truly magical it can be. This was sport at its very best and at its most compelling. I’m not a golfer and you may not be either, but one doesn’t have to be a golfer to realise that something pretty special, or “miraculous”, as some have called Europe’s victory, took place at the Medinah Golf Club in Chicago yesterday.

The European captain, Jose Maria Olazabal, friend and former playing partner of the great Seve Ballesteros, acknowledging the inspiration his team received from the memory of his late countryman (all the team wore Ballesteros’ colours yesterday), summed up what it meant to him and his heroic team when he said “All men die but not all men live”. What a truly wonderful and profound statement that is and how much better to start the week with that than another moan about politics, don’t you think?

Screaming Infants

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Air Asia announced yesterday that, as from February next year, adult passengers will be provided with a “quiet zone” on their planes free of charge. This, of course, is due to the epidemic of noisy babies and/or badly behaved children who disrupt the flights of others. Anybody, who has been awoken from their in-flight slumbers by the banshee-like howl of a distressed infant or been bashed on the back of the head by an out-of-control brat in the seat behind you will welcome this news.

After a couple of weeks working away, I, like many travellers, crave the rest that a long haul flight can bring and am delighted that, at last, something is being done about this problem. I don’t take issue with anybody who takes their infants on long journeys (but why anybody would take a 6 month old baby half way across the world on holiday is beyond me) and I accept that people have the right to travel where and with whom they like. That right does not extend however to making the lives of the people around them a complete misery. It happens a lot and I once endured a transatlantic flight (and believe me, that’s the right word) where a baby, who was evidently not ill, but who simply required some attention, cried the whole time.

Much of the problem is down to bad parenting and a lack of common sense. If an infant is distressed then the poor child should be comforted and not left alone to scream to the heavens. If the child still requires comfort then surely it should be given a bottle or a dummy. Some parents don’t believe in giving their children dummies and clearly don’t give a monkey’s about the concerns of their fellow travellers.

This move by Air Asia is a good one and long overdue. On every flight, worldwide, there should either be a baby and child-free zone or a separate area, like a crèche, purely for occupation by parents with babies and children. For busy routes maybe they could even have their own plane where they can exercise their right to scream and run around to their hearts content. The rest of us can then exercise our right to some peace and quiet – if only.

Abuse of the System

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US Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney put his foot in it this week – for speaking the truth. He stated that a sizeable proportion of the American electorate can be written off or discounted as possible Republican voters because they rely on government handouts. He was referring to those Americans who, he said, do not pay income tax, who believe that the state’s job is to redistribute wealth and who believe that they are victims. It sounds familiar doesn’t it?
In the USA the Republican Party like the Conservative Party in this country (well traditional Conservatives at any rate) believe that people should be encouraged to stand on their own two feet and should be rewarded for their honest endeavours free of unnecessary interference from the state. Conversely the Democrats like the Labour Party in the UK believe in big government and state control and thus are the favoured parties of those (among others of course) who prefer to claim benefits rather than work for a living.
Perhaps it was a truth that was best unspoken except in the privacy of his own home or at Republican Party HQ but it was still the truth. As long as Romney’s Republicans, and the Conservatives  here,  remember that there are those who genuinely cannot work and who need and deserve our support – people such as the infirm, disabled, elderly and those who through no fault of their own are genuinely  unable to find work then what he said is fine.

The Death Penalty and Arming the Police

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The brutal killing of two unarmed police officers near Manchester earlier this week was as sickening a crime as could be imagined. The fact that the two officers were young women somehow seems to make it worse. There will now be calls for two things, one for the death penalty to be brought back and two for police officers to be armed.

It’s difficult not to want retribution for this kind of crime and yes, like most of us, I would like cold blooded murderers to be put out of their misery. The reality however is that capital punishment is flawed since mistakes can be made and to execute just one innocent person, in my view, invalidates the whole system. What we need is a proper deterrent since clearly the present system isn’t working.
 A convicted murderer should usually, depending on the circumstances of each case, be sentenced to life imprisonment. That should mean life, without pardon, without parole and until the convicted criminal breathes his or her last breath. Further, prison, whilst not being a place of torture should not be a pleasant experience either and many of the luxuries that prisoners receive in these liberal times – colour television, use of telephones etc should be denied them. Criminals should be terrified of going to prison and if they were then maybe they would, in some cases at least, reconsider their evil ways.
We should also look at the reasons for crime and clearly the commission of many crimes is motivated by or linked to drug use. The use of drugs is a worldwide epidemic. In some countries, such as Singapore and Malaysia for example, a  conviction for dealing in drugs carries a death sentence. Convicted drug dealers in this country should face, and be given, life sentences as though they were convicted murderers, which actually is what most of them are when you consider the number of people dying from drug abuse.
As far as arming the police is concerned, it’s difficult in this modern age not to argue in favour of it. It will be a sad day when armed police are seen walking down the local high street  but the days of the friendly old red-faced Bobby walking the beat, chatting with the locals have gone. Times have changed and we must change with those times. Arming the police is inevitable and with exhaustive and comprehensive screening and training plus solid leadership from government and the higher echelons of the police hierarchy it has to be a move for the better. If we don’t do anything then the slaying of police officers will sadly become a routine occurrence.

A Strong America

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The recent attacks on American Embassies in Libya and Yemen are a worrying development in the continuing struggle against Islamic Extremism. Whether the attacks were as a result of the recent release of a low-budget film allegedly mocking the prophet Mohammed or a protest against American foreign policy nobody can say for sure but if the attacks continue to spread then the whole of the Western World has a problem.

Embassies, situated as they are in foreign lands,  are regarded by international law as sovereign territory and any attack on that territory is regarded as an attack on the Embassy’s country itself and thus technically an act of war. It is the duty of country in which the embassy is situated, the host country, to protect the embassy from acts of violence by its own people and so in this respect the governments of Libya and Yemen, such as they are, have failed in that duty.
In the USA, argument now rages between Republicans and Democrats as to whether or not the Democrat President Obama (and therefore America as a nation) is perceived as weak, giving encouragement to Islamic extremists to carry out their atrocities. If that is the case then we should all be greatly concerned.
There are those, of course,  who are fearful of America and fearful of any American misuse of power, particularly under a Republican Government (which may well come to power later this year). Be that as it may, there is no doubt whatsoever that in these increasingly dangerous times the world needs a strong America, with a strong president to protect us all from those who would destroy us.

British Nationality

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What a great summer this has been for British sport;  cyclist Bradley Wiggins winning the Tour de France, the phenomenal success of our athletes in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games and finally, tennis player  Andy Murray winning the US Open title earlier this week. Of course, in Murray’s case the Scottish Nationalists, in the form of Sir Sean Connery, had to make the point that Murray is Scottish and not British.

Well, actually, Sir Sean, Scotland (whether you like it or not) is still a part of the United Kingdom and the Scots like the English are collectively (and correctly) referred to as British. By way of illustration, the majority of Team GB gold medal winners in the Games were English but we English can still refer to them as British without any loss of national pride. I suppose, though, that the lack of a heavy weight on our shoulders is something of an advantage here.
We all know that Murray is proud to be a Scot and why not? We should all be proud of our roots whether we be of English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish extraction. The fact is, however, we are still part of the Union and as long as we are the term ‘British’ can be used proudly by us all.
It’s funny isn’t it that Connery seems quite proud to use the title of Sir even though he quite clearly despises the authority who bestowed the honour upon him. A bit hypocritical, Sean, don’t you think? Oh, one more thing, Sean, today is the anniversary of the battle of Homildon Hill (September 14th, 1402) when the Scots were routed by the English. I don’t suppose you and your nationalist cronies will be marking the occasion. No? I didn’t think so.

Praise for Burglars

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There are many reasons why a guilty defendant may receive a light sentence. It could be that he is a man of previous good character who uncharacteristically fell foul of the law, it could be due to the skill, eloquence and persuasive argument of his lawyer or occasionally it could be that the judge in his case was completely bonkers. Such a case arose in Cleveland last week.

Whilst sentencing convicted burglar and serial offender, Richard Rochford,  His Honour Judge Peter Bowers stated that “It takes a huge amount of courage, as far as I can see, to burgle someone’s home. I wouldn’t have the nerve”. He then declined to impose upon Rochford the prison sentence his behaviour merited (and which any rational judge would have ordered) and instead gave the former jailbird a community service order.

Of course, there has been uproar following this ludricous pronouncement and it is to be hoped that when His Honour is tracked down on the Planet Zog, or wherever it is he resides, his superiors ensure that he no longer graces the Bench with his presence.

It’s sometimes difficult not to despair of our legal system. Our demoralised and poorly led police force, suffocating under the weight of unnecessary bureaucracy and form filling, often struggle to bring criminals to justice and even when they do, they find themselves hampered by a system that often favours the criminal over the victim. They find their good work torn to pieces by smart-alec defence lawyers and even if they manage to obtain a conviction they watch defendants walk away relatively free, openly  laughing at the weakness of the courts.

This country seems to be a defendant’s paradise, unless, of course,  you happen to be a motorist.