The Independent reports on the fate of a British soldier who was victim of a roadside bomb (18/3/2007). The diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been dismissed by the military and he has been dismissed from the army as bing “temperamentally unsuitable”.
At a time when we thought that the horrifying effects of war on those individuals was beginning to be understood, there are pockets of resistance. The military establishment continues to be in a state of denial. What the Government is saying or doing about it is deafening in the silence. Only now is it safe enough to pardon men shot as traitors in World War 1.
“The young man is a striking illustration of the unprecedented levels of mental health problems being suffered by soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many complain of feeling discarded and betrayed. Experts are predicting a mental health ‘time bomb’, with thousands more veterans expected to experience severe problems first identified as ‘shell shock’ during the First World War.
Thousands of British soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are living in virtual poverty back in the UK because their compensation payments have been delayed, in some cases by up to three years.” Source: Independent 18/3/2007.

It is hard to find words to describe a Government that insisted on going to war in spite of all that was said. Having done so, not to make the least provision for the consequences is totally shocking. This is without even looking at consequences for Iraqis – and understanding why Muslim people might feel a sense of outrage. New Labour has brought into stark relief why unbridled capitalism is an enemy of the people who become mere pawns in bringing wealth to a few. They have divorced themselves from those who placed them in power as their representatives and enjoy the trappings and luxuries of the oppressors. Privatisation and profit is now a force to be reckoned with in our eduction, health – and yes – even prison services. Thatcher eat your heart out!
An article in the Guardian fingers capitalism as the major culprit for global warming by pandering to our desires and whims. While we wring our hands at poverty, starvation and disease we closely protect our lifestyles – just starting to count our carbon output. This may keep us busy and happy in the thought that we have the power to make change, but global markets will continue with new and damaging economies emerging in competition. There are alternatives to high carbon emissions such as hydrogen fuel which leaves water behind instead, but this is still in the background. Why is the development of t this not high on the agenda?
I was quite unaware that London is trialling buses using hydrogen, an experiment meant to end in 2005. Since trial appear successful this was extended. It only came to my notice when attending a conference put on by the Mayor.
Among others South Africa is looking at hydrogen fuel as a solution to its energy crisis. In the Marghera industrial district adjacent to Venice hydrogen research is continuing.