An Uncomfortable Truth

In the news at the moment is the Great British Meat Scandal, as I choose to call it. In a month or two I suspect it will have been overtaken by something else but at the moment, it has us all thinking about the food we eat, how it is made and where it comes from. The 'uncomfortable truth' for many is that for the most part, none of us really know where our food comes from, particularly processed meat. One thing that is clear is that very little of it originates here in the UK, most of it coming from Eastern Europe. I try to avoid processed meat as much as I can and I'm a naturally fussy eater anyway, inspecting most things before deciding to put them in me. If I have eaten horse meat, then I suspect like many I wouldn't have known or tasted any difference. I have no doubt that the procedures for checking what goes into our food will be tightened, but even then, how can we be sure of what we're being given to eat? I do believe that cost has a lot to do with it, though I don't believe the consumer is to blame for the cheapness and lowering of quality in the food we eat. The supermarkets are in ferocious competition with each other to sell us ever cheaper food. The economy has shrunk household budgets to such an extent that many have no choice but the buy the 'value' brands. Lower quality ingredients should be expected, but to substitute the main ingredient, i.e. beef for something entirely different is simply wrong.
This whole sorry saga will have a significant impact on the way we shop for food. Already, there is a decline in the sale of ready meals with many shoppers opting for alternative meats such as chicken and pork. A shake up of the whole industry is needed and I think that is what we will see over the coming weeks. This will inevitably come at a cost as greater emphasis is given by food producers and retailers to the processes involved in getting meat from the farms to our plates. If this means an increase in the cost of meat, then so be it. Perhaps that has been needed for some time. Perhaps it is cost that has driven quality and standards so low that even basic ingredients can no longer be guaranteed, or the origins of these ingredients truly known.
This has to be a wake up call for the whole industry. Consumers should expect a minimum standard of quality and assurance. I want to know what I am eating and where it is from. Don't you?

A Dangerous Game

I was criticised for being pessimistic last week. I have a very bleak view of the future and this is compounded by the financial mess affecting many parts of the world and the stresses being placed on our lives.
I now find myself concerned at events in the world that could lead us into new conflicts and confrontations. For it seems to me that we could be heading into a very dangerous game of brinkmanship brought about mainly by the actions of the US. The 'game' I refer to is the placing of a missile defence shield close to the border with Russia. The US claim this shield is to counter any offensive missile strike from rogue states in the Middle East or from North Korea. Russia do not believe this to be the sole reason and rightly suspect that it is targeting them. In an attempt to calm their fears, a request for participation in the project has been rejected and further to this, an assurance from the US that the system will not be used to target Russia has not been given. So just what exactly are the US playing at? Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the former Soviet Union, we have enjoyed relative security amidst mutual assurances, smiles and cordial meetings.So why seek to destroy this and plunge us into a new cold war? It makes no sense.
I don't believe I'm a loan voice. There have been murmurings across the Internet and in the press, expressing fear that we are on a path to confrontation. Many suggest that opposition to intervention in Syria or Iran will trigger either China or Russia to step in. If this were to happen then the outcome would be cataclysmic.
So who's calling the shots? Some suggest the European Missile Defense Shield is Pentagon driven, others that it is an arms industry hell bent of profiteering from a new arms race. I suspect that money is involved somewhere along the line - it normally is. Someone out there keen to make millions from making two superpowers push each other to the brink. Or am I just being overly pessimistic and bleak? Possibly... but I don't think it will be long before the threats turn into actions and make it from the columns to the front page.
We can only hope that common sense prevails. This will be a game with no winners.

Comfort Zones

The first part of this month has certainly been manic. Europe seems to be slowly destroying itself, Occupy London protestors have setup camp at St Paul's Cathedral, the economy of this country and many others are stagnating and we saw a devastating accident on the M5 motorway which claimed the lives of seven people. The economic catastrophe is one that closely mirrors my own. I am in debt and heading for financial ruin if nothing changes in the next few months. I wonder like many if the economies of Europe will ever recover. All we seem to read about is how much debt each country is in and how much more money they are borrowing to pay it off. But surely it is exactly the same as me using a credit card to pay off my debt. All it amounts to is moving debt from one place to another. It never gets paid off, it just gets worse. So what a mess and what needs to be done? Have the Occupy London protestors got it right? Is capitalism a failed system? The richer get richer and the poorer get poorer. How much longer can we go on like this and how much more can people stand before they start looking for a way out? Isn't this how radical political groups seize power? There seems absolutley no alternative but to begin looking for something different and I echo some of the things I have heard from those protesting in London. Maybe they are right.
As we approach Christmas, the pressure increases. There is enormous financial pressure this year on families up and down the land. If we are in any way typical of a UK family then I extend my sympathy and more importantly my empathy. People are looking for cheaper alternatives, ways to make the pound in their pocket go further than ever and to settle for second best. I know this as the things we have on eBay are selling. In the past we have struggled to attract any level of interest. Now, things are different. People are desperate and probably like me wonder what the future holds. I am frankly fearful of where we are heading. When your dreams are constantly better than reality, you know things are bad. The waking up each morning and the realisation that reality really is that bad. It's not good. I worry for my son. What will things be like for him and can I tell him with any confidence that he has a wonderful future ahead of him? The truth is I cannot. I would be misleading him. Luckily he's not old enough to know what's going on around him. We put on a brave face and try to act as if nothing's wrong. He'll have a marvellous Christmas and he'll get all the toys he's asked for. This year, it's all about him and so it should be.
So where do comfort zones come in? Well I am out of my comfort zone and I guess this is true also for many thousands of people. The feeling of knowing that I have £10 or £20 in my wallet, that the bills are all taken care of and that this will be home next year, all things that provide comfort and security. That is no more and I think it's fair to say that no one really feels as secure as they did a year ago. Many are wondering (and worrying) if they will have their job next year. The people providing those jobs are wondering of they can continue paying salaries and offering wage increases.
So I, the people I know and the family of Europe are all out of the comfort zone. The question has to be not how long it will last but how long can it last...
Better news next time?