Global Economy or a drain without a plug?

It isn't all that long ago that I was working from home .
I had a little business and managed to keep myself busy and get paid to do so.
The Business was chugging along nicely with minimal outlay .
Then it plummeted into the abyss.

My clients were it seems ,all interconnected.
The main client (Client A) ,it turned out, also employed 2 of my other clients (client B And C) who in turn, employed me.
So when Client A decided that  they could get a partial service from workers in India who would do the basics for 20p an item, they dispensed with my own more extensive services at £1.50 an item and also with those of Clients B and C,who as a repercussion, could no longer employ me .

At first sight this would seem logical and money saving on the part of Client A but if you look into it a bit more carefully, you will see that the money that previously was paid to the workers in the UK, instead of being used to buy things within the UK and therefore remaining in the UK economy, is now paid to workers in India who buy things in India and have no intention of spending it elsewhere(India having a lower cost of living ,who can blame them?).

Client A are not the only company contracting out to the far off lands, several other companies also do so and some companies (even our local bus service) recruit from far away, despite the fact that there are people in the UK queuing up for jobs back home.
The workers that are recruited, send money back for their family to live on and so there again, the money leaves the country,never to return.

While the Government is cutting costs all over the country, there is still a schism that is leaking the economy and they seem blind to it.

I don't blame the workers in these remote countries, they are being given opportunities and who would not jump on the gravy train if they saw it beckoning?
I do think that there needs to be a brake on the practice though or this country is going to become a population of massively overcrowded ,overweight, depressed ,embittered people with no prospects ,relying on unhealthy vices to keep them from either rebelling against the system or warring amongst themselves.
We need laws that give priority to those in this country where work is offered by companies here.

Prospects?

Recently there has been some news regarding the work opportunities given to those on Job seekers allowance in the UK.
Some companies signed up to a scheme in which the JSA claimants would work for them, receive the same JSA that they are paid anyway and expenses and nothing more.
People quickly pointed out that if they did no work, they got JSA and if they worked for these companies, they got nothing else.
The companies were offering 'work' but not advertising it for people to apply for and be paid a wage for.
When the scheme has run it's course, because the companies have not openly stated that there were vacancies,they can dispense with the 'workers' because they don't have a position for them to fill.

Our own graduates are unable to find work having studied for 3 or 4 years and clocked up a student debt.
The Government want young people to continue on in Education  past the compulsory 16 years of age but with no additional prospect of being employed when they obtain their degree.

Young people are pushed from one training scheme to another with no target in mind.
They are told that training will lead to employment.

They are asked at 14 to choose their subjects to study so that they can use them to get a job but no one at 14 has any great idea of how their life will progress and so often the choice is blind or made on the balance of teachers liked, lessons friends will be in, amount of effort needed,likely hood of getting rich quick.
(Performing arts are a popular choice in school).

Whinge Alert!

When does wangling become deceiving?

OH has always been what I call a Wangler.
This word personifies a tricky nature who will twist words and scenarios to get best advantage.
Some would call it Wiliness (think Wile E coyote from road runner).
In some ways, this is a lucky trait because ,after all it is the way shops trick you into buying their goods, so knowing the strategies can help guard against them being used upon you.
However, OH is not a salesman.
He is a husband and father.

So when he uses his wily ways on me, I hate it.
Not so very long ago we argued about his wanting to join the RAF reserves (with guaranteed deployment).

OH you must understand, does what OH wants and will ride rough shod over anyone who thinks differently.
In this matter however, I stood firm.
I married in a Quaker meeting house, understanding that we both were peaceful thinkers and actors.
It is just about acceptable that he should be a special constable, considering the rude and arrogant manner in which the police treat civilians.

I have watched him go from wanting to be a full time policeman in his early 20's,not revealed to me until after our marriage, to rejection after rejection on application.
They of course are quite happy to accommodate his need to perform in uniform by letting him do it for free.
He has been a Special for way over 15 years now.

I pointed out that I was not happy with his urge to join the armed forces. If he should decide to put himself  at risk to the detriment of our family and well being ,then he would be doing it as a single person.

Anyway ,I digress.
The point of this post is that he has decided he wants to help the riot police (again as an unpaid pawn).
It is an offshoot of the specials but would encompass more violence.
He did the training days and according to him is accepted.
Yesterday he informed me that this off shoot is part of the Honourable Artillery Company and he wants to join.

Hang on the  Honourable Artillery Company?
Artillery? Guns?

Yeah, the territorial Army.
He cant see why I am bothered.
He started the riot training in October and only mentioned the HAC yesterday.
4 Months later.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to discover why there was such a long space of time between the action and the revelation.
He decided he would first get accepted, then when the deed was all but done, he would just slip the other bit of information in as a quick comment.

This is his way of saying 'we discussed it' but actually... we didn't!
I have looked at the website and done some deeper reading.
The HAC is a subscription based affair.
Not only would his part in it be unpaid as he is already a special anyway, he must pay for the privilege or being told to come and perform.
The other thing that sits badly with me is the need to join.

I asked him if he needed to belong, to be able to do the riot police duty.
He said NO
So I asked him why he is talking about joining then?
Surely he is a special who is accepted by he specials to do riot work?

What on earth has the HAC to do with it?

As usual the question is met with stony silence.
Obviously I am spoiling his  wangling plans.

.........................................................................................................................


Just to add to the above..
This lunch time he informed me that he will not need to join the HAC after all.
Apparently they are not the same as the Riot squad.
I knew he was already accepted for the Riot work anyway.
The HAC is separate unless you join it as well.
I find it a little muddling that you would join it as well but there you go.

As far as I could tell from the HAC site, you must be no more than 43.
OH being 50 this year, is well beyond that.


Do I sound like a kill joy?

I don't feel like one!
Unless the definition of joy is that one person may enjoy themselves regardless of their family in a bachelor style existence.
If that is the case then OH already gets plenty .