One part of their self-congratulatory prose got me thinking when I read......
Last week we committed to the biggest overhaul of our rail system since the Victorian times – including electrification of the lines from Cardiff to Swansea and the Welsh Valleys.
Despite tough decisions on spending we are investing more in our transport system now than at the peak of the spending boom.
Alongside public investment, we are targeting £20bn of private sector investment. We have already secured major investment from places like China and the Gulf, and our new Pension Infrastructure Platform will commit its first £2bn investment in UK infrastructure early next year.T
This is in tandem with the reports that Investors from China, America and the Middle East are said to be interested in a bid to build a new nuclear reactor on Anglesey.
So investment from undemocratic monarchy in the Gulf or the Chinese government which imprisons dissidents on a regular basis.
When China was a Maoist country, poor but still undemocratic it was a pariah to Western Democracies or at least in words. Now that its embraced its own form of capitalism and allowed Western Companies in to exploit cheap labour in that country. Its appalling record on human rights is ignored and when dignatories visit the UK people are prevented from protesting about human rights and the occupation of Tibet
Do we really want to build our railways on the backs of political prisoners in the Gulf and China or exploited Labour?
The Western view of Democracy seems to be that it should be imposed on Arab states if they are Republics but virtual absolute Monarchies that abuse the human rights of their people should be allowed to carry on as long as they sell us their oil of course.
And Human rights in China and the exploitation of cheap Labour, by their own and Western companies should be ignored so long as we get cheap goods and investment in our infrastructure.
Doesn't it make you proud?
1 comment:
China will onnly build 5 of the 6 proposed power stations and nobody wants to bnuild the remaining one- so that one is going to be scrapped for definate. Which one is it going to be?
Then there is the problem of the Chinese demands. First and foremost, £35Bn - up front. Then there's the reactors. they wish to use a Chinese copy of the Westinghouse and for that the USA has to agree to the technology transfer. At the same time, the USA is not feeling particularly generous to the Chinese because of their obstructions in the UN regarding Syria. Then finally there is the little question of the Chinese wishing to use their own labour force (that's why they only want £35Bn) and also to have technicians and management in place when they are complete.
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