Yes, not my normal abode for my wee blog on what’s happening in the World from my point of view, and not a normal week either, as today marks my 72nd year on this planet.
I have had a very busy morning till now, dealing with all the wonderful good wishes on my Birthday, and although I have tried to answer every one of them, I am sure I have missed some, and I therefore apologise for any omissions. One of the minus things about this ship is that it does not have a full cruise package of WiFi so you more or less pay as you go, with the exception of the FREE element of 250 minutes which I get because of my loyalty level with Princess.
The term FREE got me thinking and drawing a parallel with something that is very much in the news at the moment, Brexit. As I am sure most of you know, there are not many things in this life, free. For instance, this FREE internet I get is subject to paying a couple of grand on a cruise, I can’t just rock up to this ship, switch on my computer and get free Wi-Fi, can I? No, of course I can’t, I have to be part of the club of mutual benefit, to do this and I have to pay the entry fee, just like being a member of the EU.
Ok, so what do I get for this, well the first thing I get is everything I signed up for, I get all the benefits together with all the commitments, which I will continue to get until such times as I decide to leave. I get, security, safety, I get treated with respect, I get value for money (my entry fee just like the EU)., I get, first class meals, made with produce which has gone through rigorous testing. I get first class entertainment, I get excellent coffee, I get all the best brands of beverages, I get first class exercise equipment.
If I were to break all this
down individually, it would cost far more if I was not in the club, for instance
lets take an average day, I go out in the Morning and head into the town, I pay
transport costs and possibly parking charges, I am responsible for my own security
and wellbeing. I go into a coffee shop and pay say £2,50 for a coffee, possibly
two. I go around shops and make purchases, not knowing the standard of the goods.,
I go to lunch in a restaurant I have no idea of the standard it holds. I pay,
possibly £20 for a meal. Later I decide to go to a Broadway rated, show but to
do this I would have to perhaps travel to Edinburgh, so I have transport
charges and the cost of the show, perhaps £50. So, I then have dinner to pay for,
perhaps £40 by the end of my day it has cost considerably more than my day on
the ship (or EU club) and that has been an exceptional day out, whereas on the ship
(the club) I can have this every single day because of the economics of mutually
sharing benefit and finance.
Ok, so on a ship we have the stratified components of benefit. We have the passengers, similar to the established members of the EU who put the bulk of the financing into the club., We have the domestic staff who are the mobile labour and represent the newer members of the club. They go from ship to ship, offering their services, probably at the lower end of the scale in wages but far higher than they can earn back home in their home countries which are the newer members of the club (EU).
Then we have the crew who steer the ship on a true course, avoiding the storms and incidents that can affect life on board the ship (club), Just like the EU commission and parliament.
Ok, so what happens if, a passenger decides to leave the ship(club)? Well, no problem, but there are restrictions, as the ship (club) has made commitments based on the complete cruise, such as commitments to port charges and supplier contracts which must still be honoured so there are implications such as refunds of payments. In otherwards, you cannot expect to leave the club with all the benefits still intact, and you cannot expect to leave without payment.
In the UK case, not only is none of that understood as far as the Eu is concerned but they actually want to leave the ship on a sea day!! Before reaching port.
Ok, so that is my analogy of
the madness that is Brexit and if this is not stopped, it will go down in
history as the worst case of self-harm ever willingly brought upon a country by
its electorate, ably assisted by a bunch of Eton educated crooks.
Otherwise, the cruise continues, with a day at sea today, and the usual list of breathtakingly exciting activities to choose from like, bingo, flower arranging or upsetting people at the lunch table, who support Donald Trump. I wish people would stop becoming upset when they ask me my opinion on US politics, and I tell them.
Just one more thing before I go, and that is the amount of people who I have crossed sward’s with in the past, mainly because of my opinions on the way the SNP have handled the independence case, who have wished me a happy birthday, and said that although they do not agree with all I say, they enjoy my wee rants, raves and travel experiences.
No one can ask for more than that.
Have a good remainder of the Weekend folks, I will get on to what else is happening in the World in the days to come.
Slainte
Bob Costello 