Eliminate a cause of knife crime - do it now via this page today

Given that the world of finance and many of its practitioners are being criticised without end at present, it is notable that the Christian community has squared up to these types.

Companies who use tax avoidance measures to cut their tax bills - and thus not pay legitimate taxes to governments caring for their country people - are the subject of a campaign by Christian Aid.

By tax dodging, society is adversely affected, made poorer - and if you read parts of this blog - you'll see how the lack of morality of such companies can be a causal reason for knife, gun and other violent crime.

To send the British Prime Minister your view that financial secrecy such as tax dodging is wrong, visit the Christian Aid website here: add your voice now to the anti-tax dodging campaign.

Just enter your email address on this site and you will be joining with thousands to help eliminate one of the causes of knife crime. Nothing to lose... with life and maybe much else to gain...

Poverty and the young - search for knife crime solutions part 3

ANOTHER solution area worth exploring is the alleged severe and demonising way we treat young people in Britain. By punishing those who have yet to learn to be an effective part of the country, their community, we make them more dysfunctional - and we fear them more when they don't conform. And then (in the UK) we criminalise them, arresting them for, say, hanging out. In Finland they take a different approach by working in a proactive way, working a system of systematic care for their young... while the UK is pretty roundly condemned across the world for its attitudes to youth.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has remarked on 'the general climate of intolerance and negative attitudes towards children, especially adolescents, which appears to exist in the UK, including in the media, and may be often the underlying cause of further infringements of their rights'. Interesting and thought provoking, possibly indicating poor government rule, poor childrens policies + politics, poor parenting across this nation, poor environments many have to live in, and clear prejudice + resentment among adults towards young people.

Adults seem to be afraid to look in the mirror, transferring their hidden psychological ills and failed lives and communities on to 'the young' for simply walking about. That said, maybe adults are merely a product of their difficult backgrounds as they grew up and this 'dog-eat-dog' work environment that many of us seem to bound up in. Sometimes I think some existence in this country - especially when caught up in drunken violence and street, gang + knife crime - is what is meant when life is described as 'hell on earth'!

A final most noteworthy issue in my reflections on developing solutions to knife crime comes from, among others, the World Health Organisation. Apparently, obvious poverty is not linked to violence; in fact, it's relative deprivation that is the causal link. The WHO reports that rising income inequality in Europe has resulted in an increase in numbers of murders.

And that, bearing in mind the current strong focus on tackling dodgy bankers, bullying businesses and the super-rich, makes one applaud the political and media drive to nail down those corrupt and flawed elements of capitalism that are making everyone's lives worse.

WHO reports: "Overall, good evidence indicates that violence among young people can be prevented through the organised efforts of society... And the evidence base is much stronger for interventions that adopt a public health rather than criminal justice approach, and for those that reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors among young people early in life than for measures that seek to reduce violent behaviour once it has already emerged."

Interesting - have you noticed there are many medical conditions for young people these days? Maybe an unspoken drive by world medics to manage the murder / violence risk? Very speculative, I guess, but food for thought. 

Anyway... starting to concluding this reflective mini 'essay', good progress has pretty obviously been made highlighting the issues of knife crime and other violence to the country. And there are clearly many individuals and groups (especially those directly affected by knife crime) who have worked in local communities - and are active now - to make a difference for the public good. It is relatively clear that some reductions in knife crime have been made, at least at times. Without doubt, many are motivated to solve the problems of violence.

And so, where to now...? 

Real in-roads must be made to drive down the average violent deaths carried out daily on British streets... from two a day by, say, a third (that would be a reduction in killings of about four or five a week). Can we do that by 2020 or sooner?

That would be a real success measure of initiatives started around the start of this millennium. Don't know to be honest; feels like an ambitious goal - but no politician or government has shown the public courage, commitment or initiative to set it, as far as I have observed, so maybe it's left to the knife crime and anti-violence campaigners to do so. We can but try. Onwards...

Solutions to the knife crime menace in the UK: part 1

WHAT progress has been made tackling knife crime in the years since this blog started? I've taken a little time out to reflect on the situation over the summer holidays... hope these reflections and evaluations prove useful.

In the book 'Britain etc', the journalist Mark Easton (Home Editor at the BBC) reports a stark but simple truth about the latest knife crime facts: "As a rough average, two people are murdered every day in Britain. The most common weapon used is a blade or other sharp instrument. The most likely stab victim is a young man." In fact, a third of all murders are caused by some kind of blade or other stabbing implement.

So, in a very clear way, that brings us right up to date with the knife crime statistics - and very terrible they are too.

So, more reflectively, my first blog post was published a few months after the fatal stabbing of Jacky Marshall, a supervisor in a McDonalds restaurant at Chichester, West Sussex, England, on a Saturday lunchtime in April 2005 when children's fun and parties were in full swing.

I was a witness who went to try to help the victim, cradling a fatally injured Jacky in my arms as her life ebbed away. It was most devastating to her family and traumatising for many, not least this anti-knife crime blog writer. The Crown's case against the killer Shane Freer was not yet begun and I had decided to try to make a difference to the wider national debate and deliberations about knife crime by starting a blog that provided focus on forming solutions and gave some kind of coherent outlet for the outpourings and anguish of those affected by this scourge of the nation.

At that time I recall an undercurrent of awareness about quite frequent knife attacks and a powerlessness to address what was sensed as a kind of invisible evil. Media attention was certainly less attentive and highly reactive. High profile cases, for example the horrendous deaths of Stephen Lawrence, Damilola Taylor and Ben Kinsella, expressed national as well as local outrage - but there was possibly not the highest appropriate focus on addressing the depraved violence that was, and continues to be, a sickening hallmark of all knife crime across the nation - and of course mostly any kind of violent attack.

The parents of Stephen Lawrence parents pursued justice for their slaughtered son pretty much all the time this blog has run - see Stephen's timeline for justice. Similarly, the parents of Damilola Taylor have campaigned for solutions to problems in inner city communities (see the Damilola Taylor trust website). And then there was the Kinsella family campaigning and the formation of The Ben Kinsella Trust, led by his actress sister Brooke.

In addition to these, there are the many other victims, equally innocent and no less deserving of public attention. Pictures of many (from London) can be seen on this knife crime blog post.

And so, where are we now - really?

I've observed many groups and families affected by such crime; as well as obvious grief and a desire for comfort, they search I've noticed (sometimes unconsciously) for some kind of focal point to best channel their grief to solve the devastation of a killing that has afflicted their lives and lives of friends, relatives and of people within their local communities. They look for some kind of societal and national unity, some kind of common group, banner or standard to rally around. With this, families and friends of victims across the country - perhaps the world - would feel they can make better progress together to deter aggressive, violent, weapon-carrying behaviour. 

I've observed Government clumsily offering a little solace and resource to help. I've seen too that Government, as in many other areas, fail to properly measure, better understand and communicate about the violence issue. And yet, obviously, Government is full of people with concern and good intentions.

So how to stop the killing, the maiming with blades - or indeed with any weapon? How much closer is a solution, or achieving synergy across a variety of suggested solutions and initiatives?

My view is there is now much greater understanding about where solutions could be found. More research and knowledge about the causes of knife crime are available. But I think many campaigners and communities need to work out how to arrive at solutions more quickly. That's not a criticism; it's more about moving towards the common goal of eliminating knife crime, as much as possible, in parallel with all other campaigning. Possibly greater leadership is needed to bring all this together, perhaps more objective leaders who can help bring together all those different anti-violence initiatives, groups and individuals, and national + local officials.

Look for areas where significant differences can be made. For example, most murders are 'male-on-male', confrontational or grudge/revenge killings. 

Confrontational might typically be about a couple of alcohol-fuelled lads not intent on killing the other (initially). So reducing fights and alcohol use on Saturday nights makes sense with many police and pub security staff always involved here providing deterrents most weekends. (More killings occur on Saturdays than Mondays!) If only young men would drink more responsibly, then our streets and drinking holes would not be so fearsome at nights.

Grudge killings however tend to be premeditated and weapons are carried to the scene, frequently linked to gangs with boys and teenaged men aged 10 to 19. Some 13% of these 'gangsters' have carried knives in the previous year, according to research. Killings happen due to being 'dissed' - disrespected, disparaged, or simply feeling treated with such contempt. 

These people really need to 'grow up' in this tough, modern world, take some personal responsibility for their lives and actions - but they can't seem to deal with 'tough' - they prefer silencing problems with weapons; it seems an easier solution.

But you can't say that to them perhaps... it would be likely to make things worse.

And of course, what this country's business and political leaders offer as an alternative to aggressive weapon-carriers doesn't appear that appealing or palatable i.e. hard work with no guarantee of decent wages, pension, reasonable prices, decent home, affordable taxes etc. And not forgetting corrupt banks, greedy psychopathic corporations, bullying workplaces and the like. And not forgetting too, research tells us, the 'dog-eat-dog' work environment as dictated by business, political and local leaders, especially in the UK. It's a world many do not want, do not want to participate in (especially young men). There's little in it for them. Using a knife or a gun with violence brings some control to some people's lives, it seems.

In my next post I reflect on the knife crime statistics in more detail and also examine in a fairly broad sense the causes of knife crime, specifically poverty. Check back here when you get chance. Thanks for reading.

Passionate anger in pursuit of peace in the knife crime business

As time goes on with knife crime campaigning, or indeed any kind of campaign, things can become less motivating where progress seems difficult to achieve. I just thought I'd write a short piece about giving up... or rather not giving up - it's worth keeping on.

It is quite isolating at time writing a blog; I've tried to contact some key people, kept focus on the key issues (and probably strayed off script at times), always invited comments, passed on Facebook details, tried to make time where there seems little to find. Staying motivated can be a struggle - one can get tired, weary etc and wonder if things will really change that much, especially as the killings and injury crime figures keep on piling in.

That said, when someone fatally stabbed dies in your arms, I don't think the motivation to change things can leave you.

And to campaign for peace does not mean being passive. In fact, a form of aggression is needed, determination, perseverance. Some aggression is not necessarily negative - combined with passion, it can drive an athlete on to achieve; it can drive on those campaigning for justice, truth, change in the knife and violent crime business.

To know criminally-minded people are killing and injuring others will always be wrong. Moderation in the face of such devastation must not be countenanced. It is necessary to become angry when people do not put down the knives, the guns.

Such anger is not 'out of control' - it is essential to try to restore proper order. We probably need our own house in order too, but a moderate reaction just won't do. Just as many are angered by corrupt bankers and greedy corporations and businessmen in recent economic times,  so it is with knife carriers. Criminal, evil acts must not be tolerated.

An aggressive pursuit of justice and truth, of change for the better is required. It is essential - and it is a peaceful pursuit.

Goldman Sachs Richard Sharp on BBC Newsnight

I just watched Richard Sharp, a former 'chief' at Goldman Sachs, on BBC Newsnight try to justify financial collapse and misery for millions (and a recent increase in knife crime), and thought I would make a comment...

He, and others like him, are greatly responsible for the current world financial mess. It's an unjustifiable position. Look at the dying. He needs to become a nurse and care for those who have been devastated by financial money men's ceaseless, slave-ish demands for 'return' and poor business decisions of the past.

Anyway, we all should look ahead, learn from the past, and then make positive plans for improvements in the future to reduce knife and violent crime

Not sure about this knife crime post. Maybe it should be deleted or added to... but I just watched Goldman Sachs' Richard Sharp and clearly saw a flawed, idiotic generation... People have died, been shot, knifed to death - and business, finance, the rich are at least partly responsible for not helping to build a better society.

Knife and violent crime rise in 2011 highlights blame 'game'

IT CAN'T be a coincidence knife and other violent crime is now rising as economies and poor past financial management in international trading cities such as the City (London) and across the UK + world continue to wreak havoc all around.


And, for the safety of the general public, today's news that a new law will be introduced to lock up knife-carriers seems most appropriate - see article in The Guardian - Knife crime teenagers to be jailed.


(For reference, this post is based on publication of some knife crime statistics showing more people are now facing blade attacks, apparently, an increase from 13,994 to 14,980 - and violent crime is up 10% to 1.15 million - although I can't see when these figures are compared to or a verifiable source for them on the web except this newspaper story in The Sun.)


Observing politicians and the rest of us as economic contagion spreads and some related societal breakdown and misery become evident, it is clear the issue is most serious.


Who (and what) is to blame for the contagion misery continuing to work its way out of the economic system? Opinions are most serious - they influence political and societal thinking - and who has done poor jobs, helped to make it happen?


Those with security jobs are charged with protecting us - but more people are likely to be injured or die at present - so they and their masters (or mistresses) want to point out "it's not our fault, it's the economy", so 'don't sack me from my job'.


Those looking after economic matters - from City business adviser types and senior bankers right down to the one-man businesses, and even those running household budgets - are thinking "it's not my fault, it's all sorts of other things" so 'don't sack me from my job'.


At a most simple level, people need to stop running scared, stop arguing and stop being in self-preservation mode. Calm down, support each other, eke out peaceful effective solutions... for the greater good. If only that would happen.


If not, more people will die or get injured from knife crime or other violence - and then all those arguing are likely to be at fault for wasting time shouting and not mapping out solutions. I get the feeling no-one knows what the important things are to do... (Tory MPs Theresa May and Kenneth Clarke take note). Maybe I'm wrong - what do you think?

Anti-capitalists help anti-knife crime campaign

I FIND the Occupy protests a little surreal. After years highlighting the fact (through this blog) that defeating knife crime - and other violent crime - also requires corporate and societal greed to dissipate, it is almost bemusing to see ordinary people + anti-capitalists coming together to protest along the same lines.

"You are turning the world into a 'den of thieves' "

 - Jesus Christ speaks out

Can such protests help give back aspiration and hope to young people and those dispossessed by the current economic mess? I don't really know - but it feels like a start. Anything that contributes to driving knife crime and violence out of society deserves support.

Here are the demands of the Occupy protesters in London - Guardian article: Occupy London protest issues demands forCity of London clean-up. And in Wall Street, here are the broadly described demands... more and better jobs, more equal income distribution, less profit (or no profit) for banks, lower compensation for bankers, and more strictures on banks on negotiating consumer services such as mortgages and debit cards, cut influence of corporations - financial firms in particular - especially in politics, and they want a more populist set of government priorities: bailouts for student debtors and mortgage holders, not just for banks.

In response, an anonymous poster to this blog sent me a link to an explanatory 'lesson in economics' video rebutting such demands:



PS: I was just thinking that the protesters are perhaps scared of the negative impact of capitalism... I know I am (no home, no money, no clothes, no food etc) - and not a little fed up, of course, with 'those people and businesses at the top of the tree' continuing to line their nests and hoovering money out of everyone below them like a huge cocaine snorting pipe (come to think of it, their addiction to money is pretty much like drug abuse). That said, it seems many of us ordinary people also exhibit signs of this addiction... at least at times.

So the protest at St Paul's Cathedral, London, is not, perhaps, about "occupying" the City... it's about seeking sanctuary from the awful consequences of failed capitalism - and also making a stand against the misery it has been creating. Fear and anger are great motivators to protest - and the Christian Church, as God and Christ's representative on earth - has a duty to help those who are afraid, are the powerless, are the dispossessed, are the poor...

Having said that, we can be reminded of 'capitalist' insight given once by Winston Churchill... "There never will be enough of everything while the world goes on. The more that is given, the more there will be needed. That is why life is so interesting." That said, there is much abundance in life - and it's not all about money and possessions. Think we just need to work out how everyone can enjoy 'abundance'.

Life as a knife / gun crime gangster or financier

A real life story of a financier who ended up as a criminal has caught my eye - Jordan Belfort. His life struck me as an accurate caricature of the current banking and economic greed that has dominated modern life in recent times.

Belfort also pursued riches and a luxury lifestyle that appeal to knife and gun gangsters (at least some of them).

With that in mind, interesting to cover his life story to serve as some kind of modern day parable for those thinking that crime and greed pays. It doesn't and you can see it clearly in Belfort's story. Sorry if it seems somewhat unfair on Jordan - I'm not sure how else to write it.

Belfort probably sums up a kind of insidious evil that can grip a selfish, self-centred human spirit - recklessness, greed, gambling, crime, power - a whole gamut of excess that is abhorrent to decent people.

When he started selling stocks, he once made 12.5m USD in a few minutes. He had mansions, luxury and sports cars. He flew in private jets and helicopters. Coco Chanel’s yacht was his. He married an attractive blonde model.

Sex, drugs and the love of money

Belfort had tens of brokers working for him, and then hundreds. He inspired his men who sold stock which often went up. Belfort encouraged his brokers to spend their own money wildly... to keep them champing at the bit for more. Prostitutes and drug dealers... you can just visualise it – cars, drugs, parties, short skirts (no skirts!), air-punching on the trading floor.

He had everything worth having, right?

Wrong. As money poured in from crime, Belfort started to lose perspective. He had 19 servants. He wore watches, shoes and clothes worth many thousands of pounds. But he started to break the law. He created a scam that made him multi millions. The FBI investigated him. He started on drugs – crack, cocaine, Ecstasy, cannabis, painkillers, sleeping tablets and anti-depressants. What's your poison...?

To quote Belfort: he was “stealing $100 million from thousands of investors and smuggling millions of dollars to Switzerland”.

He became paranoid. His life fell apart. His yacht sank. His jet crashed. He had a near-death experience in his helicopter.

It gets worse. Belfort started to crack up. He pushed his wife down the stairs at one of his mansions. Drugged out of his mind, he grabbed his three-year-old daughter, put her in his car and drove off. But he didn’t get far. He crashed through the garage door into a marble pillar. The girl was not wearing a seat-belt. She was unharmed. Jordan Belfort’s wife began divorce proceedings.

Investigated by law enforcement authorities

Belfort was told by the FBI he faced 30 years in jail. His option to escape jail was to grass on his 'pals' – in other words, talk to his co-conspirators about the frauds they had jointly committed, and secretly record the conversations.

He chose to be a grass. Yep - set up close chats with old 'friends' while wearing a wire to discuss crimes that were committed.

He served 22 months of a four year jail sentence. His whole life story is to become a Martin Scorsese film. Not sure if that doesn't glamourise crime - maybe not as it should show his life's spectacular failure and collapse.

He said: "I went off course. I had bankrupt values. Number one was money. Number two was power. Number three was sex, mostly with hookers. Number four was drugs.”

It is little wonder that young people and others who take up knife and gun crime - perhaps to escape poverty - have had little to aspire to when idiot, avaricious financiers (like Belfort) and businesses (that Belfort worked for) remain solely focused on their self-interest, their profits - and regulation and governments across the world are way too corrupt (perhaps also gullible) and let them get away with it.

Private hell as greed-ridden life starts to collapse

Here's a few of Belfort's reflections on his life being a pathetic criminal:

“The problem on Wall Street is you’re not creating anything. There’s no satisfaction. The only barometer you have is money. And money has no meaning. You try to attach meaning to money by buying possessions.”

If you want to make money, you have to train yourself to be obsessed with money. And then life starts to lose its meaning.

He started out as a criminal after a man who was bent taught him how to be bent too. (That'll be education, education, education). Interestingly Belfort had good intentions, thinking he'd only be bad occasionally and then go back to being nice.

But he lost his family, and then his freedom.

Before being locked up in prison, he said to his children: "I’ve made some serious mistakes and if you make mistakes there are consequences. I have to go away for a while… to jail."

And the upset among the family was huge. He mentions his wife and daughter in the interview I'm reporting on here. He has a son as well, the article said.

He says he's not spiritual and does not have integrity, unlike his new wife-to-be. Hopefully, things will change for the better for him now. Let's hope he's reformed - sounds like it.

Modern-day parable of gangster-ism. Learned anything?

Parable over. Suffice to say, if you're a knife and gun user - you can see what you can become in this post if you use criminal ways to try to get ahead. A complete tosser.

UK Election: Where's the crime policy pledges etc?

This is not good. I've been watching the UK election news since the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the general election for May 6... and not one word have I heard about crime, especially not knife or gun crime.

There's been Cameron and his twist on national service for young people (which can't really be criticised - unless young people don't want to participate, I thought). Then there's the economy being centre stage which all politicians have come to far too late. I just don't think they understand how to help the people they are supposed to serve. Labour seems to have helped a great deal avoid problems of the UB40 times from the 1980s - but it's not unlike trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. Banking matters should have been tackled much sooner.

And why is this relevant to knife crime? Because young people need to have something to aspire to - and a corrupt, unmanageable financial / economic system is not something to aspire to. In fact, it's a man-made, moral disaster for the globe and encourages criminality, it seems (as well as causing famines, poverty etc).

Come on politicians, what are your ways to tackle the knife crime scourge affecting society - and other violent crime? Bring on the debate...

Business - Criminal, hurtful acts in commerce...

BUSINESS must change or be changed - it hurts too many people too often... just like some violent people it seems. That's going to be as tough a challenge as fixing knife crime, gun crime etc - probably tougher.

Will business stop killing UK - and world - society?

It's as important now as it was then... in fact, probably moreso... that to solve knife crime, gun crime and violence problems there must be something of substance for would-be assailants to aspire to other than street and related crime.

I have alluded to this at various times on this blog, including a post on business killing security and happiness in society.

It was with a little hope then that I discovered an interesting article that highlights some key areas about reforms which businesses need to consider to establish a better business framework for the future that may provide a better basis for people - and society - to stay out of crime and aspire to a more honest working life.

Here's how it starts:

Saving Britain’s future — fixing the country's (world's?) balance sheet?

If Britain were a company, it'd be undergoing a “business review”. Exec summary as follows, “UK Plc was once hailed for its excellent, beautifully engineered product range.

"It owned some of the world's best brands and had a presence in many overseas territories. Service offering was sometimes eccentric, but this pillar of the business community was committed to high commercial values.

“With the retirement of its long-standing managing director, a series of new CEOs' came in. Keen to make their mark, they took the business public and pushed into new markets, particularly complex financial products'. Profits surged, UK Plc took on new people, market expectations soared. With the disposal of its old industrial divisions, credit ratings hit triple-A.

“A focus on the P&L, however, led management to neglect the balance sheet. Huge levels of debt were built up. This new leveraged' structure was justified by the promise of ceaseless future earnings from the globalised market.

“The business model was robust', spokesmen insisted. However, when its debt providers retrenched and customer confidence nosedived, the strategy of the recently rebranded Cool Britannia was exposed.”

Read more details via Google - various versions of this article are spread in various places.

It talks further about not advocating a return to short-termist “wealth-creation” that spawned what Financial Services Authority chairman Lord Turner calls “socially useless” commercial activity.

A good business needs predictable, long-term revenues. It needs well-trained, enthusiastic people and manageable levels of debt. It should produce strong products that people buy because they need or want them, not just because they've been “sold” into submission.

And maybe from that, people can earn decent livings - or even achieve much more, rather than become knife or gun criminals.

Minister joins Knife Crime blog criticism of arrogant bankers

Well, it's good to see some pretty senior people agree with me. In my business killers post below, I criticised the greed of bankers and business. Now, City minister Lord Myners has echoed this blog's thinking. His words also aptly describe the superior, lofty attitude of the out-of-touch banking and business elite: "arrogant", "greedy", "no sense of society", and describing their approach to life as "unpalatable".

Hope things change for the better. Tackling an inequitable work and life environment just might give some hope that knife crime, violent crime can be tackled at grass roots level, offering lifelines to the despairing and disenfranchised out there that it is worth working for a living. And I know this is idealism talking - imagine, some kind of heaven on earth. How daft am I...

Business is killing security and happiness in our society

During summer last year I pointed out in this knife crime blog that greedy bankers and business would cause us major misery (see business killers post).

Well, then the whole world financial system crashed - which, despite my prophetic-type comments, surprised the heck out of me!

Now, as the mess caused by a greedy financial system and money-obsessed business machine starts to roll out, causing abject misery for millions, there are still business people out there saying, "Glad I'm not among those poor little people struggling on next to nothing. Imagine, no job. Must be their fault. They need to get on their bike. I worked to get where I am, I deserve to be in a safe, secure position."

You know, the kind of selfish rhetoric that bounces round those self-interested types.

Well, it just occurred to me that perhaps it really is time that the high salaries, bonus mentality etc and the capitalist gearing that ensures corporations hoover money out of society, country economies etc, even poor and sick people's homes, must stop.

What gives someone the right to earn more than the nurse, dustman or the toilet cleaner? Better use of brain power? I'm not saying the lazy and criminal etc should be rewarded - some pushing, penalty and punishment is surely required at times.

But who says law-abiding, honest people, hard-working families, deserve so much less than the business people who are obsessed with the luxuries of life, at the expense of others?

More equality is required. Love is missing in the economy. I don't mean elimination of reward for good work. But it is obscene for a few to be able to acquire the trappings of massive wealth while others barely get by, perhaps starving or near the breadline.

I refer back to what I said a while back - those in authority, societal leaders, especially those at or near the top of the financial or wealth tree, need to realise the reponsibility they have to ensure a moral, accessible economic system that allows those in the poorer sections of society to aspire to better lives, to be able to do worthwhile work. In the current recession, livelihoods, skills, decent lives are being shattered and it's going to get worse.

At the moment, we have a prime, terrible example, how the so-called cleverest, best and honoured in society just stripped the system to a shambolic state barely deserving the words 'human'. What a bunch of bankers. Remembering this is a knife crime blog, it's worth considering the analogy that they may not hold the knife but they are at least partly responsible for the reasons why misery is caused, why crime happens and blades are in people's pockets.

Mind you, after saying all that, you must all realise that it can be pretty easy to rant on in this vein, casting about for some people or something to blame. I don't pretend to be highly knowledgeable about all of this but I can't help feeling that, despite all those great brains out there, we seem to be in a situation where the blind are leading the blind - straight into some pretty crap ditches.

I suppose, at the end of the day, if life was easy, we'd all be millionaires.