I was going to bet on the outcome of the election…

by Pseud O'Nym

The one seemingly constant in this election campaign is the way that some politicians have bastardised Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s most widely known saying. During his Inauguration Address as President in 1932 he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

But in 2015, those seeking election both instill and feed a fear. A fear of rising taxes and falling living standards. Of rising unemployment and falling benefits. Of rising demands on the NHS and concern about how it can be afforded. I could go on, but frankly, if you’re reading this, I’d kind of hope you’d agree without me having to do a full list.

But yet, there is enough money here. The UK is the 5th largest economy in the world. It’s not that we haven’t got the money, it’s more the choices we make as how we spend it.

£100 billion on Trident and upwards of £42 billion on HS2?

So, £100 billion on something we never want use, but must have – so we’re told – to act as a deterrent. Mmmm. Good idea that! It’s the same as hiring a bodyguard to be at your side all the time, only for him to go rogue and kill you. Anyone seen ‘Dr.Strangelove’ and theDoomsday Machine. Think it couldn’t happen? Then don’t click here. Or here.

HS2. Works out just over £500 million a mile. (Before it’s fully connected up). I do hope they do Super Advance Tickets on that. What’s that you say? Rail services provide a worse service, while the subsidy we pay to private companies is more than we gave to British Rail. And there’s more? Not for the rail user there isn’t, there’s more, more fares now that the government has reduced the legal obligation on rail companies to offer cheaper tickets.

But we can afford an extra £12 billion of welfare cuts, Oh, that’s not welfare cuts to corporations – estimated to be in the region of £85 billion, but to the already poorest in society. After all, the best time to kick a man is when he’s down.

It’s all about choices. We can choose to be fearful. Or we can choose not to be.

By the way, I was going to bet on the outcome of the election, who’d win or lose which seat, what share of the vote UKIP would get etc so if it was bad news, I’d be marginally up on the deal. But never having used online gambling before, I looked at a few sites and found it all too confusing.

So gave up. And on that note, I’m off to vote.