Karzai

your readers will know that I am a long term critic of the occupations of both Iraq and Adghanistan and I would like to know other correspondents views on the comments of the President of Afghanistan, Mr Karzai, who is currently attending the economic jamboree known as Davos.Now the democratically elected Mr Karzai is widely reported as claiming that the Afghan people had 'suffered' from the coming of the British. So why doesn't he tell the British to go, and to take our money with us. We have already taken the bodies of British soldiers who have been killed and I think that the families of these soldiers have 'suffered' just as much as the Afghans.It is time to leave these people to sort out their own problems. Just as Gordon Brown should have sacked Peter Hain he should now tell President Karzai were to go and take ,our boys, out of Afghanistan.

Exeter Princesshay

may I congratulate the Echo, January 26, and Mike Byrne in particular for his exclusive on the Princesshay camera ban. This is an appalling state of affairs but is only the tip of the iceberg.Have I got the message wrong but is Exeter meant to be attempting to prevent global warming. So what do the planners allow to be constructed. Look for yourself. I went through Princesshay noting the number of stores who had their doors wide open and central heating systems blasting hot air into the street. Now if they had built Princesshay as an enclosed precinct as in Plymouth then the hot air would have been retained and not lost. Furthermore, readers will notice that, as an example, Boots and Marks & Spencer have sliding automatic doors which allow easy access and exit. Why were the Princesshay stores not built with automatic sliding doors.There appears to be no solar panels,and no wind turbines. Why, because I think that yet again Exeter has taken the cheapest option. They have sold out to corporate Britain and mammon. With all the wasted energy is it any wonder that bags have to be sold for £800 as was reported when Princesshay opened. Princesshay is already outdated and not sustainable as we enter the second great depression.

Exeter PFI schools

how is that councillors and our MP go on about the situation with regard to the Northcott and yet seem to have absolutely nothing at all to say about the appalling situation at ISCA PFI High school, and I am sure that the other schools also have there 'teething problems'.Your reporter, Kerra Maddern, last week gave us the situation over the leaking roof at ISCA. Now Exeter City Council, the Fire Brigade and Devon County Council have all signed certificates to the effect that the schools are fit for purpose, and we are, after all, meeting the bills for them. So, rather than get all uppity about the Northcott maybe Ben Bradshaw would like to tell us, after all the meetings which were meant to have been held last year, what exactly is he doing about these schools and in particular ISCA High.Finally, I hope that the school kitchens have been designed and built to be able to teach all the pupils how to cook because the last thing I want to hear is how much money will have to be spent to facilitate this new government policy. It is bad enough that none of the schools seem to have any wind turbines nor solar panels so will we add the kitchens to the litany of disasters at these most expensive schools.

Youth of today

With regard to the murder of Mr Newlove maybe the first thing we can do is to withdraw our soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq. I say this because it would appear to be alright for our soldiers to beat up Iraqis' and Afghans' without fear and kill them using heavy machine guns and bombs so setting an example of how to solve a problem. Yet when we do it to our own country then that is not right. By embarking on an illegal war and subsequent occupation you cannot blame our youths for following the example set by our own government.

Afghanistan

we are reading a lot about how the youths of today seem to be so much more vicious than their predessors and that they ought to be punished for their crimes, bring back hanging, birching or something similar. May I say this would be totally the wrong response.My problem is that I look at the images on the daily news about our brave soldiers in Afghanistan and the way they are treating insurgents, firing hundreds of thousands of rounds of heavy machine guns and dropping bombs on innocent women and children. Now we praise these men for? that's right beating people up or killing them. The people in a country which we have occupied because of attacks by Saudi Arabian terrorists on America. An America which just wants revenge, to fight in countries away from America because if we are killing them in Afghanistan and they are fighting amongst themselves then they cannot be killing homeland Americans.So, how can we expect the youths of today, in particular those who live in the north of England where so many Pakistani, or Moslem, people now live not to think that the solution to all problems is to beat people up, knife them or shoot them when it is the government and older people who are giving such an appalling example. Finally, when exactly can we expect Osaman bin Laden to appear in court?

Ron Paul

we know that the Echo has a world wide readership, especially the letters page, and although the American elections have no direct impact on the westcountry they are of great importance to us all. Accordingly, may I suggest that readers keep themselves up to date with a candidate who goes under the name of Ron Paul. I personally find him an interesting candidate because nobody wants to talk about him. However, I think he will be very influential in respect of the eventual outcome. Many Americans like what he says, the war in Iraq for example. So readers, if you are at all interested in the world outside Exeter then do some reserach into Ron Paul.

Political funding

Of course Peter Hain should resign, but what about the others, H. Harman for example. I sincerely believe that we are coming to the end of political parties and that the day of the Independent is coming. Why do these political parties need so much money. What exactly are they doing with the vast sums which are raised. We are told Hain had over one hundred thousand pounds. This is the shameful side of the story. What an absolute waste. Maybe he should have spent it on getting Britain out of Afghanistan.

Exeter City Council

now I know that some of us said that less should be heard from Mike Trim of Exeter City Council but I must pay credit where credit is due, not to him personally, but the staff of Exeter City Council.Last Saturday there was a collection of our grey bin. Unfortunately, I left out the green bin. This Monday I contacted ECC cleansing department to explain my error and that my grey bin was full and was there something which could be done to save me. By mid-day the council had sent the relevant people and my bin was emptied. So, thank you ECC and I am sure that the service could not have been any better if Exeter had gained unitary status. Well done the workers.

Exeter Northcott

with regard to the Exeter Northcott Theatre and the demonstrations held over the weekend it is noticeable as to the large number who turned out to save this tax payer funded institution. What interests me is the way in which so many people were activated to come onto the streets. I wonder where these people are when health service cuts are proposed or transfer of services to Plymouth of cancer facilities. Also, where are they over the war and occupation of Afhanistan and Iraq.Now what I would say is that if the Exeter Northcott put on more challenging productions, you know ones which threaten the supremacy of the government or the way in which the country was misled over the lies about weapons of mass destruction then maybe, just maybe, the Arts Council may say that this is a theatre worth funding instead of confirming what we all know that the taxpayer should not really be funding pantomimes.

Occupation of Afghanistan

it has been most interesting reading the articles on the presence of 'our boys' in Afghanistan. What you totally failed to do is to explain to the readers the extent of our total lack of understanding as to the appalling situation in that country with regard to our occupation.What people, the government, and the military have to understand is that there is no such thing as an Afghan. There are many distinct ethnic groups and people identify themselves within these groups, not as Afghans. These distinct ethnic groups can be bound together by one thing, a determination not to be ruled or occupied. The idea of a central government contolling all of Afghanistan is alien to the people there. Yet this is the desired outcome sought by the UK/USA.If Ben Bradshaw can find the time to save the Northcott then he really ought to take the time to understand why our policy of intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq will never succeed.

War in Iraq

we have now learnt that the former Prime Minister,Tony Blair, has accepted a position with an American bank which has significant contracts in Iraq. I have already said that I thought that Tony Blair had blood on his hands over the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq, now I say that he is also accepting blood money.Mind you he is not the only one, Gordon Brown, when he was chancellor cannot escape criticism because he was the one who paid for the war. Have you all noticed that since we retreated to the airbase in Basra there have been no reported deaths. Surely this is proof that we were always the problem and never the solution. How many lives have been destroyed over this shameful episode in British history. I will never forget the comments made by Mr Brown when referring to the death of his first child in that the baby looked so peaceful and I would ask him to look at the bodies of the innocents in Iraq and Afghanistan and tell us what we are actually meant to be doing in these countries.Other people who I regard as complicit are the upper echelons of the British army who gave the orders and some of whom have subsequently gone on to head up private military contracting companies. I am personally so glad that Prince Harry has not gone to Iraq because even though he takes the Queens shilling I doubt if her majesty would like to know what 'her and our boys' have done out there.There must be an inquiry into who ordered what, who has benefited, and finally what was the point in losing so many lives and the injuries suffered by both sides.

Save the Open University

some of you may know that I am a student with the Open University and have gained my Batchelor of Science. This institution has given me the opportunity which I never had as a young man. It is possibly the best opportunity for people to continue to educate themselves when they did not have the chance when they were young. I continue to learn.Could this be why this appalling government wants to cut the funding for the Open University. It is not acceptable for me to cause problems for Gordon Brown, Ben Bradshaw and the rest. So, cut the funding says Brown who seriously should be ashamed of himself.How dare he keep quoting his father about just get on with it. How can we when the government keeps charging student fees and pulling up the drawbridge to a better life. Socialists, they do not have a clue.Save the Open University before the Exeter Northcott.

Wage Increases Every Year!

Gordon Brown wants to see 2% increases for public sector workers. How wrong can he be! What is really needed is a complete wage freeze. Not only in the public sector but also the private sector unless your performance generates more wealth.We have to actually ask the question why do we think that every year without fail we deserve an increase in our earnings. Consider that if you do get an increase how much is taken away by income tax and national insurance!As for pensions I have to tell you that my pension this year has increased by the Retail Price Index and therefore over 4%, and that is received without me actually doing any work whatsoever. Yet workers are expected to accept 2%. How fair is that.As for pensions then it is becoming more obvious with every passing day that pensions must be linked to an average earnt over the last ten working years and not on the final salary.

Titanic Brown

should we now regard Gordon Brown, not as a man with a clunking great fist, but more like the Titanic. He will keep having relaunches but at the end of the day there is the same ending! He will sink without trace every time. When he continues to talk about a vision can I tell him that the only vision he will have is the approaching iceberg together with the dead on the battle fields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Express & Echo

it should be acknowledged that yet again the brilliant Echo has let its contributors to the Points of View down yet again. What was one of our request?.Yes, it was that there should not be so many articles and pictures of mike Trim! Yet what is one of the first articles in todays paper, yes the dreaded Mike Trim.Please, please please can we have less of this man. Is he paid by the number of mentions he receives in the local press, or does he pay you? Do you need this man, who I am sure is most wonderful, to fill your pages? Come on editor, show some imagination and get some real news.For example, why is it felt necessary to spend yet more money on flood defences in Exeter. Surely not to protect the new incinerator which is to be sited inappropriately on a flood plain on Marsh barton?Why is felt necessary to move part of the RD&E cancer unit to Plymouth when the fire at the Royal Marsden in London proves that centralisation does not work. The whole site could have been put out of action, whereas with two centres, Plymouth and Exeter, there is an alternative if something terrible happens in either one.Why does the Echo continue in its personal columnes to advertise houses of ill repute which surely, not only on moral but also legal grounds, it should cease to do.So Mr Astley I usually ask questions of Mr Bradshaw but in this case we should have answers from you, because I am sorry to say the Echo is failing in its duty to the local community with its news coverage.

Residents only car parking

may I suggest an improvement to the residents car parking scheme which may not receive approval from all the Echo readers.Why not base the charge on the overall size of the vehicle. Height times width times length. Surely this would be a very fair and equitable solution.With regard to charging for disabled parking I actually aree with this because the system has come into so much misuse that of course the council is correct in its actions. There actually should be stricter enforcement of the rules with regard to the issuing of these licences.

Gordon Brown Hypocrite

how great it has been over the New Year period to listen to some of the pronouncements from our Prime Minister Gordon Brown. You know the man who took over from Tony Blair during 2007 without going through any sort of election. He took over as a result of a bloodless coup and then declined to gain legitimacy for his government by declining to go to the Country by holding a general election.Now what I totally fail to understand is how he can tell other countries who have problems over elections that they must hold them and they must be fair. Am I the only one who seems to think that Gordon lives in a dream world of his own. Where was our election Gordon? As for elections being fair I, unlike some others, have some sort of memory where a judge stated that with elecoral practices in parts of the Country being like those in a banana how could we say that other parts of the world there is corruption over elections.As for cash for honours, that of course is in no way corrupt! What has happened with regard to the inquiry into the election of the labour party officials? Oh, Gordon welcome to 2008. Oh, nearly forgot, when can we expect the referendum over the European Constitution, sorry Treaty of Lisbon.