Conservative MP’s in the British House of Commons have come under fire in recent days following a controversial measure which would cut tax credits for many middle and lower income British citizens.
Earlier this month the House of Commons passed a controversial measure proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer; (equivalent to Treasury Secretary) George Osbourne, that would cut an estimated £4.5 billion in tax credits to lower income British citizens.
In a major political defeat, the traditionally ceremonial House of Lords blocked the government supported tax cuts in what has been dubbed by some Conservatives as a “Constitutional Crisis.”
Peers in the upper house voted by a majority of 17 to back the opposition Labour Party’s calls for the government to provide full redress to tax credit claimants who would be affected when their entitlements are reduced; as well as, a delay in implementation of the tax credit cuts until the government has effectively assessed the full financial impact of the measure.
The tax credits were introduced by the previous Labour Government as a way to encourage work and give aid to low income British workers and families with children.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the average tax credit family-single earner family with children- would lose an estimated £1,000 annually as a result of the cuts.
Prime Minister Cameron defended the cuts during last Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, stating that any cuts not made to tax credits would have to be made to the police or the NHS. The Prime Minister also stated his belief that the average family families will still be better off by 2017, as a result of the introduction of the National Living Wage.
In an interview with the BBC, Chancellor Osborne agreed to listen to people’s concerns and announce any modifications to the plan in November. The Chancellor maintained his belief; however, that reforms to the tax credit system were necessary to strengthen the British economy and provide economic security to families in the long run.
“If we have uncontrolled welfare bills, uncontrolled tax credit bills and the like, there will be no security for working families,” Osborne said.
The cuts were supported by David Cameron and a majority of Conservatives in the House of Commons; however, a number of Conservatives publicly challenged the measure.
Welsh Conservative Leader, Andrew Davies, stated that he supported the idea behind the reform but said he could not support the timing of the cuts insisting that the cuts should be phased in over a period of time. The majority of Scottish MP’s also raised concerns over the measure including the leader of the Scottish National Party who called the measure, “A daft idea”.
Chancellor Osbourne is expected to announce a modified version to the measure sometime in November. In an interview with the BBC, Chancellor Osborne agreed to listen to people’s concerns but maintained his belief that reforms to the welfare system were necessary to strengthen the British economy and provide economic security to families in the long run.
“If we have uncontrolled welfare bills, uncontrolled tax credit bills and the like, there will be no security for working families,” Osborne said.
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Cover Photo Credit: DFID – UK Department for International Development/ Flick (CC By 2.0)
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‘George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People’: Ten Year Anniversary Of Kanye’s Iconic TV Moment
10 years ago today, Kanye West went on live television and told the world that George Bush doesn’t care about black people.
On September 2, 2005, four days after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the nation, in front of 8.5 million viewers, his sentiment reflected the frustrations of the American people in response to the failure of the federal government to provide aid to the thousands of victims of the category 5 hurricane.
“I hate the way they portray us in the media,” West said during the Concert For Hurricane Relief, NBC’s live broadcast to aid victims. “If you see a black family it says they’re looting, if you see a white family, it says they’re looking for food.”
At the time, the show’s producers and viewers dubbed the moment as controversial television. Today, it is considered one of the most iconic moments in television history.
Looking back ten years later, we can see how the rest of West’s speech was equally controversial to the George Bush line, as he criticized the Iraq war and acknowledged the disparity in the way media treats black victims and white victims.
Ten years later, #Bushdid911 broke barriers of conspiracy theory status to becoming a widespread Internet movement and joke in its own right. As the topic of police brutality and the killing of black people at the hands of the state have been brought to the forefront of political discussion, West’s ideas on the unfair media portrayal of black people are increasingly relevant today.
“We realize that a lot of people that could help right now are at war fighting another way—they’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us,” West said in 2005.
West’s veracity in that moment has become a casual topic in the realm of pop culture as well. Two nights ago at the MTV Video Music Awards, West announced he’s running for president in 2020. Jokes aside about the delivery of his speech, West’s raw emotions have cascaded into a cultural movement for a younger generation to fight to be heard.
“This is a new mentality. We’re not gonna control our kids with brands. We not gonna teach low self-esteem and hate to our kids,” West said at the VMA’s. “We gonna teach our kids that they can be something. We gonna teach our kids that they can stand up for theyself! We gonna teach our kids to believe in themselves!”
While West isn’t necessarily a master of delivery in these unplanned and sincere moments, maybe he doesn’t have to be, as long as we take a step back and listen.
What do you think about Kanye West’s role in American political discourse? Tell us in the comments below.
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Should Obama Pardon Edward Snowden Before He Leaves Office?
By Chidera O. Nwosu
A Tale of Two Cities (1859), a novel fashioned by Charles Dickens, encapsulates the motif of duality (as Dickens puts it best “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”) in veneration of French Aristocracy.
The essential matter of this tale could also be likened to modern times of Edward Snowden – a man belligerently hailed as both snitch and martyr here in the United States for releasing gen on governmental surveillance.
It is this duality that pegs the eminent question: should President Obama pardon Edward Snowden before he leaves office?
Background
Snowden infamously known as the man who disclosed classified information of governmental surveillance abetted by the National Security Agency (NSA), is also a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee and contractor to the United States government and has an uncanny proficiency in computers.
Snowden utilized his dexterity in computers to duplicate and later leak classified governmental information without sanction.
Nonetheless, on May 20, 2013, Snowden took a leave of absence to Hong Kong to complete a duty he obstinately believes was for the good of the public.
In completing this duty, he willfully released thousands of NSA documents to journalists, which inevitably lead to the material being published by a sundry of newspaper stands on an international platitude.
It was June 21,2013 when the U.S Department of Justice criminally charged Snowden of theft of government property, illegal communication of national defense information, violation of the Espionage Act and deliberate communication of classified intel.
Currently
Snowden persistently seeks asylum after his treacherous disclosure of sensitive information relating to the inner-workings of American intelligence gathering.
According to wikileaks, Snowden had initially applied to 21 countries for asylum. Currently, he lives in Russia after the United States annulled his passport – and has been living there for the past 3 years.
Many in the United States have called for the return of Snowden to face pending criminal indictment.
Snowden finds that it is only necessary for President Obama to employ his presidential pardon in wake of his immediate crisis – since his 3 years asylum is almost up.
Amnesty international has called on the US government to drop the charges against Snowden, or to guarantee him a public interest defense in the event of his case going to trial.
This was further validated by Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty international who stated the following: “It is ironic that it is Snowden who is being treated like a spy when his act of courage drew attention to the fact that the US and UK governments were illegally spying on millions of people without their consent”.
And I have to agree, privacy is a primary constituent of Human Rights which paradoxically was violated by governments who pride themselves in being vanguards of Human Rights policies.
Shetty ends her statement by saying “It will be a deep stain on President Obama’s legacy if he leaves office with Snowden still in exile in Russia, separated from his family and treated like an enemy of the state”.
Also in agreement is Edward Snowden’s attorney Ben Wizner, whom believes that the function of presidential pardons may be applied in this case and as a society we should be extending our gratitude to Snowden for such whistle-blowing gallantry.
Currently, Snowden is left at the brinks of President Obama’s clemency.
Answer
Once more, I state the following: Dickens puts it best “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.
It is fair to say that Snowden cultivated societal awareness of governmental surveillance but in doing so engendered ruin not only in the Obama’s administration but in the overall national interest.
Edward Snowden risked national security as he retreated to other countries cowering away from criminal charges for 3 years.
On the same token other whistleblowers have faced the music – so to speak.
For example, Thomas Andrews Drake – a former senior executive of the U.S. NSA was also a proclaimed whistleblower who was charged with ten violations of the Espionage Act.
Thomas Tamm, a public defender from Maryland, was threatened to be barred from practicing law simply because he disclosed information about NSA surveillance.
What makes Edward Snowden any different than prior whistleblowers?
American law necessitates Snowden’s return as it is only fair he receives consequences for his actions.
Furthermore, although Snowden exposed the United States for defilements against human rights, he poignantly bolstered other corrupt regimes who molest the paradigm of human rights such as Russia.
It is this duality of Edward Snowden that makes the question quite difficult to answer.
Will Obama bury the Snowden issue until his release from Presidency?
Truly, the answer lies with President Obama and his individual verdict for Edward Snowden.
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Cover Photo Credit: AK Rockefeller/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Paul Ryan Elected Speaker of the House
Update: 10:44 AM EST
Paul Ryan (R-WI) has been elected as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives after a vote by the full House.
Final Vote Total:
Ryan (R): 234
Pelosi (D): 185
Webster (R): 9
Other: 3
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the chair of the house Republican conference nominated Paul Ryan (R-WI).
Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), the chair of the house Democratic conference nominated former Speaker and current house minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Ryan was expected to easily win after gaining the support of the House Freedom caucus.
The election was prompted after Speaker John Boehner announced that he would be stepping down from his position in late September.
Ryan did not immediately throw his hat into the ring to be the next speaker, indicating that he would prefer to stay in his job as the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.
However, after House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy couldn’t gain the confidence of the Tea Party wing of the Republican conference, the then frontrunner for the job choose to stand down.
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