Mystery object

This popped up on DZ' news feed today. 

Any guesses?

Out of touch

 A few weeks ago DZ highlighted the case of Dr Sarah Benn, a climate activist, and that the GMC had sanctioned her, in defiance of several articles of the Human Rights act.

Despite her having been retired for 2 years now they suspended her registration for five months. A totally vindictive, spiteful, and pointless act, but totally in character for the GMC and MPTS.

The reason that they ignored her very valid arguments was that they asserted that they knew better what the general public might consider unprofessional behaviour.

Enter the Doctors' Association UK, who decided to fact check this stance, by polling 2000 members of the general public. Only 3% of those polled agreed with the MPTS! A perfect illustration of how out of touch, patronising, arrogant and incompetent the GMC are.

I'm not sure why Dr Benn is still registered with the GMC at all. Taking voluntary erasure is an easy process and frees retired doctors completely from their malign attention. 

And using logical arguments in her defence was another waste of time. They're deaf and blind to anything but their own preconceptions. Why did she even bother turning up? What can they possibly do to a doctor no longer practising.

In her shoes I would have gone to the tribunal. And I would have relished the opportunity to express my opinion, and told them to fuck off!

Sisters

 DZ has been highly critical over the years about the GMC. But this article reveals that the General Nursing council is just as bad. Compare these two phrases;

“the council causes distress to doctors over trivial complaints while tolerating poor practice in other cases”. Sir Liam Donaldson.

"Good nurses find themselves investigated for years over minor issues, while some bad ones escape sanction."  Independent review.

In fact, reading the review you could be forgiven for thinking that it was about the GMC, with references to bullying, racism, and suicide among those being investigated.

The GMC, GNC, and all the other specific regulatory bodies should be abolished totally, and replaced with a proper, independent, professional body covering all health professions. Staffed by properly qualified people, instead of the incompetent amateurs we all have to put up with.

Flower

 No suggestions on that last post. It's Papaver Somniferum. The Opium Poppy. The one grown to produce Morphine and other opiates. It's not illegal to cultivate this flower in the UK, and it's seeds can be grown cheaply and openly on the internet.  

Doing anything to the plant to obtain the raw opium however is strictly illegal. DZ's plant has now shed it's petals to reveal the seed head which will distribute it's seeds like a pepper pot. Like all poppies they self propagate easily And DZ anticipates more of these flowers eventually.

Mystery Flower

 

There’s a bit of rough ground behind my back garden fence. It normally just grows ferns and nettles, but this year I decided to try and brighten it up a bit. I bought a large bag of wild flower seeds and scattered them over the fence. Inevitably some of the mix fell on my side, and one of the plants that grew from it is this rather lovely flower. I know what it is. Do you?

Lucky escape

 The UK left the EU in 2020. That move has attracted considerable criticism ever since, with many yearning to return. 

2020 was also the tenth anniversary of the accession to power in Hungary of Viktor Orban. Orban has ushered in form of government that DZ finds worrying. Autocratic, right wing, and theocratic, Hungary stood alone in the EU, dominated by democratic socialist governed countries. Until recently. 

Orban's type of politics have been spreading throughout the EU, and gaining ground. Orban has recently announced collaboration in the EU parliament with right wing parties in Austria, and the Czech Republic.

In another event there was an attempted right wing coup in, of all places Germany. An episode that the media devoted surprisingly little attention to.

And in France the far right are ahead in the first stage of the general election.

And this is a trend throughout Europe. A trend which could see the entire EU eventually taken over by Nazis. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

It seems to DZ that those who wish to reverse Brexit are not paying attention.  It is true that we have our own fascists, in the Reform party. Their support, estimated at 16% is disappointingly high, but they are already beginning to show signs of infighting and disarray. Their leader, Nigel Farage, a right winger himself, was instrumental in getting the UK out of the EU. It would be a delicious irony if, as a result of this the UK were able to distance itself from the right wing advance in Europe.

Maybe Brexit was not such a bad idea after all.

Spot the difference.

Oswald Mosely

Nigel Farage