Volvo

BrendanJ, please don't shatter my illusion that oldgroaner is a witty pastiche -- a meticulously observed archetype somewhere between Basil Fawlty and Alan Partridge -- I simply couldn't bear it. Volvo.

I found the intro to the feature more Radio 1 than Radio 4, and I'm coming to the conclusion that my idea of a fact may differ radically from the current interpretation. There are so many pressures on any news broadcasting medium, that to imagine anyone has an overarching fiscal interest in telling me the truth is simply risible. Volvo.

I really think we need to recognise rhetoric for what it is - a tool for persuasion. Words provide no sound basis for respect, belief or allegiance. They do however sway the easily led. The most dangerous politician is the one you agree with, and yet the word of a politician is the most devalued currency I know of. So many here are so wonderfully certain of their views -- but certainty is just a feeling. Volvo.

Surely when someone's argument rests on the assertion that all the 'good guys' are on one side, and all the 'bad guys' are on the other side, it is a sign that little progress will be achieved through rational debate. The holder of such a view has every right to give voice to their opinions, and actually reveals much regarding their world view. When the nature of that view is described, we have useful information concerning that poster, and can learn how to assess their future posts. Rather than trying to bend each other into shape, which is always divisive and futile - if we understand where the other is coming from then we can expect a bird to sing, a dog to bark, and a frightened man to give voice to fearful rhetoric. Volvo.

Wicky, I think you are making a serious point in a humorous way - which in my opinion is the best way. The more vulnerable you are on the road, the louder your warning device should be. (But use it only where necessary). Is that close? flecc, I agree entirely. Similarly amazed. But -- since humanity is such a broad church, who gets favoured? The rich man in the big car? The guy with a herd of goats pushing a piano on a handcart? The athletic cyclist pounding downhill? So many uses we put our roads to -- are the interests of the intentionally deaf beyond reason? Volvo. Veni, vidi, velcro.

Yesterday I was riding my motorcycle down a steep and rocky mule track, alongside a dry riverbed, dropping down to the Alpujarran town of Orgiva. The sun was intense, and a light wind was filling the air with clouds of dust. There were some bits of track which tempted me beyond endurance, but by and large I was quietly tootling. As I looked down the valley of the Rio Chico, and across it to the old house in the trees I have recently come to covet, I was full of exquisite anticipation -- was this to be my new home? Could I put roots down here? Would I ever become blasé about this stunning landscape? My attention was suddenly focussed on two young guys walking in front of me, one on each side of the track. There was a gap between them, but I throttled down and followed at tickover, waiting for a chance to get by without invading their space. I thought it likely that one or the other would join his companion, and leave me some room. It obviously was not going to happen. Slowly and quietly I edged the bike into the four foot gap between them at a slightly higher speed than their own, assuming that they were used to this sort of traffic ... and my rear brake emitted its usual cheery squeak. The guy on the right leapt into the air and his feet were going before he hit the ground. His mate disappeared to my left. I caught the sight of wires around the necks of the surprised pedestrians, and realised that these two had intentionally cut themselves off from the auditory environment, in favour of the music of their choice. In England, I pass a lot of horse riders on the bike, and am never satisfied unless friendly waves are exchanged - I do whatever is necessary to accommodate the horses feelings and the riders safety. Horses are thought of as 'dumb animals' in some quarters - yet their sensitivity is beyond the comprehension of many. How much dumber is the animal that insists on having music in both ears? And what can a motorcyclist, or leckybiker do, to exist peaceably in such a situation? Volvo.

My Yorkshire village has very little diversity in its population, and many of the locals seem not to have travelled beyond our shores, except possibly to go to war. Since the sixties, I've lived, worked and travelled in over a dozen countries, and been treated very well on the whole, and often meeting with unimaginable hospitality. The only racism I've encountered was from a Dutch cop, who got a swift ticking off from his boss. Given the appalling standard of general education in our country, and the insularity fostered by the media, how can I possibly expect most of my village to view the world as I do -- an exciting place full of amazing people -- and give a welcome of the sort that I currently experience in Spain? Instead they fear an imaginary foe, where they could see a kindred spirit beneath the surface appearance. The lack of housing, employment and proper healthcare are used as a stick to beat immigrants with, when it should be directed at the fat backsides of our politicians who cannot and will not serve the interests of the people. Churchill said that faced with the choice between Europe and the open sea, we should always choose the open sea, and that the best argument against Democracy was a five-minute chat with a voter. My vote carries the same weight as the most racist ignoramus in the village, which may be why, when striving for our highest common factor, we always get left with our lowest common multiple. It's a way of confounding our best intentions, divide and rule - also known as 'Democracy.' It takes a great deal of thought, and not a little self-confidence to decide to stand outside this political pantomime. The necessary mindset is not easily acquired, it is so much easier to follow the flock. Rather than trying to change the world, which is beyond our control, we need, as a nation and as individuals, to change ourselves -- the only bit of the world that we do (allegedly) control. Because we're making a right bollocks of this ... Volvo.

I think the same way concerning Trump's supporters derf - he really seems to know what bait to use, and the infamous 'Climate of Fear' is always being ratcheted up -- he seems to offer a quick neat solution, and no doubt it looks like a chance for something new. In reality though, they are supporting the status quo by voting, when they could show a complete lack of confidence by not voting. Unlikely in the real world of course, where I believe the only possibility for change, and the only change necessary, is individually, from within. If I understand it correctly, they are frequently armed to the teeth with assault rifles, in case some nasty government tries to put one over on them. I wonder how that's working out ...? Volvo.

The UK used to rely on 'MAD' -- Mutually Assured Destruction. Someone fires a nuke at us, and we respond automatically, thus discouraging any attempt. We lost an unnoticed nuclear war when we allowed the USA to establish military nuclear armed bases here. Now we no longer have the opportunity to retaliate. We can't employ Trident without American consent, since they have retained the necessary software and if a huge nuclear blast eliminated RAF Croughton for example, and the surrounding countryside for miles around, polluting our entire island, they could blame whichever poor but oil or lithium-rich country they wanted to invade next. What's not to like, dude? This is why the Military/Industrial Complex will decide the Referendum, and why we are in no position to start an argument we couldn't finish. The naive optimism of the average English voter, fondly imagining that they are participating in a meaningful way in the course of their future by voting for Tweedle-Dum, as opposed to Tweedle-Dee in a general election, or in/out in a referendum would be screamingly funny, were it not so abjectly pathetic. As long as we keep playing their game, by voting like Pavlovian mutts, we will ensure their continuation. If, and when, a significant majority says "No, you don't get my support as a voter, I want something that is not as yet on offer" we might start to get somewhere. I think there is fat chance of this occurring, or possibly a slim chance. America is bankrupt on so many levels, that global stability is about as safe as the dollar. And 97% of dollars only exist in cyberspace. I suspect that the era of small changes is over. Volvo.

Greetings anotherkiwi (and there can't be too many) - I'm sure you are thoroughly aware that Navarra is singularly lacking in flatness. Your input will be valued, as Yorkshire and Andalusia are similarly afflicted, albeit the former on a smaller scale. Big enough for me. There are prolly several reasons why no person of sound mind would for a single giddy moment consider buying the unbelievably heart-stoppingly beautiful cortijo I viewed this morning. I'm an idiot, so no problems there. The vehicular approach is interesting, if not vertiginous; but a 'lecky bike would be perfect for popping down to Babylon (Orgiva) where the supermarcados lie. I can see Herself wearing a big smile as she sallies forth with a more reliable form of assistance than I have ever afforded her. D8ve - I hadn't thought of that. Thank you. I've done the opposite, which was to fit a Dutch bike with a triple chain wheel, and a derrailier (sp?) to deal with the slack, extending the range of the Sturmey Archer three speed, but I much prefer the simplicity of your suggestion. Since the runaway terrain of Andalusia is a thoroughly rocky business, my own bike would eventually cut me in half. Springs are a must. And if ever you've tried to sprint along a soft sandy beach, you'll know what suspension does to pedal power. But what a difference a 'Potential Difference' makes. You've got me thinking - no mean feat. Volvo.

To me the whole issue is rendered hollow by the fact that the media and the politicians talk about 'winning' the referendum. It's not a competition, or an election - it's a way of assessing public opinion. Nobody wins that. When words are spun around to mean something different, we know, or we damn well should, that we are being led by the nose. Our politicians should be preparing strategies for either result, and giving their best advice. Instead they are apparently preparing to take a vitally important step with possibly a small majority of popular support. That doesn't make any kind of sense to me. If politicians made clean water and good drains their priority, and worked up from there, I could see the sense in that. Volvo.

I have a particular interest in this thread as I am looking to buy a house in Spain. My views will probably differ radically from some others, so if they don't make any sense to you, then please ignore them. I do not think I am right, just that I have interpreted the situation according to my own prejudices, and if anything resonates with you, I would value your input. Many posters on this thread obviously know more about economics than I do, to them I would simply say that "the map is not the territory." I believe that Britain is controlled by the largely American Military/Industrial Complex. Cameron is their current poodle. Blair went grey. Anyone else getting into the hot seat will soon find out who's running the show. But - and here's the thing, we simply do not have politicians of the necessary calibre to make a success of staying in or getting out. I do not believe for a moment that if the vote goes for 'OUT' we will get out. Recent American elections have shown that if the tall guy doesn't win, they count the votes again, and again, until he does. If they have to disenfranchise a few thousand voters on technicalities, it's no problem. In our case, the legality of extending the registration window can be questioned, and the result of the Referendum is not in any case binding on the government. British immigrants are made welcome in Andalusia. Maybe that's why the air is so fresh. Volvo.

So - as my moniker implies, I'm keen to get rolling, but have not the least scintilla of a clue what to get. This seems a very good place to start. I live in Yorkshire, as near to Morecambe Bay as the hallowed turf of God's own county permits, but today I returned to Spain to look at a property which may become my home. I come here a lot, and have just established some transport - a 350cc Moto Morini V-twin, which is perfect for the mountains. But I like to cycle. I really do. And I need exercise. I really, really do. I know I don't fancy front wheel drive, rear wheel drive might feel better. I've heard that driving the chain wheel feels most like a bike, but that seems to involve the drive train in more work, therefore wearing out chain bearings and cogs quicker ...? Being a retired (recovering) architectural blacksmith, I can fettle stuff for myself to an extent, and am quite prepared to do so. I have an inexpensive bicycle which might convert, though it has no suspension. My own suspension is somewhat ropey, so some bounce would be useful. Here in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada the roads are either up or down, and the corners are mostly hairpins. Turn off the tarmac, and you lose 5 or 6 hundred years of modern sophistication, and gain a sore bum. But -- it is such a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world, and the people are so warm and welcoming, that tomorrow I will drive my poncey hire car up a riverbed track that would give a mule conniptions, and consider putting down some roots. Asta luego, Volvo. English is the lingua franca of the world. (Yeah, right.)