London to have new Tourist Attractions - Houses of Parliament & 10 Downing Street

By 2024 the Houses of Parliament, 10 Downing Street and all the paraphernalia of how we once governed the country will be a huge tourist attraction for London and the UK!

Sounds impossible doesn't it? but then again, so did the Berlin Wall when it came down, so did many of the uprisings of the Arab spring... but how could such a big change happen, and so quickly right here in the heart of one of the oldest democratic countries of the world?

Of course turning the Houses of Parliament into a museum will be just another step in a long process that has already begun. There are a lot of signs out there if you take the time to look, that this is a foregone conclusion... it is only now a question of time... a slow tide coming in, but why now?

There are a lot of factors, so let us take some time to look at some of the changes that are happening and why they are leading us inexorably through huge shifts in our social and political environment.

The Internet ... the internet has been through a couple of evolutions already, the first was as an information resource, next came the period of e-commerce (which still continues).. and now we move to the comprehension of why the Internet is about to change everything...

The Internet enables us all to connect easily, it allows people with common interests to come together across spatial distances and make things happen... the Internet encourages, sharing, collaboration and being part of something much bigger than just ourselves... the Internet encourages authenticity, honesty, integrity... it can take years to build a good reputation, but it can be dashed in a moment on-line... The internet also means that information can rarely be hidden any more and the speed at which it travels is lightening fast!! ... the truth will come out... and with everyone being connected 'all the time' with ubiquitous smart phone technology we are all sending and receiving information constantly!

The Internet has meant we no longer need to tolerate lies... and we have discovered that those in power have been lying to us... not just last week, or last month, or the past year, but for decades, even centuries... and... the Internet is about to break their hold on us... A couple of simple examples... Libor rate fixing and the banks... The government expenses scandal, even the reasons to go to war with Iraq... there is an uneasy feel that we are only looking at the tip of the iceberg... we have finally been woken up, these people in power are not looking after us, the people they allegedly serve... no... we now know they are serving themselves and rich financial masters in big business... with a thin veil of democracy draped over our heads...

The Banks and other major financial institutions have enabled us to learn the meaning of greed. Without the banks blatant 'in your face', 'we clearly have no conscience or regard for regular folk', we would probably not have learnt this lesson so well... Bonuses to Bankers in the UK, would pay for enough food to solve the starving children of the world twice over... This is a the scale of greed that has now come to light... and we've had enough... there is a trend away from Money focus, greed, power, control over others, from what's in it for ME... to What's in it for WE... how can we collaborate together, how can we live happier lives rather than work ourselves to the bone for the benefit of others in the mindless chase for more money and 'things' in our lives... we were taught our value was measured by what we had got... in fact it can only be measured by what we have given... 'discover what is your purpose on earth, then learn how to give it away'.

Government ... the people in Government are there to serve us, and represent us in our wonderful democratic country... does anyone still really believe this? I am sure there are some good MP's out there, but it is not the MP's at fault, or the Prime Minister for that matter... they have no power to change anything... the reason for this is simple... if they change too much, then they will be voted out... BY US!! ... plus... everything to do with the government comes down to money, and there will always be winners and losers... they have to balance the books, and some win, some lose... you cannot please everyone all of the time when everything boils down to money... and so... with no prospect of change on the horizon, just tinkering with a few things here and there... we have apathy... we have a political colour choice or popularity contest nothing more. If you couple the above with their loss of trust and respect from the masses over a never ending stream of stories of corruption and alliances with big business and the media... sticky plasters are no longer the answer, this is not a minor graze... limbs have been lost!

... here is the truth... to deliver us to where we want to go... a fair society, where we can all have a voice, where we could all make a contribution, where we are all respected, we need a different system... this one has run its course...

Education and Jobs ... We have a new generation of young adults who have witnessed their parents work all the hours to buy bigger and better houses, cars, possessions, more holidays and run up huge debts. One would forgive them for perhaps not wishing to follow in the footsteps of... go to school, pass your exams, get a good job, move up the ladder, buy more stuff and then have huge debts and no life... maybe they might choose... find my passion, work out how I can live a life doing what I love doing, with the people I like, with less stress and where I am not a slave to money...

And the job market is changing... those who cannot find work are beginning to investigate alternate ways to earn money, those that no longer want to be 'in the rat race' are accepting a more humble existence without the stress and strain of corporate life... 'the concept of enough' ... a 'good, fair, honest, quality life' with a good balance where we can make a valuable contribution and have self esteem is perhaps more preferable to the one we were sold on over the past 30 years... 'I wish everyone could be rich, as they would find that this is not the answer' - Jim Carey

Never Ending Growth ... I remember as a young adult thinking to myself, how can the stock market keep just growing? how can house prices just keep rising? how can the GNP of the country just keep growing? ... where are the checks and balances? ... we have had an economy fuelled by debt, everything keeps going up... including debt, until it is just not possible to pay it back... it has reached a point which is no longer sustainable... but the world really hasn't changed... we all just have massive debts to faceless entities who hold us to account and control us with the debt... the bubble is about to burst... there isn't enough production in the world to pay of the debts we have amassed... compound debt on compound debt... but it is all just numbers... and it will collapse, it is now just a question of when... Humans have created this idea that 2 + 2 = 8 or 16... when all along it only ever could make 4... it was an illusion... time to halt the greed and start to create a sustainable future for the next generations... and teach them how to keep it that way too!

... In Conclusion
What we have isn't suitable for the 21st century, not because I say so, but because of the trends. We have lost faith in the old established businesses and governments, we are much better informed than ever before and we no longer trust them... We are now able to connect, collaborate and work together to create a future that we want, not one that we have been told we can have... We are becoming tired of being a slave to money and to those that have it... we witness the inequality of the 1% with control and the 99% under control... we see many injustices in the world with the poor getting poorer and the rich... richer, people eating themselves to death in the west and those dying without enough food in many regions of the world... this does not look like a system that is working... this is not a system that can be changed from within, it is something which needs to be replaced with something that we are going to build!

... No one in the history of the human race ever gave up power voluntarily... do not expect this to be an easy ride... the future is on the other side of a difficult time... but through it we must go, it is the only path...