My Fellow Forumers,

I have the greatest respect for all of you. I think you know that. If you don't, you know it now. Let me add some personal thoughts, sincerely offered, to what you have been saying.

I agree that employees are hit hardest when a firm closes its doors. No one can question that fact. But no man going into business does so to employ people. I owned a small business in Florida in the 1950's. I didn't enter into business to provide a source of income for a few local people. I went into business for the sole purpose of making money for me and my family. The fact that I had to hire employees to operate the business was simply a requirement to stay in business. I couldn't do it alone. When the business became unprofitable, I closed it. Simple as that. The employees lost their jobs. I couldn't continue to operate an unprofitable business just to guarantee my employees an income. Big business operates on the same principle. They are in business to make money, not to give jobs to people or contribute to a local economy. Please understand I am not defending big business. I am merely putting the facts of life in their true perspective

I had a military career. It came to an end after 26 years. I was out of a job. I had a family to support so I moved on. I found a job in private industry. That job ended after eight years and I was unemployed again. I moved on. I returned to college at the age of 60 to qualify myself for my new job. I retired five years later. I am just one of countless millions of people who find themselves out of work and who need to move on. A job is not for life! The people in Wales will move on. In this wonderful country where you have a welfare state providing an extensive financial safety net, some may elect to take advantage of that net, but most will move on like I did. Neither small nor big businesses owe their employees a job for life. Times and business conditions change and businesses had better be flexible enough to adapt to market conditions or no one will have a job.

As for the honors system, I find it to be rather ridiculous and Bill Gates being knighted is just one of many thousands of examples of how irrelevant the system is. My wife and I have been caring for our eldest son for nearly 50 years. He has a severe learning disability and is an insulin-dependent diabetic. Thus, we have had ample opportunity to be served by wonderful doctors, nurses, and carers wherever we have travelled. The carers, especially, never receive any recognition other than the pat on the back and other expressioons of appreciation we, the parents, give them. They are the people who should be awarded public recognition in the form of an honors system - not movie actors, rock band musicians, lawyers, athletes, businessmen, artists etc. For the government to give awards to movie actors et al makes a mockery of the honors system in my humble opinion. So I see it as an idea without merit unless such awards are given to people who deserve public recognition and reward for their contribution to humanity.

Thanks for listening.

Chuck