Upgrade UK before its too late

[anley]

How crass and how stupid is this policy? Do we have a thinking government?

Unbelievable... :-0

No, and we probably haven't had one for 50 years+.

Listen, there's only a few things politicians excel at -

1. Borrowing money
2. Wasting money
3. Increasing bureaucracy, and
4. Having plenty of useless meetings

It's therefore not surprising that we're in this mess and in my opinion don't really have a plan for getting us out any time soon. Remember, the best way to govern usually means you won't get re-elected which is why politicians love to paper over the cracks with short term policies which probably do more long term harm.

 

[kimo'sabby]

Just sickening to see Labour Peers wasting time and effort in the House of Lords recently.

High time Britain upgraded our political and economic systems imo

We barely compete around the world and only these days because some other countries are even more of a shambles than our lot at the top. The "greedy pigs" in business and politics hog too much of the country's wealth to themselves. They may own on average about 100 beds each but they can't possibly use them all themselves.

BA is about to try and tear itself to bits. I feel sure the workers would accept a fair solution on the distribution of company profits after borrowings, shareholders etc.

The average pay rise of 55% per year for FTSE100 company bosses is unjustified. Their average pay of £5 million per year plus pensions plus perks is way over the top for companies that pretty well run themselves.

The present set up is unfair and uncompetative. It is failing this country and should be upgraded as quickly as possible.

Too many people view the UK in the wrong way these days (it's a generation thing). Our own politicians don't view the UK as a seperate entity, we are treated as an intergrated state of europe.

This is what people need to get used to, and to realise that this country isn't worth a f*ck anymore, at least not in the old fashioned sense.

 

[Atilla]

I think THERE is a place in British Unis for the frivolous with independent means too. They add a bit colour and haute culture to an otherwise drab lot of nerds.

Totally disagree 180 degrees with your last two posts Pat - shame on you... :cheesy:


Cameron has acted very quickly to quash this idea before conception but that's only because he is a politician and he knows the field day press would have. I think it is quite an honest statement of their inclination.

Should purely be based on academic ability and merit - irrespective class or money. OBVIOUSLY! :smart:

 

[Pat494]

Should purely be based on academic ability and merit - irrespective class or money. OBVIOUSLY! :smart:

Could have laid good money that you would rise to the bait At but

You seem to be therefore fostering a new elite of Uni posers, filled with Marxist crap from dreary suburbia. 20 somethings that think they know everything.

They will soon be demanding even huger rewards while Mr Ordinary is forced to work extra hours and weekends doing the crap jobs ! Humble they ain't.

If only they could teach these new stormtroopers of the coming age such valuable things as common sense, altruism, decency etc but I fear not, much too sissy. Sending out gangs of executioners is more their style, to silence the enemy.

 

[Atilla]

Could have laid good money that you would rise to the bait At but

You seem to be therefore fostering a new elite of Uni posers, filled with Marxist crap from dreary suburbia. 20 somethings that think they know everything.

They will soon be demanding even huger rewards while Mr Ordinary is forced to work extra hours and weekends doing the crap jobs ! Humble they ain't.

If only they could teach these new stormtroopers of the coming age such valuable things as common sense, altruism, decency etc but I fear not, much too sissy. Sending out gangs of executioners is more their style, to silence the enemy.

Haha - you got me then...

What Marx predicted wasn't 'crap' at all. 1 out of 3 ain't all that bad at all... He also had his thumb on the pulse of the people and the times... Basically nations adopted and changed - and I don't feel his remarks and predictions are interpreted in correct context of the period imho.

I don't have to repeat that these days we are ruled by bunch of elitists who think they know because of their upbringing and not because of their education.

If we had the right heads on shoulders in appropriate seats of power we wouldn't be falling down the global pecking order. Would we? We are 2nd indebted nation after Greece with marginally a bigger better economy to pay back debt but I wouldn't be resting on past antics... The past returns are no proof of future growth... :whistling


Anybody watched the apprentice... My god what a bunch of losers. I'm not certain if this is BBC editing for entertainment or not but one was certainly amused...

I liked the Chinese lady best - most industries and very quick and bright

 

[Trader333]

1 out of 3 ain't all that bad at all

According to Meatloaf: 2 out of 3 ain't bad which is double what you have said


Paul

 

[Pat494]

when it really comes down to the nitty gritty it is very hard to know what sort of person to support in the hope they take over.

The intelligentia and academics are good at what they do in labs somewhere but hopelessly out of touch if put in charge.

If it is all left alone then the biggest/toughest bandit takes everything and thanks no=one.

If honest, decent people take over their minds seem to be elsewhere and incompetency rules.

If party hard liners take over then they crash on until their system falls apart

Democracy seems to put forward the mediocre and least disliked

If IQ is to be the ruling elite's reason for power then the nutty ecentrics are liable to make a mess of things.

Charles 1 was called the "wisest fool in Christendom". Wisdom and common sense are worlds apart.

Financiers and tradesmen can think of little else but the money they are making for themselves

The militarists are like Napoleon, driven by power and greed

A theocracy of religious people is currently in charge in Iran - not my idea of bliss




etc etc.

 

[Atilla]

when it really comes down to the nitty gritty it is very hard to know what sort of person to support in the hope they take over.

The intelligentia and academics are good at what they do in labs somewhere but hopelessly out of touch if put in charge.

If it is all left alone then the biggest/toughest bandit takes everything and thanks no=one.

If honest, decent people take over their minds seem to be elsewhere and incompetency rules.

If party hard liners take over then they crash on until their system falls apart

Democracy seems to put forward the mediocre and least disliked

If IQ is to be the ruling elite's reason for power then the nutty ecentrics are liable to make a mess of things.

Charles 1 was called the "wisest fool in Christendom". Wisdom and common sense are worlds apart.

Financiers and tradesmen can think of little else but the money they are making for themselves

The militarists are like Napoleon, driven by power and greed

A theocracy of religious people is currently in charge in Iran - not my idea of bliss




etc etc.

It is not about individuals but more about the system.

Most drivers if left to their own devices would cause chaos - and if they were taught by family or relatives they would undoubtedly pick up bad habits. What makes British drivers good is that they adhere to super driving system and rules of the highway code.

One should look at establishing an equitable and efficient system / constitution / rules and reward mechanism and rest will take care of them selves.

If the system is bad (UK has issues here) then no individual has a chance however good they may be.

Inequitable distribution of wealth staunts economic inovatoin and progress. Skews the system in favour of those who already have wealth. System is corrupt. Forget brown envelopes in the old politbereau system - we now have legal bonuses and guaranteed bonuses and golden hand-shakes come what weather... Go figure...

Our financial system is going the same way but people simply too stuck up to realise it. Otherwise we would not be in this pickle where we are today.

Not about the individual.

It is about the system...

People still think Thatcher fixed the UK. I think she laid the foundations for our current failings and predicament we find our selves in.

I re-iterate, why sack 10 council people who are not too employable costing £150K at £15K p/a when you can sack one counciler earning £150K p/a who is very employable with ample savings???

Cameron then talks about maintaining front line services. :-0

Countries run by a bunch of arrogant Etonite pricks who do not know how to spell altruism or know what national interest is.

 

[Pat494]

inovatoin Countries run by a bunch of arrogant Etonite pricks who do not know how to spell altruism or know what national interest is.

interesting points At

every group has its merits AND disadvantages imho. Stalin for instance a mass murderer but probably saved Russia during WW11 and himself therefore too !

errrr I think you are skating on thin ice there Atilla about spelling though. inovatoin ?

 

[Atilla]

interesting points At

every group has its merits AND disadvantages imho. Stalin for instance a mass murderer but probably saved Russia during WW11 and himself therefore too !

errrr I think you are skating on thin ice there Atilla about spelling though. inovatoin ?

Not about the individual.

It is about the system :!:



System creates the individual...

The individual tilts the system...

 

[Pat494]

Shocking waste of UK's money

Britain's EU budget contributions to rise by 60 per cent
By Daniel Hannan Politics Last updated: August 24th, 2009



I’m delighted that Philip Hammond, the Shadow Chief Secretary, is turning his formidable mind to the matter of how quite how much British taxpayers are handing over to Brussels (hat-tip, Open Europe). He draws out attention to the fact that our net contribution will rise by an eye-watering 60 per cent next year, from £4.1 billion to £6.4 billion. The increase is a consequence of Tony Blair’s decision to abolish the rebate (which I’ve always found deeply suspicious: see here) as well as of the devaluation of sterling.

Large as these numbers are, they understate the true cost of membership. I mean, why should we look at the net rather than the gross contribution? In what other field of politics do we do so? Does anyone argue that income tax, rather than being 22 per cent, is in fact zero, because the whole sum is “given back” in roads, schools and hospitals? What matters is what we hand over: depending on whether you take Treasury or EU figures, either £10.2 billion or £12.4 billion a year.

Since it is the job of a Shadow Chief Secretary to look for savings, let me offer Philip some ideas as to what he could do with such a sum. He could cut council tax by 45 per cent; he could build 50 new hospitals every year; he could take nearly 4 pence off income tax; or he could pay off our Olympic debt in just one year.

Oh, and don’t give me any nonsense about the EU budget being a way to help poorer nations. If Britain has money to give away, there are plenty of people in the Third World who need it more than the lobbyists, contractors and big landowners who are the major beneficiaries of Brussels spending. Incidentally, do you know which country has been the single largest per capita recipient of EU funds since the Treaty of Rome was signed? Luxembourg.

 

[Atilla]

Shocking waste of UK's money

Britain's EU budget contributions to rise by 60 per cent
By Daniel Hannan Politics Last updated: August 24th, 2009



I’m delighted that Philip Hammond, the Shadow Chief Secretary, is turning his formidable mind to the matter of how quite how much British taxpayers are handing over to Brussels (hat-tip, Open Europe). He draws out attention to the fact that our net contribution will rise by an eye-watering 60 per cent next year, from £4.1 billion to £6.4 billion. The increase is a consequence of Tony Blair’s decision to abolish the rebate (which I’ve always found deeply suspicious: see here) as well as of the devaluation of sterling.

Large as these numbers are, they understate the true cost of membership. I mean, why should we look at the net rather than the gross contribution? In what other field of politics do we do so? Does anyone argue that income tax, rather than being 22 per cent, is in fact zero, because the whole sum is “given back” in roads, schools and hospitals? What matters is what we hand over: depending on whether you take Treasury or EU figures, either £10.2 billion or £12.4 billion a year.

Since it is the job of a Shadow Chief Secretary to look for savings, let me offer Philip some ideas as to what he could do with such a sum. He could cut council tax by 45 per cent; he could build 50 new hospitals every year; he could take nearly 4 pence off income tax; or he could pay off our Olympic debt in just one year.

Oh, and don’t give me any nonsense about the EU budget being a way to help poorer nations. If Britain has money to give away, there are plenty of people in the Third World who need it more than the lobbyists, contractors and big landowners who are the major beneficiaries of Brussels spending. Incidentally, do you know which country has been the single largest per capita recipient of EU funds since the Treaty of Rome was signed? Luxembourg.

I wonder how these contributions compare to monies spent on Iraq & Afghan wars?

I would also suspect the UK gets quite a bit of that money back from EU in one way or another.

Cost benefit analysis would need to be carried out re: pros and cons.

Europe bigger market than US yet we are effectively spend more on adhering to the strategic partnership accross the pond. Soldiers still dying in Afghanistan... Who knows why or what the strategy is.

Misaligned interests imo...

Big wigs at the top simply unable to say they got it wrong so they carry on with wrong policies to save face.

This kind of thing is to get the British people rattling... Thatcher cost far more to the UK interest and coffers than what she gained with her hand bagging.

The folly of man and vanity...


I do wonder as to what the Benelux countries do to deserve the hand outs from EU... I do recall the statistics and can also add that BL used to sell cars at half price to Belgium compared to prices in the UK. Can't remember the economics other than price discrimination and economic rent theory stuff to justify reasons.

I think strangely enough they termed it as maximising profits. Talk about BS or what?

We were also told that managment maximise profits to shareholders too?


Life is so full of BS - it take a life time to fathom reality from pure fiction...

 

[Pat494]

Not only is the EU corrupt, incompetent and a great waste of our money it looks like their top economist,Strauss Kahn is allegedly a sex maniac too.

Portugal, Ireland etc. have had their honeymoon with the EU and are now up to their necks in debt !! They should leave it sooner rather than dithering for later.

Cameron and Milliband are both too blind to see what a load of rubbish it is

 

[Atilla]

Not only is the EU corrupt, incompetent and a great waste of our money it looks like their top economist,Strauss Kahn is allegedly a sex maniac too.

Portugal, Ireland etc. have had their honeymoon with the EU and are now up to their necks in debt !! They should leave it sooner rather than dithering for later.

Cameron and Milliband are both too blind to see what a load of rubbish it is

Be fair - PIGS got nothing to do with EU corruption or anything else for that matter.

EU common market is still a good idea. Federal Europe and single currency is likely to be delayed a few minutes... tick tock tick tock...

 

[Pat494]

Be fair - PIGS got nothing to do with EU corruption or anything else for that matter.

EU common market is still a good idea. Federal Europe and single currency is likely to be delayed a few minutes... tick tock tick tock...

Can't agree that the EU is a good idea At. They have had 30+ years to sort it out and ????
Trichet is abandoning ship too !!
The PIIGS would be much better off gradually deflating their own currencies and going at their own speed imho

It was sold to us as a trading area then the politicians claim its a political area too and guess what, they are in charge . They are trying to turn national govts into rubber stamps for Brussels/Strassburg. Potty directives from EU on the shape of bananas etc should be binned !!

Why are there 2 EU parliaments etc etc - the waste goes on and on

 

[Atilla]

Can't agree that the EU is a good idea At. They have had 30+ years to sort it out and ????
Trichet is abandoning ship too !!
The PIIGS would be much better off gradually deflating their own currencies and going at their own speed imho

It was sold to us as a trading area then the politicians claim its a political area too and guess what, they are in charge . They are trying to turn national govts into rubber stamps for Brussels/Strassburg. Potty directives from EU on the shape of bananas etc should be binned !! Agree on this paragraphs 150%... They are a bunch of clown joker politicians...

Why are there 2 EU parliaments etc etc - the waste goes on and on

You really are cheesed off Jedwards didn't win the Eurovision aren't you???

 

[Pat494]

You really are cheesed off Jedwards didn't win the Eurovision aren't you???

aaah it wasn't rubbishy enough no doubt ! Lady Gaga would have won by a mile !!

when we are all brainwashed into believing good is bad then the Brussels octopus will suck the life-blood out of us and we will all turn into robots

 

[Pat494]

Rupert "The King Maker" wobbles after the latest blow to his near invincible reign, with the end of The News of The World. A paper reviled by many as dredging stories out of the gutter but part of an essential army of vote makers from Fleet Street.

It is no secret that Rupert put such notables as Blair, John Major etc. into power. What about democracy you wail - er no not really when The Murdoch empire ruled. The herd voted their way and no doubt The Empire was suitably grateful.

The Empire may have wobbled but is still very much alive and it is a dangerous beast when wounded.

 

[Pat494]

Well nearly a year on has seen the great man being grilled by committees plus a custard pie on the head !

Thought I would mention 2 surprising points:-

1. There is a muttering about nationalizing banks.
2. talk in dark corners of full employment.

well well what will they think of next.

 

[Atilla]

Well nearly a year on has seen the great man being grilled by committees plus a custard pie on the head !

Thought I would mention 2 surprising points:-

1. There is a muttering about nationalizing banks.
2. talk in dark corners of full employment.

well well what will they think of next.

Core blimey - you bringing up threads from the dead n dusted pile...


Socialism is what fixes Capitalism.

I was talking to one of our Spanish traders today and my jaw almost dropped and chin touched the floor.

He said capitalism only knows how to accelerate. It doesn't know how to stand still or operate at constant level. I thought blimey yeah too right. There is nothing in there to say what happens in t+3 when output is the same as or less than the year before.

Shock to the system as bleeding hearts cut all benefits wages output and everything goes into reverse.


Anyhow point made.


I reckon we are doing well with two bank holidays and Jubilee celebrations, Olympics and the Euro footy... We are going to all have one big very cool summer.

Anybody near Stratford or Bethnal Green area should check out Victoria Park. They have a big band stand, massive children's play areas and lots of open green space. All free.

Summer-time in London is going to rock. UK has just been upgraded.

Be there or be square...