^ and Im not even paying him!

*air kisses mefty*

and that’s it for me.
few too many pints down to join back in the fray.
But as parting shot, specifically for junkyard and grumm: I defend the mechanics of economically free markets I dont defend the use of free markets in every case and never have. Ernie knows this. So too should TJ but he often chooses to forget. And if you look back through the thread you’ll see it too.

Just watched Ian Hislop’s programme about ‘Do-Gooders’ on the Iplayer. Found it quite inspiring – our society might not be doomed to drown in individualistic selfishness after all… (But then again…)

you will need to explain that too me in greater detail Stoner
What exactly do you mean ?
You support the mechanics
I know this reads like I am just carrying on an argument , and I am giving you a great line to patronise me, but really i dont know what you mean here.
ta

Well it makes sense to me JY, and since the master is probably collapsed in a drunken stupor now (God you’ve got to love the upper classes – they certainly know how to have fun dont-day ?) let me explain……Stoner believes in the mechanics behind the free-market, ie, it is the best economic model for society to follow. However, he is prepared to accept that it does not provide all the answers in every case. HTH.

BTW, that is what I meant concerning Stoner being open-minded, because in contrast, Zulu-ratty is a free-market anarchist who believes the market is never wrong under any circumstances.

Whilst I on the other hand, totally rejects the free-market. And no, I’m not in the least bit open minded on that issue 😀

I shlove you shErnie…. hic….

Politics in modern Britain – legitimised bribery we can’t afford. End of!

A bit late to add I know but, iirc Brown also broke the link between interest rates and politics by making the B of E independent. This was a fairly fundamental shift which has helped us achieve the low interest rate scenario we all want so much. Can’t remember if it was under the Thatcher or Major premiership but don’t forget the 15% interest rates.

Largely absent during the Blair and Brown years, Cameroon et al have revived the Thatcher legacy of public unrest!

Runs for cover……… ;0)

iirc Brown also broke the link between interest rates and politics by making the B of E independent. This was a fairly fundamental shift…….

Yeah, I think that has already been mentioned. And no, it does not represent a fundamental thing which Thatcher did, that Brown reversed.

Interest rates had always been set by the Treasury/Chancellor long before Thatcher, her government did absolutely nothing different in that respect.

So it seems that despite racking their brains for a day or two, New Labour sympathisers cannot think of a single fundamental thing which Thatcher did, that Brown reversed.

Now that actually surprises me slightly, I had thought there might have been something which I might have overlooked…….after all, you could have been forgiven for expecting a list as long as your arm. But I guess not.

So maybe now New Labour sympathisers should stop slagging Thatcher off and start singing her praises….just like Gordon Brown does. Certainly not make the claim that Brown had his faults, but they were not even close to Thatcher’s levels. Since we now know that given the opportunity, Brown simply did it all Thatcher’s way.

Of course the moral of this story isn’t that Thatcher with her free-market neo-liberal policies was right.
It is that New Labour was, fundamentally, no better.

ernie… I’m no New Labourite btw simply trying to give credit where it was due.

Of course the moral of this story isn’t that Thatcher with her free-market neo-liberal policies was right.
It is that New Labour was, fundamentally, no better.

I think you are quite correct here. My idea of Labour died with Tony Benn et al and IMO the only Labour politician with a right to cal himself a Labour man is the Honourable Member for Bolsover! Dennis for King… erm….. el presidente or whatever, non leader of the british collective of democratic workers party….thing.

Stoner believes in the mechanics behind the free-market, ie, it is the best economic model for society to follow. However, he is prepared to accept that it does not provide all the answers in every case. HTH.

so miuxed economy like the rest of us then – we all agree except the extremeties and only argue about the mix then.
It is very poor on sustainability which is likely to bite us on the bum soon and not great at distributing wealth evenly