b r – since rural bus services are discussed in just about every community meeting.. can you put a link to the minutes of the village meeting, of where you work, where everyone said they wouldn’t use it…instead of posting wiki references which we all know is invalid as a reference tool…

The wiki reference was just so folk could see how rural this is, and also how it’s actually a decent sized community.

Around here, and in most sparsely populated rural areas, it is pretty much accepted that the only way you can get around (with the exception of travel between the ‘major’ population) is by private car.

It’s nothing really that buses can replace, and anyone that thinks otherwise hasn’t got work/children/shopping/etc to juggle.

I pointed out how the deficit had exploded under Labour

Can we please stop looking at the colours on that deficit graph and blaming the respective party?

Surely anyone with half a brain can see that there are outside influences at work?

A few reasons why G Brown was responsible for the financial problems this country is in.

G Brown made the BoE independant and responsible for setting interest rates but with no mandate to include house prices in this mandate.

G Brown did not regulate the banks to ensure that they were not taking on stupid risks.

G Brown did change the tax regime on pensions, making a pension less of an attractive investment leading the the growth of Buy To Let.

Combine these and you get a property boom, with associated dodgy lending which is why the British banks were in such an awful position when similarly idiotic policies had been followed in the US leading to the crash.

Had G Brown taken a different set of economic decisions, Lehmans may still have gone tits up, but Northern Rock et al would not have followed suit like so many dominoes.

So yes, the perilous state of the UK economy can be placed firmly at the door of the Labour party. This is why they have failed to be elected to power at the last two elections.

As for the cuts, if the councils had been given 5% cuts they would have squeeled like stuffed pigs at an Oxford Uni reunion that they would have no choice but to cut front line services, or 10% or 20%, so quite how much money were they wasting under the Labour government to be able to cut 30-40% and the only have to start cutting front line services. Like the little boy who cried wolf, now there may be a real wolf at the door I’m still not sure I actually believe them.

Surely anyone with half a brain can see that there are outside influences at work?

You would think but plenty of posters just want to paint it according to party politics as the poster below you proved and ignore the entire global economy going belly up which cannot be laid at the hands of ne person or party. They also like to forget that GO had agreed to match labour spending weeks before the crash happened so it would have unfolded exactly the same on their watch. All we can judge them on is their response to it

G Brown made the BoE independant and responsible for setting interest rates but with no mandate to include house prices in this mandate.

Not 100% correct, but underlying point OK

A few reasons why G Brown was responsible for the financial problems this country is in

Attempting to pin the global crisis on one person is ludicrous.

I might as well try blaming Thatcher for it – I expect the STW Tories will have an answer for that though.

I though it was Gideon’s fault?

Brown did change the tax regime on pensions, making a pension less of an attractive investment leading the the growth of Buy To Let.
Combine these and you get a property boom, with associated dodgy lending which is why the British banks were in such an awful position when similarly idiotic policies had been followed in the US leading to the crash.

nah that was the council house of sell off, followed by the brilliant idea of pension holidays, now who invented those….. !?!

So yes, the perilous state of the UK economy can be placed firmly at the door of the Labour party.

Wow.

Everybody in a position of power (all political parties), bankers and economists can be held responsible in some way. Many economists even admit they didn’t see it coming (and they’re the supposed to be experts).
http://www.economist.com/news/schoolsbrief/21584534-effects-financial-crisis-are-still-being-felt-five-years-article

we care for our fellow human beings more than we care for our bank balances

I challenge you to find any evidence of that in the Tory manifesto.

Surely anyone with half a brain can see that there are outside influences at work?

You’re talking to/about jamblya so that’s a fairly optimistic estimate of the amount of available brain

It never ceases to amaze me that so many posters here are unable to accept alternative viewpoints to their own without attempting to trivialise the opposing argument.

I’m trying to ignore your nonsense now because there’s no point arguing with someone with so little regard for evidence, but I saw this because it was quoted. I think this might actually be the most spectacular hypocrisy I have ever seen. Bravo!

I’ll say it again, but do you see people lining up to call mefty a moron for having opposing political views? Ever wondered why you get so much stick and he doesn’t, despite you being on the same end of the political spectrum?

I mean, even ninfan mostly makes more reasonable points than you these days – he does at least seem to be familiar with the concept of having opinions based on something other than blind prejudice, even if he’s trolling half the time.

Tony Blair, A Journey, 2010

There’s a certain irony that Tories now quote Tony Bliar as gospel. Dodgy Dossier, anyone?

I was going to point out how that explosion happened to coincide with the 2008 financial meltdown but aaah, **** it – everyone else knows that, and you won’t listen.

DrJ as per the comments above, Labour’s spending may possibly have been affordable but for the crises but following it they should have reigned in spending but they did not. They where at the controls of the plane and aiming it straight for the ground.

Tax Credits are dropping from £30n pa to £25.6bn – that’s £25.6bn to support the most vulnerable people in work. The fact is Labour want to reduce the deficit to zero too but now (McDonald/Corbyn) say over 7 years not 5 (prior leadership), well they claim they will do that but I doubt anyone believes them – that’s why they lost the election.

@grum, I think you and I both know I don’t give a t-ss about so called “stick”, the postings are a sign of weakness in others IMO as I’ve said before. I’m trying to get people to open their eyes to alternative arguments and viewpoints. As I have posted repeatedly, my general viewpoints seem to match government policy here, in Europe and in the US. I understand people rile against that. It’s like having a Pantomime villain to shout at.

JY, indeed save it for another Israeli thread, father and son ambushed and shot today and a Jewish group targeted by a sniper while visiting a holy site and a Jewish businessman stabbed in Milan in a race motivated copy-cat attack.

I’m trying to get people to open their eyes to alternative arguments and viewpoints. As I have posted repeatedly, my general viewpoints…

You want to open up the debate by getting people to open their eyes to alternative viewpoints like those of European and U.S. Governments? Good on you, it’s a shame no-one ever hears their voices.

(PS classic appeal to authority. Those playing the Jambalaya debating drinking game have to drink a shot now).

ninfan – millions of ‘ordinary’ Iraquis would agree with you. Bliar certainly got things done there.

Labour’s spending may possibly have been affordable but for the crises but following it they should have reigned in spending but they did not.

Are you arguing they should have slashed budgets and spending immediately/ changed budgets in the middle of the year. sacked loads of people and this would have made everything better? Out of interest what of the world govts who agree with you took this approach. Its none isnt it.

Indeed save it for another Israeli thread,

Yes I will follow your lead and save it for another thread pausing only to say how much I once more admire the even handed approach to the issue and the way you have held up your own appeal and managed to see both sides whilst leaving it for another thread 🙄

You are now at the point where you are immediately contradicting your own views. Is it any wonder you are viewed in such a manner, by so many, on this forum?

Honestly I really cannot take another appeal to authority as they are fallacious, everyone knows this, and a sign of muddled thinking.Amusingly they are often not even true as in this case.

IMHO you should ask why so many of the forum feel this way about you. Unfortunately you will conclude it everyone elses weakness and not your own.

ninfan – millions of ‘ordinary’ Iraquis would agree with you. Bliar certainly got things done there.

Bet you a quid in the poppy tin that you voted labour in 2005 despite this.

e, Labour’s spending may possibly have been affordable but for the crises but following it they should have reigned in spending but they did not. They where at the controls of the plane and aiming it straight for the ground.

Thank God they didn’t reign it in. The slump we experienced in 2008 would have been much much worse if the government had rapidly slashed public spending, laying off 500k public sector workers in the middle of a recession. Pulling billions out of the economy mid slump is insane.

The great irony is that the current national debt is easily affordable, we pay less in interest now, than we did under the last Tory Government, so spending all that extra cash to help soften the 2008 crash was and still is quite affordable. There is no fiscal imperative to reduce the debt in a hurry, we’ve been paying more in interest (as a % of GDP) for most of the last 100 years.

ninfan – you lost your money, as it happens.But it’s not relevant anyway, because in 2005 he hadn’t revealed his homicidal tendencies in full.

Indeed FF but you are missing the important bit. In order to get away with what you identify, goverments have to rig markets to steal from investors. Much better than a default because few people are capable of understanding what you are doing (see above). So if government stealing is OK in your moral code, everything is fine and dandy

>$470 bn of state theft in the good old US of alone. And they get away with it because the public is either unaware of gullible

Jambas, your stamina for feeding is extraordinary!!!

THM: what’s this state theft you keep referring to?

(And are you chewkw in disguise?)

In order to get away with what you identify, goverments have to rig markets to steal from investors.

That’s certainly an interesting interpretation of monetary policy. Personally I see the role of government as proving economic stability, if this reduces investors returns at some point, then it’s a price well worth paying.

THM: what’s this state theft you keep referring to?

I’m guessing the fact that QE pushes down Bond prices or something similar.

Seems a price well worth paying to me, certainly preferable to closing 10 major hospitals and putting another 5m on the dole (which would be a very mild scenario had the government kept the deficit at the same % of GDP in the aftermath of the 2008 crash).

Keep those thoughts – your country need you

Gov policy requires subterfuge to be successful and so far they are getting away with it as they did in the past. Hence all the debate focuses on the wrong area of policy which is a great relief to those in power

The powers that be take us for fools and they are largely correct in this case

(And are you chewkw in disguise?)

😆

Not quite as incomprehensible but he does have a tendency to speak only in hints and insinuations and never saying exactly what he means – last few posts being classic examples of his style

Not quite as incomprehensible but he does have a tendency to speak only in hints and insinuations and never saying exactly what he means – last few posts being classic examples of his style

Because he can’t justify his position with any evidence!

I am sure he can explain why its theft with an economics 101 basic course whilst patronising us for being too stupid to understand 😉

JY, indeed save it for another Israeli thread, father and son ambushed and shot today and a Jewish group targeted by a sniper while visiting a holy site and a Jewish businessman stabbed in Milan in a race motivated copy-cat attack.

Nothing about Israeli agents invading a hospital and shooting dead an innocent man? Thought not.

FF, on the contrary just that blood donations and tracing staff member in Paris are bit more important.

As was getting a tennis racket restrung !

tracing staff member in Paris

Is this part of the A level economics syllabus that helps all your students get A and A * ?

And you say I troll

Is this part of the A level economics syllabus that helps all your students get A and A * ?

No silly they get A* because he teaches them stuff not in the spec.

QE shafts everyone except the rich and those in power. Media manipulation paints it as something that helps the economy and is good for the country as a whole, but it increases inequality and everyone from the middle classes down suffers.

http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2014-05-13/obvious-reason-qe-doesnt-work

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/11/qe-wall-street-bailout.html

http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/what-is-quantitative-easing-explained.html

Few links if anyone is interested.

Weather forecast correct

he does have a tendency to speak only in hints and insinuations and never saying exactly what he means – last few posts being classic examples of his style

See told you

I am sure that last one is massively funny and really clever as well

Some facts relating to child poverty in the UK…e.g. As a direct result of tax and benefit decisions made since 2010, the Institute for Fiscal Studies project that the number of children in relative poverty will have risen from 3.6m to 4.3 million by 2020.

For more info…http://www.cpag.org.uk/child-poverty-facts-and-figures

Some facts relating to child poverty in the UK

[quote]Institute for Fiscal Studies project that[/quote]Where are the facts?

Well, it is a fact that they projected it …it’s also a fact I like your posts, they make me chuckle.. 😀

Ninfan, they are (unsurprisingly) less dramatic than the abstract might suggest.

Recent and long term trends also fail to fit the intended narrative too. But hey….

@THM …wow, what part of the info on child poverty seems OK to you? It was improving until 2010…then flatlined and is now projected to get worse again..

Recent and long term trends also fail to fit the intended narrative too. But hey….

Spelling correct. Superfluous “too”.