The polarisation of our society summed up in one article

As voiced, in part, by one of your betters. Its like reading some of the threads on here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/09/george-osborne-ski-vat-row?INTCMP=SRCH

Remember your place you chippy little underling

Pity he has to come back.

osbornes ability to irritate aside id say that were not as polarised as them yanks

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/09/gabrielle-giffords-shooting-rightwing-rhetoric

Polarised? You mean in the way that some folk have less money than others?

Is this something specific to “our” society then? I thought it was fairly generic.

Straight from the most biased newspaper in the land…….

Not really druid. Just the lack of any kind of common understanding on either side. I just found it pretty depressing reading.

Says it all about our society. It reminded me of another Withnail Quote:

“Shat on by Tories. Scooped up by Labour”

Rachel Johnson is the sister of Boris …

there seem to be only two possible reasons he could have decided to take his winter hols in the ritziest ski resort in Europe: 1. he’s not very bright, or 2. he really doesn’t give a shit about the little people, does he? My suspicion is that it is both.

Seems about right. Its political naivety on a huge scale – but thats no suprise from Osbourne. Cameron would not have done this I doubt.

He’s improving his game. Last time his ritzy holidays were in the news he was tittle-tattling about what Lord Mandelson had said over dinner about the Prime Minister, which got him publicly shat on by the Rothschild family and done over by Mandelson. 🙂

I think I’m aware by now that George Osborne goes on better holidays than I do. It’s also possible to have a genuine empathy with people less fortunate than oneself, and to have a common touch despite great wealth. Osborne has neither. But having awesome holidays doesn’t prevent it necessarily…

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/4974,news-comment,news-politics,youve-gone-too-far-tony-blair

http://www.dream-marine.com/yachting-news/109/tony-blair-entertained-on-rising-sun-superyacht

The UK is one of the most unequal societies in the developed world. The Lorenz curve rocketed under Thatcher as she destroyed unions and ‘rewarded the wealth creators’ and it has stayed up there ever since. Finland, Japan, Sweden have much greater equality and much more social mobility.

Straight from the most biased newspaper in the land…….

We have the murdoch post and the Morning star and you think the Guardian is the most biased newspaper out there FFS that is silly no matter how right wing you are you cannot believe that.
It is an article that has the wife of an ex conservative MP and sister of a Conservative mayor and an travel correspondent and author and noe Observer writer. You think that is unbalanced – what fdo you want a dwarf an ethnic Kurd and someoen left handed?
That is as muddled thinking as george doing this flamboyant gesture of wealth whilst cutting most people living standards and telling us we are all in it together. I also go for both stupid and uncaring FWIW – george that is not backhander you are only stupid 😉

Brilliant article, caught that earlier this morning, Carole trounces the other one, and the quote “horribly expensive if you can’t afford it, free if you can” sums up life/the subtle social fractures in middle class-upper class London in a way that only good comedy can.

The only people I know who can afford to live in W1/N1/EC1/WC1 postcodes at market rent actually live there for free.

I’m a known lefty but I’ve got no problem with this at all. Man’s on holiday, he has money, it won’t help empty the bins or get me a job if he stays at home moaning. Let him go skiing.

It’s the message though isn’t it. Like it or not, politicians’ holidays are part of the discourse of politics in the UK and inferences are made based on where they go. Osborne must know this, so by going to Klosters (not Val Thorens or Tignes – Klosters!) he is deliberately sticking two fingers up at the British public.

I think if the british public is so touchy that’s their problem. Never been much of a one for the politics of envy myself. What do we think he should do, donate the money to the inland revenue instead?

Its not the politics of envy in this case

he sets in chain a series of policies that are going to mean real cuts in income to many people saying ” we are all in it together” but then goes off on a holiday that is only available to the rich with their rich friends

Its the symbolism.

Northwind I have to agree. Why the diddles should he modify what he does with his money. It isn’t really any of anyone elses business. The articles sums up something about us Brits that really pees me off: the instance that we should tell people what to do.

Er, Toys, is that not exactly what Osbourne and this centralising rightwing government is doing? No, you shall have a privatised health service, you will only study these subjects at school and you can only go to univeristy if you’re rich like me, no, you can’t have a job and support your family…and then he piste off to Klosters on an £11000 mini-break. Two nations.

“TandemJeremy – Member

Its not the politics of envy in this case

he sets in chain a series of policies that are going to mean real cuts in income to many people saying ” we are all in it together” but then goes off on a holiday that is only available to the rich with their rich friends

Its the symbolism.”

Do you want him to hire a caravan in north wales for the week? What would that achieve? The fact is, he’s minted and could wander off and never work a day in his life and still be minted- no sense in pretending otherwise. Balls to symbolism.

IMO 😉

you really have no problem with a hereditary millionairre making it financially harder for us all – especially the poor – who sells it to us as we are all in it together slashing budgets , increasing taxes then **** off on a holiday that costs thousands. It is in really bad taste to do this at this time. I am not envious of him it is just callous and insensitive for the grim reaper of public expenditure to do this.
Symbolically it would have been much better to give it to the revenue and by God he could afford to. It may have kept one cleaner in job and stopped them being made redundnant but hey he had fun and **** you pleps.
Politics of envy is such a poor cliche I dont wish to have his wealth I want to deprive him of [some of it]for the common good…not sure why you think that is so bad…you know sharing things fairly

imagine one child has a packet of sweets and wont share any with their sibling.When they complain do you take the sweetless child to one side to admonish them for the politics of envy or do you make the other share?

The fact is, he’s minted and could wander off and never work a day in his life and still be minted- no sense in pretending otherwise.

I **** wish he would.

imagine one child has a packet of sweets and wont share any with their sibling.When they complain do you take the sweetless child to one side to admonish them for the politics of envy or do you make the other share?

I’d give the greedy one a clip round the ear, take the sweets off them, and give them all to the other child, and force the first child to watch the second child eat all the sweets, to teach them a lesson about not being so flipping selfish.

🙂

Actually I have eaten virtually a whole bayg of Haribo Tangfastics today. I feel no compunction about this whatsoever. 😮

Junkyard – Member

“imagine one child has a packet of sweets and wont share any with their sibling.When they complain do you take the sweetless child to one side to admonish them for the politics of envy or do you make the other share?”

What a terrible analogy. Here’s another- one sibling has sweets and won’t share. You take the sweets away from him and throw them in the bin- now everyone’s equal! In this situation I don’t want to be the other sibling, being happy because even though he still has no sweets, now my brother doesn’t either.

I have a problem with his “We’re all facing hard times” chat but that’s the issue, not him going on holiday. Even if he didn’t go, it’d be meaningless posturing, we’d still not be “in it together”.

No Junkyard’s analogy was better actually so there.

you think mine is terrible and then give that instead 😯 has anyone suggested a KLF style erradication of Gideons wealth via a large fire or bin? I say we use his wealth for the common good not just throw it away. Everyone can see that throwing them away is to waste an opportunity. That really is poor, very very poor In fact trully trully awful I hope you are drunk.
I agree it is empty rhetoric but he could have kept up the pretence a little better as surely that makes him a liar and a hypocrit rather than just a liar.

Elfinsafety – Member

No Junkyard’s analogy was better actually so there.

😆

Hey, I said mine was terrible too!

The trouble with the idea of giving the sweets out is that the amount of sweets here is utterly irrelevant compared with the scale sweet shortage. Even if he was to give the sweets away, there still wouldn’t be enough to go round so he’d have none and you’d still have none.

How many sweets? Well, the £11000 being talked about isn’t the actual cost, it’s just made up nonsense but if we assume for a moment it’s true then let’s split those 11000 sweets between everyone else out there and we all get 1/6200th of a sweet. Mmm, delicious!

Too many sweets aren’t good for your teeth. 🙁

Heh! You like that one innit, Lifer? 🙂

There is a big misconception that skiing is just for rich people. It’s been wide open to any class for two decades at least. I’ve had loads of cheap ski holidays. I ski down the same white stuff as the toff who stays in the posh hotel. Just like I walk along the same pavements as rich people in other holiday desinations.

There’s a well known left winger on here who’s thinking of taking up sailing. This came as a bit of a shock to me because i thought sailing might clash with his socialist prejudices! 😯

The Guardian and it’s readers have such a bloody chip on their shoulders!

Everyone will become a toff given enough money, especially those who have come from a deprived background. Precott is a good example.

Speaking of Prescott, guess where he spent Christmas? On the Queen Mary Two, cruising round the Carribean. Makes a ski holiday look like a day trip to Blackpool!

Seen as though he almost certainly pays more tax than anyone else here, and probably more than every poster combined will pay for many years, perhaps the genuine socialists on here would like to write to him and thank him for the nurses and school teachers that he pays for and wish him a lovely holiday.

Those that moan the most on here might like to post up what they have contributed to the public finances last year/work harder and get more of the money that they obviously have an issue about other people owning/shut up and get a life.

LOL Spongebob- well said m8

(Woody – skier/boarder for many years and am a lowly NHS employee)

If you want to hate rich people more – get stuck in a chalet with them.

More from the STW pro Labour party, contributors 🙄

The world isn’t fair, equal, just. This is the way of the world, always has been.

When, I wonder, will lefties get that basic message and stop trying to make the world in their image.

“Rob the rich, give to the poor.” Who says that ?…. The poor do.
Wow, what a shocker !. (not)

Legions of people under the red banner of equality, running around putting the world right.

Heres an idea for you. Instead of picking fault and snearing at people with more than you.
Put your begging bowl down, stop thinking that the rich should have most of it taken away. And get on with enriching yourselves

SpongeBob.
Very well put.

And the usual drivel from the right wingers. Are you really that hard of thinking?

Can you really not understand why this is politically stupid? You can rant and rave all you like but the symbolism of what he has done is the issue.

Nice personal attacks on me as well – oh the ironing!

And get on with enriching yourselves

How do you suggest someone in the NHS for example is going to do that? I mean, the the increase of the cost of life. Increase of petrol. And cut in the salaries?
I am just wondering. The fact is left people not complain about rich, they complain about the break down of social ladder and yes you’re right the world is screwed up, but I bet you a coffee that if you didn’t had daddy or mummy having your and had to work it all by yourself you would have got nowhere as high as you are now. World wealth is not shared equally that is not fair and I think it is time for a fairer world. Or are you the kind of people who don’t give a damn about others and just make a donation to charity to ease your guilt.

UK Politics is silly and childish – everyone knows what politicans really mean when they talk/avoid the question/lie but if they ever say so openly then they get crucified for it – it’s just stupidly childish.

Against that background, any politican, particularly one at the level of Osbourne, should be well aware that they’re open to that kind of senseless scrutiny and should act accordingly. Going on a posh skiing holiday is either naive or stupid even though really there’s no problem – he’s rich and he can afford it – just as it’s ok for many on here to post on here while at work while other people in the UK live in poverty. It just looks bad, particularly to the simple of thinking (note, I didn’t say stupid – I think there’s a big difference) which seems to be a significant majority who read and believe whatever they hear in the media be it the Sun, Guardian, Telegraph, Times, Independent, whatever.

As TJ said, Cameron has made a point of taking holidays in the UK, no doubt purely because of the better impression it gives as like the top politicians from all the main parties, he’s a long way from being poor and could happily afford similar skiing hols.