The polarisation of our society summed up in one article

The most surprising thing from the article was this link on the right. Lemmy is 65!!! 😯
Insensitive politician sticking it to the voting public shocker and people reacting double shocker, nothing new really.

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.

But as said above (by me) the thing is he didn’t just go skiing, to like Val Thorens or wherever, but rather Klosters, the most elitist of the elitist ski resorts, and to make things worse, didn’t stay in a legit 5* hotel and pay legit 5* rates but rather stayed in a friend’s chalet for free. People are invoking that last fact in his defence, to say it was really a cheap holiday, but the point is that it’s even more elitist, i.e., that not only can he afford to go to Klosters, but that when he goes, it’s actually free!

Funny that, I was on the Eurostar to Bourg-St-Maurice last week and sat near to Vince Cable – he looked like a beaten man!

This is pure lifestyle envy, not a story.

Only a politically naive imbecile would go skiing now.

Both true IMO.

BTW. Klosters is not an especially posh ski resort. Posh people go to Lech or Courcheval 1850.

I couldn’t care less where he goes on holiday or what it costs, as long as it is his money and not paid out of the public purse.

There are plenty of politicians from every political persuasion who are more than happy to take advantage and go on free trips under the guise of ‘fact finding’ or ‘trade missions’. Those are the ones who should be targeted, not someone who, regardless of what your opinion is of him politically or personally, works bloody hard and can afford it.

Klosters is not an especially posh ski resort. Posh people go to Lech or Courcheval 1850.

Klosters = Old moneyed recluses

Courchevel = Russians, footballer’s wives and Johnny Halliday.

I’ve never been to Lech, is it any good?

Honestly don’t care.

His family has a baronetcy and a vast amount of wealth FFS – he’s not like us. It would be far worse if he went to a caravan in Dunoon instead to give the through-gritted-teeth impression he was down with the oiks. At least if he’s skiing there’s an outside chance he might lose control and slam into a tree.

I have a problem with the gleeful, ideologically-driven dismantling of the NHS and the welfare state that this pudding-faced toff is the public face for, not how he chooses to holiday.

ideologically-driven dismantling of the NHS

Wow – he’s only been in government for a few months and he’s already being given all the credit for that! Told you he works hard.

“I’ve never been to Lech, is it any good?”

Lech/Zurs is stunning – tonnes of untracked off-piste. You best bet is to take accommodation in St Anton, itself not cheap, and then take the bus over the Flexenpass each day. If you’re highly competent, you can ride down off the back of the Valluga and return on the bus – but you may die 😉

I’ve looked at accommodation prices in Klosters and they are comparable to other swiss ski resorts. It can be cheaper than the neighbouring city of Davos, perhaps because it’s not as well connected into the skiing area. I’m making the point that in the UK, Klosters is mis-represented somewhat because it’s patronised by the Wales’.

I forgot to mention St Moritz, and also Verbier – truly eye-watering prices. Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Farm Club”? BTW, I did a day-visit to Verbier and saw Richard Branson skiing there – he has an unusually graceful, feminine style of skiing.

I take it there will be a whole bunch of people here that will be holidaying in their back garden in a tent made up of unsold copies of Socialist Worker this year – after all, it’s the symbolism that matters, and the bloke down the road selling The Big Issue is horribly jealous of your two weeks in the sun err, just thinks that because you have more than he does things should be shared out more equally.

courcheval is kinda funny, some ridiculously hot russian babes with very dodgy burly looking russian blokes
best of all are the girls in full animal print ski suits, gold skis D&G sunnies etc

and to keep my leftie? credentials we stayed in bride le bains at the botttom of the valley and took a 45 min cable car ride up to the posh bits

Klosters (not Val Thorens or Tignes – Klosters!)

im with you on ‘not’ and ‘or’ however my income has not allowed me to learn any of the other words you quoted. Im guessing they are foreign ski resorts.

im genuinely sorry that you can only afford to take your children to Tignes this year for your winter break.

This year I won’t be holidaying at my home in Spain, I will be holidaying in the UK, happy?

I take it there will be a whole bunch of people here that will be holidaying in their back garden in a tent made up of unsold copies of Socialist Worker this year – after all, it’s the symbolism that matters, and the bloke down the road selling The Big Issue is horribly jealous of your two weeks in the sun err, just thinks that because you have more than he does things should be shared out more equally.

exactly.

i will be holidaying in the uk

as ive just had a baby and evil george has snatched away the child benefit we woudl have got as well as whacked up vat etc etc

Kimbers

Think the pride you will feel when you can turn round to him/her and say “I you brought you up myself from the fruits of my labour without any handouts from The State”. 😉

jhw – Member

“People are invoking that last fact in his defence, to say it was really a cheap holiday, but the point is that it’s even more elitist, i.e., that not only can he afford to go to Klosters, but that when he goes, it’s actually free!”

You don’t think it’s relevant?
“It’s disgraceful that Osborne is going on an expensive holiday!”
“Actually it’s not that expensive”
“That’s even WORSE!!oNe!”

and evil george has snatched away the child benefit we woudl have got as well as whacked up vat etc etc

Socialism is just wonderful.
( as long as someone else is paying for it )

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

What if the rich have things sewn up so tight it’s actually incredibly difficult for anyone from a ‘normal’ or ‘poor’ background to ever really succeed?

If you have more than enough to eat, while someone else starves, then you have too much. That’s the truth.

What if the rich have things sewn up so tight it’s actually incredibly difficult for anyone from a ‘normal’ or ‘poor’ background to ever really succeed?

You know that five in every four
Just won’t amount to nothin’ more
Gonna watch the rats go across the floor
And make up songs about being poor

Blow your harmonica, son!

no matter how right wing you are you cannot believe that.

I’m not right wing. I set sweetly in the middle it’s just that you are so far left that you’re not actually on this planet anymore.

backhander you are only stupid

I’m not stupid either, I’m intelligent enough to make my own mind up about things rather than be brainwashed by the left wing or right wing media. You can stop with the personal insults too, that horse you’re sitting on is getting shorter and shorter.

Do you truly believe that the Guardian is the most biased paper out there??? 😯

I’m not right wing. I set sweetly in the middle

Be’ave! 😆

Everyone to my left thinks I’m on the right. Everyone to my right thinks I’m on the left. So, of course you think I’m right wing but in reality I’m not.

Is it too early to call anyone a communist or fascist yet? 🙄

Blow your harmonica, son!

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry

does this mean I have to cancel my holiday next week or risk being ostracised from STW?

No Phil – if you have the money ( legitimately sourced ) to go on holiday then what business is it of anyone else what decisions you make for yourself.

Unless that is you are the sort of hypocrite that would deny the same liberty to another person because they think differently to you or you have, however poorly disguised, a nasty infection of envy.

So, of course you think I’m right wing but in reality I’m not.

No, you are. Many’s the time on here you’ve espoused right-wing ideologies. Calling the Guardian ‘the most biased newspaper in the land’! What, compared to the Daily Mail??? Are you serious?????????

Socialism = child benefit? I thought that would be more in the realms of social democracy.

Don’t most of us pay taxes in this society? Surely you put £££ into society and it gets distributed fairly? Or does it?

If you need to blame someone then perhaps more blame should be heaped on the tax evaders – from huge corporations to those little business people that ‘cook the books’.

Or perhaps how and where government spends its money should be looked at in finer details by voters and non-voters alike. If transparency is the banner they are waving then perhaps government allocated spending should be audited and judged accordingly. If we truly live in a free market society then state funding of everything should be looked at as we wouldn’t want to stop fair competition and free enterprise would we?

phil – are you responsible for the cuts and for saying ” we are all in this together” ?

Are you a politician?

Is the press going to attack you for going on holiday?

This year I shall be holidaying in Bradford. 🙂

No, you are. Many’s the time on here you’ve espoused right-wing ideologies. Calling the Guardian ‘the most biased newspaper in the land’! What, compared to the Daily Mail??? Are you serious?????????

I don’t espouse any ideology of any wing. That’s your mistake. I make my own mind up and you choose to label me as “right wing” because my opinions are different to yours. Yes, I do agree with some right wing ideals but I also agree with some left wing ideals. The fact that some political parties share these is coincidence. I am not a fan of what labour has done in recent years but that’s not because they’re left wing, it’s because they sent us to 2 wars of questionable legality, ill prepared and nearly irrepairably damaged our economy. I’d be more than happy to give them my vote in the future if I thought that they were the best people for the job.
I see the guardian and the daily mail in much the same light. Can’t stand either (the rugby reporting is rubbish in both)

this year I shall be holidaying in spain (mtb), saunton sands (family), morzine (mtb), and maybe somewhere else hot too (family). 4 holidays happy flipping days.

I don’t espouse any ideology of any wing. That’s your mistake.

Oh ok then.

I’m not right wing. I set sweetly in the middle it’s just that you are so far left that you’re not actually on this planet anymore.

I am more leftwing than a Maoist, socialist worker, radical marxist etc

I’m not stupid either, I’m intelligent enough to make my own mind up about things rather than be brainwashed by the left wing or right wing media. You can stop with the personal insults too, that horse you’re sitting on is getting shorter and shorter.

there was a wink I said it because it was amusing not because it was an insult – the wink was to let you know it was a joke. If you were offended I am sorry my humorous remark was not taken in the style it was meant.
PSIt is better to not include your own personal insults when appealing to someone else not to do it as it weakens your argument.

I’ve just eaten an entire packet of crab-flavoured sticks. 😳

dont believe you that story smells fishy to me
IGMC

No it’s actually true and I’ve got some new socks.