Current affairs - Page 2

**deadlywill** · #21 11-01-2011, 08:16 AM

I'd think it wouldn't be any different - it's not really the place where they're gunna be strutting round in spandex pants saying 'look at me i'm a chintaker' anyway. It'll just give them an avenue to make proper claims for harrassment etc. Will piss the muslims off no end though

**Begbie** · #22 04-02-2011, 02:15 PM

World food prices are at an all time high. Looks like the speculators who got out of property speculation, at the right time, have moved on to a new target.

There are fortunes to be made in the futures markets provided the market is manipulated in the right way and you get out in time.

How long before banks start selling 'products' to pension funds etc involving futures speculation? Very profitable returns for quite a while with the ordinary people paying way over the odds for goods, then the original speculators take their money and massive profits out, leaving �billions in toxic speculation 'products'?

**deadlywill** · #23 05-02-2011, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Begbie

World food prices are at an all time high. Looks like the speculators who got out of property speculation, at the right time, have moved on to a new target.

There are fortunes to be made in the futures markets provided the market is manipulated in the right way and you get out in time.

How long before banks start selling 'products' to pension funds etc involving futures speculation? Very profitable returns for quite a while with the ordinary people paying way over the odds for goods, then the original speculators take their money and massive profits out, leaving �billions in toxic speculation 'products'?

Business as usual then....the bottom line is money - nobody gives a shit..

**Begbie** · #24 11-02-2011, 05:03 AM

I can't believe how indifferent people on this Forum are to potentially life-changing events.

For example, 'We're all in this together'. If you have loadsamoney it just means that you you can put 10% less into your already burgeoning pension pot. No change to your standard of living. If you are a normal person your standard of living will drop if you have 10% less to spend. Your money is spent on trying to provide for your family today. Your standard of living will get worse.

'We're all in this together' but it doesn't affect the life-style of the government and their rich fund providers. I'd use the word 'pish' to describe government claims.

**wakka839** · #25 11-02-2011, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Begbie

I can't believe how indifferent people on this Forum are to potentially life-changing events.

For example, 'We're all in this together'. If you have loadsamoney it just means that you you can put 10% less into your already burgeoning pension pot. No change to your standard of living. If you are a normal person your standard of living will drop if you have 10% less to spend. Your money is spent on trying to provide for your family today. Your standard of living will get worse.

'We're all in this together' but it doesn't affect the life-style of the government and their rich fund providers. I'd use the word 'pish' to describe government claims.

TBH i dont really understand the ins and outs of what your saying, but i'm indifferent to it cause, there is nothing we can do about it, for me presonally discussing it and learning more about the problem and whats the cause, will only depress me cause there isnt anything i can do about it. Demonstrations/marches/petitions mean jack shit to the people that make decisions.

**adam_ayres1988** · #26 11-02-2011, 09:08 PM

I agree with wakka, let's get an angry mob together and burn shit to the ground!

**Harry Hotspur** · #27 11-02-2011, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakka839

Demonstrations/marches/petitions mean jack shit to the people that make decisions.

Tell that to Hosni Mubarak!

**stenelly** · #28 11-02-2011, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry Hotspur

Tell that to Hosing Mubarak!

well said

the people united will never be defeated.

**Begbie** · #29 13-02-2011, 11:26 PM

The 'Big Society?' What a load of pish! Margaret Thatcher famously said, 'There's no such thing as society'. Is David Cameron dissing Margaret Thatcher? If he is, how can most Tories support him?

As 'Thatcher's Children', they must believe the same as Saint Margaret: 'There's no such thing as society'. How can you have a 'Big Society' if there is no society? Making something that doesn't exist 'big' is a logical no-no.

What is really happening is that the government is abdicating its responsibility to look after its people who are in difficulty, to save money. Get rid of the State and devolve services to local charities. Then they can cut funding to local charities.

As a PR exercise, it is brilliant. No national outcry if, say, Derby Debt Advice gets closed down through lack of government funding. National outcry if the Citizens Advice Bureau gets closed down.

They will find it easier and a lot more politically acceptable to cut the funds of small, local charities.

**ruudboy** · #30 14-02-2011, 02:00 PM

spot on.

It's a nonsense. I normally avoid this thread because of what I do, my opinions are really unimportant. But this big society is a farce. Broken down it's as simple as, charge people for a numberof services, then try and get them to perform some of those services themselves.

The idea was mentioned some years ago at a labour party conference. This coalition should go a long way to helping folk understand that, when they go to the polls, there is no alternative. I'm glad I do not live in Britain today.

**Begbie** · #31 15-02-2011, 02:36 AM

Charlie Richardson, jailed as a London gang boss, said it best.

Paraphrasing: ' Democracy is a system where people are slaves but are convinced that they are free. A perfect system.'

The world doesn't need democracy, it needs meritocracy. You deserve to get a job on your ability, not your prep school.

That works for the three main parties.

Don't get me started on this new concept of 'social entrepreneurs'. Making money from people's charitable work? As I've mentioned elsewhere, charities that pay 80 or 90% of their income to the bosses annoy me. I'll donate to a charity, I won't donate to a money-making venture.

**lumberjack** · #32 07-03-2011, 10:42 PM

Cameron is a twat, although he is worried about being unpopular. He went back on decisions to sell off the forests, get rid of kids school milk (or was it fruit?), and he's trying the charm on surestart (which will go in time). These bastards have no consideration for the less well off. At all.

He now thinks an army of Del Boys are going to save the economy. And the big society is the biggest load of blue sky thinking bollocks probably ever.

Three or four years of chasing up tax evasion would solve the deficit. No cuts necessary. The banks should also be paying their way. Just shows the cuts are purely ideological.

Some Lib-dems are gunning for Clegg at their spring conference, as the NHS reforms in particular were not part of either party's manifesto, nor were they in the coalition agreement. It's a farce, and that fat bastard Angela Lansbury keeps saying the reforms are based on evidence. They're not.

There may be trouble ahead........as the song goes.

**Begbie** · #33 15-03-2011, 10:44 PM

WARNING! This is a general, unprovoked rant.

Joined up Government?

Financial projections show that the current 'austerity measures' will have to be repeated within the next 20 - 30 years. This won't be due to the bankers taking too many risks nor the government spending too much money on public projects to win votes. It will be due to keeping people of my age alive. Indeed, if the bankers fuck up again in the meantime, we're all fuckt.

The country can't afford to keep their promises to everybody in this country who is aged 45 or higher. We were promised state pensions at 65. We were promised free NHS care from the cradle to the grave. We were promised that our national insurance contributions were ensuring that these were our rights.

Most of us weren't involved in the union disputes of the 70's nor filled our boots in the Thatcher years. We just carried on doing our jobs and were glad to have jobs. The union bosses and Thatcher's privateers are now, in the main, financially comfortable. Their scions are now in the Houses of Parliament.

...... Back to 'Joined up Government?'.

If people are living too long, why try to keep them living longer? Why waste money encouraging them not to smoke? Why encourage them not to drink as 'drinkers die younger'?

Car drivers cause more long-term health risks to others than smokers and drinkers combined. Encourage people to drive everywhere. Pay more money to the government.

Kill the poor and the old!

Rant complete.

**lumberjack** · #34 16-03-2011, 10:44 PM

Nice one Begs. Food for thought definitely. You could add tax evasion to the list, 42 billion a year or something. That could help out the NHS for starters.

Don't forget the TUC (and others) march in London on 26th March. It's hoped a million plus will turn out and let Cameron (and Clegg!) know what they think of his Con-Dem love in.

**Begbie** · #35 16-03-2011, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjack

Nice one Begs. Food for thought definitely. You could add tax evasion to the list, 42 billion a year or something. That could help out the NHS for starters.

Don't forget the TUC (and others) march in London on 26th March. It's hoped a million plus will turn out and let Cameron (and Clegg!) know what they think of his Con-Dem love in.

Tax avoidance annoys me more than tax evasion. It is perfectly legal but allows the rich to pay less tax than they should by hiring an artful dodger of an accountant to exploit loopholes in tax laws. If UK governments, past and present, spent more time closing the loopholes and anticipating further 'creative' loopholes we would be in a better place financially.

Roughly 90% of the population have their taxes taken directly from their income at source (PAYE). Almost everybody could claim tax relief on some items during the year but it costs more to employ a creative accountant than could be saved. We live in a plutocracy, ruled by the rich.

I'm about to go off on one again so I'd better stop.

**lumberjack** · #36 16-03-2011, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Begbie

Tax avoidance annoys me more than tax evasion. It is perfectly legal but allows the rich to pay less tax than they should by hiring an artful dodger of an accountant to exploit loopholes in tax laws. If UK governments, past and present, spent more time closing the loopholes and anticipating further 'creative' loopholes we would be in a better place financially.

Roughly 90% of the population have their taxes taken directly from their income at source (PAYE). Almost everybody could claim tax relief on some items during the year but it costs more to employ a creative accountant than could be saved. We live in a plutocracy, ruled by the rich.

I'm about to go off on one again so I'd better stop.

Be my guest. It annoys the fook out of me too. Our very own Chancellor is a well known tax avoider. Lovely.

**Begbie** · #37 16-03-2011, 11:53 PM

I watched Panorama a couple of nights ago.

The 'remuneration package', as they call it, for top executives is decided by the non-executive directors of the company. The non-executive directors are paid a relatively small fee for their involvement with the company. Thousands, not millions.

This sounds pretty fair. They usually settle on a package which is roughly in line with what is being paid to executives in other companies with a similar financial footprint. A conflict of interests comes in when you realise that the non-executive directors of one company are the top executives of a similar company. They are almost setting their own pay scales.

Shareholders don't block the new remuneration rates as most shares are held by pension funds etc.

Who's running the pension funds? Hmmmm. Highly paid executives?

**Begbie** · #38 30-11-2011, 11:04 PM

I almost forgot about this thread. No thoughts on the public service strikes or yesterday's autumn statement?

Folks. Our economy is on a knife-edge. Why no interest?

**Tats** · #39 30-11-2011, 11:38 PM

well im going on a go slow in work till 9 Dec , just been told getting laid off then . So no interest in strikes , the countrys fooked . On the dole for xmas

**mfc1876** · #40 01-12-2011, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tats

well im going on a go slow in work till 9 Dec , just been told getting laid off then . So no interest in strikes , the countrys fooked . On the dole for xmas

Sorry to hear that mate, can't believe companies lay people off at this time of year. Cunts. Hope something else turns up for you.