The Politics Thread

[Worthy4England]

Been a long while since an AoC has presided over a head of state funeral and crowned a new monarch..

I watched the last coronation in 1953 and the Bolton-Blackpool Cup Final. Not sure for which event we bought our first tv. So I missed the 1952 funeral.

Slacker! Hope all well with you and the missus is nearly recovered, Monty.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Been a long while since an AoC has presided over a head of state funeral and crowned a new monarch..

I watched the last coronation in 1953 and the Bolton-Blackpool Cup Final. Not sure for which event we bought our first tv. So I missed the 1952 funeral.

Slacker! Hope all well with you and the missus is nearly recovered, Monty.

Slow but steady progress from the missus. See the surgeon next Tuesday for xrays and a report.

[TANGODANCER]

Hope the report is positive Monty. Prayers are with you both.

[Worthy4England]

Privatisation. What a failure it's generally been. Like most of the policies prevalent in the 1980's.

Sell "the people" something they owned in the first place, on the basis that private business would just throw money at it, because they're philanthropic. Watch as the corporates take divvies each year, whilst not delivering the alleged world class investment, coz that's what private ownership is the best at - market knows best. Then they have the fcuking cheek to ask the people who used to own it, to dip in and bail 'em out. Absolutely scandalous, Thames Water, but we could go on, and on, and on.

[BWFC_Insane]

Privatisation. What a failure it's generally been. Like most of the policies prevalent in the 1980's.

Sell "the people" something they owned in the first place, on the basis that private business would just throw money at it, because they're philanthropic. Watch as the corporates take divvies each year, whilst not delivering the alleged world class investment, coz that's what private ownership is the best at - market knows best. Then they have the fcuking cheek to ask the people who used to own it, to dip in and bail 'em out. Absolutely scandalous, Thames Water, but we could go on, and on, and on.

Thames water is disgraceful. Just make the shareholders and ‘investors’ legally responsible so they can’t just run up huge debts to generate large profits and customers and taxpayers expense.

If they don’t like it then don’t invest. We need to make these people responsible and pay. It’s the only answer long term.

[TANGODANCER]

I just wrote out a longish reply, then realised the futility of bothering. We'll never live in a world where enough is enough. Greed is an incurable disease. "What doth it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffers the loss of his soul?" Jesus asked. Well, I guess we'll know one day unless you wish to believe our lives are on a level par with those we decry. Que Sera...

[BWFC_Insane]

I just wrote out a longish reply, then realised the futility of bothering. We'll never live in a world where enough is enough. Greed is an incurable disease. "What doth it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffers the loss of his soul?" Jesus asked. Well, I guess we'll know one day unless you wish to believe our lives are on a level par with those we decry. Que Sera...

Sure but we are paying the heavy price for believing in Thatchernomics and still being beholden to the absolute nonsense that policy brainfart brought.

Thinking the free market was a panacea and regulation just a barrier to innovation and growth has bitten us so hard. We are reaping what we sowed.

The end point was inevitable. The private sector is only there to make profit. If it’s not profiting it’s failed. When their profit is at risk they throw their dummies out and Tory governments bend over backwards to let them keep making exorbitant profits at our expense.

We left the EU because we didn’t like the regulations (protections) that it imposed and again it’s made things way way worse.

And once again we have the lettuce like ghouls of thatcher queuing up for another go at ruining us all in the likes of Truss and Braverman.

Yet every single time the British public are distracted by nonsense like ‘the EU’ ‘immigration’ or ‘gender’ and culture wars instead of focussing on what is right in front of us. The Thatcher unfettered free market is a monumental failure. The worst single thing that has happened to this country and it was self inflicted. We follow it up with Brexit the second worst thing we’ve inflicted on ourselves.

We need decadal economic renewal but nobody is brave enough. The only hope is that IF finally we can rid ourselves of this government and have a more steady and calm government that they will find the political space and calm to make these bold changes. I won’t hold my breath but it is the only hope.

[Hoboh]

I just wrote out a longish reply, then realised the futility of bothering. We'll never live in a world where enough is enough. Greed is an incurable disease. "What doth it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffers the loss of his soul?" Jesus asked. Well, I guess we'll know one day unless you wish to believe our lives are on a level par with those we decry. Que Sera...

Sure but we are paying the heavy price for believing in Thatchernomics and still being beholden to the absolute nonsense that policy brainfart brought.

Thinking the free market was a panacea and regulation just a barrier to innovation and growth has bitten us so hard. We are reaping what we sowed.

The end point was inevitable. The private sector is only there to make profit. If it’s not profiting it’s failed. When their profit is at risk they throw their dummies out and Tory governments bend over backwards to let them keep making exorbitant profits at our expense.

We left the EU because we didn’t like the regulations (protections) that it imposed and again it’s made things way way worse.

And once again we have the lettuce like ghouls of thatcher queuing up for another go at ruining us all in the likes of Truss and Braverman.

Yet every single time the British public are distracted by nonsense like ‘the EU’ ‘immigration’ or ‘gender’ and culture wars instead of focussing on what is right in front of us. The Thatcher unfettered free market is a monumental failure. The worst single thing that has happened to this country and it was self inflicted. We follow it up with Brexit the second worst thing we’ve inflicted on ourselves.

We need decadal economic renewal but nobody is brave enough. The only hope is that IF finally we can rid ourselves of this government and have a more steady and calm government that they will find the political space and calm to make these bold changes. I won’t hold my breath but it is the only hope.

A lot there, as you'd expect, I cannot agree with but as you know I've always said utility companies and all aspects of defence should be in the hands of the government and the electorate.
The Tories are finished, doomed, whatever, no matter when they go to the polls, do I think things will improve under labour? Nope, not a chance, we will see the rise of the unions, stupid restrictions in laws, look to the Welsh, no money in the bank, a rise in immigration and the likes of Burnham, Khan etc. Whatever they say now will soon be forgotten as events and we didn't expect to find this, as per the norm for all political parties comes into play.
Basically I honestly believe this country will never be as it once was, perhaps we should rename it
Seriously I think some sort of conflict is on the horizon, for once, happy to be old.

[Worthy4England]

Looking for love in all the wrong places. The problems have long since ceased to be political. They're deeply rooted in economics and a failing system. Yet time after time average Joe gets told it's his / her fault. It's racists, it's liberals, it's Putin, it's war, it's pandemics, it's wage demands, it's unions, it's immigrants, it's Tory, it's Labour. All of which have changed over time.

The thing it never is, is capitalism. Never challenged, expanded because it's the only way. The thing at the root of the problem is the one no side is allowed to (or does) talk about. We have to keep growing to satisfy capitalism. How we going to do that? Well expand the workforce, so point to the boats over there and hope everyone misses the other 1.3 million we let in...most have? They're still screaming about generally minor populist con jobs (like Brexit, boats, woke).

Meanwhile companies keep hauling record profits off stagnant wages. Everyone happy voting for this to be the status quo, whilst thinking your £50k makes you seriously better off than Joe's £30k, when all it's actually done is bring marginal relief, whist corporations make off with the boots.

There are a number of points on which we agree Hobes. The country will never be as it once was. Neither "side" will solve the problem (because neither side has identified it as the problem).

[Hoboh]

Growth is finite, not without limits, those selling it as the constant and only way forward lie.
I find it funny how more and more of the real wealthy are slowly backing away from the rise of AI that will eventually kill their market. The youth of today, influencers etc, usually shallow people are accelerating decline and merely serving the money gods, they will regret it.
I always labelled the great reset people as tin foil hatters but with what is going on with global finance, population etc, I'm having some doubts.
To be honest though, with current world events, If they do exist, even they are losing control.

[TANGODANCER]

If you're around Monty, hope all is as best as you can be . God Bless.

[Hoboh]

Just when you think politicians can not sink any lower,

Up pops William Wragg!

Putin could doe all of us a huge favour hitting both houses when full to capacity debating their next pay/expenses bill.

[Worthy4England]

I haven't reached the point where I don't think politicians could sink any lower...

[Hoboh]

I haven't reached the point where I don't think politicians could sink any lower...

Surely you mean, sink without trace

[Montreal Wanderer]

If you're around Monty, hope all is as best as you can be . God Bless.

Thanks, Tango. All is as well as can be expected for my wife and I'm in good nick for an old guy. This thread referencing the Good Old Days was making me think that you and I are about the only who saw the welfare state come in (many of the reforms badly needed) then under Churchill and MacMillan "we never had it so good".

Take care.

[TANGODANCER]

Aye, Monty, back in the days when M.P's meant Members of Parliament and not Muppets and Puppets, and we had churches pubs, clubs, cinemas and corner shops by the bucket full. Compared to today, The good Old Days were actually quite good and not just figments of our imagination.