Current Affairs How old were you when you grew up and stopped voting Labour?

[Number_25]

It was dead heat who left who first, me or the Labour party
I've banged a clock and twiddled spanners all my life, been made redundant 3 times, used the money well, what there was of it...and still managed to not spend too much time out of work...back in the day they were all about me the worker.
Now i'm well down the list - if i'm on it at all.

So for that reason - I'm out.

How'd you mean?

 

[peteblue]

I've always been 'progressive' in my worldview but have voted against Labour on at least two occasions in the past (never for the thieving Tories or U-skip, of course). In 2010 I joined the Labour Party just because I was appalled that bunch of Old Etonians had somehow seized power and because, really, in a post-Financial Crisis world, if you can't see that the ruling class are feathering their beds and laughing at us then you're some sort of thicko div. Hence I am, at the age of 53, more leftwing than I've ever been and am now an active member of my local branch.

Politics has made you bitter and twisted. You need to relax more and enjoy life.........

 

[Number_25]

Politics has made you bitter and twisted. You need to relax more and enjoy life.........

Or, maybe, he sees that there's a viable way out of all this unfairness?

 

[peteblue]

Or, maybe, he sees that there's a viable way out of all this unfairness?

Borrowing another couple of hundred Billion and bankrupting the country is indeed one way to drag everyone down to a similar level, but even students will surely see through that one.......

 

[Number_25]

Borrowing another couple of hundred Billion and bankrupting the country is indeed one way to drag everyone down to a similar level, but even students will surely see through that one.......

We're effectively 'borrowing billions' and giving it away to banks to lend to people to keep this decrepit economic system in place.

Crying out loud man, have some sense and think for yourself.

 

[peteblue]

We're effectively 'borrowing billions' and giving it away to banks to lend to people to keep this decrepit economic system in place.

Crying out man, have some sense and think for yourself.

Of course we are borrowing billions, we have to pay for all the ‘services’ brought in by 13 years of Labour spending and the banking crisis of 2008. Meanwhile, since 2010, the deficit between what we earn and what we spend is continually being reduced, as is needed. Borrowing even more and then increasing the deficit, as Corbyn would do, will just put us back to where we were in 2010, up sh.. creek............

 

[bobafro]

Never understood why capitalism is seen as some enemy or something. Its, to me, a less than perfect system that those who take the risks can benefit personally, but only if what they offer is actually wanted by folk.

You are posting from a phone or a tablet or something that is a direct effect of a reasonably successful capitalist company.

Unregulated capitalism or as they like to call it 'free market economics' is about as close a system to social darwinism as you'll find. As an ideology it is absolutely horrendous - as a tool, it's probably the most workable framework that we have for an economy (as you said).

The problem is that so many people treat the health of an economy as being the end goal and it shouldn't be. A healthy economy is pointless unless there are good mechanisms in place to allow the wealth generated to be pumped back into society. These mechanisms are what have been attacked over the last few decades and are essentially the reason for the drastic increase in income inequality.

In short, I see capitalism as an ideology to be frighteningly dangerous... it is essentially 'survival of the fittest' - which if that's what you want then you don't need society at all. Capitalism as model for a monetary is something that isn't perfect but as you said is the best we've got. The problem is that a lot of people don't differentiate between the two and so just think capitalism=bad.

Capitalist Economy - drives the creation of better products as companies compete with each other for market share. We get nice new phones, tablets etc.

Capitalist Ideology (i.e. screw regulation, let the free market decide) - allows for things like planned obsolescence, pseudo monopolies and incredibly risky speculation by banks (safe in the knowledge that governments will protect them ahead of their citizens because 'the economy'). None of these things are good for the consumer, nor do they drive innovation - in fact, it's pretty much the opposite.

 

[Clint Planet]

Politics has made you bitter and twisted. You need to relax more and enjoy life.........

No, that was Everton, Pete.

 

[zzr45]

Never have. Parents came from nothing and made something of themselves. Not an O level between them but did amazingly well through hard work.

Labour hate them, sure Corbyn would paint them as great repressors of the poor peasant underclass. For me, Labours message has always been a guilt trip. Don’t buy it.

 

[Number_25]

Never have. Parents came from nothing and made something of themselves. Not an O level between them but did amazingly well through hard work.

Labour hate them, sure Corbyn would paint them as great repressors of the poor peasant underclass. For me, Labours message has always been a guilt trip. Don’t buy it.

Oh right, because a bunch of privately schooled individuals with absolutely no understanding to the problems people face day-in-day-out are the right people to take this country forward?

This is utter nonsense. The vast majority of the Tory front bench are educated beyond their intelligence, and it shows.

 

[Number_25]

Of course we are borrowing billions, we have to pay for all the ‘services’ brought in by 13 years of Labour spending and the banking crisis of 2008. Meanwhile, since 2010, the deficit between what we earn and what we spend is continually being reduced, as is needed. Borrowing even more and then increasing the deficit, as Corbyn would do, will just put us back to where we were in 2010, up sh.. creek............

Again, incorrect. As set out in the Labour manifesto (I doubt you've read it), borrowing will only ever be used to pay for infrastructure.

Without infrastructure, you can't have an economy - without an economy, you can't take taxes - without taxes, you can't have an NHS.

 

[roydo]

Oh right, because a bunch of privately schooled individuals with absolutely no understanding to the problems people face day-in-day-out are the right people to take this country forward?

This is utter nonsense. The vast majority of the Tory front bench are educated beyond their intelligence, and it shows.

See, I was waiting for just that sort of reaction. The lad explained why he had never voted Labour, and straight away, a knee high studs up response.

As to your point about the education of the front bench, and being out of touch, that applies to many, many MPs.

 

[zzr45]

Oh right, because a bunch of privately schooled individuals with absolutely no understanding to the problems people face day-in-day-out are the right people to take this country forward?

This is utter nonsense. The vast majority of the Tory front bench are educated beyond their intelligence, and it shows.

That has nothing to do with the post I wrote. Congratulations on getting your little preplanned speech out.

 

[Number_25]

That has nothing to do with the post I wrote. Congratulations on getting your little preplanned speech out.

"Labour hate them, sure Corbyn would paint them as great repressors of the poor peasant underclass. For me, Labours message has always been a guilt trip. Don’t buy it."

Labour hates nobody, as a party we just want to provide opportunity to those without.

What's your problem with sharing wealth as to ensure that opportunity is provided to those that can make the most out of it - and in doing so increase the life chances of the ones less fortunate than yourself?

 

[roydo]

Labour hates nobody

Really? Like actually really?