The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[Clint Planet]

You've just single-handedly redefined discrimination in your post. Congratulations. According to you, it's now acceptable to make fun of Asians for eating rice or African-Americans for eating KFC because that's "their own actions, not who they are". Disgusting.

You're embarrasssing yourself there, mate.

 

[Clint Planet]

Sunday Morning Inequality briefing:

52 days to polling day....

 

[Seanjd]

Well, first of all, I'd be absolutely hopeless at running my school. I have a different skill set to that required, shall we say. neither do I want direct interference from politicians on anything other than the broadest of matters. I do, though, value my Local Authority. It is brimming with expertise and practical advice. I think what will happen with all of these "free schools" is that some will be very good, some a mixed bag and some catastrophically bad.

I couldn't agree more with this. My experience is that the government set out broad guidelines (which can be helpful or hopeless) and generally, head teachers run our schools with the support of their local authorities. Each school is so different to the next, and that is down to the head teacher. Free schools are scary in my eyes. Of course there will be successful examples, but there is no doubt that many will be set up with a vested interest by people who do not have the skill sets to run schools with children's learning at the heart of it.

 

[Clint Planet]

We do have an equal society in many, many ways. One man/woman, one vote.

And yet there is a general feeling that our political system is not fit for purpose and that all the major parties fill their boots whilst ignoring the concerns of the electorate. Not only that, the government now spies on us as a matter of course. We are guilty until proven innocent in the eyes of GCHQ.

Age/sex/race discrimination legislation.

...an acknowedgement that inequality needs to be tackled, though. And it still exists, in spite of the corrective effects of the legislation.

All are judged equally in the eyes of the law.

This simply isn't true. It is increasingly apparent that the rich and powerful operate above the law. The expenses scandal, Rebekah Brooks getting off, the lack of investigation and prosecution in the Litvinenko poisoning case, the mysterious delay in publication of the Chilcott Report (which stopped taking evidence in 2011 and is due to be published - hugely redacted - aftet the election. Hmmm), Hilsborough, the Westminster paedo ring (Thatcher proven to have been part of the cover-up) etc....etc....

Habeus Corpus.

.....contemptuously dismissed by the 2005 Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Democracy at national and local level.

...or at least, the appearance of democracy.

Some folk get paid/earn more than others, but that should, and does imo, create an aspirational society, where hard work and talent is rewarded.

True, but the gap is widening so much that aspiration turns to despair as an underclass imprisoned in their own economic circumstances is created. Modern society has less to do with people than it does corporations. These days, the system does not serve the people, the people serve the system.

Should we strive to make society better? Sure. But an equal society in terms of wealth is a ridiculous nirvana I believe.

I don't think anyone is arguing for everyone being equal in terms of wealth, mate - just a fairer society where the wealthy take on their share of social responsibility and the wealth of the nation is distributed a little more equitably and where there is a drive towards equality of opportunity.


Take a look at how much CEO pay in comparison to average worker pay has changed (and, of course, keeps changing more and more in favour of the super-rich).....

This is not the politics of envy - this is the politics of feeling stitched up.

 

[Clint Planet]

Free schools are scary in my eyes. Of course there will be successful examples, but there is no doubt that many will be set up with a vested interest by people who do not have the skill sets to run schools with children's learning at the heart of it.

Children as guinea pigs. It'll end in tears, mark my words.

 

[Eggs]

.....think Labour have really missed a trick not getting the 'Northern Powerhaouse' idea first. Really clever ploy from the Tory's to cut off criticism that they are a party of the South. Labour do appear to have a poor strategy.

 

[roydo]

I don't think anyone is arguing for everyone being equal in terms of wealth, mate

Well, he was.

just a fairer society where the wealthy take on their share of social responsibility and the wealth of the nation is distributed a little more equitably and where there is a drive towards equality of opportunity.

Could not agree more. We just differ in how to achieve it. That is a good thing I hope!

Children as guinea pigs. It'll end in tears, mark my words.

Comprehensive schools? Closure of Grammar Schools? Assault on Public Schools? My views on education are well documented, and the biggest betrayer of kids for a generation was, imo, Blair. He had the mandate, and the cash, to at last see the state system move towards the standards of the public schools. He blew it.

Every state school with classes of 20 max. Teachers paid tons more than they are, removal of the political nonsense and endless political tinkering, (from ALL parties). A real focus on 15/16 year olds, "Academic" or "Vocational" from that point, not the obsession with a HE degree.

And a consistent approach to those kids who fall short, through no fault of their own. SEN cases if you like, although that might too broad a classification, I am sure you know what I mean.

 

[Clint Planet]

Comprehensive schools? Closure of Grammar Schools? Assault on Public Schools? My views on education are well documented, and the biggest betrayer of kids for a generation was, imo, Blair. He had the mandate, and the cash, to at last see the state system move towards the standards of the public schools. He blew it.

To be fair to him - and I can't stand the guy - he presided over a government that doubled spending on education in real terms. Standards did rise under Labour but the glass ceiling remained - the problems we face are much more deep-seated than a mere investment in the current public model. If I had a magic wand and only one use of it, I'd rid this country of fee-paying schools and their divisive fall-out at the drop of a hat.

 

[Clint Planet]

Well, he was.

(Sorry, mate, I didn't read *his* post)

 

[Clint Planet]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics...cond-job-as-millioniare-web-marketer-while-mp

Grant Shapps, the Tory party chairman, had a second job as a “multimillion-dollar web marketer” under the pseudonym Michael Green for at least year after he first became an MP.

It is a suggestion that Shapps has repeatedly denied for three years, but the Guardian has discovered a recording from the summer of 2006 in which the Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield boasts his products could make listeners a “ton of cash by Christmas”.

Last Days of Rome, part 7...

 

[roydo]

To be fair to him - and I can't stand the guy - he presided over a government t douhatbled spending on education in real terms. Standards did rise under Labour but the glass ceiling remained - the problems we face are much more deep-seated than a mere investment in the current public model. If I had a magic wand and only one use of it, I'd rid this country of fee-paying schools and their divisive fall-out at the drop of a hat.

Well that is where we differ mate. Lobbing money at something seems to be the answer to everything for some. Better allocation of a resource might be a more effective and long term benefit.

And re fee paying, if the state system was as good as them, (as it is down here), there would no need for them.

And if some rich(ish) family want to pay £0000's in school fees, when a superb state system is available, well, more fool them.

I know quite a few "products" of both systems down here, (North Somerset/Bristol/Cheltenham), and I know which ones I would employ or want my daughter to shack up with. If I had one that is.

 

[roydo]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics...cond-job-as-millioniare-web-marketer-while-mp

Grant Shapps, the Tory party chairman, had a second job as a “multimillion-dollar web marketer” under the pseudonym Michael Green for at least year after he first became an MP.

It is a suggestion that Shapps has repeatedly denied for three years, but the Guardian has discovered a recording from the summer of 2006 in which the Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield boasts his products could make listeners a “ton of cash by Christmas”.

Last Days of Rome, part 7...

See, it is this sort of stuff that I really couldnt care less about. Maybe that makes me annoying, dunno, but the pointless sniping, (from ALL sides, witness the rubbish about Millibands 2 kitchens ffs), just leaves me cold.

Like Osborne in his pre election budget, is going to buy a ton of votes with a stupid, ill conceived idea to "free" pensioners from their annuity they bought a few years back. It is utter bonkers. And will probably wipe billions from the share values of quite a few insurance companies.

*sigh*

 

[Clint Planet]

Lobbing money at something seems to be the answer to everything for some. Better allocation of a resource might be a more effective and long term benefit.

People often say things like this. I'm not sure exactly what it means. It seems like something that's just trotted out as a matter of course. Maybe I'm wrong - I really don't know. I'm bemused.

How did Labour get it wrong? How are the Tories getting it right? How could the money have been better allocated? How do you know this to be right?

 

[Clint Planet]

See, it is this sort of stuff that I really couldnt care less about. Maybe that makes me annoying, dunno, but the pointless sniping, (from ALL sides, witness the rubbish about Millibands 2 kitchens ffs), just leaves me cold.

Like Osborne in his pre election budget, is going to buy a ton of votes with a stupid, ill conceived idea to "free" pensioners from their annuity they bought a few years back. It is utter bonkers. And will probably wipe billions from the share values of quite a few insurance companies.

*sigh*

If you can't care less about a high-ranking party official deliberately misleading the electorate, that's up to you, mate. For me, Kitchengate is nothing by comparison.

Of course, the Tory media will try to make a big deal of it, though..

 

[Clint Planet]

And re fee paying, if the state system was as good as them, (as it is down here), there would no need for them.

This is completely misguided and unhelpful, by the way.