The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[roydo]

Not sure what is happening.

 

[roydo]

Oh dear.

We're all doomed.

What would you do? Serious question.

 

[Brennan]

What would you do? Serious question.

This would have been my next question.

It's all well and good moaning and pointing out the obvious. Yes, there is incredible wealth inequality in the world. That's not news though.

A bit like going on the Everton forum and just moaning all the time without offering alternatives or ideas.

And no i don't think 'Make it fairer' is a sufficient answer...

 

[roydo]

This would have been my next question.

It's all well and good moaning and pointing out the obvious. Yes, there is incredible wealth inequality in the world. That's not news though.

A bit like going on the Everton forum and just moaning all the time without offering alternatives or ideas.

And no i don't think 'Make it fairer' is a sufficient answer...

Yep. Life aint fair. Where you are born, what you can do, what you look like, male or female.

But it has been the same since we ventured out of our caves.

 

[red1]

What would you do? Serious question.

I get what he's saying and I'm a conservative...I don't think Clint is calling for the overhaul of capitalism. I think his beef is with corporatism and of a set of laws that favour the super wealthy so they keep getting richer no matter what even if they make unprofitable decisions. E.g. The banks that caused the mess got a bailout and none of the guys responsible went to prison. I think one guy got his knighthood revoked but that's pretty much it if I could recall correctly. In fairness to our country though...it's nothing like the USA where the corporations are running riot. It doesn't even resemble capitalism technically. It's the exact opposite of capitalism almost: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...ays-hit-with-290m-fine-over-Libor-fixing.html People should have been sent to prison.

 

[roydo]

I get what he's saying and I'm a conservative...I don't think Clint is calling for the overhaul of capitalism. I think his beef is with corporatism and of a set of laws that favour the super wealthy so they keep getting richer no matter what even if they make unprofitable decisions. E.g. The banks that caused the mess got a bailout and none of the guys responsible went to prison. I think one guy got his knighthood revoked but that's pretty much it if I could recall correctly. In fairness to our country though...it's nothing like the USA where the corporations are running riot. It doesn't even resemble capitalism technically. It's the exact opposite of capitalism almost: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...ays-hit-with-290m-fine-over-Libor-fixing.html People should have been sent to prison.

So some are richer than others? Wow.

The system isnt perfect, at all, but it is sooo easy to post stats and stuff, far harder to offer a workable alternative.

 

[Clint Planet]

What would you do? Serious question.

I worry that we ultimately may be, yeah. Government ( the mythic "Man" in this case- the establishment) know more and more about us, and strip away more and more of our rights - the notion, when I was studying thirty years ago, that habeas corpus would be suspended, for example, was absolutely laughable. And yet it was. Did we protest? Was anyone even bothered? The super wealthy get twice as rich in a massive recession (with so much hardship for the poorest of our society) and yet the young intellectuals of our land are strangely oblivious to this and instead spout unhelpful platitudes such as, "Socialism has never been proved to work anywhere!" as though that's the central issue in all this.

Who cares that the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer if we've all got a plasma screen, two weeks in Zante and our team is doing okay? Yeah, I despair.

 

[red1]

So some are richer than others? Wow.

The system isnt perfect, at all, but it is sooo easy to post stats and stuff, far harder to offer a workable alternative.

It's not that some are richer than others...it's about about the government enriching others. Like legalised benefit fraud on a large scale or something, I don't know how to explain it...it's quite complex. But anyway, the system isn't hurting me that's for sure so I don't have a dog in this fight. I just get what Clint is saying that's all...the benefits of being an economics student.

 

[roydo]

I worry that we ultimately may be, yeah. Government ( the mythic "Man" in this case- the establishment) know more and more about us, and strip away more and more of our rights - the notion, when I was studying thirty years ago, that habeas corpus would be suspended, for example, was absolutely laughable. And yet it was. Did we protest? Was anyone even bothered? The super wealthy get twice as rich in a massive recession (with so much hardship for the poorest of our society) and yet the young intellectuals of our land are strangely oblivious to this and instead spout unhelpful platitudes such as, "Socialism has never been proved to work anywhere!" as though that's the central issue in all this.

Who cares that the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer if we've all got a plasma screen, two weeks in Zante and our team is doing okay? Yeah, I despair.

Similar age us mate. And I share some of the worries of what you say. But that isnt the fault, or result, of a political system.

My default position is that I dont buy into the big conspiricy stuff about some ruling elite, and I dont really care that some folk get mega rich through somewhat dubious means. I just want a fair society, which by and large we have in the UK, and that I can get on with my life.

 

[roydo]

It's not that some are richer than others...it's about about the government enriching others. Like legalised benefit fraud on a large scale or something, I don't know how to explain it...it's quite complex. But anyway, the system isn't hurting me that's for sure so I don't have a dog in this fight. I just get what Clint is saying that's all...the benefits of being an economics student.

Ah, an economist. Some one who sees something happen in reality, then proves it in theory.

Joking mate. I am one too. Or was one about 30 years ago.

 

[red1]

Ah, an economist. Some one who sees something happen in reality, then proves it in theory.

Joking mate. I am one too. Or was one about 30 years ago.

Your opinions are intriguing but confusing...are you a tory as well or what? I can't quite pin you down lol

 

[Clint Planet]

What would you do? Serious question.

Sorry, misread your question there.

With the greatest of respect, mate, it usually quickly degenerates into that "Okay, wiseguy, tell us the answer, will you" stuff (and I do know that you're not asking me in that tone!) and I tend to say that I don't necessarily have the answer but I do think it's important to question everything and to accept nothing. The British political system is a massive arcane behemoth which de facto excludes us - me and you - (as oposed to Brennan's supposedly mythical "The Man). It depends on us not being arsed to question things. While we watch our instantly accessible movies and live games, the system rolls on. We get the impression we're in a democracy and yet our rights are being stripped away, we have very little say in what our country is doing and the ruling class continue to feather their beds. And we don't even question it.

What would I do? Hell, I don't know. It's not my job to provide a solution. But I'll sure as hell scream blue murder about what's going on right now and ask for someting much fairer.

The (mythical) Man depends on us all not doing so...

 

[Clint Planet]

So some are richer than others? Wow.

The system isnt perfect, at all, but it is sooo easy to post stats and stuff, far harder to offer a workable alternative.

It's sad that you think I'm just "posting stats."

It's actually not thaaaaaat easy to speak up and stuff. It's far easier to just accept the fact that the poor are getting poorer and the rich richer, year after year, without questioning it. If you speak up, you're seen as a bit of an oddball. Wow, look at that guy, railing against inequality - arguing that ever child should have an equal chance.

Yeah, the system's not perfect - but I just get the feeling it could be perfecter if we all only just cared.

 

[red1]

Sorry, misread your question there.

With the greatest of respect, mate, it usually quickly degenerates into that "Okay, wiseguy, tell us the answer, will you" stuff (and I do know that you're not asking me in that tone!) and I tend to say that I don't necessarily have the answer but I do think it's important to question everything and to accept nothing. The British political system is a massive arcane behemoth which de facto excludes us - me and you - (as oposed to Brennan's supposedly mythical "The Man). It depends on us not being arsed to question things. While we watch our instantly accessible movies and live games, the system rolls on. We get the impression we're in a democracy and yet our rights are being stripped away, we have very little say in what our country is doing and the ruling class continue to feather their beds. And we don't even question it.

Sadly, I don't think many people care. We're not like Americans who are alert to every encroachment of their liberties. It's one of the things that attracted me to the Conservative party...the Labour party had a vision of a government which has no limits. Unfortunately, the Conservative party is the exact same...the government is getting bigger and bigger and there's nothing really we can do about it.

 

[roydo]

Your opinions are intriguing but confusing...are you a tory as well or what? I can't quite pin you down lol

I think it is folly to wed yourself to a political party, "come what may", that is only reserved to your kids and your football club.

I dislike, as a political body, socialists . Now I have tons of mates who are, and thats what I mean. As a concept, I disagree with their solutions to the worlds ills, but not, by and large, their motives.

I believe that the only way you can deliver the outcomes everyone wants, is via a stable, growing economy. End of. And I have lived through enough Labour governments who have ballsed that up, or inherited a decent set of cards and wasted the benefits.

I loath UKIP. I love the UK. I think one of the finest MPs in the HOC is Andy Burnham. I think Cameron is well intentioned. And I dont buy the "Tories want to kill the poor" nonsense that gets peddled.

Ed Balls is an idiot. Milliband has been a pasty to the unions. The Tories should think before the jump on the NHS.

But on balance, I vote for my local MP, who is sound. A bit right wing to my liking on some issues, but his opponents have been a shambles.

That probably wont help.