Brew

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Posts posted by Brew

  2. Anything Political

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    Posted

    11 minutes ago, DJ360 said:

    Nigel Farage still wants to scrap the NHS

     

    Actually -  

    Farage denied he wanted to replace the NHS with private insurance, but said insurers could “take the burden off the NHS” - on the Andrew Marr show.

     

    I agree with Labours Ashworth, he's was being evasive, some would say outright lying but in the interest of accuracy...

     

  3. Anything Political

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    Posted

    4 hours ago, DJ360 said:

    it is arguable that money = debt and vice versa. 

     

    In a debt driven economy you are on a Merry-go-round and cant get get off. A debt driven economy means grow or die! The debt is expanding, so the economy has to grow to feed it. Manufacturing, sales and spending must increase using up precious resources, companies have to  expand or go under but there is less and less money  available.

    We soon have a situation of little money to go round to feed into the economy and increasing pressure from debt, so adding more pressure on the economy to grow, it's a vicious circle. When dear Gordon was trying to buy his way out of debt he was actually making it worse.

     

    How do we get out of it? like any sensible person we stop throwing good money after bad and cut back on our spending. We cut wages, benefits, and outsource to cheaper facilities. Nobody likes to admit it but it's the sensible option.

     

    Now here's the conundrum by creating debt we create more money, but money becomes more scarce so where is it going?

  4. Anything Political

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    Posted

    5 hours ago, DJ360 said:

    If one side gains a permanent, or long term advantage, the situation can only eventually lead to revolution and conflict.

    Two parties or twenty two parties, you either have political 'horse trading' (forming pacts'), or you have conflict.

     

    Don't agree Col.

    • Upvote 1

  5. Anything Political

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    Posted

    4 hours ago, HSR said:

    I'd like to think mature adults have the courage of their convictions..thus the more parties the better, am I idealist & naive, probably!

     

    Nice idea, everyone having a say, all working together for the common good...

     

    From Wikipedia:

    A multi-party system is a system where multiple political parties take part in national elections. A lot of countries that use this system have a coalition government[1], meaning many parties are in control, and they all work together to make laws. Good examples of countries that have this system include Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Philippines, and South Korea. There is no limit to the number of parties that can take part in a British election, but the government must command a majority in the House of Commons, and is usually formed from one party.

     

    For the most part hardly shining examples. It would be a bit like running a country by committee. I've been on a few and the majority of firm decisions made concerned the date and time of the next meeting - bugger all else. The UK government has cabinets who can't agree and they are on the same side!

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  6. Anything Political

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    Posted

    4 hours ago, DJ360 said:

    I'm always reminded of something one of my economics lecturers said, to the effect that it is 'perfectly possible to have a seemingly highly successful economy.. in which 90% of the population are not able to participate.'

     

    Not in this lifetime! Unless you want a totalitarian government,

     

    4 hours ago, DJ360 said:

    But surely that was the point where Brown decided to start 'quantitative easing

     

    It was and he was praised but in hindsight he and 'they ' were wrong - he didn't save the world. Printing more and more money is a short term, short sighted  solution. Like everything else money looses it's value if there is a glut of it.

    He let loose a system we shall be paying for, for decades , possibly forever. (£375 Billion)

     

    5 hours ago, DJ360 said:

    The economy is about more than just debt. Activity, productivity, GDP, you know.. that sort of stuff

    I didn't raise debt but ...  :happy:

    In any economic system debt is the prime indicator. You can have all the production you like but if you are not covering your bills you are going to either increase your debt  - or go bust. Any household budget holder will tell you that.

    I don't blame Brown for the crash. I blame his handling of it (and Osbourne), trying to spend your way out of debt never did make sense.

     

    You say you spent some time living in debt, so did most of us but like most of us I suspect you worked to reduce your mortgage, not go out on a spending spree thinking more deficit spending will magically pay off what you owe. Sometimes even something as complex as a national economy has a simple common sense solution ala Mr Micawber.

     

     

     

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  7. Anything Political

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    1 hour ago, Rob.L said:

    And it’s worth noting that despite all those years of “austerity” and cuts, government debt is now nearly double what it was when Labour left office.

     

    Actually the link provided by Col shows that it's not, it's 53% admittedly it's 'inflation adjusted' so the real figure could almost anything.

    If we go with double as you say  then things still look bleak for Labours handling of the economy.

     

    If you want to look a little closer at the chart you put up Rob it shows that during the last few Labour years it DID double (from less than 0.5 to just over 1.0) BUT they managed to do it in just 3 years!  They set the runaway train going.

     

    1 hour ago, DJ360 said:

    after the 2008 crash (NOT caused by Brown), we were heading into recovery

     

    Recovery? The figures show quite clearly Col that 2008/9 the debt increased by almost 20% (19.64.) Funny sort of recovery that is

     

    Under the terrible Tories it's true the debt has still  increased but at a much SLOWER rate ( 9 years as against Labours 3) as they struggle to bring Labours, (Browns) poison chalice of an economy  under control. They might have even succeeded if they had given the job to someone who understood economics instead of Osbourne .

  9. How's your day?

    in Owt' Abaaht Nowt !

    Posted

    50 minutes ago, katyjay said:

    I once tried microwaving old fashioned oats, instead of the saucepan method. Mount Vesuvius had nothing on the results. Cleaned up the mess and went back to the saucepan. But decided to make 4 servings at once and split into tupperwares, for a quick micro breakfast. (And only 1 dirty saucepan)

     

     

    NOW you tell me!....

  12. How's your day?

    in Owt' Abaaht Nowt !

    Posted

    Fancied porridge for breakfast this morning. Empty a packet in the bowl. 180ml milk and cook for 1:30 mins, leave 1 min stir and cook again for 1min, Why bugger about? just nuke it for 2:30mins...

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    This morning I shall  mostly be cleaning the microwave...

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