What's all this government posturing on "spivs"?

tomstickland

I heard on the radio this evening that the government are going to pass some hasty knee-jerk legislation to outlaw spivs. Is this just a load of vacuous posturing, trying to deflect blame onto an easy hate figure?

lynzpower

easy hate figure.

Totally lazy politics. Same as the "easy figure" of the singfle mother in the 80s really.

Such basic lazy behaviour, Stereotype waiting to be exploited.- naturally a figure the working man would be able to despise fairly easily. Anger in the populace directed to the convenient figure. Figure turns into a total parody whom has absorbed and moulded into a weird typo-person, that exists only in the media and not that regurly in real life.

As if by magic, the people can laden all the blame on the step of hate figure, and nothing at the government who allowed and colluded with this group to flourish.

neverdespairgirl

I can translate. "Bloody hell lads, we need a scapegoat!"

Generali

tomstickland wrote: »

I heard on the radio this evening that the government are going to pass some hasty knee-jerk legislation to outlaw spivs. Is this just a load of vacuous posturing, trying to deflect blame onto an easy hate figure?

This sort of thing always reminds me of Beyond the Fringe:

Said by Squadron Leader to Flight Officer Perkins:

"I want you to take up a crate, Perkins"
" Sah!"
"Fly over to Jerry."
"Sah!"
"And dont come back."
"Sah"
"You are going to lay down your life, Perkins."
"Sah"
"We need a futile gesture at this stage. It will raise the whole tone of the war."
"Good bye Sah! - Or is it 'Au Revoir'?"
"No, Perkins, Good bye"

clobber_2

Is there any way in which limiting bonuses will help? Bear in mind that I tend towards the leftie muesli eater and even I think it's a load of betty swollocks.

fc123

clobber wrote: »

Is there any way in which limiting bonuses will help? Bear in mind that I tend towards the leftie muesli eater and even I think it's a load of betty swollocks.

:rotfl: :rotfl:

ETA I was laughing at your descrip of ypurself not what you were saying about limiting bonuses....Govt could raise taxes to...oooh..90% on salaries over 200k? That would wipe the bonuses out I guess.

Generali

clobber wrote: »

Is there any way in which limiting bonuses will help? Bear in mind that I tend towards the leftie muesli eater and even I think it's a load of betty swollocks.

It depends on how you define 'help':

1. Help return another Labour Government
2. Help stop this mess happening again
3. Help people feel less jealous about people that earn mor emoney than them

Banderman

Bring back hanging.

But not for murderers, just for spivs.:rotfl:

tomstickland

It's great - when someone has their home repossessed because they took on too much lending via a self-lie mortgage then can blame a greedy city type. Sort of bundling up self denial, delusion and blaming someone else all in one neat package.

chewmylegoff

tomstickland wrote: »

Sort of bundling up self denial, delusion and blaming someone else all in one neat package.

but can we use the package as collateral?

Generali

tomstickland wrote: »

It's great - when someone has their home repossessed because they took on too much lending via a self-lie mortgage then can blame a greedy city type. Sort of bundling up self denial, delusion and blaming someone else all in one neat package.

The 'fault' for the bubble IMO lies in greed. Many individuals thought they could get rich by buying a flat, developers could get rich by building them, banks by financing them. If people weren't greedy and thought they could get something for nothing we wouldn't have bubbles.