Social impacts of our situation...

lemonjelly

bendix wrote: »

Is the price of food going up? I thought it was going down. I could be wrong, I suppose. It happens now and again. The last time was in 1981. I bet on the wrong horse at the Grand National.

Anyway, I'm off to my Taxpayers Revolutionary Support Group meeting. We are proposing to rise up and free ourselves of the shackles imposed on us by the evil welfare state. Oh, and the council workers.

Now THAT would be a revolution worth participating in.

I'd have thought you'd be more worried about Lord Turners plans, & his views of London city being socially useless http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Tax-On-Banks-Lord-Turner-Chair-Of-The-FSA-Backs-A-New-Levy-On-Banks-To-Curb-City-Bonuses/Article/200908415369326?lpos=Business_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15369326_Tax_On_Banks%3A_Lord_Turner%2C_Chair_Of_The_FSA%2C_Backs_A_New_Levy_On_Banks_To_Curb_City_Bonuses

bendix

lemonjelly wrote: »

I'd have thought you'd be more worried about Lord Turners plans, & his views of London city being socially useless http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Tax-On-Banks-Lord-Turner-Chair-Of-The-FSA-Backs-A-New-Levy-On-Banks-To-Curb-City-Bonuses/Article/200908415369326?lpos=Business_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15369326_Tax_On_Banks%3A_Lord_Turner%2C_Chair_Of_The_FSA%2C_Backs_A_New_Levy_On_Banks_To_Curb_City_Bonuses

The man is a fool.

It's my suspicion (backed up by comments made to me over the last few weeks by people who actually know him) that he doesnt believe any of this, and that it's being said to ameliorate public opinion. He was a banker himself, not so long ago, and he knows the importance of of the banking sector to the UK economy. The UK is the world's banking sector. There are over 350 foreign banks with branches in the UK - more than anywhere else. Recent issues aside, it is the single most successful industry in the UK's last fifty year, and is responsible for generating more jobs (directly and indirectly) and tax revenue than any other sector.

He works in our building here in the city. Some of our people lunch with him regularly.

They speak of him as being completely torn between knowing what is right and being politically forced to come out with utter nonsense like this.

inspector_monkfish

bendix wrote: »

The man is a fool.

It's my suspicion (backed up by comments made to me over the last few weeks by people who actually know him) that he doesnt believe any of this, and that it's being said to ameliorate public opinion. He was a banker himself, not so long ago, and he knows the importance of of the banking sector to the UK economy. The UK is the world's banking sector. There are over 350 foreign banks with branches in the UK - more than anywhere else. Recent issues aside, it is the single most successful industry in the UK's last fifty year, and is responsible for generating more jobs (directly and indirectly) and tax revenue than any other sector.

He works in our building here in the city. Some of our people lunch with him regularly.

They speak of him as being completely torn between knowing what is right and being politically forced to come out with utter nonsense like this.

not to mention our time zone, making it very easy to trade with far east/asia before their day ends and USA as their day begins..

bendix

If you add a tax to banking transactions conducted here in the UK, what does the FSA think is going to happen?

Well, duhhh. The deals will go elsewhere and we will lose our preeminence as a banking centre. It's not rocket science.

I don't for the life of me believe he actually believes it. As i said, it sounds like one of those 'let's shut people up and come up with something the Sun readers will like, and then it will all go away.'

Besides, it's all just noise anyway. Cameron has already pledged to get rid of Turner and the FSA after the next election.

ninky_2

Really2 wrote: »

He never meant to he was P!SSed up on a pedalo.
Ready for social anarchy (abroad of course)

apparently some dutch 13 year old girl is planning to attempt break the new record but dutch social workers want to make her a ward of court to stop her - she will have to miss 2 years school for it.

problem with winning the "youngest" ever record is once someone beats you to it you don't exactly get a second go....

Really2

ninky wrote: »

apparently some dutch 13 year old girl is planning to attempt break the new record but dutch social workers want to make her a ward of court to stop her - she will have to miss 2 years school for it.

problem with winning the "youngest" ever record is once someone beats you to it you don't exactly get a second go....

You do if you were the youngest ever time traveller.:)

lostinrates

I'm shattered but got to the bottom of the first page and just want to sy thank you to everyone at least til there, for what promises to be a relly truley interesting thread. A slap on the back for lemon jelly.

I'm too tired to contribute more constructively, especially as today I have been discussing the 18th Centuary poor laws, which in truth I have only school girls nowledge with, with a ''top'' UK sociologist and an Italian sociologist (and am shattered both from trnslating terribly and being constantly pumped for opinion). However, it was the most amazing history and sociology tutorial ever, and went from 18th century through to the beginning of new Labour (and was all the more fascinating for me being by far the furthest to the right of the three of us!) so its wonderful to see such a thread tonight.

I would say our sugar fueled diets (short term bursts of something vaguly resembling activity,) the relatively discomfort minimised life available to the majority and the plentiful vailable of something fairly rubbish on the telly combine to make riot/uprising a very hard thing to initiate in the brits today. Combined with everything so far read and agreed with.

IMO there is a big difference between ''revolt'' or organised uprising or protest, and testosterone/alcohol/adrenaline fueled rampaging: such as in foot ball ugliness.

I'm so tired, but I really hope this is bumped or I remember it when I'm less so.

Thanks again lemonjelly.

vivatifosi

lostinrates wrote: »

I

IMO their is a big difference between ''revolt'' or organised uprising or protest, and testosterone/alcohol/adrenaline fueled rampaging: such as in foot ball ugliness.

I think you may have hit on something there lir, can also see that happening. Not online much at mo, but thanks too from me lemon jelly, really interesting thread.

ninky_2

bendix wrote: »

With respect, trying to draw parallels between the disorder in post-Napoleonic war Britain and the Peterloo massacres with today is stretching credulity just a tad far.

Bottom line is this. In all those instances, people were hungry and malnourished. Now those same people are obese and badly nourished. We are an obese nation - while my constance references to daytime tv and chocolate hobnobs are slightly facetious, they remain apt.

If the Tolpuddle Martyrs had Big Brother and Wotsits, they would not have bothered getting up until 11.30am that morning.

When those people were unemployed, they starved. When people aren't working, a large proportion of them still manage to drive cars, smoke, go to the pub and go to Benidorm once a year. Hardly the same socio-economic circumstances, would you think?

absolutely disagree with this. the only way you could fund this lifestyle on benefits is if you actually have a source of undeclared income.

bendix

ninky wrote: »

absolutely disagree with this. the only way you could fund this lifestyle on benefits is if you actually have a source of undeclared income.

Well, you need to move outside of your BBC, university-educated, middle class Guardian reading suburbia and take a look at the wider world.

It does happen. My own no-hoper brother is a case in point. Hasnt worked in six years, smokes, is at the pub every other night and has just come back from a fortnight in Cyprus courtesy of an easy-jet cheapie.