I already informed you that I haven't looked at it, and I won't be doing so.

Finding anything on a site like Russia today to support your argument is called clutching at straws.

This one isn't actually that tenuous but you would post a link to the dictionary definition of the word just to bump this thread yet again. It's very dull to keep seeing your propaganda threads reappear as soon as they've dropped off/gone quiet.

I'm going to guesstimate that you have bumped over 100 times between this thread, look what you've done and Corbyn. And I've pointed this out to you before.

I'd quite like the mods to lock them all as it's that predictable.

The recession in the 70s was far worse.

..... And no one will be writing about you Bert and your blinkered views... Epsom's Citizen Smith... LOL

..... And no one will be writing about you Bert and your blinkered views... Epsom's Citizen Smith... LOL

No they wont be. But I never thought I was in that league tbh.

They will be writing about how Great Britain became little England, though. That was my point. Why not address that instead of the abuse stuff. I don't mind abuse either when its original and funny and not some antiquated "you is a red what is in the bed you is Nana nanana" Daily Express stuff.

Why not do yourself a favour and read something more challenging. I suggest Chomsky. Honest, Hoofy -by Chapter 2 of anything he has written - you'll be on the virtual Barricades with me. Just have a little peek at `World Order, Old and New', or `Deterring Democracy' or `Failed States' and see for yourself. Did you actually know that Maggie supported Pol Pot after he did the genocide stuff? All those people killed and she routing for him. Imagine that! Its fact. Not reported much because its kind of awkward and unless its Corbyn the press don't do foreign policy awkward much. Its a power thing. Read Chomsky and you'll realize that that Daily Express is messing with your head; or more straight-forwardly being economical with the truth to you - who else said that?

And apartheid, and Pinochet and just about every other despot who was not on the left.

As I have said, I am conflicted about that woman. The world that existed before her was awful. The 70s were a worse recession because the left had screwed this country up so badly. Maggie was necessary... And then she was ghastly too.

I envy those who can say they categorically love or detest a woman who justifies both reactions.

On topic, you can look at austerity in two ways. On one level, the reaction of the worlds financial markets suggest that it represents prudence and good order - a safe pair of hands. We are able to secure cheap long term credit and our economy has experienced constant growth, albeit subject to an underlying weak base. Moreover, is shrinking the public sector really that bad? The NHS is simply unsustainable with a growing population depending on a shrinking working population. The same applies elsewhere in the state sector. I work in local government and have seen our office space reduced by half along with the workforce with all but no substantive impact on front line services. It needs trimming. However, I suspect we have now reached tipping point. Central government want us to shrink even further. There are only so many money generating schemes and piling of increasing work on fewer staff who have not even received a cost of living raise in wage since the recession. As always, the Tories have the right idea but go too far.

Which brings me to the other way of viewing things. It is the financial sector that screwed us up. Not the public sector. Not the workforce. Not even the unions! Eye-watering sums of taxpayers money have been channeled into propping that sector up. Some of that money will come back. Most will not even though the financial sector has recovered well as a consequence of state intervention. How is the funding gap filled? Austerity cuts. That is, the poor are being compelled to support the rich.

This reverse Robin Hood is not some namby-pamby lefty liberal nonsense, it is borne out in government statistics that evidence a widening gap between rich and poor. You can see it in every day life. An affluent part of bristol is clifton. For generations huge Victorian houses have been split into flats. Now there is a tendency for single wealthy persons to acquire a whole block and covert back to a single dwelling.

So what's my position? Given this country would collapse without the financial sector it is obvious it had to be done. The state sector has been in mission creep since Bevan - Lord knows it needed paring down. However, there needs to be intelligence and balance. Not everything can be done by the private sector. And I fear we may be falling victim to ideological Tory hatred of the public sector, informed more by its history of conflict with them than by a genuine desire to see that the population receive the best possible service from scarce resources.

Edited by Bert the Head (17 Feb 2016 10.28pm)