How much of a mess are we in? (UK)

[Jubal]

The economy's screwed, politicians are now regarded as demons, and generally things are pretty crap at the moment. The Tories are 90% gonna win the next election, they'll hack our public services to ribbons, the BNP will gain among working-class former Labour voters, and the left will be pushed further out into the cold.

In short, nous sommes buggered as hell?

What do you guys think?

[stormcloud]

The economy can and will recover, it'll just take a little while, and will take a remodelling

The scandal politicians doing nothing wrong it was ALL within rules that have been around for a long time, and face it anybody would exploit such a system. The media just want a scandal to sell, and boy have they found one, people exploiting a system in the same manner that has been happening since parliament began, just it happens to be a recession atm. Politicians are doomed to be forever demonised

I have always thought tories suck less than labour, don't like either that much though, best other option is lib dem, damn our two party domination, to many people just go with the same party with little actual thought into their policies.

BNP will never break though to main stream, but it will always be there, no matter how hard we try there will always be bigots.

the upcoming generation is rather liberal, the current voters are having knee jerk reactions to bad policies and systems.

So no, everything can recover, we can learn from our mistakes, rebuild an economic system that isn't a big loop of invisible money and based on true investment in technology.

And maybe stop tax breaks and benefits for religious organisations

[Jubal]

I'm sure we can fix all these problems. My singular worry is whether we will.

Politics needs a reinvention tbh, none of the parties have anyone with real charisma.
IMO the best politician in the UK is Vince Cable (Lib Dem Treasury). Very, very sound and very clever man. Shame he's not gonna be in government anytime soon.

[DeepComet5581]

The economy can and will recover, it'll just take a little while, and will take a remodelling

The scandal politicians doing nothing wrong it was ALL within rules that have been around for a long time, and face it anybody would exploit such a system. The media just want a scandal to sell, and boy have they found one, people exploiting a system in the same manner that has been happening since parliament began, just it happens to be a recession atm. Politicians are doomed to be forever demonised

I have always thought tories suck less than labour, don't like either that much though, best other option is lib dem, damn our two party domination, to many people just go with the same party with little actual thought into their policies.

BNP will never break though to main stream, but it will always be there, no matter how hard we try there will always be bigots.

the upcoming generation is rather liberal, the current voters are having knee jerk reactions to bad policies and systems.

So no, everything can recover, we can learn from our mistakes, rebuild an economic system that isn't a big loop of invisible money and based on true investment in technology.

And maybe stop tax breaks and benefits for religious organisations

Predictions say that the economy will return to how it was before the recession in 30 years time!

The Expenses laws for Politicians, like every other occupation, only cover WORK expenses. I don't know about you, but I don't think an 48" HD Plasma Television classifies as business expenses. Most politicians get paid over

[Goldyrulz]

we should just blame politicians. They just think they can do this -  :DarkstarOnly:

And they are hardup poor little b*******. I mean, someone claimed expenses on three kitkat chunky bars and someone else for a gate "to stop burglars", even though i could walk up to it and tap it over.

Overall, we suck as a country at everything and if we try harder, things will be worse.

Everyone will soon fly somewhere else and realise what a sh**hole we live in now.

 :rant:  

[stormcloud]

Predictions say that the economy will return to how it was before the recession in 30 years time!

The Expenses laws for Politicians, like every other occupation, only cover WORK expenses. I don't know about you, but I don't think an 48" HD Plasma Television classifies as business expenses. Most politicians get paid over

[Bridgeburner]

Ok. First off how many of you are Brits? Secondly the exploitation of a scandal, be it in the States or the mother land (lol) are what opposition parties thrive on. It was winston churchill that said democracy is the worst form of governmet...except for all the other ones (or something along those lines). Also, economic recovery is not what i, in Florida, am worried about. Its real estate. Again i am speaking about the states, but the last collapse of the real estate market took 15 years to recover from. As the US economy is based on the value and liquidity tied up in real estate for almost all financial transactions of large proportions between financial institutes and stands as the basis for the dollar it worries me when real estate values plummit. As an aside i would like to ask if it is offensive to you island folk when american politicians go after  "Left Wing Socialism" as a derogatory? And, do you consider your country socialist or not?


Edit: I mean no offense if i say something dumb or offensive.

Edit 2: "Ghost" money is what drives international trade. Dealing in hard currency is to hard and conversion is a mess. So digital money is where its at. The same debate is occuring in the US, but it is isolationist to demand a stop to all "ghost" money.

[Jubal]

The UK's not socialist at the moment, certainly. Well, you guys might think we are, I dunno, but the real left wing in Britain has been out in the cold for a long time now.

I think the US has a very twisted view of what we on this side of the pond mean when we say Socialism. It does mean stronger public services, and better care for those worse off in society. I think a lot of Americans tie it into things like "big government" and less freedom of the individual, which is not something most socialists I know would consider a good thing any more than the Americans do.

As for scandals, yes the opposition do thrive on them, which IMO is a bad thing as what should be important is whther they can run my damn country. I don't give a crap if they take a bit extra for a dovehouse if this place is running smoothly.

I'm British, by the way - I live in Norfolk, in the east of England.

[Bridgeburner]

Yeah. I don't know if you followed last years election, but it was interesting. When John McCain called Obama a Socialist everyone on the extreme right freaked and went on the rampage where i live. I literally had people yelling at me that obama was a communist on my campus. I can understand as well because of what Socialist means to the vast majority of my countrymen, who are stupid. It wasn't until i took a political philosophy class in college that i learned the true meaning of socialist and communists, etc. Most Americans do not and will not have a post-High school education and think of James Bond Soviet bad guys when they think Socialists.

I am a fan of big government. Government can solve problems that private corporations and groups cannot. Getting every child born in america healthcare, and screw the cost, is one of those things. Also, the government is potentially the largest consumer in the world, so it makes sense for them to spend money in the hopes that it will generate growth later. Ignoring the problem didn't work, so action should be floated for a little while.

How is the wheather in England? Particularly the london and cambridge areas? Cold, hot, medium, time of the year for each?

[Jubal]

There's big government and big government. I like big government in the sense you mean it, and don't believe business can be trusted with social responsibility - after all, they're there to make money not care for anyone. But the amount of bureaucracy that government on that scale can generate is unjustifiable and wasteful, particulalry all the target-setting and paperwork that seems to be necessary according to some.

I totally agree about your healthcare. It's a goddamn human right, and that people still don't have it over there is a real indictment of some of your previous governments IMO.

Weather here is pretty medium tbh. Not too cold winters, can get hot in summer but can also be very, very, wet at any time of year. Our climate fluctuates quite a lot to tell truth.