one thing I picked up in this tale...

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/de...-benefit-jon-cruddas

...the privatisation of everything..£500m paid (not even to a UK firm) for something civil servants could do for a fraction of the cost despite the ludicrous and false claims private corporations do it better. They do not.

Nothing will change under the Tories-it's business as usual except thousands will suffer needlessly because you have just elected a bunch of plonkers with the same dim ideas as the last lot of plonkers.

I'm more depressed about the standard of political debate. There have to be massive cuts. That's a given. So any serious political debate has to not only criticise certain cuts but also to suggest where other cuts could better be made. At the moment all we get is: 'I don't want that cut'. It's like listening to a naughty boy at a bar mitzvah.

I'd question whether there have to be massive cuts particularly in welfare. It's the best way of pumping billions back into the economy and keeping people employed.

If I ran the world (which I should as everyone would be better off) I'd start on government quangos which are a rort, I'd collect the correct tax on profits made in Britain (or tell them to f**k orf). I'd nationalise 50% of banks and re-nationalise railways etc that ran perfectly well when owned by the taxpayer for less cost.

that's just the beginning.

I would be a wonderful benign dictator and wouldn't shoot anyone.

Prunella Minge wrote:
I'm more depressed about the standard of political debate. There have to be massive cuts. That's a given. So any serious political debate has to not only criticise certain cuts but also to suggest where other cuts could better be made. At the moment all we get is: 'I don't want that cut'. It's like listening to a naughty boy at a bar mitzvah.

Yes, Prunella - the NIMBY brigades are out in force ! Just listen to the police whine ! 4% cuts next year - yet you'd think the world was coming to an end. If they cannot save 4% by greater efficiency (and flying around in the police helicopter a bit less?) then there is something wrong.

The Insp of Constabulary said that they could achieve 12% cuts without anyone noticing any difference at all !

On the political side ... isn't is depressing that the official opposition (loony Labour) have nothing concrete or positive to say?

They - the ones who caused all the problems by failing to regulate properly - are behaving like pedantic children .... criticising everything (even though what they are criticising is exactly what they would have had to do were roles reversed).

This "let's continue to spend" nonsense is just that. Have they never heard the phrase "when you are in a hold the first thing to do is stop digging !" ?

To continue to spend would mean borrowing even more money and saddling future generations with debt that they would never recover from.

Can anyone (even veritas !) give an example where someone who has the bailiffs at the door, and repossession beckons, should go out and shop with your credit card ?

It was doing that that brought the bailiffs in the first place !

"Can anyone (even veritas !) give an example where someone who has the bailiffs at the door, and repossession beckons, should go out and shop with your credit card ?

It was doing that that brought the bailiffs in the first place !"

well firstly I'd advise anyone to have their mother answer the door and say "you want to see him..wait till I get my bloody hands on him.."
while I hid behind the door sipping a cup of tea.

cancel all personal debt will be one of my policies as Supreme Ruler.

First time now since 1993, when I started university, that I am out of debt - not even an overdraft.

All down to saving, a bit of eBay to get rid of some clutter I have collected over the years and budgeting.

If I want something now, I save for it.

My bank managers (yes; I have two) called me in some time ago and told me I was their best customer. I gasped and replied "no wonder the banks are in trouble". They laughed and said - not wealthiest but best; in 45 years I have never had an overdraft.

I'm afraid it has never made sense to me to spend money I do not have.

JK2006 wrote:
I'm afraid it has never made sense to me to spend money I do not have.

Well done, JK - but not everyone is so fortunate.

Veritas is partly right - a little bit of (managed) debt is not a bad thing (esp if it is for something sensible, like in vestment, in your future, your career or your home).

The problem has been that people did think money grew on tress and started spending like their was no tomorrow.

I always try and pay with cash - there is a definate "giving money away" feeling when you actually hand over cash that is not so apparent when you simply sign a credit card slip !

steveimp wrote:
First time now since 1993, when I started university, that I am out of debt - not even an overdraft.

Isn't it a great feeling, Steve ?

In The Know wrote:
JK2006 wrote:
I'm afraid it has never made sense to me to spend money I do not have.

Well done, JK - but not everyone is so fortunate.

Veritas is partly right - a little bit of (managed) debt is not a bad thing (esp if it is for something sensible, like in vestment, in your future, your career or your home).

The problem has been that people did think money grew on tress and started spending like their was no tomorrow.

I always try and pay with cash - there is a definate "giving money away" feeling when you actually hand over cash that is not so apparent when you simply sign a credit card slip !

I believe money lenders and banks are there to be stolen from.

When I was young and asked my father-a banker-if I should go into the business he said.."of course not , dreadful and immoral institutions"