Britain's highly educated, motivated workforce

[Mich the Tester]

Can any of you think of a job in which these characters would be any use?

If you're hiring, and you're presented with a motivated, literate guy from Bulgaria and the people in the article, who would you choose?

[DimPrawn]

Can any of you think of a job in which these characters would be any use?

Front line in Afganistan. With a few weeks training.

[Mich the Tester]

Front line in Afganistan. With a few weeks training.

That would require the ability to get up in the morning, to read basic instructions and to learn how to clean a rifle, use comms equipment and hold a reasonable conversation with local people, perhaps even learning a little of their language. This is it; in the past, such dipsticks were useful in the Army for beating up innocent natives in far off colonies. The modern army needs people with functioning brains.

If you want to see the results of western armies hiring useless chavs who can't do anything else , look up Abu Ghraib.

[expat]

That would require the ability to get up in the morning, to read basic instructions and to learn how to clean a rifle, use comms equipment and hold a reasonable conversation with local people, perhaps even learning a little of their language. This is it; in the past, such dipsticks were useful in the Army for beating up innocent natives in far off colonies. The modern army needs people with functioning brains.

If you want to see the results of western armies hiring useless chavs who can't do anything else , look up Abu Ghraib.

True. The US is big on exporting their problem workers to other countries. Almost every GI that makes the news grew up in a trailer park.

[expat]

The 'lumpen proletariat' can't see beyond next weeks x-factor, getting their weekly supply of fags and lager. They don't see working in a shop or picking vegetables as 'proper work' as it's too hard and doesn't give them enough cash for their Sky subscription. Unfortunately for them we have immigrants who are prepared to do those jobs.

Then isn't the problem that those jobs don't pay enough? So if we eliminate the immigrants who are prepared to do those jobs for less, the demand for workers would raise the wages to the point where it was better to do those jobs than to be on benefits.

Therefore they are right to blame immigrants, no?

[Mich the Tester]

Then isn't the problem that those jobs don't pay enough? So if we eliminate the immigrants who are prepared to do those jobs for less, the demand for workers would raise the wages to the point where it was better to do those jobs than to be on benefits.

...and we'd have backward inbred f**kwits making a mess of things where competent immigrants could have done a decent job.

[ratewhore]

Then isn't the problem that those jobs don't pay enough? So if we eliminate the immigrants who are prepared to do those jobs for less, the demand for workers would raise the wages to the point where it was better to do those jobs than to be on benefits.

Therefore they are right to blame immigrants, no?

You could be right. But, without knowing the figures involved, I wouldn't like to say.

[bogeyman]

That would require the ability to get up in the morning, to read basic instructions and to learn how to clean a rifle, use comms equipment and hold a reasonable conversation with local people, perhaps even learning a little of their language. This is it; in the past, such dipsticks were useful in the Army for beating up innocent natives in far off colonies. The modern army needs people with functioning brains.

If you want to see the results of western armies hiring useless chavs who can't do anything else , look up Abu Ghraib.

Exactly.

This "the army will take them" tripe really gets on my nerves.

The modern army neither needs nor wants indolent, unemployable halfwits.

To function as an effective, modern soldier, you have to be literate, numerate and be able to grasp concepts and information readily.

Ok, you don't have to be Einstein but the sort of idiot we are breeding in droves is no use to the armed services.

[OwlHoot]

Its the price we pay for not having any manufacturing to absorb the not so clever.
Not everyone can be a knowledge worker you know.

and one day, before too long, practically everyone will be in the same boat, knowledge worker or not.

I've droned on about this here in the past, but it's a big elephant in the room which people seem hardly aware of let alone as a topic worthy of discussion. Basically the issue is how can/should society be structured when practically nobody can "add value" by their own exertions or talents?

In a way maybe McDoom is way ahead of the game with his tax credits?! (God, I need to wash my mouth out with soap now!)

[ratewhore]

...and we'd have backward inbred f**kwits making a mess of things where competent immigrants could have done a decent job.

Do you take your pro-immigrant view because you are one?