What is causing that 180 billion deficit?

[DodgyAgent]

Is state dependence a bit like being a drug addict?

Or Victory Gin?

It is a spiral, the more people who are dependent upon the state the more it costs. as the state only consumes wealth and doesnt create it then the only way to fund the state is to take money from the private sector. Once the private sector is killed off then the state has to assume powers that force people to work.

[BoredBloke]

I'm not sure about that.

Our financial services expanded a lot in the 1980s, such that the City became one of the biggest players in the world, much to the envy of the rest of Europe.

Regarding manufacturing, it is true that it dropped as a proportion of GDP under Thatcher from 25% to 22.5%. But under Blair it dropped from 20% to 12%, a far more significant fall over about the same timescale (source the Grauniad).

Although she did oversee cuts in many money-losing industries, it's a myth that Thatcher destroyed the economic base. The Labour party seem to be making a much better fist of it.

Also remember that it's a proportion of GDP. As the finance sector boomed then even if manufacturing did not decline, its percentage of GDP would fall.

[hyperD]

It is a spiral, ...

It's a black hole and we're pretty much at its event horizon.

sasguru is right that an immediate culling of certain sectors of public sector that provide non-risk work for the private sector will impact our perceived well-being and feel good factor.

However, the situation we are in is that large amounts of non-productive parts of the public sector (QUANGOs, NHS target wonks, arsehole inspectors, diversity lesbians, 5.4 million benebastards etc) cannot be supported and maintained by the productive and wealth generating private sector and their stifling effect must be negated at once, otherwise much fiscal gnashing of teeth and wailing will ensue.

We should never have allowed the non-productive state to become such a political pawn to the socialists.

Anyway, we have no choice. Events are already set in motion because of Brown's total incompetence and the MSM's abundance of retarded, lazy journalists.

It will happen whether we bleat like whimpering Marxists or not.

[RichardCranium]

diversity lesbians

Om nom nom.

Can't we keep the Diversity Lesbians?

[hyperD]

ok, yeah, that department we'll keep!

[Troll]

ok, yeah, that department we'll keep!

...but only if we can watch

[Scary]

Om nom nom.

Can't we keep the Diversity Lesbians?

Remember, real ones aren't like the ones in the films.

[shaunbhoy]

Remember, real ones aren't like the ones in the films.

Yes, I'd rather have my taxes back than watch a couple of jabba-the-hutt lookalike carpetmunchers.

[Tarquin Farquhar]

And just like all the scared stupid little liberals of the pre (and post) Thatcher years you have fallen for the oldest trick in the socialist book, which is to trap a country into a spiral of state dependence from which it cannot get out.

Braver people than you in eastern europe (and Thatcher) have taken on the socialist bullies who have thrived on cowards like you, and emerged albeit with lots of pain with stronger and freer economies.

You may think that we cannot afford to break away from this state controlled system, but like anything else it will perpetuate and accelerate into a downward spiral that will eventually kill off all wealth creation. We have no choice the spiral has to stop now- Unfortunately there is no one to stop it.

Stage 1: Absolutism, whether of kings, dictators, or communists.
Stage 2: Free-market jungle.
Stage 3: Civilised and caring human society.

I salute the courage of the Eastern Europeans in progressing rapidly from Stage 1 to Stage 2. But we've been there and we are trying for Stage 3. Taking a great leap backwards to full-blown Stage 2 is not self-evidently a good move.