Reply to: Let's have a five-year public spending freeze

[expat]

looks like we agree after all

Yeah, whaddya want, two references or summat?

[DodgyAgent]

OK apart from that

looks like we agree after all

[expat]

Yes that was the sweeping generalisation that I referred to, and yes I do think you are wrong to call the British stupid. OK, fair point. I think you're wrong.

My comment about paedophiles was directed at the terribly clever people of Italy who support such a wonderful PM, and the terribly clever people of France who would never allow any of their newspapers to criticise their politicians. Uh-huh. We're heading that way. See e.g. Caroline Flint's airbrushing husband out, G20 police violence and humiliation on legal protestors....

And yes you are apologising for New labour saying it is not their fault. Which is particularly galling after Gordon Brown has so frequently boasted of being responsible for the good times and saying that he has brought an end to "boom and bust". I never did buy that snake oil (did the non-stupid British public buy it?), I don't buy the universal blame either. Brown didn't bring down the USA single-handed, and that is what was being implied, and what I dissented from.

OK apart from that

[DodgyAgent]

government, it would suffice to hang around for a bit.

I didn't make "sweeping anti british generalisations", I made only one (that the British are stupid and greedy and that is what got the economy where it is today). Do you think that I am wrong in that?

Ilanguage. But as for your gratuitous paedophile insult, yob tvoyu mat!

Yes that was the sweeping generalisation that I referred to, and yes I do think you are wrong to call the British stupid.

My comment about paedophiles was directed at the terribly clever people of Italy who support such a wonderful PM, and the terribly clever people of France who would never allow any of their newspapers to criticise their politicians.

And yes you are apologising for New labour saying it is not their fault. Which is particularly galling after Gordon Brown has so frequently boasted of being responsible for the good times and saying that he has brought an end to "boom and bust"

[expat]

First of all I dont like your sweeping anti british generalisations. If you are a British hating expat then clear off to a forum that is say in a country run by paedophile, or a country where the press are not allowed to criticise their government.

Secondly what labour apologists like you seem to forget is that NL have spent the last 10 years spunking away tax on buying voters by employing them in the state sector to do nothing. The Tories would not have gone about borrowing even more money during boom times, whereas labour has which is why there is nothing in the pot to kick off the economy.

Thirdly if nothing is labours fault then why do we bother with a government at all?

I am not a Labour apologist, but I do argue against what I think is wrong, regardless of whether it supports my own politics or not. In fact I had decided before the expenses scandal that I could never vote Labour, mainly because ISTM that if I did want to live in a country where the press are not allowed to criticise their government, it would suffice to hang around for a bit.

I didn't make "sweeping anti british generalisations", I made only one (that the British are stupid and greedy and that is what got the economy where it is today). Do you think that I am wrong in that?

I think it is possible, just possible, that the Tories would not have gone along with all of Labour's manic economy, but I am afraid that their being in hock to "Middle England" means that they are obliged to stoke the house price fire come what may: to keep a "healthy" housing market for their spendthrift middle class. But in any case, the fact that for 12 years the British voters wouldn't let them try, does IMHO show that I am not wrong about the Brits.

I am here under false pretences in that I am not currently an expat working abroad, I am resident and unsuccessfully looking for work in the UK; where there doesn't seem to be any.

As for why bother about a government at all, now you are talking my language. But as for your gratuitous paedophile insult, yob tvoyu mat!

[Menelaus]

Let me help you here.

Inverted snobbery?

Meh.

[DodgyAgent]

WHS+1

. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it's probably the way in which he breathes and smarms.

Let me help you here.

Inverted snobbery?

[DodgyAgent]

I agree with that, though I do believe that we brought it on ourselves, by going for this money-making housing market and all the other smoke and mirrors of our bubble economy. Labour couldn't have done it without our complicity.

More sober peoples didn't fall for it: e.g. Canada and Australia. No stupid boom, no self-created bust. No house price bubble so no collapse. No fictitious stock market gains so no pension crash. No banks gambling with funny money, so no banks collapsing. No mystery government accounting, so no urgent need for stealth taxes (in fact Australia paid out $900 to every taxpaying worker on < $100k).

I doubt personally whether Labour or anybody else could have stopped the stupid greedy Brits from falling for it, but they should have tried.

First of all I dont like your sweeping anti british generalisations. If you are a British hating expat then clear off to a forum that is say in a country run by paedophile, or a country where the press are not allowed to criticise their government.

Secondly what labour apologists like you seem to forget is that NL have spent the last 10 years spunking away tax on buying voters by employing them in the state sector to do nothing. The Tories would not have gone about borrowing even more money during boom times, whereas labour has which is why there is nothing in the pot to kick off the economy.

Thirdly if nothing is labours fault then why do we bother with a government at all?

[HairyArsedBloke]

I'd love to vote Conservative but there's something that seems, in some way, false about Cameron. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it's probably the way in which he breathes and smarms.

He is a clone of B’Liar created by the Conservatives to appeal to the same market. However, that battle is over. When he led the standing ovation to B’Liar at his final PMQs was the final straw for me. I cannot see the country being much different with him as Prime Minister.

[expat]

Expat,

Of course labour didnt do all that...BUT...what labour did do was to FAIL to protect the UK from the slump!

Mailman

I agree with that, though I do believe that we brought it on ourselves, by going for this money-making housing market and all the other smoke and mirrors of our bubble economy. Labour couldn't have done it without our complicity.

More sober peoples didn't fall for it: e.g. Canada and Australia. No stupid boom, no self-created bust. No house price bubble so no collapse. No fictitious stock market gains so no pension crash. No banks gambling with funny money, so no banks collapsing. No mystery government accounting, so no urgent need for stealth taxes (in fact Australia paid out $900 to every taxpaying worker on < $100k).

I doubt personally whether Labour or anybody else could have stopped the stupid greedy Brits from falling for it, but they should have tried.

[gingerjedi]

WHS+1

I'd love to vote Conservative but there's something that seems, in some way, false about Cameron. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it's probably the way in which he breathes and smarms.

The apparent u-turn on IR35 is enough for me.

[Mailman]

Expat,

Of course labour didnt do all that...BUT...what labour did do was to FAIL to protect the UK from the slump!

Mailman

[expat]

Failure by Labour to cut spending and thus continuing to waste hard-working people's taxes is a major reason why we are in the current economic mess.

We? The UK, USA, France, Germany, in fact the entire Western world? After all, that is who is in the current economic mess.

Labour did all of that? I'm impressed

[Menelaus]

Your lot are in disgrace, bloody turncoats.

I'm voting Lib Dem.

WHS+1

I'd love to vote Conservative but there's something that seems, in some way, false about Cameron. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it's probably the way in which he breathes and smarms.

[gingerjedi]

Many of these public sector jobs are not real jobs anyway but just a means of Labour garnering votes by having people in their pocket. Failure by Labour to cut spending and thus continuing to waste hard-working people's taxes is a major reason why we are in the current economic mess.

Your lot are in disgrace, bloody turncoats.

I'm voting Lib Dem.