Reply to: Households on 'money knife-edge'

[wendigo100]

I shouldn't go around saying you're Lord Luton, you might get arrested.

True. Whereabouts in Luton are you, Fungus? What about Lord Fungus of Marsh Farm?

[expat]

If you want to be a lord, make it Baron Fungus of Luton. On second thoughts, better not mention Luton.

I shouldn't go around saying you're Lord Luton, you might get arrested.

[OwlHoot]

If you want to be a lord, make it Baron Fungus of Luton. On second thoughts, better not mention Luton.

In France, the shorter the title the more exalted the rank. So for maximum impact why not just Lord Ka?

Hey, it even rhymes

[stackpole]

Alternatively I'll change my name by deed pole to Sir Fungus of Luton.

If you want to be a lord, make it Baron Fungus of Luton. On second thoughts, better not mention Luton.

[Fungus]

Having Lord on your calling card or on your Company letterheads opens doors, both here and abroad.

Indeed it does. And it probably gets you non-executive directorships, board positions for numerous organisations, including charities, and numerous other fingeriin-pie opportunities. It's money well spent.

Alternatively I'll change my name by deed pole to Sir Fungus of Luton.

I once knew someone who changed his name to Sydney Harbour Bridge.

[stackpole]

Why would you pay lots of cash for a peerage?
What does it confer upon you (other than a nice warm glow and the change to F8ck up the government's plans?)

Having Lord on your calling card or on your Company letterheads opens doors, both here and abroad.

[Fungus]

It does sound truly great in principle, but in practice it simply doesnt work.

I am not so sure that a large (and sadly growing) proportion of the UK population give 2 flying ferks about their fellow man.

In fact, I would say many of them would sell their own mothers if it meant them making a few extra quid to spend on the GeeGees.

I'm afraid the market has dropped out of second-hand mothers. There's too many sellers and not enough buyers.

[threaded]

There is still this difficulty in separating property derived from coercion and property derived from labour. Try and think how capitalism would look without the state. (Some argue that capitalism is impossible without the state, but that is some other argument)

But it is true, when experiments of this sort have been attempted outsiders have coerced the workers to give them the fruits of their labours for no input.

[eternalnomad]

You're sort of missing the point, falling over with this concept of ownership. Anarchism is based a lot on the idea of mutualism and how people tend to have a natural instinct to help each other. So in the case of the sick farmer, it would not be that they were adjoining farms but that they would both be working on the same land and helping each other.

It does sound truly great in principle, but in practice it simply doesnt work.

I am not so sure that a large (and sadly growing) proportion of the UK population give 2 flying ferks about their fellow man.

In fact, I would say many of them would sell their own mothers if it meant them making a few extra quid to spend on the GeeGees.

[threaded]

what if you have a farm and you are doing rather well, so well in fact that you need more land.

The farmer next door has been ill for a few weeks and therefore could not claim to be "working his land" - does this give you the right to now own his land on the basis that he hasnt worked it for a while ?

Who decides what period of "not working it" counts as valid before the lands is up for grabs for anyone to use ?

Lets say that this situation occurs several times per year in an area, causing much upset and argument every time it does so. The local wisemen (and women and those that havent yet decided) get together and agree that "non-worked land is land that hasnt been worked for 6 months or more"

So they pass a COMMON LAW to that fact (or locally accepted agreement which amounts to the same thing)....and there we are back at square one with a system of COMMON LAW which in time will quickly expand to cover all manner things

You're sort of missing the point, falling over with this concept of ownership. Anarchism is based a lot on the idea of mutualism and how people tend to have a natural instinct to help each other. So in the case of the sick farmer, it would not be that they were adjoining farms but that they would both be working on the same land and helping each other.

[Dundeegeorge]

What is the big deal there anyway?

True, but until you do realise those gains, you are still in debt, and there is no guarantee that the gains will materialise. There's many a slip betwixt cup and lips.

Including those who invested millions in getting a money-spinning peerage!

Why would you pay lots of cash for a peerage?
What does it confer upon you (other than a nice warm glow and the change to F8ck up the government's plans?)

[stackpole]

It isn't bad if you can put the money to good use and end up with more when the debt is repaid than you would have made with only your money.

True, but until you do realise those gains, you are still in debt, and there is no guarantee that the gains will materialise. There's many a slip betwixt cup and lips.

Including those who invested millions in getting a money-spinning peerage!

[stackpole]

Well actually debt has driven the consumer boom of the last 10 years or so in the UK and the US. It has helped drive the economy. Excessive debt is bad, as seen in Japan for the last decade or so.

If you drive a consumer boom with increasing debt, it can only have one ending.

(edit) I should have added: the longer the boom, the worse the ending

[OwlHoot]

You don't need to be an economist to know that debt is bad.

You need adequate brains though.

It isn't bad if you can put the money to good use and end up with more when the debt is repaid than you would have made with only your money.

[Fungus]

You don't need to be an economist to know that debt is bad.

You need adequate brains though.

Well actually debt has driven the consumer boom of the last 10 years or so in the UK and the US. It has helped drive the economy. Excessive debt is bad, as seen in Japan for the last decade or so.