Whitey Grandad

No, you couldn't do it overnight but these services would be a lot cheaper if they weren't provided by the state.

Well, if I were you I wouldn't start from here... ...and we both know that neither Pakistan nor Hong Kong are remotely comparable with the UK.

It was going to be Commandment number 11 but there wasn't enough room and after the first ten the price went up to 10 shekels a word. I believe it's allowed providing it's your own crotch that you grab otherwise there can be arguments along the line of 'Oi I grabbed it first!'

What's wrong with Kiribati at over 100%?

Huh, in my day we had to put up with little hooks with letters around the edge of the pitch where they hung the half-time scores. You had to buy a programme to find out which games the letters referred to. And none of these match replays on MOTD when you got home, if you missed a goal then you'd never see it again.

Thanks. You read so many different stories that its difficult to know the true situation. It's the same with the US, I know many people who wouldn't go because if the fear of violence. It will be interesting to see what does happen when the Old Man finally does leave us. I suspect there will be some diet of power struggle for a while.

Here too. My wife desperately wants to go but is put off by the thought of the violence. Cape Town alone would do, should we be worried?

Quite right, there's no point being a witch if there are no perks.

Why didn't you choose Hong Kong?

Because 20% allows more freedom for the individual to choose how to spend their money. It all depends on who you believe will spend the money the more wisely.

I won't buy it, but there again I never bought any of the others...

....

I've been to Bergen a few times. Has it stopped raining yet? Actually I was lucky, it was only raining on one of my visits, but I understand it's one of the wettest places around.

It took a long time and much discussion to gets what we have. Why on earth would you want to move?

The best chips are fried in beef dripping. Does anybody know of anywhere that still uses it?

I'll see yours and raise you:

Shouldn't this be in the Pompey thread?

The 'moan later' brigade have already started complaining about the universal state pension. You can understand a 'lack of provision and savings' when you see the paltry results from annuity and savings interest rates and the constant talk of means-testing those who have made prudent provision.

Its all a question of getting the balance right. There are certain areas that have to be serviced by a state, defence, police, fire and so on. Others such as health are extensions of this. The government earns very little money through state activities, it all has to be financed by the private sector. I would argue that when government spending approaches 50% it stifles free-enterprise. 20% would be good.

It's the other way round. The bloated public sector is holding the economy down and taking money away from the private sector who could use it more wisely.

'Grossly damaging' is stretching it a bit far. We're only looking at putting things back to where they were a few years ago, if that.

Of course he does, but with an Austrian accent. Just like Hitler Thanks for the info, Alpine. I only wish I could go

How does that square with this? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/pensions/8585225/Local-government-pension-gap-balloons-to-71.5bn.html

And reduces the value of government debt.

The same thing happens in the UK but the mechanism is different. Here they just print lorryloads of money which devalues savings.