1976_Child

Andy, your point may have had merit back in the 80s/90s - I say may, but I have never believed that the Labour party have been good stewards of the health service. But the problem with your way of thinking is that the whole game has changed. People really need to understand that what we are faced with now, as per my post just above, is like nothing we have ever experienced before. What we are witnessing is the last throw of the dice by all parties. Taking even the 'official' Treasury figures and cross-referencing with the Labour party's pledges there is still a massive £60 BILLION of spending cuts needed. These are official numbers, and I strongly believe that, just as was the case with Greece, the true extent of the problem is much, much worse. So what is this number? £60 BILLION worth of additional cuts and/or tax rises will only eliminate what is called the structural deficit - that is the difference between the government's spending and income when the economy is growing robustly at a constant 3.5% per year in real terms (after inflation). There is another £90 BILLION of deficit to deal with if the country does in fact not experience growth of 3.5% per year for the next 20 years. Once again, these are official Treasury numbers, not some made-up propaganda from the other parties. Now here's the conundrum. What is the outcome if any one of the following happens: a) net of inflation, the economy does not grow at a steady 3.5% per year each and every year for the next 20 years? (btw, there has never ever been two decades of uninterrupted growth in history) b) very real constraints of energy and resources in this 'globalized' world mean that GDP growth is not possible anymore. This is a big subject but one that we overlook at our peril c) the sheer scale of the cuts/tax rises creates a net negative effect on the value of transactions (GDP) in the economy, thus creating a negative feedback cycle where actually less jobs are available, less taxes are collected and more government spending is required for benefit programs. This is kinda what Brown has been alluding to when he talks about not wanting to cut too soon. The problem is he is being disingenuous because he knows that this scenario will play out whenever he does get round to cutting and even if it does not actually cause a recession whenever he cuts/rises taxes it will impact negatively on GDP d) we experience what is known as a 'black swan' event. This is something so significant and yet totally unexpected such as the recent volcano. By its very nature a black swan event can not be planned for but none the less it is something to be mindful about. I will answer my own question like this: we are in utterly uncharted territory. Don't be fooled with weasel words saying that our problems are 'not as bad as other countries'. Frankly, all western countries are in the same boat and it matters not who is relatively better placed. Also, it is just not true; we are much worse shape than pretty much every other country. I wish from the bottom of my heart that it were not so; unfortunately history shows that things do not always improve inexorably towards some Nirvana of plenty and happiness. History is littered with epoch turning points, where societies are forced to confront the stark realities before them. We are at such a turning point now. Finally, as Einstein said: "You don't solve problems with the same thinking which got you into it in the first place". I quite agree.

I had a long hard think about it. I am fed up with the state of politics generally. We have got a Perfect Sh!t Storm rapidly approaching and none, not even the Tories, have the faintest idea of what to do about it. I am not just talking about the debt/deficit. I am talking about our very way of life and relationship with physical resources. The world and the country this century is going to be a very, very different place to live than the post-war world. But all we hear is 'we must return to Growth' blah blah blah. I believe we need strong leadership to get us off this absurd race for consumptive Growth at exponential rates which, in a finite world, is not possible. The mathematics will not work. The question is, can we transition to a stable-state economy without first having a bloody revolution, world war and a period of dictatorship. So, given all my reservations about the Tories I do believe that Cameron offers the strongest leadership out of a poor bunch. There is nothing ideological about my position. The Labour party is simply a busted flush and Clegg is just not believable. He looks like a school prefect and his policies are six-form debating society level only. This decade is going to be tough. We ain't going back to the credit-fueled false 'growth'. We are at the point where the mathematics of our monetary system breaks down, where global resources (and energy in particular) switch from being abundant and cheap to scarce and expensive and we have a population which has come to expect all the creature comforts provided by economic expansion and plentiful resources. When the populace realises that that is at an end they will be angry. So I am voting Conservative but have not much hope for Business As Usual.

... actually, an old boy friend of mine used to say "darling, strictly speaking we aren't normal". He was a statistician, working for the Department of Health. And he was quite correct: homos are not 'normal'. We aren't even 'log normal' But I bet you can't spot one of us 'normal gays' amongst you if you tried!! ps, the tossers who get up in their daft queenie outfits at 'Gay Pride' marches do not represent the vast majority of us homos.

assuming we are ever to play them again.....

... ready to lead our country. He has my vote. He may not have told me how he is going to deal with the following, but given him, Clegg or Tosser (Brown), he is the best of the bunch: So Dave, you get my vote (or who ever is the Conservative Parliamentary Prospective Candidate for the constituency of Hove.. the bugger still hasn't come round to introduce himself) but how will you deal with the following: 1. Peak Oil 2. Resource depletion in basic commodities, and ensuing price volatility 3. UK's current account deficit, and how we buy in those resources we need without a long term strategy to keep our currency strong 4. Private debt saturation; we the public have no appetite or ability to borrow more to sustain the consumption economy. 4. Unfunded promises of a comfortable retirement for those baby-boomers now retiring 5. Unfunded promises of ever-increasing health care and nursing-home requirements for aged citizens who's adult children are too busy earning a crust and paying their taxes to care for them within their own homes. 6. in conjunction with 3) above, the fact that we have to buy in more, and more, of our energy from overseas whilst not offering 'them' much in return 7. Militant Islam. Be honest Dave, how come we still have ghettos of third generation immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh etc where they still speak their own languages and dress themselves - and their womenfolk - provocatively to my culture. But yet third generation Indian, Sikh, far-eastern, wind-rush black and all others have managed willingly to become truly English. 8. The EU. Mr Cameron, you have my vote, but don't take it for granted. If you haven't grasped the sh.i.t storm about to confront you if you get the keys to Number 10 then you really should. The next twenty years are going to be like nothing we have ever encountered before. Your slogan is 'Change You Can Believe In'. Well whatever, big change is coming our way if you win or not. Good luck mate, you had better be prepared.

Are hetros normal? Are they even nominal?

How about: 'Brown is a T W A T' Good enough slogan, me thinks!

Some mentioned above that it was the failed takeover bid which was really to blame. If Pards had a month more to get the team prepared and new talent in then we would have been in the playoffs. So, a little bit of the blame, it hurts me to say, must rest with MLT for getting hooked up with the failed bid and giving it credibility. Not that I actually 'blame' anyone. Personally, I have thoroughly enjoyed this season and am looking forward to next season with much eagerness. We are the club to beat next season and I hope we get off to a flying start and stay right up at the top all season.

why's he stupid, Stu?

is he waiting for a forklift to get him to his seat?!!!

don't forget the ring. And make sure there is an umbrella to hand even if it looks like a nice sunny day. You don't want the bride to have to get rained on between getting out the car and in to the church. And don't, under any circumstances, mention the groom's past girlfriends in the speech. Really, really, poor form!

master

it is in the Mail so must be true

At Millwall a bunch of us started singing "That's why you're going down, that's why you're going down..." after we scored. Then they scored two seconds later and we looked like complete ***ts !!

Finding the burger van at Wycombe Wanderers. Best - and cheapest - cheese burger I have ever had at footie. Just disappointed they have been relegated because I was all set to go back there for more next season.

Brighton. A 'home' away game is always nice.

" There's only one Alan Pardew, one Alan Pardew...."

we didn't kick the football into the net enough times during a handful of games.

I think we should fire him and get a new manager in. And if that new manager hasn't won us the UEFA Champions League before he has found his way to Staplewood he also should be sacked. In fact Cortese should sign the contract of employment with the new manager at SMS and then keep phoning him every thirty seconds to ask why he hasn't won the UEFA cup yet. If he gets to the front gates of Staplewood and the cup is not in the trophy cabinet at SMS then the security guards should not let him in. We need this sort of tough attitude to success.

Alpine, you silly old todger! You know I have a lot of respect for you, but this is just pure wind-up.

Play up Pompey... blah blah blah blah blah

Lowe out!

What we need is a Dutch manager from their lower leagues. That should do the trick! Total football is what is needed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQw4ixYFWQI quality!!

here's an idea: why not just let us bring our own tinnies in to the stadium and charge us corkage? but seriously, got to sort out the lager. it is pants.