The Election

[prinnysquad]

I think you should have left it , how it was .

[Brats]

Too right , he left this country in such mess , That our Children and their Children are going to have to pay for it .

I think you're going over the top. You mentioned the debt before, but most governments run a budgets deficit. There are actually distinct disadvantages to running a budget surplus. Even China with it's massive growth has a big deficit.

The debt is bigger than expected because of the necessary bank bailouts, but it's pretty manageable. There is a massive difference between us and say Greece. We still have our S&P AAA rating which means the markets are very confident of our ability to handle it.

Debt is not a new thing. Our country only finished of paying our post WW2 loans a few years ago, yet our country wasn't suffering all the time during these years.

I agree with your point about voting for a party who you think will run the country best, but you need to get your facts straight to make an informed decision.

[Dirty Sanchez]

I think you're going over the top. You mentioned the debt before, but most governments run a budgets deficit. There are actually distinct disadvantages to running a budget surplus. Even China with it's massive growth has a big deficit.

Not over the top at all. Has Brown invested wisely over the years? He has had criticism over the fact he wasn't putting away for a rainy day before the bank crisis.

IThe debt is bigger than expected because of the necessary bank bailouts, but it's pretty manageable. There is a massive difference between us and say Greece. We still have our S&P AAA rating which means the markets are very confident of our ability to handle it.

Manageable when, now or more importantly in the future? Just because it is manageable doesn't make it a good thing. If Brown has his way we'd already been in the Euro and be even more screwed than we are now.

Debt is not a new thing. Our country only finished of paying our post WW2 loans a few years ago, yet our country wasn't suffering all the time during these years.

I suppose the rationing throughout the 50's, the ravaging inflation of the 60's, the disaster that was the 70's wasn't suffering? Revisionism at best.

Only in the 80's was a chink of light seen with a strong economic policy. The basics of that policy is followed today by Labour, in their second term they reverted to type and started spending (borrowing AND increasing the pension timebomb)

I agree with your point about voting for a party who you think will run the country best, but you need to get your facts straight to make an informed decision.

Depends where you get your facts from and whether you can interpret them. Some people will disregard all of this and just vote 'to keep the Tories out' which given the last 50 years of our economic history is a pretty uninfomed, but popular, position to take.

[nakamura]

On a side note it's shocking the level of narrow minded racism on You Tube regarding immigration. It is one of the smallest problems around, we need to look a little closer at our 'own' people sponging of the state before we blame others.

The whole benefit system needs a change with some very hard guidelines IMO. Stop giving away free houses to kids who have kids. Stop giving JSA to people who are clearly too idle to work.

[Charlie]

I think people use the term Racist far too easily , like it means nothing , and after all , most groups ... most people, will hold some prejudice views .

Lets remember Our Grandfather and mothers and this country offered their lives Defending freedom , and in the Process taking in thousands of Eastern Europeans and Jewish . The Irony of which isn't lost on me , more so as Israel is now one of the most bigoted natation?s there is , but there you go .

I think people need to stop using tagging the word racist , to everyone, that might hold some choice views .

A racist is one believes that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. Do a little digging on Churchill, check some of his policies, his actions and quotes, he's the very definition of a racist, he was anti-Irish, anti-Indian and anti-black.

As for our grandfathers, mothers and country offering their lives to defend freedom - it means nothing to me. It was a time when people swallowed country without thinking, a time when people let the government think for them, and that's nothing to honour or respect. I like to believe we're a little more enlightened nowadays, I like to believe we value imaginative instinct before law, tradition, country and custom, and are not so easily swayed by patriotic nonsense.

As for Israel, I lived out there for a year so know a little about the country and it is far from a bigoted nation. The Israeli government is anti-Palestinian, yes, but you shouldn't assume the people are a reflection of those which they elect.

[Jebus]

On a side note it's shocking the level of narrow minded racism on You Tube regarding immigration. It is one of the smallest problems around, we need to look a little closer at our 'own' people sponging of the state before we blame others.

Being a postman at election time can be a bitch. I have to deliver election material for all parties, and some of the posher residential areas are...well, lets say they have interesting opinions.

Upon delivering the UKIP ones this week, the amount of people who have praised me for delivering them (really, I have no choice and we've also delivered Labour, Conservative, Green Party, but curiously not yet any Lib Dem stuff) and lecturing me (so to speak) on their immigration ideas.

Crazy to hear people talk openly the way they do, it's borderline racism at time and quite why they think a postman want's to hear it I'll never know. I have to endure it though, I'm in uniform and it wouldn't be wise to tell them what I'm thinking.

[Team Andromeda]

They said that about the Tories before Labour got in in '97, and the same old same old will be said after every Government..

No its not even comparable . Labour inherited a economy that was growing over 3% each year , a decent strength pound , and no need to borrow over £180 billion a year . One thing you can always count on with Labour , they leave office with more people out of work (to when then took office) and leave the country bankrupt.

As for Israel, I lived out there for a year so know a little about the country and it is far from a bigoted nation. The Israeli government is anti-Palestinian, yes, but you shouldn't assume the people are a reflection of those which they elect

Oh I not even argue with you . And Its not just they're anti-Palestinian that I have issues with Israel.

It was a time when people swallowed country without thinking, a time when people let the government think for them, and that's nothing to honour or respect. I like to believe we're a little more enlightened nowadays, I like to believe we value imaginative instinct before law, tradition, country and custom, and are not so easily swayed by patriotic nonsense.

Oh maybe it was time people actually cared for their country , cared for others . This country should be very proud of its actions during the War . I wouldn't call people dying for Freedom , fighting Fascism, Patriotic nonsense at all .

The debt is bigger than expected because of the necessary bank bailouts, but it's pretty manageable. There is a massive difference between us and say Greece. We still have our S&P AAA rating which means the markets are very confident of our ability to handle it.

I've not problem with a country being in debt , but the levels of debt we're in are not manageable or sustainable. People are in for massive shock , whoever gets in , at the scale of the cuts needed . Its going to be so very brutal , we are skint as a Country

[Charlie]

What is it about Israel, if not the government, that unsettles you?

Do you really believe Britain fought the war to preserve freedom? I'm more inclined to believe it was about ulterior motives, about protecting her colonies, her wealth and her position in the world.

[Team Andromeda]

On a side note it's shocking the level of narrow minded racism on You Tube regarding immigration. It is one of the smallest problems around, we need to look a little closer at our 'own' people sponging of the state before we blame others.

I think most people known that people coming into this country , aren't doing so , so they can be work shy , and sponge off benefits at all
I think most people have issues with matters if housing , schools front-line services can cope with it all .
Isn't that a perfectly reasonably questions to ask ?, more so when we're facing massive spending cutbacks

What is it about Israel, if not the government, that unsettles you?

Do you really believe Britain fought the war to preserve freedom? I'm more inclined to believe it was about ulterior motives, about protecting her colonies, her wealth and her position in the world

Israel doesn't really unsettle me . I just think their attitude and the way they treat the Palestine people, to be a complete disgaree , and things like them building on occupied land, just taking the piss .
Great how the UN lets Israel getting away with breaking every UN rule there is , God help when Iraq does that .
This more enlightened nation, feels the need to Invade then .



And as for old GB looking after her own Interests I wouldn't expect any less Not that we were much of a Empire at the time of WW II, or had many colonies to defend in Europe imo

[Spatial]

Core services are fine being delivered by the public sector but that doesn't mean every role and service in the public sector is provided by a public employee on public benefits. Go look at some the hairbrained schemes to get public workers to actually do the job they are paid for - an open goal is bin men - getting paid bonuses to work 5 days a week picking up bins. Bonus? It's their job in the first place!

This might be going off on a tangent, but as a public sector worker in a front line job (not a binman I might add!), I wish I could disagree with this view, but I can't. I've seen first hand the inefficiencies and sheer stupidity that the public sector gets up to. It is in dire need of an overhaul - I could tell you stories that would make your head spin.

But (and it's a pretty big one) the problems aren't the front line workers. The problems really do stem from the top and the people running things like local authorities and trusts. Some of them are as mad as a box of frogs and do little more than introduce red tape and problems for those on the front line. All the talk of sorting out the public sector is fine in theory but I can guarantee that the problems won't actually be sorted out no matter how many cuts are made.

That's because front line staff will bear the brunt of cuts while their ineffective paymasters sit there thumbing through a new colour brochure to decided what colour they should paint their office this week. Meaning that services are going to be reduced and everyone one of us, public sector worker or not will be feeling the effect.

Since none of the parties have given any more details than `protect front line services` in a wishy-washy fashion that means they can back track later, I'm starting to fear what state this country will be in 12 months from now.

[PeteJ]

Can't agree more Spatial, also as a non-binman public sector worker. I don't think people realise how much budgets have already been cut in local government, and have been each year since I've been there (almost six years). That tells me the system is hugely wasteful in the first place since it still copes, but also worries me that there is going to be a massive pressure in the near future to radically reduce costs further and the front line workers (and the public) are going to be the ones who suffer.

There are too many managers trying to manage things that aren't required, can be picked up by regular workers or hugely streamlined with some smart thinking. Also too many life-long public sector workers have worked their way up higher than their ability allows, but the system grants them to much power to have them managed out or even fired.

Fully expecting a pay cut soon

[Charlie]

Israel doesn't really unsettle me . I just think their attitude and the way they treat the Palestine people, a complete disgaree , and things like them building on occupied land, just taking the piss .
Great how the UN lets Israel getting away with breaking every UN rule there is , God help when Iraq does that . This more enlightened nation, feels the need to Invade then .

That's the Israeli government again for you. It's in their interests to antagonise the Palestinian people by land grabbing, building concrete walls that rip through their farm land, subjecting them to humiliation and putting forth various restrictions that keep them in poverty as it spurs militant groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad into launching attacks on Israeli citizens which in turn keeps the war going. And an ongoing war means ongoing financial and military aid from America and so a stronger and more secure Israel.

But, you know, the UN is actually very critical of Israel's actions but is powerless to do anything because America usually vetoes those UN resolutions critical of Israel.

[eastyy]

i am fair minded when it comes to politicians and partys...i dont like them all equally

sometimes though they should be themselves rather then a walking prepared speech talker ....take william hague for a example...didnt really like him that much when he was party leader.....but when i saw him on have i got news for you and thought he was quite funny

[eastyy]

whoops double post

[Team Andromeda]

This might be going off on a tangent, but as a public sector worker in a front line job (not a binman I might add!), I wish I could disagree with this view, but I can't. I've seen first hand the inefficiencies and sheer stupidity that the public sector gets up to. It is in dire need of an overhaul - I could tell you stories that would make your head spin.

Oh no you called it , I come from a family of Miners, and
Nationalising the Coal industry was a complete disaster really looking back . Workers working treble ****s (no man alive can really work three 8 hr shifts in a row) , finishing shop at pm3 on a Friday , even though there were coal trucks in the yard waiting to be filled, to deliver coal to the power stations . Stuff like that happened all the time