Are you happy with Her Majesty's government?
Posted by: Sloop John B on 03 May 2006
From reading a few of the posts here (particularly the congestion charge one) there would seem to a lot of simmering resentment in mainland UK of your government.
From Ireland it's hard to assess things, we tend to lok on British governments from the point of view of Northern Ireland and certainly Tony Blair (and Bill Clinton) have done immense work there.
Are you all that cynical and fed up with your government?
SJB
From Ireland it's hard to assess things, we tend to lok on British governments from the point of view of Northern Ireland and certainly Tony Blair (and Bill Clinton) have done immense work there.
Are you all that cynical and fed up with your government?
SJB
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by Sir Crispin Cupcake
quote:Blair, Prescott, Hain, Jowell, Hewitt et al Writhing around in a puddle of sleaze. Hope they get stuffed in the local elections today.
And happily they did!
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by Rasher
What is really the problem with the current situation in this country is that there is no-one decent to vote for. We have a very very serious crisis. If there was a general election coming up, I wouldn't vote, and that would be the first time in my life I haven't because I feel very strongly about using my right to vote.
I was so elated when Blair first beat the Tories, and now it's come to this!
Both the Lib Dems and the Tories have new leaders, but they would appear to have nothing to be proud of either - they certainly don't seem to have inspired the voters. I have finally got my wife to agree that once the elderly parent & in-law have passed on that we will seriously consider leaving the UK.
I was so elated when Blair first beat the Tories, and now it's come to this!
Both the Lib Dems and the Tories have new leaders, but they would appear to have nothing to be proud of either - they certainly don't seem to have inspired the voters. I have finally got my wife to agree that once the elderly parent & in-law have passed on that we will seriously consider leaving the UK.
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by u5227470736789439
Unfortunately, dear Rasher, this vaccuum of talent can lead to the rise of extreme Parties, which we may have witnessed the start of from a certain far right group, which I could not actually dignify by writing its name down. Unfortunately the process we have is running dangerously close running off the democratic road in the long term.
The more I go on I think this reflects the problem with the UK today as much as the political system we have. Thatcher was a reflection of the national mood at the time. Sadly I suspect Blair has been similarly so, and Cammeron may also be so. Well if that is what is happening, then I just wish leaving was was easier for the little man. I'd be gone like a shot.
Fredrik
The more I go on I think this reflects the problem with the UK today as much as the political system we have. Thatcher was a reflection of the national mood at the time. Sadly I suspect Blair has been similarly so, and Cammeron may also be so. Well if that is what is happening, then I just wish leaving was was easier for the little man. I'd be gone like a shot.
Fredrik
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by Malky
Yep, you're absolutely right. Another 13 (at last count) fascists elected to council seats in England. All because the voters can't recognise any discernible difference between any of the mainstream parties.
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by jcs_smith
quote:Originally posted by Malky:
Yep, you're absolutely right. Another 13 (at last count) fascists elected to council seats in England. All because the voters can't recognise any discernible difference between any of the mainstream parties.
Yes but at least they have such fashionable haircuts
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by u5227470736789439
This would require me to own a TV to know that! I choose not to! Fredrik
PS: Does that make me a rebel, rejecting the means of feeding propoganda to the masses?
PS: Does that make me a rebel, rejecting the means of feeding propoganda to the masses?
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by Rasher
I'm afraid not Fredrik. You will be unaware that TV has now become dumbed down to the point that it just does D list celebs (unknown basically) sitting around on sofas talking about hairstyles. It has long since been dropped as a vehicle for getting any messages to the public for serious issues. It caters for people with the mental capacity of Wayne Rooney and his mum.
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by u5227470736789439
Dear Rasher,
I have not had a TV for... ehem!... five years now, and only rarely watched it before that. I was not aware it had got that bad. Mind it does mean I can read a thread here on celebs and not have the first clue who they are!
What country should I emigrate to? I am totally serious, actually. I want a place where respect for others still pertains, but maybe this has broken down everywhere. I persist in my view that I wish I had been celebrating my fortieth birthday the day I was born in Decemebr 1961.
All the best from Fredrik
I have not had a TV for... ehem!... five years now, and only rarely watched it before that. I was not aware it had got that bad. Mind it does mean I can read a thread here on celebs and not have the first clue who they are!
What country should I emigrate to? I am totally serious, actually. I want a place where respect for others still pertains, but maybe this has broken down everywhere. I persist in my view that I wish I had been celebrating my fortieth birthday the day I was born in Decemebr 1961.
All the best from Fredrik
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by Steve Toy
Are you happy with Her Majesty's government?
No. I care not for elected (by a minority) malevolent dictatorship.
No. I care not for elected (by a minority) malevolent dictatorship.
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by erik scothron
I saw someone on the news with a placard at a demonstration in London. The placard said:
Bin Laden
Bin Bush
Bin Blair
A jolly good idea methinks.
Bin Laden
Bin Bush
Bin Blair
A jolly good idea methinks.
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by Earwicker
And today we have been treated to the unedifying spectacle of the Grinning Tosser sacking everyone for incompetence... er... except himself.
Maybe he should ask himself about his own errors of judgement - not least his naive assumption that his stupid grin and presumed moral rectitude would transform our ailing nation/world.
A dim, self-righteous wanker leading a bunch of incompetent sleazy half-wits. Fabulous!
EW
Maybe he should ask himself about his own errors of judgement - not least his naive assumption that his stupid grin and presumed moral rectitude would transform our ailing nation/world.
A dim, self-righteous wanker leading a bunch of incompetent sleazy half-wits. Fabulous!
EW
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by u5227470736789439
Dear EW,
Like you in your way I might spculate, I hold out no prospect of anything much better emerging after a General Election.
I quite like my Tories Blue, my Socialists, Red, and my Liberals, Pinko. Then, I can decide which I like least badly, and vote. I always do, and will not be afraid to declare my allegance at the time. In the meantime a discussion is boring in my view.
The trouble is the whole thing has as much integrity as a sloppy mud. Maybe I could soak the respective literature of each party for half an hour, screw it up into balls, and then lob it at the window, choosing the one that sticks longest.
All the best from fredrik
Like you in your way I might spculate, I hold out no prospect of anything much better emerging after a General Election.
I quite like my Tories Blue, my Socialists, Red, and my Liberals, Pinko. Then, I can decide which I like least badly, and vote. I always do, and will not be afraid to declare my allegance at the time. In the meantime a discussion is boring in my view.
The trouble is the whole thing has as much integrity as a sloppy mud. Maybe I could soak the respective literature of each party for half an hour, screw it up into balls, and then lob it at the window, choosing the one that sticks longest.
All the best from fredrik
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by Chris Dolan
quote:A dim, self-righteous wanker leading a bunch of incompetent sleazy half-wits.
Surely that's Cameron?
No, I'm sorry - "half-wits" overestimates his team........ and "vacuous" would be more appropriate than "dim".
My mistake.
Regards
Chris
Posted on: 05 May 2006 by Mick P
Chaps
It really does amaze me that you call call senior politicians "half wits." I had to deal with them in my last job and believe me, none of them are stupid. They are all very intelligent, in fact razor sharp. Because you do not agree with their policies does not make them half wits. They may be schemers and self centered but they are very clever people.
I would reserve the term "half wits" for a bunch of loosers, with a large mortgage, no disposable income, who spend most of their time sitting in front of a PC rambling on about something that will have no effect on what they are complaining about.
These same half wits who will almost certainly achieve only the very basics in life will call men who actually made the selection process to become an MP and then become the first amongst equals as half wits surely deserve the accolade of half wit themselves.
Regards
Mick
It really does amaze me that you call call senior politicians "half wits." I had to deal with them in my last job and believe me, none of them are stupid. They are all very intelligent, in fact razor sharp. Because you do not agree with their policies does not make them half wits. They may be schemers and self centered but they are very clever people.
I would reserve the term "half wits" for a bunch of loosers, with a large mortgage, no disposable income, who spend most of their time sitting in front of a PC rambling on about something that will have no effect on what they are complaining about.
These same half wits who will almost certainly achieve only the very basics in life will call men who actually made the selection process to become an MP and then become the first amongst equals as half wits surely deserve the accolade of half wit themselves.
Regards
Mick
Posted on: 06 May 2006 by Guido Fawkes
Perhaps "worthless" is a better term than half-wits. Nonetheless it is a truism to say that politicians are not really suitable people to be in government. I still maintain that voting is a waste of time because the government always wins and labour or conservative, it doesn't matter, they are all quite useless. I wish the press would hound them a bit more and expose them more quickly with a bit more venom, as I think they get off very lightly.
Whoops - I thought this was the The Grumpy Old Men whingeing thread.
Whoops - I thought this was the The Grumpy Old Men whingeing thread.
Posted on: 06 May 2006 by Steve2701
quote:It really does amaze me that you call call senior politicians "half wits."
How would ego maniac half wits do then?
I can imagine plenty of whitehall speech writers / spin doctors / secretaries etc who actually know for certain that many politicians are just that. the fact that thay are totally self centered, sharp witted & ruthless does not make them have an iq above anyone here.
Scary thought of the day.. How dahngerous would Blair / Brown / Prescott be if they actually possessed huge IQ levels?
Posted on: 06 May 2006 by Earwicker
quote:Originally posted by Mick Parry:
They may be schemers and self centered but they are very clever people.
Oh really? Like John Prescott? What way are Margaret Becket, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair clever?
They are distinguishable from most people by their bare-faced self-serving ambition, their astonishing and in most cases misguided sense of their own moral rectitude, and above all, the morbid desire to tell everyone what to do.
They are generally a bunch of narcissistic control freaks who like being on television and fucking their secretaries. Except for the lib dems who like fucking other blokes.
So no, don't share your admiration for them.
EW
Posted on: 06 May 2006 by 7V
quote:Originally posted by Steve2701:
the fact that thay are totally self centered, sharp witted & ruthless does not make them have an iq above anyone here.
You're right Steve. Being self-centered or ruthless has nothing to do with intelligence, although you've got to be quite bright to be sharp-witted.
I'm not particularly an admirer of politicians, although they have a difficult job to do, which some perform better than others. I find it easier to judge them after they have retired from politics and don't have to play those games anymore. However, I would like to play 'devil's advocate' on this question of intelligence.
What is intelligence? Surely it's not just a question of having a high IQ. Is the high mensa achiever who spends most of his life on the dole, intelligent? We can probably assume that true intelligence is related in some way to brain size so why do we have such large brains (by animal standards) and what are they for?
Scientists have done a number of observational studies of apes and primates and come up with some interesting findings. Firstly, comparing gorillas (large brains) with types of deer that live in a similar environment and eat a similar diet (smaller brains), they observed that the main differences in behaviour were that the gorillas have far more complex social interactions amongst their own groups. Secondly, when comparing primates with different brain sizes, they noted a strong correlation between relative brain size and the size of the social group in which they lived. In other words, there is evidence that, amongst mammals, large brains are required to be successful within social groups.
When it comes to social interaction, politicians are top of the heap. So it could be that, by true indicators of intelligence, they are actually the most intelligent of all. Perhaps Bill Clinton, arguably the 'perfect politician', is the most intelligent person on the planet.
I'm just saying is all.
Regards
Steve
Posted on: 06 May 2006 by Willy
Was discussing with a colleague from the US last night how, based on his output, that I reckoned Gordon Brown must be the stupidist person on the planet. IR35, Tax code, tax credits, trust reforms.....
Today Mrs had a letter from the IR threatening her with a fine for not having submitted her Tax return on time. Of course it's possible that they lost it (like the signature page of my company accounts) except that they did manage to process the return and pay a rebate some 6 weeks ago. Glad all that "investment" in IT is paying off.
OK so I accept that Brown isn't stupid in the traditional sense but it seems that he, and too many other politicians are totally lacking the aptitude required to run a country. Instead they default to doing what they know how to do, bringing to the fore a very diverse range of talents...in Browns case this seems to be for creating a cadre of citizens that are dependant upon the state for their living via direct employment or handouts and thus have a vested interest in keeping in power the party that is bleeding dry the rest of us to fund them. Clever after all.
Last week I had trouble re-arranging a hospital appointment for my daughter. The appoints system was down....for five days. Can't imagine that happening at Easyjet.From this and numerous other brushes with government "services" it's clear to me that Labour's "investment" in the Public sector has, for the majority of citizens, been squandered. I find it very frustrating as there is nothing I can do about this (can't even join the Labour party and try change it from within). Would have emigrated long since if Mrs would go.
Willy.
Wether or not one accepted the argument that more
Today Mrs had a letter from the IR threatening her with a fine for not having submitted her Tax return on time. Of course it's possible that they lost it (like the signature page of my company accounts) except that they did manage to process the return and pay a rebate some 6 weeks ago. Glad all that "investment" in IT is paying off.
OK so I accept that Brown isn't stupid in the traditional sense but it seems that he, and too many other politicians are totally lacking the aptitude required to run a country. Instead they default to doing what they know how to do, bringing to the fore a very diverse range of talents...in Browns case this seems to be for creating a cadre of citizens that are dependant upon the state for their living via direct employment or handouts and thus have a vested interest in keeping in power the party that is bleeding dry the rest of us to fund them. Clever after all.
Last week I had trouble re-arranging a hospital appointment for my daughter. The appoints system was down....for five days. Can't imagine that happening at Easyjet.From this and numerous other brushes with government "services" it's clear to me that Labour's "investment" in the Public sector has, for the majority of citizens, been squandered. I find it very frustrating as there is nothing I can do about this (can't even join the Labour party and try change it from within). Would have emigrated long since if Mrs would go.
Willy.
Wether or not one accepted the argument that more
Posted on: 06 May 2006 by Earwicker
quote:Originally posted by Willy:
From this and numerous other brushes with government "services" it's clear to me that Labour's "investment" in the Public sector has, for the majority of citizens, been squandered.
It certainly has.
Blair was banging on about all the extra money he'd poured into the NHS in an interview last week, but so far as anyone can tell, all he's done is made GPs very rich.
EW