In the news

Why don't we just tax the rich at 83% to pay for public sector pensions?

It used to be over 90%.

Did it work then?

Conflating this with the bank bailouts is playing right into their hands.

I know the two things are both quantitatively and qualitatively different, it just tickled my funny bone that by carefully wording the argument I could make it apply to both.

Eh? They don't want to give money to the Labour Party and in particular Gordon Brown?

I said "people they regard as the cause", not "the people who were the cause" :-)

Of course!

I can imaging that being a particularly interesting job.

I just kept the email working, but there were some interesting stories and some colourful characters.

Travelled a fair bit around the branches too, which was nice. Do you know the Flying Pig?

We have to borrow a shitload of money each year to pay nurses, teachers, binmen. If the people lending us that money think we're a bad bet, the money taps are turned off overnight and we're utterly, utterly fucked. Hyperinflation, food rationing, that kind of shit. And believe me, the investors have got their fingers on the trigger right now.

People don't realise that the world economy is on a knife-edge (see today's business news about co-ordinated central bank action). This isn't about politics, or fairness - it's about preventing a collapse of epic proportions.

Very interesting point. I do wonder though if we would be well and truly screwed.

So unison want to sue Jeremy Clarkson.

For what exactly? The last time I checked, being a massive penis was not a criminal offense, especially if you possess lots of money.

Trial of police officers involved with the Lynette White case collapses

This fucking stinks.
Coppers stitch up the Cardiff Three for a crime they didn't commit, then the coppers get let off because the judge thinks they won't get a fair hearing!

For fuck's sake...

any real surprise? The conviction rate for coppers is woeful. The IPCC is a toothless beast.

So unison want to sue Jeremy Clarkson.

For what exactly? The last time I checked, being a massive penis was not a criminal offense, especially if you possess lots of money.

what bull shit. I can't wait to see what happens in light of these strikes, my guess is they will lose everything. Do they not realise that even after the pension changes they will probably still have the best pension in the uk.

We have to borrow a shitload of money each year to pay nurses, teachers, binmen. If the people lending us that money think we're a bad bet, the money taps are turned off overnight and we're utterly, utterly fucked. Hyperinflation, food rationing, that kind of shit. And believe me, the investors have got their fingers on the trigger right now.

People don't realise that the world economy is on a knife-edge (see today's business news about co-ordinated central bank action). This isn't about politics, or fairness - it's about preventing a collapse of epic proportions.

How much does one of the jets currently flying CAS over Afghanistan cost per hour? Or how much do the rich pricks who keep all their cash off-shore cost in lost tax revenue.

The world economy is "on a knife-edge" because governments are spending money on the wrong things and staying in power by taking cash off people for favours most of us would not be happy with.

wwjd?

This isn't about politics

lollololololol
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lol
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lol

lol

what bull shit. I can't wait to see what happens in light of these strikes, my guess is they will lose everything. Do they not realise that even after the pension changes they will probably still have the best pension in the uk.

Kind of missing the point. Those at the very top aren't having their pensions cut, they aren't neing asked to pay extra or to work for longer. If the cuts need to be made then they need to be universal.

How much does one of the jets currently flying CAS over Afghanistan cost per hour? Or how much do the rich pricks who keep all their cash off-shore cost in lost tax revenue.

Can we all stop blaming those who live offshore for your own governments failings.

#throwsanotherbunchoffiftiesonthefire

#nottrueihavetwojobsandsleepdeprivation

#20%incometax

Probably should be in the Epic Fail thread:
http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Public-sector-workers-use-tele-3918178442.html?x=0

If you are in the 99% and don't want to be worse off - STOP SPENDING ALL YOUR MONEY.

As Bill Gates explained to Homer Simpson, "I didn't get rich by writing checks, Homer."

And yes, I know how to spell cheques and yes I know the original source of that article is the Torygraph.

Kind of missing the point. Those at the very top aren't having their pensions cut, they aren't being asked to pay extra or to work for longer. If the cuts need to be made then they need to be universal.

What on earth makes you think this?

The vast majority of private pensions for those at "the top" (wherever that is) will be linked to equities, which are taking a battering during a recession/depression.
Even worse for the main object of everyone's ire: the bankers, as it happens.
Here are the stock price changes since mid-07:
Goldman -47%
UBS -76%
Morgan Stanley -75%
JPM -30%
Citigroup -94%
Bank of America -89%

Pretty much EVERY employee there will have had the vast majority of their savings in stock.
Trust me, they are going to have to work a LOT longer to get the pension they thought they were due four years ago.

Sure the "top" will be mega rich still since they always were and -75% of mega rich is still rich.
But it is just ignorant to think the "top" don't suffer too.

True, and ideologies which purport to change this invariably make it worse.

Hmm. Wonder what child mortality & literacy rates are in the post-communist era? Wonder what the gap between the richest and the poorest are in Russia, as compared to 1985?

What on earth makes you think this?

The vast majority of private pensions for those at "the top" (wherever that is) will be linked to equities, which are taking a battering during a recession/depression.
Even worse for the main object of everyone's ire: the bankers, as it happens.
Here are the stock price changes since mid-07:
Goldman -47%
UBS -76%
Morgan Stanley -75%
JPM -30%
Citigroup -94%
Bank of America -89%

Pretty much EVERY employee there will have had the vast majority of their savings in stock.
Trust me, they are going to have to work a LOT longer to get the pension they thought they were due four years ago.

Sure the "top" will be mega rich still since they always were and -75% of mega rich is still rich.
But it is just ignorant to think the "top" don't suffer too.

We're talking about public sector, the cuts made here (IoM) have been implemented to those below a certain pay grade. Those at the top will not suffer.
Not that ignorant afterall.

So unison want to sue Jeremy Clarkson.

For what exactly? The last time I checked, being a massive penis was not a criminal offense, especially if you possess lots of money.

It's not, but he said 'I would take them outside and execute them' which if taken literally could be seen as a death threat. Which obviously, is illegal.

His massive hypocrisy bothers me more, he may not directly work for the BBC but he's effectively bankrolled by one of the most notoriously cushy public sector employers. He's already rich from his BBC work, and probably has a job for life with Top Gear, unless he gets sacked for saying something stupid. So suggesting that workers like nurses who do essential public services, in often unpleasant working environments and for little reward, are somehow less deserving or hard working than him really shows what a massive Richard he is.

Conflating this with the bank bailouts is playing right into their hands. It's not about us and them. It's just maths. Cold, unfeeling maths.

Public sector pension deficit = £1,133 billion
Current UK budget deficit = £163 billion overspend each year

The money to pay this off has to come from somewhere. Even taxing the banks to within an inch of their lives won't make much of a dent in those numbers.

making them pay more than 1% in tax will definitely help the problem.

We're talking about public sector, the cuts made here (IoM) have been implemented to those below a certain pay grade. Those at the top will not suffer.
Not that ignorant afterall.

Sorry. I totally misunderstood.

Probably should be in the Epic Fail thread:
http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Public-sector-workers-use-tele-3918178442.html?x=0

If you are in the 99% and don't want to be worse off - STOP SPENDING ALL YOUR MONEY.

As Bill Gates explained to Homer Simpson, "I didn't get rich by writing checks, Homer."

And yes, I know how to spell cheques and yes I know the original source of that article is the Torygraph.

but isn't that the key to economic growth? Getting people spending money?

We have to borrow a shitload of money each year to pay nurses, teachers, binmen. ....

I agree those people are useless! Get rid of them! What a bloody waste of money. Health and education are the poisons of the poor.

I think we still need binmen though, maybe even more.

...and ask out that girl from Finance again.

How did it go?

How did it go?

Restraining order issued

Again.

I think we still need binmen though, maybe even more.

A typically sexist Gallic view, utterly outdated and a very good clue as to why the French economy - inflexible, backward looking and ossified - is doing so badly.
Vive Les Gens de la Poubelle D'exterieur!