[Archived] Election

[tony gale's mic]

Not suprised by that comment... you obviously don't have any answers should a breakdown of our democracy occurr.

I just can't quite understand how someone can exist in this world for so long and yet have such little clue about anything.

1. Breakdown of our democracy is not likely to occurr(sic). It's like saying I obviously don't have any answers should an asteroid hit Blackburn.

2. Democracy is, and will always be, superior to a military dictatorship. In other countries military dictatorships have been okay as a stop gap to fill a vaccuum but never as a permanent solution.

[jim mk2]

Some good points jbn. A breakdown in our democracy might be on the cards and just what we need. 4 centuries on and some of the things we've seen these past few years make me think it's past it's sell by date. Democracy is OK for humans but not good for the rest of the planet. Trouble is what would we replace it with? My personal preference might be a military dictatorship, but obviously I've never had to live under one. Power does corrupt.

Jibberish.

[RibbleValleyRover]

I agree with most of Joey's post.

If the Lib Dem's defect especially in large numbers then in my opinion it will only boost the Conservatives position. There are plenty of floating voters out there who will see this as a sign of the Lib Dem party looking after their own interests and not the country by trying to bring a government down. Let's not forget it was the Conservatives that offered the Lib Dem's the opportunity of forming a government for the good of the country, for them to derail it would not go down well at all.

[thenodrog]

Jibberish.

A typical reply offering no constructive input other than to attempt insult. So predictable.

[joey_big_nose]

Some good points jbn. A breakdown in our democracy might be on the cards and just what we need. 4 centuries on and some of the things we've seen these past few years make me think it's past it's sell by date. Democracy is OK for humans but not good for the rest of the planet. Trouble is what would we replace it with? My personal preference might be a military dictatorship, but obviously I've never had to live under one. Power does corrupt.

Interesting argument. Although democracy is so far the best institutional check to corruption as the people can turn out the politicians if dissatisfied. In a military dictatorship corruption is usually absolutely endemic as there is no way for the people at large to root it out. Plus obviously minorities or majorities can and will be persecuted to shore up the powerbase of the dictator.

Be careful what you wish for - in the above scenario you are presumably hoping for someone who shares your political opinions. But it would be very easy for whoever came in to be opposed to your interests - even if they came in on a ticket of representing ideas similar to your own. Franco, Pinochet, Napolean, Stalin, Hitler all refused to stick to a political line and were swayed to behave in their own interest rather than that of any popular ideal, and even frequently turned on the body that made up their intial supporters.

What is problematic - in my opinion - is that so many people in the country share the idea that democracy is corrupt and useless, when in fact it has provided the UK with a level of materialistic and cultural wealth that in any historical analysis absolutely boggles the mind. The expenses scandal, for example, was disgusting and needs to be stamped out but compared to what went on in Victorian Britain or indeed China today it was positively saintly. Somehow the general currency is that the 'good old days' were more virtuous and fair. Quite the opposite was the case. Oliver Twist may have been a fiction but it was also highly accurate in terms of the conditions of living of the vast majority of the country.

There is a lack of realism and celebration of the vast and monumental achievements of our and other civilisations which allows 60m people in the UK, and a billion people across the globe, to live in a level of peace, harmony, wealth and friendship which history has never seen before. It is, of course, horrendously imperfect and needs fierce criticism to continue to reform to the better, but also there are vast positive qualities which are routinely ignored and that I find incredibly sad. I personally am scared than in denigrating our own and other civilisations achievements to the point of complete disregard we are sowing the seeds of one day losing them.

It is very similar to the way teachers are disparaged, so fewer and fewer numbers of people invest themselves into teaching, so standards lower and the denigration reaches a higher pitch. This vicious cycle which makes the ability to have a high standard of teaching more and more difficult. Opinions change the world, and I personally find the general opinion across the western world sadly lacking in balance compared to the reality of our society. Our cynicism is eating us and making the task of improving our politics and our civilisation more and more difficult.

[Wiggy]

Some good points jbn. A breakdown in our democracy might be on the cards and just what we need. 4 centuries on and some of the things we've seen these past few years make me think it's past it's sell by date. Democracy is OK for humans but not good for the rest of the planet. Trouble is what would we replace it with? My personal preference might be a military dictatorship, but obviously I've never had to live under one. Power does corrupt.

Who do you think the dictator should be Drog?

[jim mk2]

A typical reply offering no constructive input other than to attempt insult. So predictable.

Your post was nonsensical.

What makes you think a "breakdown in our democracy might be on the cards" ?? Where is democracy under threat ??

And what does "democracy is OK for humans but not good for the rest of the planet" mean ??

As I said, jibberish.

[thenodrog]

It is very similar to the way teachers are disparaged, so fewer and fewer numbers of people invest themselves into teaching, so standards lower and the denigration reaches a higher pitch. This vicious cycle which makes the ability to have a high standard of teaching more and more difficult.

Odd statement given that for the 28th succssive year A'Level marks have improved. If teaching standards are indeed on the decline then human evolution must be approaching light speed. I wonder how Darwin would have reacted to the current situation?

The nut job that is Ed Balls reckoned this am that despite play stations, despite more TV channels than days of the year, despite the lack of discipline in schools the reason behind this is cos kids work harder for their exams nowadays than they ever have in the past! Kinell!

[thenodrog]

Your post was nonsensical.

What makes you think a "breakdown in our democracy might be on the cards" ?? Where is democracy under threat ??

And what does "democracy is OK for humans but not good for the rest of the planet" mean ??

As I said, jibberish.

1. Just responding to JBN's scenario in his final paragraph.

2. In case you aren't aware we have something called global warming. This is accelerating and is widely believed to be through human activity and a global population that is increasing expotentially. The main culprits responsible for global warming are the civilised western democracys and the developing industrial economies. (I think the worst of the lot the USA hasn't even signed the Kyoto agreement yet.) So obviously harsh action needs to be taken to turn off the power, switch off the lights and take cars and wagons off the road, cut unnecessary air travel etc etc.

We've grown soft and any such action will be a bitter pill to swallow. Such action will be so unpopular that ruling governments who attempt to implement such measures will be booted out every election. The planet is more important than any govt, in fact it's more important than the entire human race. We really should not given any choice in the measures which need to be taken. Hence my belief that democratic form of government as we have today can not survive much longer.

Which bit of that is jibberish?

[joey_big_nose]

Odd statement given that for the 28th succssive year A'Level marks have improved. If teaching standards are indeed on the decline then human evolution must be approaching light speed. I wonder how Darwin would have reacted to the current situation?

The nut job that is Ed Balls reckoned this am that despite play stations, despite more TV channels than days of the year, despite the lack of discipline in schools the reason behind this is cos kids work harder for their exams nowadays than they ever have in the past! Kinell!

While I am not one of those people who think education has gone completely out the window, and there is does seem be some truth that kids are a bit brighter - standardised IQ tests do return an upward gradient - there is no way the quality of school leavers has improved for 28 years straight.

Anyway my point is that teachers are treated poorly and maligned often. As a result less people want to be teachers, which lowers the pool of talent from which schools can pick applicants from. My point is the same is happening across valuable important areas which underpin our society - police, doctors, politicians, lawyers etc. That is a cost associated with unbalanced cynicism.

[adopted scouser]

Astonishing how our resident Fred Kite (Jim) takes any opportunity to rubbish David Cameron, whilst turning a blind eye to Gordon Brown (pun intended).

When Brown took over from Blair, he declared quite publicly that he wouldn't get involved in the highly lucrative lecture circuit post Prime Minister. Guess what ? After Prescott joining the house of lords, Brown is now available as an international speaker at a rate of $100,000 an appearance (that's not all though, you'll have to fork out for 5 star hotels and first class air travel for his entourage).

You've really got to hand it to these principled 'socialists'.

[thenodrog]

.......... After Prescott joining the house of lords, Brown is now available as an international speaker at a rate of $100,000 an appearance

You've really got to hand it to these principled 'socialists'.

Fools and their money are soon parted.

I must say though that Gillian Duffy might be worth that money.

[jim mk2]

No one is fooled by your racist bile dressed up as "honesty" . For what it's worth (and I doubt you're interested anyway because it does not suit your anti-Asian agenda), I am involved in a charity organisation that has helped to raise thousands of pounds for the Pakistan flood appeal and has always met willing and generous donors eager to help the relief of suffering and human misery in that country. This money will help to bring real, practical benefits to the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their homes in the disaster and provide some sort of food and shelter until they can rebuild their lives. Many of these donors are successful business people who are happy to help their fellow man - a concept you apparently you find hard to understand - and while charity work is hard, unpaid work it is also extremely rewarding. You should try it - it might make you appear more of a human being.

The wonderful British public is shaming the rest of of the world in its generosity towards Pakistan, according to the DEC.

Shame the Rt Hon member for Pleasington cannot see past the end of his own nose.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11057297

There is a link on the end of the BBC story for anyone who wishes to donate.

[ABBEY]

The wonderful British public is shaming the rest of of the world in its generosity towards Pakistan, according to the DEC.

Shame the Rt Hon member for Pleasington cannot see past the end of his own nose.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11057297

There is a link on the end of the BBC story for anyone who wishes to donate.

could you prove where the donations are spent?

[thenodrog]

29m? Jim.... Wouldn't buy a half decent striker for Man City let alone pay his wages. So why don't the kinfolk in Abu Dhabi not cough up a couple of hundred million or so?

[BuckyRover]

Kinfolk

[roversmum]

29m? Jim.... Wouldn't buy a half decent striker for Man City let alone pay his wages. So why don't the kinfolk in Abu Dhabi not cough up a couple of hundred million or so?

I used to know quite a few fellows from that part of the world, and I don't think 'kinfolk' would quite be considered appropriate. At the time, they regarded citizens of Pakistan rather in the same way we would regard doggy do on our shoes.

[tony gale's mic]

Clearly the people from Abu Dhabi and Pakistan are kinfolk, they're both from Muslim countries.

Just like the majority of folk from England and Lithuania are clearly kinfolk.

[thenodrog]

Clearly the people from Abu Dhabi and Pakistan are kinfolk, they're both from Muslim countries.

Just like the majority of folk from England and Lithuania are clearly kinfolk.

Many of the immigrant community in Blackburn certainly regard the Iraqi's as their muslim brothers ..... just ask ex BwD councillor Bill Taylor!

[thenodrog]

Can't believe nobody has commented on this.........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11049538

The terms p1ss up and brewery immedietely spring to mind. This is the same Labour party who were promising us all how they would repair the disastrous financial plight which the country now finds itself in after a decade of their irresponsible government if only we would vote them into power again.

[jim mk2]

Proof that the Labour party will benefit most from the collapse of support for the coalition government in the wake of the forthcoming ideologically motivated and unnecessary spending cuts was revealed today when the party's acting leader Harriet Harman told the TUC Congress in Manchester that there had been an "unprecedented" surge in Labour party membership since May's general election.

More than 32,000 people have joined Labour since the election, Ms Harman said, including 10,000 former Liberal Democrat supporters "dismayed'' that their vote had helped put the Conservatives into power.

Votes cast in council elections since May were 45,000 for Labour, 34,000 for the Tories and 25,000 for the Liberal Democrats, she told the TUC. "These last few months have been an extraordinary period for British politics and for the Labour party," she said.

[BuckyRover]

When people see the picket lines, the will instantly think of Blair/Brown.

The spending cuts won't be as harsh as the unions/labour are predicting and Labour won't know what to do.

That's my prediction.

[thenodrog]

Proof that the Labour party will benefit most from the collapse of support for the coalition government in the wake of the forthcoming ideologically motivated and unnecessary spending cuts was revealed today when the party's acting leader Harriet Harman told the TUC Congress in Manchester that there had been an "unprecedented" surge in Labour party membership since May's general election.

More than 32,000 people have joined Labour since the election, Ms Harman said, including 10,000 former Liberal Democrat supporters "dismayed'' that their vote had helped put the Conservatives into power.

Votes cast in council elections since May were 45,000 for Labour, 34,000 for the Tories and 25,000 for the Liberal Democrats, she told the TUC. "These last few months have been an extraordinary period for British politics and for the Labour party," she said.

Labour couldn't run a p1ss up in a brewery. Why the hell would anybody with a higher IQ than their own shoe size consider putting them back into power after the carnage that they have left behind after their years of misrule?

This is how good they are..... http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/08/labour-bankruptcy-party

£20m to the bad! Financial irresponsibility at every level!

Being politicians they haven't the first idea of how to make money themselves so they are depending on a few capitalists with lefty leanings and dodgy motives to bale them out.

[Guest bluerovers]

The Unions, aka the millitant wing of the Labour party.

They should all be disolved and, as much a I hate quangos, be replaced with bodies set up to analyze disputes with an unbiased standpoint and tighter employment laws.

[Guest bluerovers]

Which business do you own?

None, why?