Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Mon Oct 15, 2012 2:36 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

The government - both parties are equally guilty - seem intimidated by the bankers, doesn't help when you have so many eggs in that basket...

Agreed, certainly on the latter point – to an extent on the first. My own interpretation would be that, ideologically speaking, the current government (not the Conservative Party in its entirety, perhaps) but the Parliamentary Party, certainly, have little problem with the power of big finance – and, indeed, big business.

A number of them have financial interests with just such companies.

I think it's more a case of intimidation with Labour and a feeling that nothing can be done; they'll threaten to leave etc etc. Although I'd equally say that (my own interpretation again) that some of them are ideologically not far from a similar view.

Sal Paradise wrote:

... You would have thought their arrogance would have been dented by their abject failure to run their businesses properly, but no their self esteem knows no bounds. As usual when business really needs them to step up to the plate they ensure they look after their own first...

Which raises the need for regulation. But it needs to be done properly and with proper legislation to back it up and proper penalties too. It's not just the banks: I'm just reading Ben Goldacre's Bad Pharma, about how big pharmaceutical corporations behave, and it's pretty shocking. You cannot escape from the view that, at core, their ultimate priority is making money (a legal obligation for a company, of course) but that that frequently comes well above patient wellbeing. But it's also a story of cack-handed regulation with no real clout behind it.

Sal Paradise wrote:

... I can understand the large scale deindustralisation for mass produced basic products - we simply cannot compete with the BRIC countries, but for small run highly technical products we are as good as anywhere and this should be encouraged. From a skill retention basis if nothing else

Did you see Sally C's comment about engineering graduates ending up working in the City, because of the money?

Skills retention, certainly.

I'm think I'm correct in saying that we lose many researchers too, because of a lack of investment in research, and because jobs abroad, and other lines of work, pay better.

We have expertise and excellence in a number of fields – and we need to look for more. But at the risk of repeating myself, they won't happen overnight. What is clearly unsustainable, though, is a general population, with dwindling income levels, in a country that needs people to spend for the sake of the economy. And that's without considering the human aspect of that.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Mon Oct 15, 2012 7:00 pm  

Mintball wrote:

Agreed, certainly on the latter point – to an extent on the first. My own interpretation would be that, ideologically speaking, the current government (not the Conservative Party in its entirety, perhaps) but the Parliamentary Party, certainly, have little problem with the power of big finance – and, indeed, big business.

A number of them have financial interests with just such companies.

I think it's more a case of intimidation with Labour and a feeling that nothing can be done; they'll threaten to leave etc etc. Although I'd equally say that (my own interpretation again) that some of them are ideologically not far from a similar view.

Which raises the need for regulation. But it needs to be done properly and with proper legislation to back it up and proper penalties too. It's not just the banks: I'm just reading Ben Goldacre's Bad Pharma, about how big pharmaceutical corporations behave, and it's pretty shocking. You cannot escape from the view that, at core, their ultimate priority is making money (a legal obligation for a company, of course) but that that frequently comes well above patient wellbeing. But it's also a story of cack-handed regulation with no real clout behind it.

Did you see Sally C's comment about engineering graduates ending up working in the City, because of the money?

Skills retention, certainly.

I'm think I'm correct in saying that we lose many researchers too, because of a lack of investment in research, and because jobs abroad, and other lines of work, pay better.

We have expertise and excellence in a number of fields – and we need to look for more. But at the risk of repeating myself, they won't happen overnight. What is clearly unsustainable, though, is a general population, with dwindling income levels, in a country that needs people to spend for the sake of the economy. And that's without considering the human aspect of that.

My son has just taken a job in Australia, he is 21 a qualified mechanical engineer, he sees not future career path in this country, which is really sad indeed.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Mon Oct 15, 2012 8:11 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

My son has just taken a job in Australia, he is 21 a qualified mechanical engineer, he sees not future career path in this country, which is really sad indeed.

This country has never valued mechanical engineers. In Germany, anyone with "Ing" as a prefix to his name is held in reverence. Here, even an "I Mech E" is viewed as little more than a grease monkey

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Mon Oct 15, 2012 8:16 pm  

Cameron determined to win the race to the bottom of public expenditure

Cameron determined to win the race to the bottom of public expenditure

[Kosh]

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:37 am  

cod'ead wrote: Cameron determined to win the race to the bottom of public expenditure Time to plan my emigration to a civilised country methinks.

cod'ead wrote: Cameron determined to win the race to the bottom of public expenditure Time to plan my emigration to a civilised country methinks.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:17 am  

Is this what Call Me Dave meant by 'Big Society?' http://uk.news.yahoo.com/hungry-pupils-being-fed-teachers-225528172.html

Is this what Call Me Dave meant by 'Big Society?' http://uk.news.yahoo.com/hungry-pupils-being-fed-teachers-225528172.html

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Tue Oct 16, 2012 12:41 pm  

WIZEB wrote: Is this what Call Me Dave meant by 'Big Society?' http://uk.news.yahoo.com/hungry-pupils-being-fed-teachers-225528172.html I don't doubt the veracity of the core finding of the survey (other research supports it), but it is worth noting who sponsored it – Kellogg's. No vested interested in promoting certain kinds of breakfast foods – even those stuffed with sugar and salt – then.

WIZEB wrote: Is this what Call Me Dave meant by 'Big Society?' http://uk.news.yahoo.com/hungry-pupils-being-fed-teachers-225528172.html I don't doubt the veracity of the core finding of the survey (other research supports it), but it is worth noting who sponsored it – Kellogg's. No vested interested in promoting certain kinds of breakfast foods – even those stuffed with sugar and salt – then.

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:06 pm  

Mintball wrote:

I don't doubt the veracity of the core finding of the survey (other research supports it), but it is worth noting who sponsored it – Kellogg's. No vested interested in promoting certain kinds of breakfast foods – even those stuffed with sugar and salt – then.

I'm just casting my thoughts back to my Primary School days in the '70's.
We had fook all but I can't remember anyone being hungry at school.

Fast forward nearly 40 years and look how society has progressed.
'There is no such thing as society.'
Her legacy has certainly made sure of that.

Fooking bitch!

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Fri Oct 19, 2012 3:50 pm  

Just seen on Twitter that Osborne got on a train with a standard ticket and sat in first class, refused to move when asked by the revenue protection officer (his aide apparently suggested that he could't possibly sit in standard) and eventually stumped up the ticket price, whether out of his pocket or from the taxpayer's wallet is not revealed.

We're all in this together you know....

Re: Tell us what you really think ... : Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:08 pm  

WIZEB wrote:

I'm just casting my thoughts back to my Primary School days in the '70's.
We had fook all but I can't remember anyone being hungry at school.

Fast forward nearly 40 years and look how society has progressed.
'There is no such thing as society.'
Her legacy has certainly made sure of that.

Fooking bitch!

It's quite staggering.

I heard yesterday about a breakfast club at a school in a very poor area of Greater Manchester that has been saved from closure by a combination of Greggs (donating some food, apparently) and Etihad.

Equally, I was laying out an article today explaining how reps can point people to UNISON's own charity for help with winter fuel bills, since many members are part-time workers on low wages, which have reduced further over the pay freezes for several years. There's another grant system in place to help with school uniforms.

It just beggars belief that we're in this sort of situation.