Brexit

Yes.The money is unevenly distributed.But that's the nature of this beast I'm afraid.And sometimes I am afraid.

 

It's more the nature of the politics than the beast.

 

You're right in a sense.But I liken it to a beast.And,if we're honest,there's a little bit of it in all of us.

 

Thing is though not all of us have control over the national economy, social policy, the media etc. These days politicians seem to want to play on the more 'beastly' side of human nature, because it serves their own agendas and those of their puppet masters.

 

If Thatcher and Reagan hadnt ended protectionism , all you lot would have tried to immigrate to Australia and then a whole bunch of dodgy curry shops would open to cater for the influx, then thats all we'd have to eat

 

I don't want control.I just want to be free.I am very much centered in what I am doing.If people choose to go into politics or media creation,that is there reality.It isn't mine.Of course I have opinions about politics,but in a way I don't take the World literally.Life is for living.All this may sound platitudinous,but I am more interested in the broad sweep of history than contemporary minor details.

 

VG

Actually she came in just as the UK had struck it rich with North Sea Oil and what she did was piss all of that money on propping up her flawed [neoliberal] experiment now the oil is running our and we the people have nothing really to show for it (our infrastructure wasn’t upgraded and we have no huge sovereign fund like the Norwegians do).

We are now reaping the affects of the wrong course the country took back in the 1980’s and from which we didn't really wavered even under 'New Labour'. The hallowing out of manufacturing in favour of services, the lack of investment in new technology in favour of the financial sector, outsourcing, the job prospects robbed from those in the north and never returned, the bashing of the EU to cover British government mistakes and so on and so forth.

Maggie was the worsted thing that happened to us

 

ST

LOL But history is made up - literally - of lots of contemporary minor details.

Are you saying you like it that way and so are happy for it to carry on, you are very happy for people to suffer because it is no skin of your nose, you are happy and you are free so what the fuck do you care about what happens to others?

 

[SIZE=11pt]The chancellor, Philip Hammond, has suggested Britain could transform its economic model into that of a corporate tax haven if the EU fails to provide it with an agreement on market access after Brexit.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]In an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Hammond said that if Britain were closed off from European markets after leaving the EU, it would consider abandoning a European-style social model with European-style taxation and regulation systems, and “become something different”.- Guardian[/SIZE]

I think we can take the threat as a promise or rather the road that will be travelled because it fits in with the rights neoliberal economic model, so it will not matter if we get the best deal possible the right will still be pushing (and getting) that neoliberal ‘something different’.

 

Ain't that the truth

 

It sounds like you don't want to look too closely at reality. In a way I don't blame you. It's not a pretty thing to contemplate modern politics or the state of the world. You may not want to control - neither do I particularly, but there are those who do, and will stop at virtually nothing to get the reins of power into their greasy hands.

I have no idea what you mean by 'the broad sweep of history'. But I would say that the general trends we are living through aren't exactly encouraging.

 

By "broad sweep of history" I mean that for example,Brexit may be a bad thing in the short term but ultimately good for Britain in the future.Some things are more important than immediate economic concerns.Britain should be looking for other trading partners like India,rather than just the five hundred million or so population of Europe.

I look and think about "reality" constantly.I look at the World scene coldly and objectively.However my personal interpretation of it tends to be coloured by my interests in the arts - film,literature,painting and music.We are all subject to the vicissitudes of a demanding and changing World,but for me reality is largely the one we make in our heads.

 

I'd have to disagree 100% with the idea that Brexit is going to be good for Britain, now or in the future. If you have 'immediate economic concerns' like a family that has to go to a food bank, or an old person too scared of the bill to have the heating on, they do seem quite important. Music, art etc don't help much with that.

It's easy to say we make the world in our heads when you're in a comfortable position, and nobody it threatening you. But how or why did those kids in Syria make a world where the bombs rained down on them? Interesting question I think.

 

The leave vote was largely swung by pensioners and the disenfranchised working class,a lot of them from up North.They are the ones that wanted it.I see all your points.Of course I want our old people to be cared for,and no one to go hungry,but I think we have a better chance of solving these problems from inside the UK,rather than ceding ever more powers and decision making to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.

You don't need a lot of money to enjoy the arts.Books are relatively cheap,so are craft and art materials.Anyone can listen to music or see a film.I would encourage these activities above sitting in front of the TV for hours.

 

Ar 56 years, I seem to be the odd coloured sheep/loner on the hill .. or maybe Prince amongst thieves (?)
I'm of the opinion that the vote went the way it did because of:- complacency, poor oration and an ill conceived strategy.
However,
Once the votes are cast - ("too late the cry") - and we have to get on with it - Democracy is down to the participation of the people - so be either education or prejudice (general not nationalist) - "The show must (and quite confident it will) go on"

 

I doubt the tories will be any more caring post brexit than they have proven themselves up to now. Also being in the EU gave us some protection for the environment and human rights, issues I don't trust May and her cronies over one little bit. For pensioners, or those like me nearing pension age, it's going to be a bit of a time bomb when we send all the immigrants home, as the demographics of the UK are such that the retired population will outstrip the ability of the govt to get enough tax in to pay for it. So probably, one outcome of this will be that people will have work longer, probably up to age 70 or so.

I don't own a TV BTW. And I'm also interested in the arts.

 

Reading the last few posts, is like examining the north south divide!

From a woman's point of view! Pensioners had every right to vote out if they wanted to, let's face it, they have probably put the most into it!
The retiring age is constantly moved...Maybe it should be based on your working contribution s, ha!

If people don't get, why we voted out, then it's obvious your not a Labour minded person, that worries what's going to be left of this country!
What's needed, is a Labour government, but a complete new party, maybe old labour!

 

I'm sure those factors had an effect on the vote. Stuff like this probably did too.

 

Coming from the Midlands, north is north and south is south to me.

I can only recall the pension age being shifted once during my lifetime. Under the coalition, they raised it from 60 to 65 for women and 65 to 66 (for me anyway) for men. So it really isn't constantly being moved. Just got moved to pay for the banking disasters of the last decade. As far as I know, it is already dependent on having paid up your fill amount of NI.

 

I've paid all, and some, it was 60 for a woman, then 62, now it's 63, and that's likely to move!

For women it was different, you could get your pension on your husband's contribution, but let's face it, most of the money earned here now, leaves here.. Contribution is not what it was!