We're All In This Together .....

[Serial_Apologist]

Nothing reminds me more of the times we are now living through than the 1970s. People being arrested or threatened with arrest for no known lawful reason; blacks unaccountably dying in police custody; police never being charged with anything; disabled people being abused for not being at work. None of the cashpoints that issues mini-statements was in operation down here in darkest sarf Lunnun this morning - haven't seen that happening as often as now for a good 30 years. Inside the bank I asked the member of staff for print offs, handing her my two account cards. "Do you have any proof of identity?" "Yes - there, in your hand". "No, that's no longer acceptable... a driving licence, or passport?" "No but I can tell you my postal code, the first line of my address, my date of birth and my mother's maiden name!" "Computer says no" . Actually the last I just made up. In fact she handed me a jotting pad and asked me to write my signature. This was then scanned my heart beating ever faster. It recognised me. The lovely bank machine ACTUALLY RECOGNISED ME!!! In the olden days (i.e. the 1970s) you would have had to deal with a humourless bank clone (bank clone, bank loan, geddit?). Why not by-pass the human element of any transaction? That is what makes our wonderful new age, in which we all are, together, so WONDERFUL.

actually the one thing we are truly in together is the climate and environment innit .... and it is about as friendly as our society and economy .... same old CORPOCATS run everything eh ...

A neighbour of mine came out of their flat last evening, to join me watching the amazing evening sky as the sun disappeared, catching the bubblewrap cloud and turning it gold, then pink, green, turquoise and purple. "A good thing that sunsets, at least, don't recognised national boundaries", she said. :winkeye::erm:

[Lateralthinking1]

A neighbour of mine came out of their flat last evening, to join me watching the amazing evening sky as the sun disappeared, catching the bubblewrap cloud and turning it gold, then pink, green, turquoise and purple. "A good thing that sunsets, at least, don't recognised national boundaries", she said. :winkeye::erm:

Five colours. That was an Olympics flag sent by Dave through a variety of chemicals as a subliminal message.

Didn't you say that your new neighbour is Brazilian? You are being observed by Rio 2016 for learning how to win over doubters.

[ahinton]

A think-piece by George Monbiot headed:

"Our economic ruin means freedom for the super-rich. Cameron and Osborne's neoliberal agenda promised prosperity for all, but created a totalitarian capitalism that feeds on crisis"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/30/economic-ruin-super-rich-totalitarian-capitalism

Do you think he reads this thread? :erm::whistle:

I've no idea, but I don't suppose that Messrs Cameron & Osborne do...

[ahinton]

None of the cashpoints that issues mini-statements was in operation down here in darkest sarf Lunnun this morning - haven't seen that happening as often as now for a good 30 years. Inside the bank I asked the member of staff for print offs, handing her my two account cards. "Do you have any proof of identity?" "Yes - there, in your hand". "No, that's no longer acceptable... a driving licence, or passport?" "No but I can tell you my postal code, the first line of my address, my date of birth and my mother's maiden name!" "Computer says no" . Actually the last I just made up. In fact she handed me a jotting pad and asked me to write my signature. This was then scanned my heart beating ever faster. It recognised me. The lovely bank machine ACTUALLY RECOGNISED ME!!! In the olden days (i.e. the 1970s) you would have had to deal with a humourless bank clone (bank clone, bank loan, geddit?). Why not by-pass the human element of any transaction?

I thought that this is what's already happening in that bank cards and the like will be replaced by smart phone use...

[aeolium]

This is an interesting model of industrial co-operation compared with the dominant corporate model in most countries. It's curious that at the end of the article it is reported as a model that is hard to replicate elsewhere because of the 'deep culture of egalitarianism' in the Basque region - you would have thought that there would have been similar regions elsewhere. It does show that the backstabbing hierarchical model in which top employees are disproportionately rewarded is not the only possible option.

[Lateralthinking1]

This is an interesting model of industrial co-operation compared with the dominant corporate model in most countries. It's curious that at the end of the article it is reported as a model that is hard to replicate elsewhere because of the 'deep culture of egalitarianism' in the Basque region - you would have thought that there would have been similar regions elsewhere. It does show that the backstabbing hierarchical model in which top employees are disproportionately rewarded is not the only possible option.

Yes - and well done to them. A beautiful place to live in too.

Are we all in this together? - Part 426. I gave the Prime Minister too much credit, suggesting that following all of his posing around, it might only be a fortnight to his foreign holiday. He went off on Monday (Spain), as did Clegg (Spain), as did Osborne (Hollywood), as did Miliband (Greece) - well, the latter two are on holiday too, whatever day they took off.

It seems that the emphasis on British holidays, only ever half met, was a passing fad and that criticism about previous years' timing when Cameron and Clegg went on holiday at the same time has just been ignored.

At least there is something politically sound about Miliband's destination and he isn't supposed to be running the country.

I will be particularly interested to see how the PM copes with a major dilemma on his return. Not a trivial thing like the state of the economy. No, rather whether he should grab every photo opportunity with winners in the paralympics or if that might just raise too many problems, not least his policy position on benefits.

[ahinton]

I will be particularly interested to see how the PM copes with a major dilemma on his return. Not a trivial thing like the state of the economy. No, rather whether he should grab every photo opportunity with winners in the paralympics or if that might just raise too many problems, not least his policy position on benefits.

You mean, for example, what's the maximum acceptable proportion of them that can be paid from national borrowings?...

[Lateralthinking1]

You mean, for example, what's the maximum acceptable proportion of them that can be paid from national borrowings?...

Them?

Please clarify.

[ahinton]

Them?

Please clarify.

If you read your own post to which mine was a direct response, you will surely realise that I referred to state benefits, as and because you had done so!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Now the Chancellot wants to save money, cutting more department budgets (and thereby sacking thousands of workers). it turns out that this is not to cut the budget deficit, but to spend money on pet projects, such as the completely unnecessary and potentially divisive "free schools".

[Petrushka]

Now the Chancellot wants to save money, cutting more department budgets (and thereby sacking thousands of workers)...

... who will have to be paid redundancy, unemployment benefit etc. Not much saving there then.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

... who will have to be paid redundancy, unemployment benefit etc. Not much saving there then.

only in the first year Petrushka but they are off the longer term budgets eh?

[aeolium]

This programme, tracing the origins of the economic crash in Spain, is well worth seeing imo. It describes the rise of the Spanish economy from a position of isolationist poverty under Franco to prosperity under democracy and the first decades of EU membership to the property bubble and crash in the last few years, to renewed poverty and near sovereign default today.

[Thropplenoggin]

Nick Clegg has found a new demographic to attack:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/...acuzzi-007.jpg

[teamsaint]

Nick Clegg has found a new demographic to attack:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/...acuzzi-007.jpg

any link please, Noggin?(I am assuming that isn't a holiday snap of yours, since the trademark headgear is absent !)