Never mind an Heil to Blair......

[econ21]

We are replacing moderate, advanced, socialdemocratic European civilisation for a brutal jungle not just by the replacement of governmental structures for Hobbesian strife, but by the very replacement of advanced Europeans for uneducated non-Europeans.

Forgive me, Louis, but of late you seem to be a risk of metamorphosising from my shining hero of European liberalism into something darker. Do not despair - there have been recessions before and there will be recessions again, European civilisation will endure. And yes, less educated people may have more children: it was ever thus. But the average education - and IQ - of the world will continue to rise nonetheless. And yes, Europeans may be advanced, but in the last three decades we have observed many non-Europeans advancing at a faster rate and I suspect they will catch us up or even overtake us, if they have not already. And do remember - those that have migrated to Europe and their offspring will become Europeans, if they are not already.


Back on topic: Ed Milliband is in tricky place with strikes, as all Labour leaders have been. He came to lead Labour on the back of trade union support but he cannot be elected to lead Britain if he is seen as their pawn. He has to assert is independence and so is doing so, albeit awkwardly. The fact that the recent strike seems to have divided the trade unions (in private, if not in public) provides an opportunity for him to do so, but I agree it's ungainly. My sympathies for the strikes were a little eroded yesterday, finding out the fireman's union leader was (is?) a member of the Militant Tendency (i.e. a Trotskyist). Ed's father may have been a Marxist, but his son is not and does not need to act like one.

[rory_20_uk]

The lower orders have bred like farm animals, but the high mortality rates helped alleviate this.

Ed is in a tricky place. Labour dogma insists that printing money is always the answer. Where it comes from never seems to matter.

The strikes as always never seem to concern themselves with even the most basic tenants of Economics. Public servants should work for less and get a larger pension because... well - because. GPs feel hard done by if they can't retire at 60 with a final salary pension as somehow they deserve all this money. It is madness.

[HoreTore]

Printing money is a Friedman dogma, rory.

So....what you hate is actually right-wing financial policy. As ever, the real choice for England is of course more socialism

[Beskar]

Did anyone see the GMTV with some loud mouth guy and a teacher about the strikes?
http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?...y&channel=itv1

[Beskar]

The strikes as always never seem to concern themselves with even the most basic tenants of Economics. Public servants should work for less and get a larger pension because... well - because.

Teachers are underpaid and to compensate for this, they get a good pension. Sort of "short term loss for long term stability" rationale only possible because public sector usually has "jobs for life" and if they don't, they lose a large chunk of their pension plans.

Majority of the teachers if they were in the private sector (in other jobs as well) would easily be earning double their salary, which in turn, can pay for very good pensions anyway. Big down side to this, we have a shortage of good teachers already, you want to get rid of more or as Rob said "Make it financially unreasonable to even consider teacher as a career".

So what you have is people who are underpaid and only compensated with their pension, having a big reduction to their pension.

[InsaneApache]

Teachers are underpaid and to compensate for this, they get a good pension. Sort of "short term loss for long term stability" rationale only possible because public sector usually has "jobs for life" and if they don't, they lose a large chunk of their pension plans.

Majority of the teachers if they were in the private sector (in other jobs as well) would easily be earning double their salary, which in turn, can pay for very good pensions anyway. Big down side to this, we have a shortage of good teachers already, you want to get rid of more or as Rob said "Make it financially unreasonable to even consider teacher as a career".

So what you have is people who are underpaid and only compensated with their pension, having a big reduction to their pension.

There you have it ladies and gentlemen. The thoughts from the left.

Now where on earth did I mislay my magic money tree?

[HoreTore]

There you have it ladies and gentlemen. The thoughts from the left.

Now where on earth did I mislay my magic money tree?

The middle class.

An established middle-class guy with no risk should be taxed to death.

I also find it hilarious when people make the connection that government run stuff is spending money, while privately run stuff creates money...

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

The middle class.

An established middle-class guy with no risk should be taxed to death.

I also find it hilarious when people make the connection that government run stuff is spending money, while privately run stuff creates money...

The doctrine of Oiberal equality says he should be taxed as much as anyone else.

[HoreTore]

The doctrine of Oiberal equality says he should be taxed as much as anyone else.

Yes, there are plenty of doctrines out there which doesn't further economic growth.

[gaelic cowboy]

I also find it hilarious when people make the connection that government run stuff is spending money, while privately run stuff creates money...

Indeed I remember Louis pointing out before that a contract cleaning company in a school consumes public money same as the school.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Indeed I remember Louis pointing out before that a contract cleaning company in a school consumes public money same as the school.

The publicly funded teacher consumes wealth when he teaches children. Whereas the toilet lady from the private cleaning agency adds wealth when she cleans the school toilets. Or so says the thesis 'public means wealth consumption, private means wealth creation'.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Indeed I remember Louis pointing out before that a contract cleaning company in a school consumes public money same as the school.

It's quite true - which is why you need an actual private sector, not just subsidiaries serving the state.

Louis, you may be correct about the current situation but it does not necessarily follow that current Right-Wing policies are to blame, over-inflated public sectors, lack of cash reserves, and national deficits have necesitated tightening of both public and private purses. Those conditions all evolved under Left-Wing domination of European politics.

It's no wonder people are angry at the Left now.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Forgive me, Louis, but of late you seem to be a risk of metamorphosising from my shining hero of European liberalism into something darker.

I know. Now imagine the fright it gives me....

All is not lost! I often do not take the time anymore to write balanced, carefully thought-through posts. There is still some sanity deep down.


Mind that the cuts and the plunder of the past few years really do have some far-reaching effects. Europe really is changing. I was hoping to scare conservatives with the results of their wanton destruction of our societies. Demography shows that it is not the 'leftist multicultural social engineering mafia' which replaces natives for a multicultural society. It is rightwing anti-governmental free market which does so.