I'd quite agree that it's worth paying higher taxes to get a better overall society at the end of it. However, just paying higher taxes alone doesn't guarantee that. You also need a government that will take that extra money and spend it wisely. Charging people higher tax and then just spunking it up the wall isn't going to help anybody.
Well yeah, that goes without saying. I'm not even sure it's true. My pal who lives in Toronto says their NHS is great also, he pays 40% tax I think, the most important thing in his country is our Queen apparently, they love the Royals. They love their country. I guess they're ran a lot better than we are. Ed Miliband would spend the additional income on houses for people who can't afford houses probably and anybody from abroad who wants a house.
Last year in Spain I was lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to pay the top rate of tax which was 53%. Spain is a socialist country. It makes me vomit daily when I see money spunked up against the wall and basic services ignored. My missus (not mistress) spent a lot of her time doing charity stuff like working for food banks, and raising money for orphanages and hospitals. Fast forward .....my mum who still lives in Sunderland came to visit a month ago, and after 4 days fell and fractured a vertebrae....Spain won't treat her on the public health system despite her and my dad having worked all of their lives and her having accrued 36 years of National Insurance payments. EU is shagged and Spain is a socialist country. So, I am left to fund it privately...how does that work then?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There is 40% unemployment in Spain. Th BBC is generally a left wing organisation, its funded by public money and heavily unionised. BUT I must admit on the last episode of question time I was surprised at the audience. They were in the north west (normally a Labour stronghold) an yet the audience seemed to give Miliband a much harder time than Cameron.
Is that a rhetorical question or have you mistaken me for somebody who has a clue about politics? I dunno Mandingo, maybe it doesn't work well in many countries. Sorry to hear about your mum.
Juan - liked your post for two reasons. First, "Mandingo" which starred Ken Norton, who fought Ali three times and went to three split decisions. Ken died just last year. Also, your sympathy for Malaga's mum is seconded.
well, Sweden and Finners both tax highly, but you do get bang for your buck in return - from roads, railways and airports, city transportation and clean streets to very good schools, for 'free'. obviously it aint for free but you can see the tax receipts are spent appropriately. they're getting a lot more efficient on public spending/services too, which they have to. despite the job cut implications for some. my wifes pregnancy was handled well. we get 3 days in our own room to make sure all was okay if we needed it. i have no complaints for my 40%+ obligation, although i cry into me beer for a bit come bonus time
I appreciate your information about Sweden and Finland, Nordic - thank you. But could your please clarify something for British voters please? Isn't it Sweden we need to thank for the idea of student loans? I'm not criticizing Scandinavian policy here - as it happens I'm an admirer. But there are many in Britain who would like to see Swedish levels of education here, and the Conservative Party (alone) to pick up the tab, i.e. they want Swedish education but not Swedish ways of paying for it. Would you be kind enough to clarify that for all British voters please? Appreciated mate.
In the list of spend per capita of the 25 richest countries the UK is about 23rd. I doubt I am alone in thinking I would not mind any increase in tax if it went on the NHS.
What we would do without student loans is fall down the world education league even faster than we are doing now. I agree with Scandinavian common sense and deplore British opposition hypocrisy You simply can't ask for modern-world educational services without an appropriate way of paying for it.
I'd shag every last woman in Weatherfield, including Emily, and especially that fat lass who lives in the camper van
Got you. I misunderstood and thought you meant we should get rid of them. I'd have happily borrowed more if it had given me a better tertiary education with better long term prospects.
Ooh Disco, you hit a big issue there. The bottom line is that we are shunting more young people into further education to keep them off the unemployment list. At the end of three years, young people come out of universities and colleges with qualifications that e.g. the USA won't even consider worthwhile, and they understandably enough, expect good employment prospects for the graft they put in. The bottom line is, we don't have the jobs to give you, and we were so desperate to push you aside, that we fed you a piss-pot education that other countries consider tripe. O.k., I'm in my 70s now, but age aside, I hate to see honest people like yourself conned. But the truth is, you have been conned. I can't believe it's a party thing - it's been going on for decades and both major parties have lied to you. May I give you a sincere word of advice mate? - Emigrate, it's the only future you've got. This country is going in one direction now. To be frank, I'm glad to be just a few years short of out of it. I'm truly sorry mate, but that's the truth of it. For god's sake, go. Good luck.
Disco, delighted to hear it. Listen, before there was a Ministry of Defence, I was drafted into the old War Office. (The Min. of Def was constructed out of The Admiralty, The War Office, and the Air Ministry). Now that might sound like a relic of The Charge of the Light Brigade, when 33 separate departments were involved, and, I suppose, it was. But, fair does, I did "my bit", I paid my dues in my own time. I never once subscribed to the age-ism crap. Sincerely, get out of here, Disco. I wish you well.
