Don't forget that the only way the government can say that child poverty isn't increasing (and in actual fact increasing dramatically) is to redefine what child poverty means, so they can say (despite all evidence to the contrary) that child poverty is going down!
And people are happy to vote for them, and then moan about the state of the country... In the same way people moaned about how bad the 80s were, but voted for the Tory's...
I remember seeing on the BBC that there were a record number of families living in B&B's and some people I knew thought that was a good thing because "it's better than being on the streets..." Maybe if the government had actually made more of an effort to meet their housing targets, these families could have a stable roof over their head in a place that they can call their own? Rather than a crowded B&B... Housing should be a basic human right for everyone, in my view.
Unfortunately that's not everyone's view, and some are more concerned with increasing the value of properties and the average rental price, so that private renters can charge more money. In regards to your B&B/streets comment, I had something similar from a Tory supporter I know, where she had gotten a free sandwich from a sandwich bar, but didn't want it and was offering it to colleagues, so I suggested she give it to some of the large number of homeless people that are around our office. She looked at me with a look of disgust and said 'No way am I encouraging them to be homeless'. Needless to say, I was so astounded by that response that it left me speechless!
I quite understand your discomfort with regard to the propaganda being dished out by this government - it was how I felt when Labour were last in powr and ****ing up our economy
I agree Labour did screw up the economy (and a lot of other things) with their right wing policies when they were in charge last, but nowhere near as nasty or unfeeling as this lot with their policies!
Let's not forget that it was the Tories that, not only supported Labour's plans, but wanted to deregulate the banks even more so had they been the incumbent government, we'd have been in a deeper mess. People frequently forget that though.
Shhh don't say that, people still think that Labour and the Conservatives are different.... please log in to view this image
That was one of the major annoyances of the General Election for me. The Tories kept banging on about Labour ruining the economy and I very rarely heard them challenged on it. Cameron himself wanted even less regulation for the banking sector, so we'd have been even more screwed if it happened on his watch. Why did he get such a free pass over such a major ****ing balls up?
[QU ember: 1031095"] I couldnt agree more with this. My point was that all Governments pour out heaps of bullshit in an effort to take attention away from their failings and will always try to blame the others. This is why I think Corbyn is creating such strong reactions-he hasnt caught the 'lying' bug ..........yet
Labour did ruin the economy. in the 13 years between 1997 & 2010: Labour collected £5 trillion in taxes and borrowed half a trillion more. Labour more than doubled the national debt to over £1 trillion. Labour left the UK with the highest budget deficit in the world barring Greece and Ireland. Labour increased UK public spending over 1997-2010 faster than any country on earth. In 1997 Britain was ranked 22nd in the world for public spending as a percentage of national output; by 2010 it was up to sixth. The annual welfare bill doubled to £186 billion at a cost of £6,400 a year for the average worker. But despite this spending boom (in fact because of this spending boom), things only got worse: Unemployment increased by 444,000. Public sector productivity fell nearly 4 per cent. Value for money in the public sector fell 13 per cent (nearly 25 per cent in education). Unemployment among young people rose by 285,000. One in five young people were left without a job. More than five million people of working age lived in workless households. Numbers in poverty rose by nearly 400,000 and numbers in severe poverty rose by nearly 800,000. I want the freedom to choose where I spend my hard earned wages and not have a state tell me they know best how it should be spent. The voting public needs to turn away from the politics of envy as promoted by 'Contrary Corbyn' and remember what the left did to us not so long ago.
You've literally taken all of that from Nick Wood, former Tory Party Director of Communication and Times writer. http://mippr.co.uk/2014/05/the-full-facts-on-how-labour-wrecked-the-economy/ That's this Nick Wood: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...rtys-former-spin-doctor-66000-for-advice.html What was that you were saying about people being sheep, again?
Same with unemployment. The Tories have redefined the language so that if you're on zero hour contracts, short term contact, low pay then you won't show up as unemployed. Even though most of these scenarios still end up with people in poverty. The current political climate is all about spin, even in the face of the bleedin' obvious, politicians will argue black is white (and massage figures to back them up) Although I think afcftw is off his head to vote UKIP, I do agree with his argument that other voices need to be heard. That's why I think corbyn will be good, as he will shine a light into murky corners and won't engage in the discourse of wash and spin
Politics has ALWAYS been about spin. We all believe what we want to believe and disbelieve what we want to disbelieve. Politicians mostly crave power (and perhaps for that reason alone should be distrusted) and will say whatever it takes to be popular-just look at Burnham, Kendall and Cooper
I think that the key difference is that politicians used to stand for things and persuade people to vote for their causes. They now try to persuade people that they believe in the same causes as the majority of voters, then do what they like when they get in. It's probably more accurate to say that they do what they're paid to do though, unfortunately. I think that the House of Lords debate is underlining this at the moment, though I'm not particularly happy with most of the alternatives, either.
In the main, I agree. But that has arisen largely out of the fact that the media have become all powerful and dictate what gets heard, what gets ignored and what gets ridiculed. Murdoch, Rothschild, Desmond are the puppeteers in the UK and if you don't engage in the discourse that they dictate, then you don't get your message heard.
For what its worth I agree with you. It is difficult to believe any of the media, including the BBC. To say I am disillusioned with politics is an understatement.But I shouldn't be, it's too important. I just wish our politicians were better. We would be much better off with smaller regional assemblies. But that is another discussion for another day....
Are you suggesting it wrong to agree with facts because they were presented by a third party first? If you open your calendar and it says tomorrow is Sunday and you agree with it, does it make you a sheep? Anyway, despite your failed attempt to deflect from these awkward truths, are you saying that all of the points listed are incorrect, some are incorrect or that they are all correct?
I'm saying that you accuse people of being sheep while regurgitating the spin of a paid for Tory mouthpiece. I thought that was pretty obvious. I didn't even check his claims, as they're obviously all related to the banking crisis, which his own party would have made worse. They're not in a position to complain about something that they supported. Do you disagree?
