The way I see it is that every political system is flawed in some way and no system is perfect. Reading through many of these posts most, in my opinion have some very valid arguments and some not so. I would consider myself to be, let's say, right of centre with most of my political views but it doesn't stop me agreeing with some of those views expressed by those with a rather more left wing viewpoint. Sadly, in my experience, many of those with that rather more left wing viewpoint do have a more blinkered view and will not even listen to views and beliefs expressed by others, "My father voted Labour so did my Grandfather, I'll always vote Labour".
Notwithstanding Mr Carr's tax avoidance, the whole country is in a mess and we're all going to Hell in a hardcart if you ask me and it all started many years ago.
For instance, we now unfortunately have no manufacturing industry to speak of and while I'm not blaming it entirely on the trade unions, it's downfall was certainly started by them in the sixties and early seventies, when they were holding the government to ransom. There is a saying, 'what goes around, comes around' and this can most definitely be applied to the trade union movement. Before it's inception, the workers were a downtrodden bunch to say the least with the bosses paying a pittance and forcing them to work in dreadful conditions. The trade union movement was a fantastic idea and finally gave those workers the rights, pay and working conditions they craved and deserved. However, the Unions soon had too much power and expected more pay, for less production and an inferior product to that manufactured abroad. I know that's a somewhat sweeping generalisation, but I'm mainly pointing to the motorcycle and motor car industries here, where we once led the world.
While I would never advocate the break-up of the welfare state it does appear to me, that there are those in our society that seem to think they have the God given right to exist on handouts from the taxpayer. I don't doubt in some cases sitting on their backsides watching Sky Sports all day, smoking and drinking themselves to death. Perhaps the long term unemployed should do community work for their benefits, what pray tell me is wrong with that ? Hmm, I doubt the Labour party would ever subscribe to this as it would do severe harm to the vote in their heartlands and infringe human rights ! The welfare state was introduced for those less fortunate who through no fault of their own were unable to work, not for these lazy sods. There are those who desparately want to work but are unable to find it, if the Government wasn't paying out millions in fraudulant benefits perhaps they might have the money to create real jobs? Idealistic perhaps, but you can't help wondering. When you see someone working behind a desk sitting in a wheelchair, you have to ask yourself why so and so with a 'bad back' or a gammy leg, can't do some form of work without relying on state handouts. So many people with no self respect.
I work bloody hard for a living and although I earn what I would consider to be a decent wage, I still cannot afford subscription tv, a new car, a holiday abroad, a new PC for the kids and even sometimes take a calculator to the supermarket. The fact that I have a relation on the wife's side who has never worked but seems to have all mod cons makes my blood boil. He was even given a brand new state of the art PC with free broadband for his daughter to use for her school education, yet he's always on it playing blooding computor games ! The system needs a complete overhaul but I know full well that this will never happen, because once in power, all politicians want to do is line their own pockets regardless of their political persuasion.
Rant over !
P.S. At least we can all agree on one thing here .............. OTBC ... CTI

... IHWT ...