And what about the lost revenue from privatised companies? Are you trying to tell me its better to make a quick couple of billion? Rather than have any of the companies future profits? What exactly do Gas and Electricity companies do just now? How many times have they been done for fixing prices? You seem to think that with privatisation everything improves - that's bollocks.
Well the market is by no means perfect (this is a good short read on the market's general failings http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Money-Cant-Buy-ebook/dp/B007IO1X5C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0) - as I said the government is supposed to be in place as a referee to break up monopolies, hence why the Gas and Electric companies keep getting done for fixing prices. But as much as private company monopolies hurt the consumer so do private government monopolies, just think of how much cheaper it is to fly these days than it was years ago when BA had a monopoly, or how much Gatwick airport has improved since BAA was broke up, or how much cheaper Broadband has become in the last 15 years since British Telecom was forced to open it's lines to competitors (or indeed how much cheaper a phone is since British Telecom was privatised) - these off the top of my head in a few seconds. You are right though that there is no excuse to sell off state assets on the cheap, or to 'favoured' rich friends - which is always an accusation against government, and is precisely why government should not be in charge of handling such things in the future.
1) Aye, they are reeling in the fines right enough - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22011717 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20322003 2) Are you kidding me? - http://broadcastengineering.com/blog/japan-leads-world-broadband-speed For a so called technologically advanced country, we are far, far behind. Exactly what incentive does a rich CEO have for lowering prices or improving their own networks?
Mr and Mrs average were given a chance to purchase shares in the '80s by Maggie, sold off Gas, BT etc. So your average working bloke took advantage, got 500 quids worth, tripled in price in a few days of flotation so Joe Bloggs sells to fund his holiday in majorca or puts some double glazing in his 3 bed semi. A once in a lifetime opportunity similar to the sale of council houses at massive discounts. At the time every **** thought it was great but never gave a thought for previous or future generations. Quick fix and **** the rest of you. We already owned it as a nation, now we own **** all.
To be fair. I've had a few "mcat fiascos" myself. Moments of weakness if you will. We are only human after all
Generally what happens is that they get a few bob and think they are boss class and better than everyone else.I came from a very poor background but my old man was a red and he was a good bloke too.Interestingly my brother who is considerably less well off than me is a Tory.
I refused to buy the cooncil flat the ex missus lived in before we married. Who's the fanny now? Me. Principles be damned. I lost out on an easy £60K+.
No, I came to realise that I was getting confused between Socialism and Liberalism, and that I was much more naturally inclined to the later. Also when I actually looked at implementations of socialism I realised that those societies had to give up a lot of liberty for the sake of their equality. In the end most societies who tried it the socialist way, including the people of the old European communist bloc, preferred liberty over state forced equality - like animals in a zoo who would rather take their chances of failing in the wild, than live in a cage.
Well said Michael, sometime I believe we are brothers from other mothers, then you go and spoil it all by saying something stupid Chucky ar la.
You're mixing up socialism and communism, two very different things. Am too knackered to argue over this, and you're set in your selfish view of the world so there's not much to change. I don't want to live in a society where a handful of people own everything (often from old money too), and the ladder is pulled up for anyone else unless you win the lottery or come up with some Facebook-style invention. A higher redistribution of wealth is only available through higher taxation on the high earners and lower taxes for those that earn less. Up the minimum wage and give tax breaks to small businesses, then watch as the economy magically fixes itself. There is now so much money that's been sucked out the system to just sit in bank accounts (belonging to people so rich that they probably don't even know they own it) that the system you love so much Mick is being broken. I'm no communist, some people work hard/are smarter/are better at what they do and should be rewarded for it. But if you believe in 'trickle-down' economics then you're an idiot.
