2017 GE 1

[Park Life 71]

Economies don't grow unless you invest in them. End of story.  That means  investing in skills training, infrastructure, encouraging an internal market, low energy costs,  tax breaks for capital outlay (plant and machinery - like they did in Germany)...It doesn't grow by just deregulating banks.

Edited May 12, 2017 by Park Life

[Christmas Tree 4725]

4 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

How on earth are they going to convince anyone when the entirety of the right wing press is lined up against them (largely to protect the interests of those who run them)?

 

I think the RWP is not the power you think it is anymore.

 

 

 

 

[ewerk 30598]

9 minutes ago, Park Life said:

You only need to look at a few Vox pops to realise the British public have no clue about politics. I bet about 1 out of 10 would even have heard of Quantum Easing, fractional reserve banking or the relationship between the money supply and inflation. All you can do with these gumbies is have a photogenic leader who is ready to lie his way to power.

 

Yeah, that quantum easing is a tricky one.

[Alex 35077]

1 minute ago, ewerk said:

 

Yeah, that quantum easing is a tricky one.

Requires quite a leap of faith

[Park Life 71]

It's just keeping bad banks and the paper markets ticking over. ECB is just signalling it will buy bad shit and hide it somewhere. Low interest rates and money printing is just stealing from the masses. We have to tackle parked wealth weather it's in housing porfolios or offshore and we have to tackle the banks. There has to be laws with reg to business lending (Govt tops it up - ie put in 25% for every 75% a bank lends to business). Banks have to be encouraged to lend to small business and the Govt should back these schemes with hard cash. This kind of intervention is what the markets fear because it is a danger to monopolies with reg to choice and competition.

 

Late capitalism whatever claptrap it comes out with is against competition. It wants over regulated markets that only big firms can bear. I laugh when Tories talk about deregulation of business because it shows they have no clue what is going on. The core reason for the German miracle has been long term lending and partnerships with Capital that work withing 10-20 year time frames. German companies don't hesitate to upgrade their machinery or research because they have access to lending over long terms and plan accordingly.

 

http://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/EN/Standardartikel/Topics/Public-Finances/Articles/2016-09-21-sustainably-boosting-investment-in-germany.htm

 

 

Edited May 12, 2017 by Park Life

[Park Life 71]

Royal Mail has paid out nearly 700m in dividends and cut 11,000 jobs.

[Dr Gloom 21915]

It's true that, generally speaking, British punters aren't engaged with politics beyond headlines and party slogans. It's why they bought the austerity argument, it's why no one is kicking up a stink about it now it's been swept under the carpet by the tories after ending in complete failure.

 

There is a lot in the labour manifesto that will appeal to most ordinary working class people, but it's probably too late for him to claw back ground lost on issues like Brexit, security, immigration and patriotism.

 

Unfortunately these issues matter a lot to large parts of potential labour voters and Corbyn isn't prepared to play the game to win their support - some say he's principled, I say naive for failing to at least try to be pragmatic on certain issues. What's the point in principled opposition that doesn't have a chance to win elections?

 

I'd love to be proved wrong but I don't see it happening. I've been travelling the country the past week or two interviewing voters as well as politicians and the overriding narrative that the public seem to be sucking up is May is a strong leader, Corbyn isn't. And they'll vote for her because she'll secure us the best possible Brexit deal. These are former labour voters I'm talking about, incidentally.

[Rayvin 5217]

2 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

It's true that, generally speaking, British punters aren't engaged with politics beyond headlines and party slogans. It's why they bought the austerity argument, it's why no one is kicking up a stink about it now it's been swept under the carpet by the tories after ending in complete failure.

 

There is a lot in the labour manifesto that will appeal to most ordinary working class people, but it's probably too late for him to claw back ground lost on issues like Brexit, security, immigration and patriotism.

 

Unfortunately these issues matter a lot to large parts of potential labour voters and Corbyn isn't prepared to play the game to win their support - some say he's principled, I say naive for failing to at least try to be pragmatic on certain issues. What's the point in principled opposition that doesn't have a chance to win elections?

 

I'd love to be proved wrong but I don't see it happening. I've been travelling the country the past week or two interviewing voters as well as politicians and the overriding narrative that the public seem to be sucking up is May is a strong leader, Corbyn isn't. And they'll vote for her because she'll secure us the best possible Brexit deal. These are former labour voters I'm talking about, incidentally.

 

While broadly agreeing, I will add that Corbyn has compromised on the nuclear deterrent which indicates some basic level of acceptance of the need to take on board views that deviate from his principles.

 

Also, your touring of the country took place before the manifesto was out. Surely their odds will improve now (albeit not enough to win the thing).

[Dr Gloom 21915]

I'd like to think the manifesto will make people think. But with the right wing media unlikely to get behind it, I have my doubts that it'll be enough to have much of an impact. My tour is ongoing till the end of the month so I'll report back if the mood music on the doorstep changes.

[Rayvin 5217]

23 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

I'd like to think the manifesto will make people think. But with the right wing media unlikely to get behind it, I have my doubts that it'll be enough to have much of an impact. My tour is ongoing till the end of the month so I'll report back if the mood music on the doorstep changes.

 

Do your best to influence people, you're in a unique position!

[Dr Gloom 21915]

I'm supposed to be impartial!

[Rayvin 5217]

Stop playing by the rules, no one else is!

[Happy Face 29]

1 hour ago, Dr Gloom said:

I'm supposed to be impartial!

 

Facts are impartial. 

 

I don't buy that a journalist should just act as stenographer of 2 opposing views. The job is to weigh those views and act as arbiter to ensure the truth is told. Or your genuine view of the truth.

 

Some hacks bend a story to their own angle. A good journalist reports the conclusions they arrive at regardless of ideology.

 

Fact here is that Corbyn leading the country is a worry when he struggled to lead a couple of hundred MPs. But his policies are far more coherent than the conservatives, who have talked about leadership but largely gone into hiding for the campaign.

[Alex 35077]

Take no notice Gloom, they've been calling the MSM worse than shit for months and now they want you to do them a favour? Fuck em

[Dr Gloom 21915]

I don't get paid to express my views man

[Dr Gloom 21915]

Only big cheeses get to offer an opinion. Reporting the truth is what we do, facts are checked and verified, but it has to be balanced. Otherwise it strays into commentary. 

[Park Life 71]

Gloom rolls over for the Yankee dollah.

 

Run at them and head butt them if they say they will vote Tory.

[Rayvin 5217]

1 hour ago, Alex said:

Take no notice Gloom, they've been calling the MSM worse than shit for months and now they want you to do them a favour? Fuck em

 

To be absolutely fair to gloom, he genuinely seems to believe and trust in the impartiality stuff. He is what the media should be.

 

On the other hand, the current right wing press are looking a lot like everything we have described the MSM to be.

[Park Life 71]

Not sure about raising Corporation Tax. When Varoufakis was trying to sort out Greece the first thing he did was lower it to energise business.

 

There are only 3 ways to grow the economy.

 

1.Population Growth to stimulate demand. (This old trick should be familiar by now).

2. Capital investment.

3. Technological advancement (new tech).

Edited May 13, 2017 by Park Life

[ewerk 30598]

11 minutes ago, Park Life said:

Not sure about raising Corporation Tax. When Varoufakis was trying to sort out Greece the first thing he did was lower it to energise business.

 

Nope he didn't.

 

 

FAKE NEWS!

[Park Life 71]

4 minutes ago, ewerk said:

 

Nope he didn't.

 

 

FAKE NEWS!

It's in his book. 'Adults in the Room'. About negotiations with the Troika and what compromises Syriza would make. I've only just started it so not sure if later this was reversed. He suggested it to Tspiras anyway while they were swimming.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Park Life

[ewerk 30598]

They actually raised corporation tax under his watch. Whether he was wearing speedos at the time of the agreement is unknown.

[Park Life 71]

4 minutes ago, ewerk said:

They actually raised corporation tax under his watch. Whether he was wearing speedos at the time of the agreement is unknown.

That's weird like cause the IMF and the ECB and others inc Varoufakis were in favour of lowering it. Maybe Syriza bowed to the demands of the ultra-left in the party. It's a brilliant book btw. Hightly recommended. Gets right into the nitty gritty of what was going on behind the scenes and lays out the various characters beautifully. The flirty but cunning LeGarde. Schaubler and his killer looks.

[adios 717]

6 hours ago, Park Life said:

3. Technological advancement (new tech).

 

Thanks for the clarification.

[Park Life 71]

17 hours ago, adios said:

Thanks for the clarification.

There hasn't been much of that. We're probably right at the limits of our tech now. I mean they've been talking about nano for about 20 years now and Fusion reactors for about 50 years.