General News Thread

[CornwallFox]

1 minute ago, Tommy G said:

https://news.sky.com/story/income-tax-and-national-insurance-unlikely-to-rise-as-sky-news-obtains-definition-of-working-people-13459288

Oh I see.

Yes I just do a hobby for money. A hobby I would never do for fun 😅

[danny.]

1 hour ago, CornwallFox said:

Are there not times when the two things are one and the same? 

Realistically, no honest approach to the small boats issue can ignore the need to improve conditions in other countries. I.e. solve problems at source. If you don't do that, you're not going to solve the problem no matter how many over simplified policies farage comes up with.

Not sure why it’s the U.K.’s responsibility to i.e. improve the Albanian economy to stop economic migrants coming from there via small boats. It’s up to each country to sort out their own economies and I don’t believe it’s the jurisdiction of a sovereign nation to fund the economies of other sovereign nations.

 

As I said to leicsmac, though, I suspect this isn’t something we’ll agree on! Maybe there could be a voluntary tax scheme where people of the mindset that you and leicsmac have could pay additional tax that can go to other countries to improve their economies. 

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, danny. said:

Not sure why it’s the U.K.’s responsibility to i.e. improve the Albanian economy to stop economic migrants coming from there via small boats. It’s up to each country to sort out their own economies and I don’t believe it’s the jurisdiction of a sovereign nation to fund the economies of other sovereign nations.

 

As I said to leicsmac, though, I suspect this isn’t something we’ll agree on! Maybe there could be a voluntary tax scheme where people of the mindset that you and leicsmac have could pay additional tax that can go to other countries to improve their economies. 

I'd be fine with this if other areas of tax spending, for example military spending or oil/gas subsidies, were likewise subject to such voluntary schemes.

[CornwallFox]

4 minutes ago, danny. said:

Not sure why it’s the U.K.’s responsibility to i.e. improve the Albanian economy to stop economic migrants coming from there via small boats. It’s up to each country to sort out their own economies and I don’t believe it’s the jurisdiction of a sovereign nation to fund the economies of other sovereign nations.

 

As I said to leicsmac, though, I suspect this isn’t something we’ll agree on! Maybe there could be a voluntary tax scheme where people of the mindset that you and leicsmac have could pay additional tax that can go to other countries to improve their economies. 

I don't think you're being quite honest about what it is we're suggesting but probably easier to move on.

[Tommy G]

35 minutes ago, danny. said:

Not sure why it’s the U.K.’s responsibility to i.e. improve the Albanian economy to stop economic migrants coming from there via small boats. It’s up to each country to sort out their own economies and I don’t believe it’s the jurisdiction of a sovereign nation to fund the economies of other sovereign nations.

 

As I said to leicsmac, though, I suspect this isn’t something we’ll agree on! Maybe there could be a voluntary tax scheme where people of the mindset that you and leicsmac have could pay additional tax that can go to other countries to improve their economies. 

It’s a bit like that famous clip of the “we welcome refugees here” and every single person the guy interviewed at that rally then went onto say they wouldn’t house them in their own homes. 
 

 

[CornwallFox]

11 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

It’s a bit like that famous clip of the “we welcome refugees here” and every single person the guy interviewed at that rally then went onto say they wouldn’t house them in their own homes. 
 

 

It's absolutely nothing like that. 

Though I was thinking myself his suggestion was as dumb as that one. Nobody is calling for people to personally house asylum seekers are they? Nobody. 

Such a nonsense right wing talking point. 

[danny.]

48 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

I don't think you're being quite honest about what it is we're suggesting but probably easier to move on.

Not sure what you think I’m being dishonest about but agree easier to move on, neither of us are going to change our outlook on this. 

[danny.]

17 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

It’s a bit like that famous clip of the “we welcome refugees here” and every single person the guy interviewed at that rally then went onto say they wouldn’t house them in their own homes. 
 

 

To be fair, they would if they had room!

[leicsmac]

15 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

It’s a bit like that famous clip of the “we welcome refugees here” and every single person the guy interviewed at that rally then went onto say they wouldn’t house them in their own homes. 
 

 

In addition to this being the tired old strawman always trotted out as the poster above pointed out (as if accepting a refugee into one's home is the only or even the best way to help them), it would once again be nice to have some honesty of purpose from those who would prefer less action.

 

Enough deflection. People should admit where such a policy decision would leave a great many non-UK lives and say that they're OK with that, rather than hiding behind platitudes on the matter. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

20 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

It’s a bit like that famous clip of the “we welcome refugees here” and every single person the guy interviewed at that rally then went onto say they wouldn’t house them in their own homes. 
 

 

You know there's this thing called revised narrative editing?

 

Ask the BBC.

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

In addition to this being the tired old strawman always trotted out as the poster above pointed out (as if accepting a refugee into one's home is the only or even the best way to help them), it would once again be nice to have some honesty of purpose from those who would prefer less action.

 

Enough deflection. People should admit where such a policy decision would leave a great many non-UK lives and say that they're OK with that, rather than hiding behind platitudes on the matter. 

People also want us to return to relying on our own fossil fuels...

 

Until they're fracking a couple of miles away.

 

Also, not everyone who claims to be an asylum seeker is. I think once someone was proven to be genuine, then most of these people would if they had room.

[leicsmac]

Anyhow, given what's just happened on Filbert Way, it perhaps might be that tensions are running a little high for everyone now? 

 

Can only speak for myself but I'm going to cool off on this one until morning, not sure if other folks would prefer to do the same. 

[Zear0]

38 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Anyhow, given what's just happened on Filbert Way, it perhaps might be that tensions are running a little high for everyone now? 

 

Can only speak for myself but I'm going to cool off on this one until morning, not sure if other folks would prefer to do the same. 

I'm calm and relaxed. 

 

Let's invade France. 

[MaidstoneFox]

5 hours ago, Tommy G said:

I think most people serve their own interests - we’re on the planet for a finite time - 80 years or so if you’re lucky. 
 

We aren’t all going to turn into a society of mother Theresa’s overnight - doesn’t mean everyone is selfish and plenty will do things for others - charity, unpaid care, voluntary work etc. 

Very philosophical this debate. I think this is a Hobbesian (not Jack) perspective. My old philosophy lecturer would be very impressed and he used to keep a live tortoise on his desk in honour of Aesop's fables.

5 hours ago, leicsmac said:

We're a communal species, and though our lifespans are short compared to the way some things change, you're right in that people can and do lots of things for other people they have no obligation to help.

 

Perhaps mutual self interest is a better way of framing it, but not thinking of the future is the quickest way for there not to be one for anyone. Which is the very basis of the fears described above. 

 

So while, yes, people can and do serve their own interest, sometimes more is needed and I hope that enough people realise and are ready to act upon that, because a lot rides on it. 

 

Edit: considering what we now know about Mother Teresa, I'm not sure she's the best example to be used here 

 

[CrazyKopCorner]

10 hours ago, Tommy G said:

FM that speech yesterday was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen in politics. 

 

She really is as thick as pig mince. 

 

The worst chancellor we've ever had -- atrocious 

[Trav Le Bleu]

11 minutes ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

FM that speech yesterday was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen in politics. 

 

She really is as thick as pig mince. 

 

The worst chancellor we've ever had -- atrocious 

I'm not saying she's good, but I think you're forgetting...

 

[CrazyKopCorner]

14 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

I'm not saying she's good, but I think you're forgetting...

 

Really - He was chancellor for 5 minutes - this chumps been in 16 months and is destroying the economy 

[StanSP]

10 minutes ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Really - He was chancellor for 5 minutes - this chumps been in 16 months and is destroying the economy 

And look how much damage he did in such a short time. 

 

They're both shite. 

[CrazyKopCorner]

25 minutes ago, StanSP said:

And look how much damage he did in such a short time. 

 

They're both shite. 

So we can agree they are both shite but she's been shite for longer 

 

Seriously she is an economic dunce - how she got above about a grade D at A level I'm flabbergasted 

[Innovindil]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mx99ple17o

 

Hopefully rings a bell with the "but they can't work here duuuhhhh" people. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

46 minutes ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Really - He was chancellor for 5 minutes - this chumps been in 16 months and is destroying the economy 

In terms of damage per second, he absolutely owns it.

[DennisNedry]

Quote from the BBC:

The state spends £212bn per year on illness-related inactivity, or nearly 70% of income tax, through lost output, increased welfare payments and additional burdens on the NHS.

 

Raising income tax is unacceptable in my mind, especially given the seemingly endlessly frozen tax thresholds. 

 

[leicsmac]

23 minutes ago, DennisNedry said:

Quote from the BBC:

The state spends £212bn per year on illness-related inactivity, or nearly 70% of income tax, through lost output, increased welfare payments and additional burdens on the NHS.

 

Raising income tax is unacceptable in my mind, especially given the seemingly endlessly frozen tax thresholds. 

 

When you look at local council budgets, health and social care costs tend to be by far the biggest part. 

 

And as much as Reform might say there are still cuts that can be made in that area, the fact is that at some point, likely not far along, when you go down that road in that area, you will have to choose between the money and someone's health - or even their life. 

[leicsmac]

In other news, Mamdani wins in NYC.

 

Hopefully he'll be as much a thorn in the paw of the current government over there as possible. 

[CornwallFox]

8 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

In other news, Mamdani wins in NYC.

 

Hopefully he'll be as much a thorn in the paw of the current government over there as possible. 

Much as they do with any socialist government around the world, I suspect he'll feel the full force of the American machine in an attempt to destroy him and his kind of politics.