*_ash_*

4 electric buses?

In China, all the buses are electric. What's the point in being free? How is that good business? All the buses here, and trains, are all cheap. No need for free. 

I haven't read all 11 pages, but is this being paid for by the CAZ?

If so, then that's maybe a good thing.

11 hours ago, crookesey said:

Find out the Chief Constable’s home address and start a peaceful protest outside it, I wager that it wouldn’t last very long. 😉

*Some typos and lack of clarity in my last post, and I couldn't edit it*

(jesting aside)

The protesters should be complaining to the top (Waitrose bosses)!!

Why should I have to go and protest about the protesters? How could I? 

not to mention would be a waste of time, because the Chief Constanble isn't responsible for Britain's problems. 

8 hours ago, dave_the_m said:

On private property, the owner or their agents can use reasonable force to eject trespassers; but it's a civil matter, and the police could only intervene if there was a breach of the peace (e.g. if the protesters used force to resist being ejected).

 

If the protesters were stopping people carrying out lawful activities (e.g. blocking the entrance so no one could shop), then that might make it aggravated trespass, which is a  criminal matter and the police could then start arresting people.

As simple as that! haha. This is why the Police don't do anything. They know someone will pull one of these reasons out of the bag, and it's not worth pursuing. A protester has a lot more power thanks to successive crap governments, pampering to things that make policing impossible in this country. 

5 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

You think irritating shoppers in Waitrose are blocking highways is going to make a big change to that?

 

Given you know what I do for a living I think Id rather actually seek change through the law and policy and the democratic political system express my feelings to those leading the country.

Someone early on said I haven't seen anything about this. So, in a way, I have given them coverage. 

I'm now as guilty for giving them publicity. Hopefully not good though. 

1 hour ago, Anna B said:

And yet here we are talking about it in a thread that the disruption has generated.

 

It doesn't really matter whether you agree with them or not, it has made people stop and think.

Awareness has been raised, and publicity increased.

 

From little acorns....

 

Really? 

I would wager that most Waitrose customers are alreasy in favour of Isreal. Furthermore, it was apparently over some grapes or dates, that were produced in Isreal.

If they don't like Waitrose, then go and protest outside the rich people you hate who make all the money. Not hassle people just trying to go about their day. 

People have the right to protest in the UK. Does this include intimidating, waving flags, whistling and shouting (INSIDE the shop) in the face of vulnerable elderly people?

My parents are both deaf and struggle with walking and don't need this when they just went to buy a loaf of bread. My Mum is shook up beyond belief and already in poor health. She said one of the flag wavers nearly knocked her over. 

The police? Stood watching. I'm surprised there were any police actually. I haven't seen a police officer in years.

2 hours ago, Magilla said:

Bad news from UK SME's...

 

Brexit and Businesses: In their own words:

https://assets.nationbuilder.com/euromove/pages/14236/attachments/original/1700125178/Brexit_Business_Impact_Report.pdf

A striking 93.6% of respondents said that Brexit had affected them negatively, and only 3.2% felt positive about our break with the EU.

Over half of respondents (53.8%) told us that the volume and complexity of documentation now needed to trade with clients and suppliers in Europe made running their business harder.

95.5% of respondents told us they would benefit from regaining our former access to the EU Single Market and 92% said the same for the Customs Union.

More than 70% of respondents said that Brexit had affected their business very negatively, and more than 20% had been somewhat negatively affected. Only 3.4% have felt any benefit from Brexit.

 

 

I'm currently studying (last 9 months) in Asia, and meeting more Europeans than I ever have. 

This often comes up in conversation about the decision. 

From what I hear, all this arguing over 3.9% and 3.4% growth/loss this and that, is nothing. 

Germans, French, and northern Europeans that I chat to, in general are of the same feeling... their country is going downhill, and they realise why English voted for it. It's mainly the same reason too, immigration issues. The thing is, no one is allowed to discuss this in England, and from what they tell me, is the same in their countries. Fear of racism. They all say the same thing, far right groups are growing due to being told to shut up. 

Sounds like UK to me. 

I know this is on 594 pages now, and I no doubt commented when I used to post, but I'm sure my opinion hasn't changed. 

If not for immigration (particularly into poor areas) it wouldn't have gone the way it did. 

It's a bit of a sorry state for both Sheffield clubs at the moment. 

Wednesday look doomed. United's only chance is if 3 teams get relegated due to 3 teams being relegated due to financial cheating.

It's nice being in the premiership and getting there on merit, but whatever league you are in, it's incredibly depressing being humiliated every week.

Luckily, I'm not there to see it in person at the Lane, but even on the other side of the world, I watch the highlights if I can get my vpn to work, and it's a sorry sight. I still feel it even here.

New manager? old manager? I'm not sure anyone can do it. The quality just isn't there. Good players, but not prem quality. It's not considered the best league in the world for nothing. Something definitely needs to change and very quickly if we are to survive. I think what's worse is that this is probably one of the easiest seasons to stay up in many years. So many bad sides.

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

Since when was there there a connection between people living in flats and whether they are civilised. 

 

More talking out of your posterior. 

 

Just because someone has a two bedroomed semi with a nice garden and driveway does not automatically mean they are civilised.  Plenty of low life, serial workshy and druggies live in houses love.  On the other hand plenty of well educated, polite, classy professionals are happily living in flats.  

 

Jeez it really must be something living on Planet Irene where everyone instantly wants, can, afford and has sufficient room to all be living in their 3 bed mock Tudor homes with a white slimline telephone, bidet, waste disposal and room for a pony.    

 

However the rest of us live in the real world. 

I'm currently living in China, and almost everyone lives in flats. And people are civilised...

Flats seems to be a dirty word in English now. I don't particularly like living in a small space, but I eat out every meal. My flat is simply somewhere to sleep. If England had cheap food and places to go that are cheap then maybe English people wouldn't complain. 

haha at 'room for a pony' reminds me of Hyacith Bucket

6 hours ago, Anna B said:

lt's a misconception that I am deeply'left wing' and have something against big business.

I think people do use 'leftie' a lot, probably me included. I don't think you are deeply left wing.

However, maybe I would just use it because it's an easier way of typing something like: ideologist with no reasonable answers or logical thought to how to fix genuine problems that either have been proven not to work, or simply won't work because they are simply ideologies.

To give an extreme example: All people should live together in peace and harmony.

This kind of ideology is drummed into Brits, AND Europeans for a few decades (and USA too, we follow them!). I actually think this kind of attempted indocrination is actually bad for society, because it's trying to brush over issues that affect people every day... like the issues you mention, but on a much bigger scale.

I don't think society is much different to other times, or other countries. There have ALWAYS been 'super' rich people, and always been the rest of us. 

I think the problem is that both Labour and Tory are both crap. They don't care about the future. They care about the next 4 years and keeping their wages and pension, and to be honest, if I was a politician without savings, I would probably follow the pack too. I'd be happy to hear from anyone that doesn't think about their own welfare and their families welfare before the people who will be alive in 50, 100 years. 

6 hours ago, Anna B said:

Thankyou. I have previously defined the working class as anyone who works for a living, but was ridiculed for it. I believe anyone who works and pays all their taxes is the lifeblood of the country. Bur rather than criticise the super rich who do not pay their fair share in tax (ie 30% without recourse to dodgy tax avoiding accountants) people turn instead on the poorest in society and blame them for our problems.

 

lt's a misconception that I am deeply'left wing' and have something against big business. Not true, I just believe business owners and their employees are an interdependent team, and should work together with mutual respect and consideration. Unfortunately that no longer seems to be the case with big businesses such as Amazon, whose only concern is big profits at the expense of their employees who are considered unimportant, disposable minions.

 

With the demise of the Unions these workers no longer have anyone fighting their corner, and help is sorely needed. 

The last two pages of your posts look like ranting, so I think you've lost your temper.

Can I ask you a question... 

what do you think of working class (your definition of, meaning people who work hard and paying their taxes)

buying stuff from Amazon? 

6 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

Speak for yourself.  I never want to buy cheap things but these days,  that's all there is.     I'm sure I'm not on my own. 

There was much more to it than your second line suggests.  

 

2. We didn't invest and we didn't lead in new industries and technologies.   We did nothing to replace what we lost.

 

3. Unfortunately,  we are still carrying on the same today despite the new green industries offering a path which we ignore.

 

 

What phone and computer do you use?

2. Who didn't invest? The Tories or Labour? Or you mean private companies? They did invest, in other countries where labour costs were cheaper. The same happens now, no different at all. 

3. The only reason people ignore green industries is because it's more expensive. 

People don't want nuclear power, when clearly we could solve all our power problems with it. 

People don't want electric cars because you can't charge them, and it's becoming more expensice when you do.

14 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

It very much would,   but good luck with that.

But why?

Labour's fault or Tory's fault?

I want to know the difference between the possible governments.

49 minutes ago, Anna B said:

Indeed. But societies are supposed to move forward and get better, not go backwards. The things these baby boomers benefitted from were fought for and won after the second world war, a time of austerity, when we were heavily in debt, and almost bankrupt.

 

If we could afford it then, we can afford it now.

 

It's all a question of priorities and what the government decides to spend our taxes on. These were Labour governments fighting for a better life for the people of this country and they succeeded in making the lives of the average Joe much, much better. 

 

People have short memories and subsequently allowed the Conservative party to get the upper hand by voting for them, largely based on broken promises and lie after lie. The Tories are ultra crafty and ruthless power grabbers by any means. If we've learnt nothing we've surely learnt this.

 

They might lie shamelessly about it, but the Tories' priorities are very different, and it's certainly not for the benefit of the ordinary people, folks! Your taxes have gone up the the highest level in history but they have simultaneously dismantled all that was good post war, and starved the ordinary people of necessary resources via none stop cuts to funding in every area. The money has been redirected the into the pockets of rich cronies, friends and already wealthy. Their latest gambit is to cut inheritance tax. Now who do you think benefits most from that?

(Forget that it now costs £4,000 a month for a care home or care provider at home, which will take the entire cost of a baby boomer's house, so nothing left to leave.)

 

Thus the oft heard truism of 'the rich get richer, while  the poor get poorer.'

 

So let's not blame the 'golden generation' but put it squarely where it belongs. With the   successive  Conservative governments.

   

 

It's not worth arguing with you as you are too set in your ways, but in reality there is little difference between the governments. 

People wanted more things and got them in these 'golden days of Labour' more money, less hours, more tea breaks, but ultimately there is always someone poorer wanting to do a job somewhere in the world. 

Where all the day to day stuff we buy in the shops is made, just moves from one place to another place depending who will make it for the cheapest price. It's a simple as that. 

There is as much blame on us for wanting cheap things, as there is to blame this or that, or any government here.

28 minutes ago, busdriver1 said:

East Midlands, Manchester and Leeds/Bradford all within easy travelling distance, the difference is they have things worth visiting nearer than Sheffield.

Easy travelling distance?

All 3 are a pain in the A

A high speed train would solve it. In recent months I've done Taipei (Taoyuan airport), Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen. All of them have a fast train directly to the city from the airport. The longest trip being 30 mins. 

A reliable high speed train to Manchester would probably be cheaper than building a new airport (to answer the previous posts not by you).

1 hour ago, HeHasRisen said:

Its an absolute shambles this has happened yet Man City are still sat there with no points taken off.

 

As for the relegation places, Everton would be much better taking this deduction this season rather than letting it drag on into the next with appeals. the bottom 4 in the league (before Everton got the points taken off) are of such a poor quality this season they are likely to still stay up anyway, next season maybe not so.

Definitely, this season has the worst sides in years, and I doubt they'll struggle to pull out of the bottom 4

In one recent film, whilst running around on my electric bike in rural areas (basically a moped, but electric) I found an area in the middle of nowhere,  and a little girl was pumping water out of the ground. Me and my friend went to talk to them, and asked I asked (in Chinese) if I could record them, and they said, yeah! A lovely family, all smiling, and curious why a foreigner would want to see them. In England, people would say, wow!! such povery, but they had land, food, all smiling, and seemed happy. I was quite moved. 

I thought to myself, when I was selling my house, I had loads of foreigners saying 'can I come into your house to take things', and these two experiences were completely different. In England they wanted to steal my things. In China, they welcomed me into their house even though they didn't know me. It's a completely different mindset and place that has blown my mind really.

8 hours ago, Delbow said:

Thanks. To be fair, China is probably at a peak now, having industrialised incredibly rapidly. What you are describing sounds similar to Victorian Britain but with modern technology. Like all other capitalist economies, it's probably a slow journey to stagnation from here onwards. The UK is visibly in decline, which in a way is not surprising since it's a tiny island that only got rich through selling slaves and robbing other countries. That said, places like Switzerland and Denmark are also small but manage a decent standard of living for most people, so it's definitely possible to do better than the UK even in late stage capitalism.

I think it peaked a few years ago in terms of growth, however, even during these bad times, and poorer growth following the pandemic, in general things are still much better than UK/USA.

The growth rate is still higher than most countries, but they seem to sort things better. Far fewer private companies (though the current house thing is an issue) - but in day to day life, people tell me it's just harder than pre-pandemic - perhaps because of fewer tourists (both domestic and international).

-

I noticed that big companies were talked about in the last couple of pages... here, my experience is that city centres have lots of big companies, but where I live just outside town, there are absolutely 0% big companies. All single companies (one man bands).

9 hours ago, gaz 786 said:

Why don't you go for prime minister you got my vote 😉 

Haha! 

No where is perfect, I'm not saying everything is perfect here, but it's so much better. 

7 hours ago, Delbow said:

Are the rents capped there? Many people think that one of the problems holding the UK back is the prevalence of rentier capitalism which sucks large amounts out of the economy for the benefit of a small number of people who own the assets. 

I don't think so. Obviously in the big cities, you're gonna pay a lot more but still nothing like UK prices. 

Doesn't really look they need to cap it, there's enough places so expensive prices wouldn't attract customers. 

The place I am in is temporary but locals tell me I'm paying way over the odds at £6 a night (£180 a month). I could get much cheaper if was here more long term. 

I can't get quotes to work but the other thing I mentioned is the transport system

@Longcol

In UK we've argued over this HSS thing for goodness how many years and at so much cost... here, they just built it all in 20 years or so and still going. I'm in a rural area, and still I got the HSS to here (Guilin) in 3 and half hours from Shenzhen airport which is about 630 km, and it was £35. 

Even Shanghai to Beijing I did which is 1,200 kms and that was only £60, no standing up, guaranteed seat, comfy, on time to the second. 

It's like being in some futuristic place here, in the big cities you can see a policeman all the time, no druggies outside every shop, no litter, empty shops. UK could learn a lot, but won't, like USA. Both just spend their time arguing and doing nothing.

Now, I'm not sure now that it is behind. I think the whole country is behind. I just watched a youtuber wendall or windall (was recommended) showing Grimbsy and Cleethorpes and some other places. Basically, Britain is a dump. It's totally behind the times, just like USA. 

So many reasons, so many problems, not sure the current system will fix it, just 2 opposing parties neither of which do anything. 

I'm currently in one of the poorest provinces (this is my place) in China, and it's leagues ahead of Britain. 

The main thing I think is right here, is rental prices are so low. I mean practically nothing, including shops. I chat to people here who run shops and ask them questions (because I can't see how they make any money) and basically rent is so cheap, that they only have to have a few customers and they can get by. 

Electricity is incredibly cheap, rent is cheap, transport is cheap (my electric scooter is £1 per day, and even then, someone said why not buy one they're only 900rmb (about £96)), and you charge it by plugging into the wall, not some over-complex crap that britain is trying to do. 

And there's a high speed train to bring tourists into the area. 

Honestly, UK media makes this place out to be bad, but I couldn't be happier. Everything is fair, no crime at all. No druggies. 

And my local pub (which to be honest is mainly westerners because it's too expense for many locals (and they aren't really beer drinkers, is £1 a pint)

Britain needs to get this rent business sorted. Build nice tower blocks, and cheap rents. Get these uncompetitive wages down so we can start making things again, and still have money to spare to go and buy stuff. 

The usual bragging rights banter is dead this season really, I would guess.

It's probably the worst combinded season in history!

There's very little hope for either side. All the excitement from the end of last season has been hoovered up, by reality, and very quickly.

I'm more surprised by Weds though. I kind of expected that we would be in the crap, it's just a shame that this is probably the easiest premiership to survive in years, as there are some terrible teams in the mix. Only got to be better than 3 of them.

6 minutes ago, Al Bundy said:

Can't see anything other than a spurs win.

 

2-0

sadly me neither

I'm going here. Wonder if I'll find a Blades fan!

Endcliffe Park!

It's comparing apples and oranges really. 

I like that they stayed at their location. It looks amazing, still got a Kop.

Obviously older grounds have more character, and small grounds, some are in beautiful places. 

As a modern stadium though, it's the best I've seen.

Talking of this game, I changed all of my travel plans at the last minute, and now in a hotel in the middle of nowhere, but it's only about 20 minutes in a cab to the place I went last week to watch the rugby. I just rang them, and as far as I understood, they're showing the game, so I'm going to get a taxi now. It's just nearly 9pm, so I think the kick off should be in 1 hour.

1 minute ago, HeHasRisen said:

Too late for some people but it should be made law that you cannot opt out ofwork pension schemes. It's law they have to be offered but people opt out. 

 

You can't miss from your wages money you never had.

but, and major but!

How many people trust this or any government with pensions schemes?

How many people trust this or any government to allow private companies doing pension schemes?

The old people now say they have been conned by past governments, and this is due to the world changing... well I would argue that the world is changing faster now than ever before... so who's to say where that money will go from your wages every month?

I think it would be a brave government to propose such a thing, as it is likely to be a vote loser. What do you think?

Let's not forget, the tories and the labour dont care about us, they care about winning votes, not the greater good.