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Is austerity working- and will it ever end?

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So the cuts to services, funding for local authorities and other hardships bestowed upon the (majority of the) population, grouped together as 'austerity measures' keep coming with no end in sight.

Has the banking crisis been paid for yet, and if not when will it be and will any cuts be reversed ?

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No, it isn't. Fairly well demonstrated by the european countries that didn't adopt it having recovered more quickly than we have.

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Its hard to say. Some point to Portugal's anti-austerity measures as being a success, but scratch the surface and you find they're in an equally precarious position.

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No, it isn't. Fairly well demonstrated by the european countries that didn't adopt it having recovered more quickly than we have.

 

The UK grew quicker than the Eurozone, are you saying the opposite?

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/eurozone-gdp-latest-uk-stagnation-eurostat-office-for-national-statistics-a8332206.html

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Why would you compare it to the entire eurozone, half of which was also following a program of austerity?

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So the cuts to services, funding for local authorities and other hardships bestowed upon the (majority of the) population, grouped together as 'austerity measures' keep coming with no end in sight.

Has the banking crisis been paid for yet, and if not when will it be and will any cuts be reversed ?

 

The Banking crisis was just an excuse. Austerity was a Tory choice. It gave the Tories the chance to cut the state to ribbons whilst remunerating their friends and cronies with our money, in order to privatise what little was left. And it's been a disaster.

 

The cuts will never be reversed while ever the Tories are in government. They dispise ordinary people; helping them goes against their ideology.

Edited by Anna B

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No, it isn't. Fairly well demonstrated by the european countries that didn't adopt it having recovered more quickly than we have.

 

So France, Germany, the US - the big hitters that suffered in the crash are all wrong?

 

---------- Post added 30-09-2018 at 00:43 ----------

 

The Banking crisis was just an excuse. Austerity was a Tory choice. It gave the Tories the chance to cut the state to ribbons whilst remunerating their friends and cronies with our money, in order to privatise what little was left. And it's been a disaster.

 

The cuts will never be reversed while ever the Tories are in government. They dispise ordinary people; helping them goes against their ideology.

 

But in the 20whatever election Labour ed balls specifically said they would not reverse austerity. Surely if it was that easy, they'd have said different. It also begs the question, why did the Tories push through cut after cut when it would have been easier to say enough is enough?

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So France, Germany, the US - the big hitters that suffered in the crash are all wrong?

 

---------- Post added 30-09-2018 at 00:43 ----------

 

 

But in the 20whatever election Labour ed balls specifically said they would not reverse austerity. Surely if it was that easy, they'd have said different. It also begs the question, why did the Tories push through cut after cut when it would have been easier to say enough is enough?

 

If you remember, the Tories did nothing but lie and blame Labour for the global banking crisis, and at the time most people didn't understand any better. The slurs stuck and Labour were definately on the back foot.

 

Also remember Ed Balls was part of the Blairite government and much closer aligned to the Conservatives. He maybe knew a coalition government was in the offing and thought it expedient to go with the flow to be in with a chance.

 

As for why the Tories pushed through cut after cut: well they would, wouldn't they? Ever since Margaret Thatcher the Conservatives have been moving further and further right towards a Neo- Liberal agenda, ie demolish the state, and allow market forces to rule.

 

That means winner takes all and devil take the hindmost - and that's exactly what's happened. The winners; the Corporations, the rich, affluent, and influential have taken over, and the losers; the poor, the disabled, the disadvantaged and the sick and the old, have had their support networks and services cut to the bone.

 

And so it will continue, the winners sucking up more and more of the wealth, and the loser group growing exponentially and getting poorer, until the Neo-Liberals (New Tories) are stopped.

Edited by Anna B

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Surely if it was that easy, they'd have said different. It also begs the question, why did the Tories push through cut after cut when it would have been easier to say enough is enough?

 

The Tories line of a 'Labour spend from the magic money tree' seemed to win, the Tories and the media painted Labour as a spendthrift, it worked.

 

Other countries have more than 100% of GDP debt, which is a poor way to measure debt, because it depends on a countries GDP level at that time, it can vary widely.

 

Even with lower debt, I am sure the Tories campaign in the next election will center on their spendthrift nature, true or not.

A high level of debt is not good, the UKs debt level is above the EU average.

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The Banking crisis was just an excuse. Austerity was a Tory choice. It gave the Tories the chance to cut the state to ribbons whilst remunerating their friends and cronies with our money, in order to privatise what little was left. And it's been a disaster.

 

The cuts will never be reversed while ever the Tories are in government. They dispise ordinary people; helping them goes against their ideology.

 

What rubbish are you spouting here? I am an ordinary professional and the government, specifically this one is doing very well for me. Securing my livelihood for the rest of my working career is nothing to be sniffed at.

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What rubbish are you spouting here? I am an ordinary professional and the government, specifically this one is doing very well for me. Securing my livelihood for the rest of my working career is nothing to be sniffed at.

 

Well good for you. I think the key word here is 'professional.' So, in a good job, in a good position etc. You just have to hope it stays that way and you never become disabled through an accident, debiltated theough ill health, unemployed, etc.

 

You will,, however innevitably become old. How will you feel when everything you have spent your whole life working for disappears almost overnight in care home fees? Or you are denied the treatment you need on account of your age? Or the services you require no longer exist?

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The Banking crisis was just an excuse. Austerity was a Tory choice. It gave the Tories the chance to cut the state to ribbons whilst remunerating their friends and cronies with our money, in order to privatise what little was left. And it's been a disaster.

 

The cuts will never be reversed while ever the Tories are in government. They dispise ordinary people; helping them goes against their ideology.

 

If the Tories despise ordinary people, as you claim, why have they increased the minimum wage, introduced a national living wage, and massively increased the income tax threshold? Those things benefit ‘ordinary people’.

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